Ann Kullberg - Colored Pencil Secrets for Success: How to Critique and Improve Your Paintings

COLORED PENCIL

SECRETS FOR SUCCESS

How to Critique and
Improve Your Paintings

GULLIVER
by Gemma Gylling
9" 13" (23cm 34cm)
colored pencil on paper

PERFECT STORM
by Elizabeth Patterson
12" 26" (30cm 66cm)
colored pencil and graphite on illustration board

BY ANN KULLBERG

NORTH LIGHT BOOKS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.artistsnetwork.com

Colored Pencil Secrets for Success. Copyright 2009 by Ann Kullberg. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.

Other fine North Light Books are available from your local
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Kullberg, Ann,

Colored pencil secrets for success / Ann Kullberg. -- 1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-60061-124-7 (hardcover : alk. paper)

eISBN: 978-1-44031-721-7

1. Colored pencil drawing--Technique. I. Title.

NC892.K87 2009

741.24--dc22 2008052740

Edited by Mona Michael
Designed by Jennifer Hoffman
Production coordinated by Matt Wagner

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann Kullberg is the author of two North Light books, ColoredPencil Portraits, Step by Step and Painting Realism in ColoredPencil. Her popular website, www.annkullberg.com, is brimming with colored pencil art, instructional materials, video lessons and project kits for the colored pencil artist. Ann is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America. She lives near Seattle, Washington, where the winter days are so long and so gloomy that shes very grateful to have color in her life every day.

Metric Conversion Chart

DEDICATION

FOR MY SISTER, MARYLOU
YOU ARE MY HERO.

MARYLOU
by Ann Kullberg
5" 7" (13cm 18cm)
colored pencil on pastelbord

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to give my sincerest thanks and acknowledgment to all the brave artists who volunteered to bare their art and willingly subjected themselves to such an incredibly public critique. I am a bit awed by their courage, and Im humbled and honored by their trust in me. Obviously, this book couldnt possibly have been written without volunteers like these. Thank you. I want to thank my editor, Mona Michael, who absolutely would not put up with a word of doubt or panic from me; she always knew just the right thing to say to put me back on track. Thank you, Mona. And last, Id like to thank all my friends and family for listening to me whine while I was working on this book. Writing is very hard work for me, so there was plenty of whining for them to listen to. They all listened with empathy and good spirits. Youre all the best!

Contents

Learn what tools you need and all the basic techniques necessary to create beautiful colored pencil paintings.

Success with colored pencil begins with the reference you use. Learn to take and use reference photos to start the art-making process right.

THE CRITIQUES

Here begin the critiques, where youll see how to evaluate your paintings and turn them into stronger, more realistic works. Follow along as we analyze portrait, landscape, floral, still life and animal paintings. Learn methods for evaluation, as well as techniques for improving your own work.

FRESH SQUEEZED
by Ranjini Venkatachari
12 x 16 (30cm x 41cm)
colored pencil on gray pastelboard

by Diane Thompson

by Ginette Cormier

IN THE CLOUDS
by Richard Childs
8" 8" (20cm 20cm)
colored pencil on paper

Introduction

When I first proposed this book to my North Light editors, it didnt really occur to me what a difficult project I was taking on. I have written critiques of colored pencil art every month for over nine years in my online colored pencil magazine, so I thought I knew what I was in for. But as it turns out, I really didnt have an inkling.

The difference between the critiques for my magazine and those for this book is that so many more pairs of eyes will be reading the critiques within these pages, which means I really had to walk a tightrope. I had to be critical enough of the submitted work to point out weaknesses so I could teach, but not so critical that I hurt any feelings. To be successfully constructive, a critique needs to hit just the right note between encouragement and criticism. I know we artists view our paintings almost as if they were our children, and I cant imagine telling someone that although their son sure is nice and tall, its too bad he has such straight hair, yet that was basically the task I set for myself in this book.

However, since I happen to believe that critiques are a valuable way to teach concepts in art, tightrope or not, I have sallied forth. You will see the same themes and criticisms repeated over and over again here, but I hope youll understand why. When I first started taking ballroom dance lessons a couple years ago, I quickly learned that I dont learn quickly! If I had a colored pencil for every time Fong, my instructor, has told me to keep my weight forward while dancing, Id never have to buy another colored pencil again. But repetition is the building block of acquiring new skills and understanding, and I hope youll find that Ive come at the same themes or concepts from slightly different angles with each new critique.