I will show you how to create a realistic
landscape, using water-soluble colored
pencils. At the beginning it doesn’t look
perfect, but you will see the magic happen
once you apply the water to your sketch.
01 Sketching first shapes: Using an HB graphite
pencil in a tripod grip, sketch the first shapes of
your mountains. When you are using water-
soluble colored pencils, do not use graphite
pencil grades higher than HB, otherwise the
graphite pencil line will dissolve with the colors
and look unclean.
02 First colors: Apply color as you would with
a traditional colored pencil - the more color you
apply, the more intense the value will be. Keep
the pencil point sharp and hold your tool at a low
angle (not perpendicular to the paper). Don’t be
afraid of colors! For the sky you can use not only
a blue pencil, but also yellow, green, purple, or
pink ones!
03 Blending clouds: Brush clean water over
the color to dissolve and blend it. The more you
stroke water over water or the heavier pressure
you use, the more the color will be moved
around. When blending colors, always start from
the brightest areas and move to the darkest.
04 Creating depth in your image: I use light
pressure for each area and blend the darkest
tones with a circular motion. When the paper
is dry, you can add more colors if needed.
Remember, the farthest mountain will be the
palest color you will see! The closest mountains
in the middle ground and foreground will have
more contrast.
Colored landscapes
Learn to sketch with water-soluble colored pencils to create a realistic landscape
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