Barrington Barber - Creative Drawing: A practical guide to using pencil, crayon, pastel, ink and watercolour

There are various methods and mediums to explore for drawing in colour, so this chapter begins with the materials and how to develop skills in using them through following a series of exercises. We shall be concerned mostly with drawing in coloured pencil, pastels, coloured inks and watercolour. You may not want to use them all but it is a good idea to try them out, even if only in a limited way, so that your choice of which medium to use will be based on knowledge and experience rather than mere guesswork.

Go through all the exercises shown here because they will familiarize you with a range of mediums and also provide you with practice, which every artist needs to ensure that they have some control over their medium. You may even find you can invent a few exercises of your own, which is a sign that you are engaging with the medium in depth. It is also more fun for you when you play around with different mediums. Most of the exercises are simple enough, but dont be misled into thinking that therefore they are not worth trying out. In fact, simple repetition of straightforward technical practices is the bedrock of all artistic expertise. When you see a young artist doodling with patterns and repetitive marks on a sheet of paper, he or she is in the process of learning the manual dexterity that is so important for any artist.

Drawing is always drawing, whether in colour or not, so do not be put off if you know nothing or little about it. The way to learn is by experimentation and experiencing both success and failure. When you are drawing easily without any problems, it is only because you have previously overcome difficulties of some sort. And remember, when you appear to be having difficulties, that is when you are learning most. Perseverance really will pay.

Here is a selection of the materials required for drawing in colour. I have chosen those most easily obtained from art or stationery shops. As an artist you will always want to use the best, but occasionally less specialized materials can be just as good.

1. Coloured pencils Dont concern yourself too much with the brand, although some are better than others. Go for as many variations in colour as you can find. Thinner pencils can be of superior quality but not always. Try them out and make your own judgement. Watercolour crayons are similar to ordinary coloured pencils but you can use a brush with water to spread their colour over larger areas. There are several brands available.

2. Fineline graphic pens These pens are good for drawing and behave similarly to a coloured pencil but have a more intense colour value.

3. Brushes The best are sable but there are many varieties of hair and synthetic fibre. You will only need two or three brushes, especially if they come to a fine point. A size 0, one 3 and perhaps one 7 or 8 would be sufficient. For extending pastels you might need a hog hair or some other stiff brush.

4. Soft pastels These tend to be expensive to buy and get used up quickly, but for some work they are essential. They come in a wide range of colours.

5. Hard pastels Also known as cont crayons, these are essentially the same material as the soft ones but bound together in a compressed form. Hard pastels are square in section whereas the soft ones are round. The range of colours is again enormous, they last longer and are easier to manipulate.

6. Stumps These are just rolls of paper in a compressed form, pointed at both ends. They are very useful for extending the tones of your pastels. They come in several sizes, but usually you will only want two, a large fat one and a thin one.

7. Scalpel While they are the best tool for sharpening pencils, crayons, pastels and so forth, scalpels are extremely sharp and so are not advisable for students under 16 years. A craft knife is almost as good and safer to use.

8. Felt tip pens and illuminators These pens allow thicker, more solid areas of colour to be put on quickly and are useful for larger drawings.

9. Watercolour box Watercolours are easiest to use from a box, but they can be bought in small tubes as well.

10. Fine nib push or dip pens These provide variable line and pen strokes, from very fine to fairly thick depending on the pressure applied. Some nibs are more flexible than others.

11. Concentrated liquid watercolour These colours are just like ink in consistency but may be diluted with water. They can be applied with a pen or a brush.

12. Indian ink A more permanent ink, this is available in many colours. It is perfect for pen work but can be used with a brush.

1. Coloured pencil

2. Fineline graphic pen

3. Sable brush

4. Soft pastel

5. Hard pastel

6. Stump

7. Scalpel

8. Felt tip pen

8b. Felt tip illuminator

9. Watercolour box

10. Fine nib push or dip pens

11. Concentrated liquid watercolour

12. Indian ink

Paper:

Watercolour paper Ideal for anything where water is the main diluent, it takes the colour well and helps to stop it going patchy.

Ingres paper This is very good for pastel drawing and it comes in many shades. You will find it easier to draw in pastel on toned paper because white paper gives a rather too stark contrast.