Colored Pencils

 Good day to you.  A formal creatives greeting dear reader.  Today, I am talking about the colored pencils I purchased on AMZ Prime Day. I got a set of 24 Prismacolor Premier pencils.  I could have gotten a ginormous set, but I have NEVER used a colored pencil except in the form of Derwent watercolor pencils and that I used only sparingly and I water colored with them.  I know people love them.  I am meh on them.  I do like to occasionally use them to draw the outline for the watercolor. Nifty little hack.  You are most welcome for that!  But you had better get that color right on the outline or it will stick out like the ugliest sore thumb imaginable.  Outliner beware.

Back to the Prismacolor.  I thought it would be fun to do dogs and portraits.  Maybe botanicals.  I did this guy. A portrait from Creative Bug's Daily Portrait Challenge.  He has fun hair.

 First I want to get out of the way my internal dialog looking at this and the thoughts of my fellow creative Cathie upon seeing this.  Cathie "When I first started looking at it I thought he had horns. Now I can't unsee it.  Now I can't unsee it.  Plus he is goulish. And he seems to be eating his beard. OK done.

I had fun doing it, though after I was done I realized I am still squatting the face up and making the face wider than it is.  Like a smashed can. I also declared myself done only to realize I did not color his ear. I was just yesterday telling Sue S that my attention to detail was really good.  Prideful me. Braggy little thing.  He turned out... OK. I am unthrilled with pencils.  All the applied pressure and sharpening annoyed me.  I am not done with pencils. If I become a better drawer I might enjoy them.  I might enjoy the potential translucence for botanicals.   It might be fun to draw monochrome sketches.  They are very smooth.  I tried erasing a pink mark on his cheek.  That was a mistake. There are erasable pencils.  I think I will just be less crazy with the markings.

If you are reading this and have opinions on colored pencils - ingredients, types brands, leave a comment.  If you have made a pencil drawing and want me to post it (please), send it to me. 

Given my utter lack of experience with pencils is there something I need to know about blending that isn't obvious and can you blend in a way to make a new color? How do you put in thin highlights? 

Also, if you comment consider putting your name in instead of anonymous.  I might know who you are by what you say, but I am dense.  Also, you can just comment with HI.  I like company.