Colored Pencil Lessons & Techniques

Step Three

I now divide larger areas of the mid-tones by building color, starting with the lighter values and working up. I often think of hair as including all the skin tone colors listed in my book "Colored Pencil Portraits Step by Step"....but  minus the pinks. Over the Yellow Ochre applied in the previous step, I layer Mineral Orange, Pumpkin Orange, Burnt Ochre and Sienna Brown, leaving the lightest highlight areas alone. I use a 2 to 3 pressure for most of these areas, and don't worry about my point too much, although this is a very small area (entire head is only 2.5 inches across) so it has to be relatively sharp.  Speaking of points...look below to see what I mean by sharp.

Finishing Touches

I continue to build color and divide sections by adding darker values.  Light Umber, Dark Brown and Dark Umber were added here to basically finish up her hair.  Her bangs aren't finished, but I feel like I need to do the face first, before completing those...

You'll notice that her face is considerable cleaner at this point than in the previous steps!  That's because I'm getting ready now to start working on her face, so I've cleaned it up with sticky stuff.  First I rolled the reusable adhesive over her face, (and the top of her white dress) then I patted areas that still needed some extra cleanup.