Oregon Heat Wave, Pretty Flowers and New Projects

Oregon Heat Wave 

For the second time this summer, Oregon has had high temperatures upwards into the 100s. Today the temperature is a little more tolerable. It's a high of 90 in the little town of Carlton. This morning the sky was hazy from all of the smoke blowing in from the fires. So grateful we are not experiencing a possible evacuation from all the fires like we did last year.  

A Walk in the Garden

I haven't had the opportunity to go on many hikes this summer. So today just did a walk around the garden to capture all the pretties. Some flowers are not in bloom yet, but are close to budding out. 

    Lanceleaf Coreopsis and Sunflower

    Rudbeckia and Coneflower

    Rudbeckia and Crocosmia

New Projects

Well this is going to be my next colored pencil art project.

Started off with this stock photo from Pixabay.

stock photo from pixabay

and then transformed into the reference image I wanted. 

stock photos by pixabay and own

However, I need to finish this baby quilt for a baby shower first before I begin the new colored pencil piece.

Pray you all have an amazing blessed week and stay cool!

Keep on Creating!

Carol Moore

Moores Art Gallery the History and Types of Colored Pencils

 

Colored Pencil Tips & Techniques:

The History and Types of Colored Pencils

It's All About Colored Pencils!

Colored pencils are a relatively new medium. Colored pencils were first introduced in the early 19th century. However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that colored pencils were of a high-quality standard. For the longest time, colored pencils were not considered a serious art medium and were scoffed upon by prestigious art galleries and fine artists. Today, however, colored pencil art is becoming more and more widely accepted in galleries and winding up in the hands of many art collectors. Renowned colored pencil artists such as Vera Curnow, Ann Kullberg, Alyona Nickelsen, Gary Greene, Jeff George, Jeffrey Smart Baisden, and Jesse Lane have helped this medium find its way into well-known art galleries. Thanks to these and many other colored pencil artists, colored pencil art is now regarded as a serious art medium.

Historical Timeline of Colored Pencil Companies

• During the early twentieth century, the colored pencil core was developed. The core consisted of a combination of pigments or dyes and a binder.

• In 1761, a small factory in Germany began making the pencils Kaspar Faber, later to become the world-famous Faber-Castell company. Over time, the company has improved the quality of its colored pencil and has created "modern techniques of industrialization" of colored pencils. In the early 1920s, the A.W. Faber Company began selling over 60 different shades of colored pencils for artists. Faber-Castell is considered one of the most popular brands of colored pencils today.

• In 1806, the German company Lyra was established by the pencilmaker Johann Froescheis.

• In 1832, the British company, Derwent, began manufacturing pencils, and in 1932 they developed their first colored pencils.

• In 1834, Staedtler produced their first oil pastel colored pencil, and in 2005, they developed a protective Anti-Break-System (A•B•S) coating for colored pencils to keep them from breaking.

• In 1855, the Schwan-STABILO Company was established in Germany. In 1925, they developed and launched the first thin-lead colored pencil.

• In 1790, L. & C. Hardtmuth Company of Austria and Hungary introduced their Koh-I-Noor brand pencils. They named the pencils after the famous diamond. Their woodless colored pencils were later developed and sold under the “Progresso” trademark.

• In 1913, the Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. was established in Japan, and they began manufacturing colored pencils. They are known in the colored pencil world for the Tombo Irojiten Colored Pencils in which the company introduced in 1988. "Irojiten" is the Japanese expression for "color encyclopedia."

• In 1924, in Switzerland, the company Geneva Fabrique pencils changed its name to Caran d'Ache after a famous French cartoonist. In 1931, they developed Prismalo, the first water-soluble colored pencil. In 2008, they developed a high lightfast set of colored pencils called Luminance 6901. Caran d'Ache is one of the most popular colored pencil brands of today.

• In 1938, the Eagle Pencil Company introduced the Prismacolor Pencil. In 1969, the Eagle Pencil Company changed its name to Berol Limited. Later in 1995, Berol was purchased by Sanford. Sanford Prismacolors is one of the most popular brands of colored pencils today.

Types of Colored Pencils

There are many brands of colored pencils available in the art market today. Which colored pencil do you pick? Before selecting any colored pencils, there are several things to consider. 

First, there are four different types of colored pencil bases available: wax-based, clay-based, oil-based, and water-soluble-based.  Second, there are many pros and cons for each type of colored pencil. Last of all, each type of pencil can be applied in different ways, using various techniques. 

