INTRODUCTION

“Why not just take a photo?”

Any artist who works in a photorealistic style has heard this question
over and over. A photo is fleeting, but a portrait—particularly a
photorealistic portrait—is an intimate exchange between the artist and
his or her subject.

To create a photorealistic portrait, you need to study every nuance and

detail in that person’s face. You need to draw on the essence of that
person, but at the same time, instill some of your own essence into the
artwork. By the time you have completed a photorealistic portrait, you
have the privilege of being uniquely familiar with every feature, flaw,
and facet of the face. It requires attention to detail, patience, and the
ability to look beyond the obvious for subtle color variations, tonal
shifts, and characteristics that are distinct to that individual.

It might sound complicated or difficult, but when you break it down,

creating a photorealistic portrait can be relatively easy, and
throughout this book my goal is to show you just how easy it can be by
advising you on tools and materials, providing helpful hints and
techniques, and guiding you with easy-to-follow, step-by-step tutorials
so that you can create portraits that you, your family and friends, or
even customers will treasure for a lifetime.

Tools & Materials

PENCILS

Graphite Pencils
Graphite pencils are important for creating outlines for colored pencil
work. They come in a range of grades from 9H to 9B, with 9B being
the darkest and softest and 9H the lightest and hardest. HB sits in the
middle and is the most commonly used graphite pencil. Graphite and
colored pencils can be combined successfully, but when using lighter
colored pencils over graphite outlines, the graphite can muddy the
colored pencil pigment. For this reason, you may prefer to do your
outline in colored pencils, using colors close to those you will use as
you develop your portrait. Prismacolor® makes Col-Erase® pencils,
which are supposed to be easier to erase and are useful for drawing
outlines.

Colored Pencils
One of the most common questions I am asked by
artists new to colored pencils is which brand is the
best. There’s no simple answer to this question,
because every artist favors different colored pencils
for different reasons. I suggest that you buy a couple
of pencils from each of the main brands and
experiment with them to see which ones give you the
desired look and feel. Things to consider include: the
hardness/softness of the pencil, the pencil’s ability to
maintain a sharp point, the creaminess or
blendability of a pencil, and, most importantly, the
lightfastness rating of a colored pencil, which refers
to the rate of fading or color shift over time as the
pigment is exposed to light.

There are a few different types of colored pencils:

wax-based, oil-based, and watercolor pencils.

The binder in the core of wax-based pencils is made

of wax. These pencils are usually softer and layer and
blend well because of their high wax content. They
are also generally easier to erase, but multiple layers
rendered with a heavy hand can create a problem
with wax bloom (see here). This can usually be
prevented with a spray of fixative. Because wax-based pencils are
softer, they can also be more susceptible to breakage.

Oil based pencils are created using an oil-based binder. These pencils
are usually harder and are great for detail work, but they don’t have
the same softness or blendability as wax-based pencils. They are also
less prone to breakage. There are far more wax-based pencil brands
than oil-based pencil brands. There’s also some overlap within these
two categories—Caran d’Ache® Luminance pencils, for example,
contain both oil and wax binders.

Because of the lower wax content, oil-based pencils are less prone to
wax bloom. Wax- and oil-based pencils can be combined beautifully,
but it’s often best to use oil-based pencils for base layers and detail
work, and save the softer wax-based pencils for the upper layers.

Watercolor pencils have a binder that dissolves once water is added.

Most watercolor pencils can be used wet or dry and give off less shine
than wax- and oil-based pencils if they are used dry. These pencils
work well for creating an underpainting when combined with wax-and
oil-based pencils, particularly on more textured surfaces.

A WORD ABOUT WAX BLOOM

Wax bloom is the white haze that can develop

when multiple layers of pencil have been applied
with lots of burnishing and blending. If this
develops on your artwork, the best way to remove
it is to gently wipe a tissue across your artwork,
and then follow with an application of workable
fixative. You may need to repeat this process a
couple of times if the wax bloom returns. Shown
here is an example of wax bloom on the left and
how it looks after the bloom has been wiped away
with a tissue on the right.

PENCIL EXTENDERS

Pencil extenders are ideal for extending the life of your short pencil
stubs, and there is a whole range of extenders available in all shapes
and sizes. Some are single-ended and some are double-ended. Some
have a screw-top that tightens around the pencils as you turn it, and
others have a push-up top that squeezes two sides together around the
pencils.

ERASERS

Kneaded Eraser
A kneaded eraser feels like soft putty and can be molded and rolled
into any shape you like for lifting small or large areas of pigment from
your paper. This eraser is ideal because it won’t damage the
underlying substrate. Some artists also use poster putty, which is
slightly firmer in consistency than most kneadable erasers.

Common Eraser
The common eraser category encompasses all those erasers that are
labeled plastic, vinyl, or rubber. These erasers are the least effective at
removing colored pencil pigment but can be useful for creating
smudges and moving pigment around.

Tombow® Mono Eraser

These wonderful erasers resemble a pen and are fabulous for fine and precision
erasing with very little damage caused to the underlying surface. They come in two
different sizes, and refills are available for both.

Typewriter Eraser
There are several brands of typewriter erasers, and these are useful because they
can be sharpened to a point; however, they’re also abrasive and can cause damage to
your substrate.

