After working in charcoal for a few years, it has been fun to add a little bit of color to my portfolio. In the next couple of photos I want to show the progression of a colored pencil drawing. The subject matter comes from a trip to the Amish community near Ethridge, Tennessee. This RC Cola sign was located on an old building right off the highway. I started with a grid drawing, using my original photo as a reference. The support I am using is a piece of Murano textured 98 lbs. drawing paper. The grid is drawn with an off white colored pencil. Next, it was just a simple matter of drawing from square to square. The textured paper really takes colored pencil well. I am able to layer color without the worry of destroying the papers ability to add more colored pencil. The white sheet of paper in the upper part of the photo is used to "test" the color. Sometimes it is difficult to judge the right shade or hue on a darker paper.
My reference photo can be seen in this photo. I have finished the background of the drawing and started working on the sign it-self. I have used a white pencil as a base coat for the lettering as I believe the color will show up a little better with this technique. I really like letting some of the color of the paper show through to simulate rust and textures of the metal. Another added feature in using this type of paper, in case of a mistake, I can use a razor blade to scrape off the colored pencil and make corrections. As soon as I can I will post a photo of the finished drawing. By the way, the size of this drawing is 9" x 20". I am using Prismacolor pencil for this work.
