How I Create Coloured Pencil Portraits

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  Step 1

  First things first, you will need to start off with the initial sketch - this is the base of every tutorial. I also believe that having the initial sketch in pencil allows you to plan all aspects of the drawing such as the colours you want the piece to be in as it is always best to work with colours that will complement each other otherwise the drawing can look too busy.

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  Step 2

  Following on from the initial sketch, once I have planned out the colour scheme I proceed with a layer of alcohol markers. This is for the two reasons; I think it makes it easier when applying the pencils on top as you already have a base layer. Also, especially for those out there like me who are not that confident with blending the alcohol markers together, the pencil is able to cover up any errors.

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  Step 3

  Next step is to find the matching pencil shades and go over the alcohol markers with those pencils. The pencils are used to provide more definition and shading to your piece. This tends to be in the contoured, shaded and highlighted areas of the drawing.

  In regards to the colouring pencils, it is better to start off with a light hand and build the layers up on those areas that the colour needs more definition. This will allow the pencils to blend into the alcohol makers more smoothly, reducing the risk of harsh gradient lines.

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  Step 4

  You want to repeat the process for the duration of the image, it requires a lot of time and patience but having said this, the end results are completely worth it.

  If you have any issues blending with the pencils, you can always use a blending stump or kneadable eraser to remove some of the pencil pigment to make it easier to blend.

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