Vanilla Beans: Sticky Stuff
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CHECKING IN
I’m glad this week is over. I learned a very hard lesson.
I spent 3 hours recording and filming, only to find out that the microphone didn’t record anything.
Then today, I did it again, 2 hours spent and the audio is unusable because there’s a clicking noise.
Always stop and check before wasting an entire afternoon.
New mic enroute.
Sticky Stuff
We’ve been talking about white and cream recently.
We started with the debate over white versus off-white paper. If you use the correct color values, off white paper looks white, so there’s no point in paying extra for extra white paper.
Then last week, I explained why I think cream colored paper is an asset. Bright white paper does weird things to some markers. I really want to use some of these colors but can’t because of the paper.
This week, let’s talk about making white highlights with white colored pencil.
Faithful readers and anyone taking my classes will know that I’m not a fan of white gel pens.
Highlights are rarely white.
Take the photo below for example, the parts of this photo where you’re most likely to use white gel pen are very un-white.
Which is exactly why white gel pen highlights and dewdrops never look real.
Hmmm…
So then why do I yammer on and on in classes about making highlights with Prismacolor #938 White which I lovingly describe as:
One of the most opaque, whitest-white colored pencils on the market.
Aren’t opaque white pencils just as bad as white pens?
Well, for starters, no colored pencil will ever be as opaque as a white gel pen.
Even the most opaque white pencil still allows the base color to shine through. Especially if you’re using it softly and buffing-on a very light coat.
On the left, I applied a thick coat of Prismacolor white and despite my best efforts, you can still see V04 below.
Which is good because realistic highlights are a white-er version of the base color, not actually white.
The last thing we want to do is completely block the color below.
Which again makes you wonder:
Okay, Amy— if the goal is to let the base color show through, shouldn’t we WANT to use translucent white pencils? Why do you insist on Prismacolor White?
Look, I understand many of you are sitting on expensive boxes of Polychromos and the white pencil in that set is basically so transparent that even many die-hard Poly fans won’t touch it.
So it’d be nice if I threw you a bone and said:
“Tah-dah! Now you finally have a use for the useless!”
Nope.
We all know, the word on the street has been that wax is bad. Waxy pencils are cheap and nasty. Ewwwww. Nobody should use them.
Wax based pencils are so boomer.
And yet when coloring realistic highlights, a mostly-opaque, very waxy white pencil is exactly what we want.
What makes for a good marker paper?
A smooth surface.
And what does colored pencil not want to stick to?
A smooth surface.
It’s just a fact. Marker likes it smooth and pencils want it rough. Markers and pencils don’t agree on much. They’re opposites and they want opposite kinds of paper.
This is where waxy colored pencils come in handy.
Even when the paper is super-smooth, wax pencils can still stick to the paper. Oil-based pencils will not.
Prismacolor White goes down smoothly with a pretty good amount of color, even when the paper is inhospitable.
Waxy pencils have sticktoitiveness.
Soft pencils stick to marker paper better. It’s as simple as that.
But there’s another problem with hard pencils— something I’m sure most colored pencil instructors never mention. They’re usually staunch defenders of oil-based pencils and this little fact makes Polychromos look like a bad buy.
Remember, we started this article talking about opacity?
I said “we want the base color to shine through” but then I recommended the most opaque pencil.
Why opaque?
Why not a waxy but translucent pencil?
Okay, let’s play it out.
Let’s say you’re using a translucent pencil. You put one layer of white down and what do you immediately think?
It didn’t do anything! I need more!
So you add another layer but it’s translucent so you still can’t see much. One layer leads to another layer and another...
Pretty soon, you’re applying white pencil with the fury of Cocaine Bear.
Translucent pencils encourage high pressure coloring.
I think it’s much better to use an opaque pencil lightly than rampage a path of destruction with a hard pencil.
Favorite white recommendations here.
Soft, opaque white pencils go down easy and easily.
No force necessary.
In fact, the softer and more opaque a pencil is, the more it discourages force by crumbling or squishing when you press too hard.
The key to realistic highlights is the key to all good coloring— use the right product with the right technique.
For soft highlights, use a soft pencil softly.
Don’t fight with your materials.
Sticky, opaque white pencils have sticktoitiveness.
You’ll appreciate their subtlety in your coloring.
NOT NEW VIDEO
Thanks to that microphone issue I mentioned, this week’s video will be re-narrated and will run on Friday, August 9th. In the meantime, here’s an older video.
Click to watch. If your device doesn’t like embeds, click here to watch at YouTube
WANT COLORED PENCIL CONFIDENCE?
Then let’s get to the Point!
If you liked The Blend, you’ll love The Point.
The Blend is basic marker with a touch of colored pencil
The Point flip-flops the ratio teaching you colored pencil with a simple base of marker
The two courses work hand-in-hand but let’s be clear:
The Point is NOT a sequel.
You can start with either course. Each will be open for 6 months of the year.
Begin with whichever one is open when you’re ready to get movin’!
The Point closes to new enrollees on Dec 31st, 2024.
The Blend reopens on January 1st, 2025.
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