54 JUNE 2019 http://www.painters-online.co.uk
areas then repeat the rotating at a low
angle whilst colouring the larger areas.Copyright
If you want to work from a photograph
you find in a magazine, book or on the
internet, please remember that the
photographer owns the copyright and
you should not copy the image if you
want to present or sell your work as your
own. The work you see within this article
and others are here to inspire you and
help you learn so that you can use the
techniques in your own work. Try to use
your own photographs where possible,
set up still lifes or look around you, both
inside your home and outside, or work
from your imagination. Have fun; you
don’t know what you can achieve until
after it is completed.
Next month I will be discussing black
papers and there will be a landscape
project for you to follow. LPJudith Crown
For advice about paper or pencils or
to see and post coloured-pencil pictures
visit the UK Coloured Pencil Society
Facebook page. The UKCPS will be
holding their annual open exhibition
in Richmond, Yorkshire in August,
which is open to non-members as well.
For further information about this,
visit http://www.ukcps.org.ukpurposes as the ones for woodwork are
probably not acid free and will deteriorate
over time. Sanded papers for artwork
include Uart Beige and Dark, which come
in different grades, and Fisher400 sanded
paper. They all have a different feel, but
work can be done faster on these than
most surfaces.
Ampersand produces hardboard panels
pre-primed with acrylic gesso, which are
archival. You can spray multiple layers
of fixative varnish instead of framing
with glass. I found that Winsor & Newton
Professional Fixative followed by their
multi-purpose varnish (which I was able
to buy in my local art shop) worked fine.
Golden and Lascaux also have a fixative
varnish. My personal favourites of the
Ampersand surfaces for coloured pencil
use are the Pastelbord and Gessobord,
but there are several for you to try.
Hints and tips
Sometimes blender pencils or thick layers
of the more waxy pencils can give a white
bloom to the surface. This can be removed
by gently wiping with a soft cloth or
a cotton bud then lightly spraying with
fixative to prevent it happening again.
Fixative is useful for protecting pictures
from smudging. It does not always work
as well on coloured papers as sometimes
the colour seems to sink into the paper.
I found that on the Uart Dark sanded
paper it is helpful as the pencil will
smudge easily otherwise, but when fixed
the colour does not sink into the surface.
Black pencil on the sanded paper will
become shinier when fixed, which
may be a bit of a nuisance. Sometimes
if fixative is sprayed on coloured paper
before using the coloured pencil, it
seems to improve the tooth of the paper.
Some artists use hairspray to fix their
pictures, but I am not sure how this would
be long term, as it is not designed for
artwork. It also might react with the
colours so it is best to buy a good fixative
or, if you are away from home, cover the
picture with another piece of paper and
protect in a folder or between two pieces
of card until you have the opportunity
to buy some.Sharpening a pencil
If you are working on larger areas it is
wasteful to sharpen the pencil to a point.
Unless you actually need a sharp point for
fine details, you can often make do with
a very blunt point. To do this, use a sharp
knife to remove the wood without
sharpening the lead. Hold the knife
securely in your right hand (or left if you
are left-handed) and the pencil firmly in
your other hand, and push the blade away
from you with your left thumb on the
holder, close to the blade. The movement
will be controlled and you will remove
the wood easily without breaking the lead.
If you hold the pencil at a very low
angle to work over the larger areas and
rotate the side continuously, you can
make a sharp point for the fine details.
Use the sharp point created for the edges
of the larger areas, or for filling in tinyLlanberris Tree Reflections, coloured pencil on Art Spectrum Colourfix Smooth soft umber paper, 9x 113 ⁄ 4 in. (22.5x30cm)
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