Colored Pencil
Artists
Nancy Carlson
Charles Mikolaycak
A crop of Nancy Carlson's art from Loudmouth George and the Sixth-Grade Bully. Click throught to enlarge.
Colored pencil is pigment encased in wood.
Colored pencil consists of pigment and binders. Colored pencil binder can be wax or oil based, allowing for glossy or matte textures as well as altering its layering and blending ability. Watercolor pencils or water soluble colored pencils are also common, allowing artists to add water to their drawing and use more painterly techniques.
Nancy Carlson: LOUDMOUTH George and the Sixth-Grade Bully
Carlson used colored pencils in this example, drawing the outlines in ink, on an acetate overlay, showing the underlay and overlay, and then the two together. Carlson’s use of colored pencil allows for bright, vibrant colors, with sharp clean lines. The textures created by the colored pencils add to the depth of the illustration, showing directions of application and layering of colors.
Charles Mikolaycak: Tam Lin: An Old Ballad
Mikolaycak illustrated this retelling of this traditional Scottish ballad using pencil and colored pencil. The use of colored pencil allows for visible texture and adds a haunting atmosphere that supports the ancient text. Mikolaycak designed his illustrations as if he were a photographer, using cropping and angles to invoke specific moods.