The wax-based colored pencils can tend to leave a build-up of wax or white film on the artwork, and they can require a few coats of fixative. However, compared to oil-based colored pencils, wax-based colored pencils are more affordable, creamy, smooth, and blend well. 

The oil-based colored pencils can be very expensive. In addition, oil-based colored pencils tend to smear or smudge easily, and they tend to have harder leads so, they are not as soft nor creamy as wax-based colored pencils. However, oil-based colored pencils do not require any coatings of fixative. In addition, oil-based colored pencils are water-resistant, and most brands are break-resistant. 

The clay-based type of colored pencils can be very dry but are great for details. 

Finally, water-soluble base pencils can be applied either dry or wet. They have a very rich assortment of colors. However, if the water-soluble pencils are going to be applied as a wet medium, they must be applied to durable paper. 

My advice is to experiment and explore. Try them all! You may find you might like several.

Below are lists of Professional grade colored pencils and watercolor pencils available. I will be adding more as time allows.

Professional Grade Wax/Clay Based Color Pencils

• Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencils (76 colors available, smooth, soft and lightfast, water resistant). Color Chart
• Derwent Coloursofts (72 colors available, soft, smooth, blends well, velvety, lightfast, little wax bloom, acid free, water-resistant). Color Chart
• Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils (150 colors available, blends well, vibrant, soft, smooth, creamy, lightfast, water-resistant, not break-resistant).
• Prismacolor Premier Verithins (36 colors available, hard thin lead, great for details).
• Tombo Irojiten Colored Pencils (100 colors available, many soft pastel colors, smooth blending, medium hard waxy leads, some colors are extremely light, great for detailed work).

Professional Grade Oil Based Colored Pencils

• Caran d'Ache Pablo Colored Pencils (120 colors available, dry lead, water-resistant, lightfast). Color Chart
• Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils (120 colors available, lightfast, smooth, break-resistant, water-resistant, smudgeproof).
• LYRA Rembrandt Polycolor Premium Oil-Based Colored Pencils (78 colors available, lightfast, blendable, water-resistant, no wax build-up, mixes well with Prismas, great for detailed work, hard lead).
• Marco Raffine Professional Colored Pencils (72 colors available, vivid colors, smooth, soft lead).
• Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils (100 colors available, soft to medium lead, smooth, velvety, vibrant colors, lightfast, strong points). Color Chart
• Koh-I-Noor Polycolor Colored Pencils (72 colors available, water-resistant, are wax-based but contain special oils in the pencil lead, smooth, lightfast, dense strokes, not break-resistant, great for detailed work). Color Chart

Professional Grade Water-Soluble Based Pencil Brands

• Caran d'Ache Supracolor Soft Aquarelle (120 colors available, water-soluble, lightfast, soft). Color Chart
• Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle (76 colors available, water-soluble, lightfast, soft). Color Chart
• Cretacolor Marino Watercolor Pencils (36 colors available, water-soluble, lightfast, soft, blendable).
• Derwent Watercolor Pencils (72 colors available, water-soluble, smooth, creamy, soft, lightfast, blends well).
• Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils (120 colors available, smooth, water-soluble, lightfast). 
• LYRA Rembrandt Aquarell Artists' Colored Pencils (72 colors available, lightfast, smooth, water-soluble, bright colors, blendable).
• Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble Colored Pencils (36 colors available, smooth, creamy, water-soluble, blends well, lightfast).
• Staedtler Karat Aquarell Premium Watercolor Pencils (60 available colors, smooth, soft, water-soluble, blends well, break-resistant, vibrant, lightfast).

Discontinued Colored Pencils

Design Spectracolors was once a popular brand of pencils that were discontinued in the year of 1997. Design Spectracolors were first made by the Venus Pencil Company (established in 1956). In 1973, the Venus Pencil Company was purchased by the company Faber-Castell. Then, in 1994, Design Spectracolors were discontinued when the company Berol Prismacolors bought them out. The Prismacolor product line was expanded soon after the company acquired Design Spectracolors. I still have a partial set of these pencils that I continue to use. They are very rich, smooth, soft, and creamy. The only con of this brand was that the core pencil lead tended to fall out on some of them. From time to time, you can find them listed on eBay.

Berol Verithin Colored Pencils (manufactured by Berol) or Eagle Verithins Colored Pencils (manufactured by Eagle Pencil Co.) are a rare vintage find. In 1995, they were switched to Prismacolor Verithins when Sanford purchased Berol. I still have some of these pencils from when I attended art college back in the early 1980s. They certainly have improved color pencils since then. These tend to lean more towards the student/scholastic grade and are very similar to present-day Prismacolor Verithins with a wax-based firm hard lead.