Battery-Operated Eraser
Battery-operated erasers are generally the most effective at removing
colored pencil pigment without causing too much damage to the
underlying surface, if used with a gentle hand.

SHARPENERS

Handheld Sharpener
Handheld sharpeners are the cheapest option, making them
economical to replace whenever the blades go blunt.

Battery-Operated Sharpener
There are many battery-operated sharpeners available. These portable sharpeners
are convenient and easier to use than handheld sharpeners, but they do have
drawbacks. Many have a single hole that only fits narrower pencils. Pencils with
thicker casings may not fit in these sharpeners. When possible, it’s best to purchase
a battery-operated sharpener with a couple of holes in different sizes. Battery-
operated sharpeners tend to go blunt more quickly than other sharpeners and will
then chew your pencils. Some allow for replaceable blades, which is a good option.

Electric Sharpener
Electric sharpeners are the most expensive and least portable type of
sharpener, but they are also the most effective and time-saving. If you
go to the expense of purchasing an electric sharpener, do some
research to ensure that it will fit the full range of your pencils.

Crank Sharpener
A crank sharpener is a manual sharpener that is secured to your wall
or desk and has a crank that you turn to sharpen the pencil. It
generally has multiple options for pencil sizes. While slightly speedier
than a handheld sharpener, crank sharpeners can chew up your
precious pencils and are not as effective as battery-operated or electric
sharpeners.

CERAMIC PEN KNIFE

Depending on the surface you’re working on, I find it can be helpful to have a craft
knife on hand for lifting out highlights and fine hairs. This is particularly useful on
surfaces like drafting film. I prefer to use a knife with a ceramic blade, rather than
metal, because it’s less damaging to the underlying surface.

PAPERS

Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a fine-art paper and a favorite among colored pencil
artists. It’s quite soft and is most suited to waxier pencils, such as
Prismacolor and Derwent® Coloursoft pencils. It comes in a range of
neutral and pastel colors and in two weights: 90-lb. (250gsm) and
120-lb. (320gsm), and it’s available in individual sheets and an
assortment of pad sizes and colors. This paper is made from 100-
percent cotton fibers and is acid-free. It’s a good option if you prefer
working with lots of light layers of Prismacolors.

Watercolor Paper
Watercolor paper, as the name suggests, is developed for use with
watercolor paints, but it also makes an excellent surface for colored
pencils. It’s made via three different processes: handmade, mould-
made, and machine-made, with handmade considered the highest
quality. It also comes in three different textures:
• Hot-pressed is the smoothest of all the watercolor papers and most
suitable for colored pencils if you want to avoid a lot of the paper
texture showing through in your work.
• Cold-pressed (or “Not”) is more textured and better suited for
watercolor work than finely detailed colored pencil work. However,
you can still achieve interesting results on this paper if you prefer
to work in a looser style and like the texture of the paper showing
through in your drawings.
• Rough paper has the most texture and isn’t suitable for colored
pencil work.

Illustration Board & Bristol Board

Like watercolor paper, illustration board comes in different surfaces
and weights. Hot-pressed is the smoothest and is best for detailed
work; cold-pressed has more tooth and is best for mixed-media work,
or when you want to work with a more textured surface. Illustration
board generally only has one workable surface and is not usually
archival, so it’s best for work that will be scanned, rather than
artworks that are to be sold or kept for a long time.

Unlike illustration board, Bristol board has two workable surfaces, and
the better-quality Bristol board is archival and acid-free. It comes in
two surfaces: smooth, which is like a hot-pressed surface, and regular
or vellum, which has slightly more texture.

Mat / Mount Board

All the tutorials in this book are created using different brands and colors of mat
board. Mat board, or mount board as it is called in the United Kingdom, is a
wonderful option if you prefer working on a colored surface and like a surface that
can take quite a few layers while still allowing for fine detail. Artists new to colored
pencils sometimes find a blank piece of white paper intimidating; using a colored
board enables you to have fun with color without worrying about how to handle the
background. If you find it difficult to source mat board or prefer to do the tutorials
on a white surface, Stonehenge, vellum Bristol board, archival illustration board, or
even hot-pressed watercolor paper will yield similar results.

Mat board comes in a range of surfaces and textures. I mostly work with smooth
mat board; however, some types are more receptive to colored pencil than others, so
it’s best to try to get a sample first before spending money on larger sheets. If you’re
a beginner looking for an affordable but hardy surface to experiment with, mat
board may be the perfect option, because you can often purchase inexpensive cuts
from local framers. However, if you plan to show or sell your work, it’s best to ask
your framer for acid-free and, when possible, museum-quality or conservation
boards. Most colored mat boards are acid-free but are not completely archival
because of the lignin content in the board. Museum-quality boards are often
available only in gray, white, black, and ivory.

You don’t need fancy equipment to cut mat board to size—I use a metal ruler and a
craft knife with a cutting mat.

Hope – completed on green mat board with slight texture

Drafting Film
Drafting film is the traditional surface used by draftsmen and
architects to develop their plans. It is 100-percent polyester,
translucent, archival, and non-yellowing. Drafting film doesn’t accept
as many layers of colored pencil as most paper surfaces, but this
smooth surface loves colored pencil and makes it possible to achieve
rapid laydown of color and crisp detail with minimal effort. Drafting
film is a wonderful surface for rendering fur and doing line work, but
it can be more challenging for rendering smooth textures, such as skin.