The Ultimate Guide to Colored Pencil

December 15, 2010
Greenes approachable yet thoroughly challenging guide proves that with the right techniques and tools, colored pencils can do wonderful things. Advanced artists will feel easy skipping directly to the second section of hands-on demonstrations, yet they and beginners will enjoy the rich resource that is the first. In it Greene concisely discusses various tools to consider, such as types of pencil, paper, and eraser and the wildly different effects each can produce. Fundamental techniques like mixing and layering colors as well as burnishing and translucency are also detailed and neatly presented for later reference. Greene ties each additional concept into context in the book, keeping readers engaged and never overwhelmed. He naturally segues to the heart of the book, the demonstrations, which vary in difficulty from the easier (apples) to the photorealistic (a hot-air balloon); all are annotated step-by-step. The book is relatively small, rendering some finer line-work invisible on certain steps. But reproducing Greenes work is missing the point. Everything for successful colored pencil art to call your own is in this guide.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)