References

CARAN D'ACHE. A Century of Know-how. CARAN D'ACHE, The House, Our History. Web.1 May. 2020.

Derwent. Our Story. Derwent, About, Company. Web.1 May. 2020.

Fila Group. History. Lyra, About Us. History. Web.1 May. 2020.

KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH. Quality Since 1790. KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH, About us. Web.1 May. 2020.

Prismacolor. About Us. Prismacolor, About, Eagle Prismacolor. Web.1 May. 2020.

STAEDTLER. STAEDTLER® and the Coloured Pencil. STAEDTLER, Company, Tradition and Innovation. Web.1 May. 2020.

Tombow. Company History. Tombow, Corporate, About Tombow, Company History. Web.1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Berol." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2 Apr. 2020. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Caran d'Ache (company)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 Mar. 2020. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Colored pencil." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 Mar. 2020. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Cretacolor." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Oct. 2019. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 Dec. 2019. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors."Faber-Castell." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 Apr. 2020. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 Feb. 2020. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Schwan-Stabilo." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 Apr. 2020. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Staedtler." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 Apr. 2020. Web. 1 May. 2020.

Keep on Creating!

Moores Art Gallery Colored Pencil Pattern and Texture Techniques and Tips

 

Colored Pencil Tips & Techniques:

Creating Patterns and Textures with Colored Pencils

It's All About Colored Pencils!

When using colored pencils, one can create various patterns and life-like textures by using specific tools and applying various techniques. For example, some patterns or textures can be created by applying layers of colors and adding distinct details or you can create a pattern or texture by using an eraser. 

There are many wonderful resources out on the market today on creating various patterns and textures for colored pencil artists. One wonderful resource for your colored pencil library is a book by colored pencil artist Gary Greene, Creating Textures in Colored Pencil. The book goes into detail about how to create various life-like textures using colored pencils along with step-by-step demonstrations. Two other good resources for creating textures with colored pencil is 101 Textures in Colored Pencil: Practical step-by-step drawing techniques for rendering a variety of surfaces & textures and The Complete Book of Textures for Artists: Step-by-step instructions for mastering more than 275 textures in graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, acrylic, and oil  Both books are by artist Denise Howard and each is a great guide in learning how to use specific tools and techniques to create different types of textures using colored pencils. 

Tips and Techniques for Creating Different Textures or Patterns with Colored Pencils.

• To create a pattern or texture, try using the side of the pencil lead to create different patterns and or life-like textures.
• To create a pattern or texture, try rubbing the colored pencil onto fine-grit sandpaper to create some colored pencil powder, and then apply the colored pencil powder onto the surface of the paper.
• To create a pattern or texture, scrape the lead of a colored pencil with an X-Acto knife or other sharp object and apply the shavings to the surface of the paper with the tip of a pencil or another tool.
• After applying many layers of colors and a thick layer of color has been developed on the surface of the paper, use an X-Acto knife to scrape different patterns or textures onto the surface of the colored pencil layer. Be careful because if you scratch too hard, you can damage the surface of the paper.
• Find a fairly flat textured or patterned object, such as sandpaper, and lay it beneath the paper, and do a colored pencil rubbing onto the surface (known as frottage) of the paper in desired areas. The heavier the pressure, the more visible the texture will be.
• Try creating various patterns and textures using a textured rubbing plate under the paper.
• After layering many colors, try using an electric eraser, such as a Sakura Electric Eraser or a Pentel Clic Eraser, to make different patterns onto the colored pencil layers of the surface of the paper.
• To create a pattern, take a sharpened woodsy dowel, sand the tip to desired bluntness and use it to indent the paper with the desired pattern. Next, apply layers of color on top of the indented surface. The white of the paper or colored paper will show through revealing the pattern.
• To create a pattern, try crosshatching two different colors. First, lay down an area of straight strokes at right angles with one color, and then overlay another area of straight strokes at right angles with a different color. Try using complementary colors to add some spark.
• To create a pattern, try stippling, a technique in which you apply dots sparsely or densely using single or multiple colors.
• To create a texture, try "Scumbling." "Scumbling" is a colored pencil technique in which you lightly overlap layers of color in a small circular motion, forming tiny circles. It is also referred to as the 'Brillo pad' technique, as the texture resembles a steel-wire cleansing pad. The texture you create depends upon the size and pressure you use to draw the tiny circles. Try varying the size of the circles and colors to create interesting textures.

Video Resources

Keep on Creating!