You've seen oil and acrylic paintings, you love the glow of watercolor, but are you familiar with the versatile and striking medium called colored pencil? Colored pencil works of art require no elaborate preparation and need only simple materials: pencils, sharpeners, erasers and paper, to achieve some wonderful and striking results of the artist's own personal expression. This artistic medium can stand on its own as a drawing or simulate the look of a painting rendered in another medium. It can be solid or airy depending on how the pencil is applied to the paper and whether it is a quick colorful sketch or an elaborate illustration. Since colored pencil is a dry, transparent medium, colors are mixed right on the paper by layering one color on top of another. The more layers applied; the more luminous and vibrant the drawing will look as the colors are woven together.

The type of paper used will give a drawing certain characteristics too. A smooth surface will create a soft look and even, uninterrupted flow of the pencil. Textured paper, which is paper with a tooth or a grain, can give the drawing a completely different look. The texture created by paper and pencil as they mingle will enhance the artwork. Many artists work on colored paper which adds flecks of color to the drawing as it shows through from the background. Thus, the drawing takes on a harmonious quality.

Of course pencil isn't always used by itself, it can be combined with other mediums such as watercolor, pastel or ink. The different types of mediums can enrich a drawing and provide it with different qualities or characteristics as well as textures. Many artists use watercolor washes as backgrounds for their drawings or add touches of paints or pastels to enrich an image. The waxy lead of colored pencils can also be dissolved with mineral spirits and brushed onto the paper creating a paint-like quality very different from traditional methods of drawing.

What about lightfastness? Will the colors be resistant to light and not fade through the years? Colored pencil manufacturing companies have worked very hard in the past decade to development of a standard of lightfastness for many brands of colored pencils. Colored pencil now ranks high in longevity and this enables artists to choose the highest quality products which is a valuable asset for the collector of the art. The surface in which the artwork is drawn on is important too. Archival drawing papers and boards are made of fiber such as cotton or linen and are acid free, meaning that they will not turn yellow in time. There are other materials that will ensure the longevity of a colored pencil piece. Spraying a UV resistant clear fixative over the finished drawing will ensure the longevity of the artwork as well as framing it under UV filtering glass. Public awareness of archival and lightfast works will increase the value and profitability of the art.

Inspired and intrigued by this medium? Whether it is mixed, blended, layered or combined, many results can be achieved from photo-realism to abstract to illustration. Colored pencil can be used very skillfully to wow the viewer with a vibrant drawing or tranquil image.