What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ultimate Guide To Colored Pencil: Over 40 step-by-step demonstrations for both traditional and watercolor pencils
With this easy-to-use handbook, best-selling author Gary Greene provides you with instant access to his best tips, tricks and techniques for creating exceptionally realistic colored pencil artwork. Whether you're new to colored pencils or perfecting advanced techniques, you'll find the answers you need here in dozens of complete step-by-step demonstrations, including:
Simple techniques for achieving amazingly realistic compositions, including layering, burnishing and underpainting
Proven methods for working successfully with water-soluble colored pencils
A full range of inspiring subject matter, from flowers and animals to landscapes and still-life compositions
Tips for solving common problems, fixing mistakes and taking sharp, clear reference photos
Expert guidance in choosing the right materials and colors, including complete color charts from all the major manufacturers
It's all here in the The Ultimate Guide to Colored Pencil - the solutions and secrets you need for your own colored pencil success!
- GenresArtNonfictionDrawing
514 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
234 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 28, 2024
Most books that include step-by-step tutorials are infuriating. They skip steps, the style is too wispy to follow, the content is uninteresting (most commonly an obsession with naked bodies). Not this one. The Ultimate Guide to Colored Pencil includes enough steps with enough detail, the style is concrete so I know what I'm looking at, and the content ranges from a wooden wheel spoke to human hands to a stream with rocks. More impressively, it addresses techniques used with different kinds of colored pencils like watercolor or using solvents to turn the pencil into a paint ready for creating a base layer.
The author's approach also varied from my favorite botanical illustration book by Ann Swan, so I'm slowly learning which techniques are broadly accepted and which ones are more personal preference. Do I keep the graphite under drawing like Ann Swan or do I trace around it with colored pencil and eventually erase the graphite like Gary Greene? Do I use graphite to aid in shadows and do the shadows first like Ann Swan or do I use only the graphite for initial outlines and work with light colors first like Gary Green? In time I'll know my own preferences and come across others.
I love the subjects for the tutorials. Like mentioned earlier, some books--most?--use a lot of nudity complemented with other urban and anthrocentric images. This simply doesn't appeal to me. I appreciate still life, but I largely prefer animals, countryside, and nature. This book included those and had an overall rural feel. Despite the use of student grade materials I love how my donkey face and wintry barn scene turned out. Meanwhile I definitely need more work on reflective surfaces like bottles and pans, but they were a fun challenge between nature subjects.
In the section about materials this is the first book I've read that includes detailed information about solvents. I already returned the book to the library so I can't mention what other materials Greene mentioned, but I was relieved that isopropyl alchohol can be used--one less item for me to get at the art store!
This book was also the first I've read that clarified what you call an artwork done in colored pencil--indeed, it's called a painting. I wasn't sure if it was a drawing. Sometimes it's awkward to put so much time into something and call it a drawing. Drawing sounds more like a quicker investment or a preliminary layer to a painting. When you consider watercolor pencils and solvents it makes it even more weird to say drawing. Good thing it's a painting!
I do caution that with this book in particular that it's better to have a complete artist tool box. To properly do all the tutorials you'll need artist grade pencils and paper--otherwise you'll a had time layering and burnishing, which are two of the demonstration sections. The other two require solvents and watercolor. The last section is a combined techniques section, including a fun-looking environmental portrait of someone release an elaborately-colored hot air balloon.
The Ultimate Guide to Colored Pencil: Over 40 Step by Step Demonstrations for Both Traditional and Watercolor Pencils is easily my favorite general art book so far. I bypass many books because they're hard to follow, have a distasteful style, or don't have appealing subjects, but all of these issues are nonexistent in The Ultimate Guide. It suits my learning style and interests almost perfectly.
The author's approach also varied from my favorite botanical illustration book by Ann Swan, so I'm slowly learning which techniques are broadly accepted and which ones are more personal preference. Do I keep the graphite under drawing like Ann Swan or do I trace around it with colored pencil and eventually erase the graphite like Gary Greene? Do I use graphite to aid in shadows and do the shadows first like Ann Swan or do I use only the graphite for initial outlines and work with light colors first like Gary Green? In time I'll know my own preferences and come across others.
I love the subjects for the tutorials. Like mentioned earlier, some books--most?--use a lot of nudity complemented with other urban and anthrocentric images. This simply doesn't appeal to me. I appreciate still life, but I largely prefer animals, countryside, and nature. This book included those and had an overall rural feel. Despite the use of student grade materials I love how my donkey face and wintry barn scene turned out. Meanwhile I definitely need more work on reflective surfaces like bottles and pans, but they were a fun challenge between nature subjects.
In the section about materials this is the first book I've read that includes detailed information about solvents. I already returned the book to the library so I can't mention what other materials Greene mentioned, but I was relieved that isopropyl alchohol can be used--one less item for me to get at the art store!
This book was also the first I've read that clarified what you call an artwork done in colored pencil--indeed, it's called a painting. I wasn't sure if it was a drawing. Sometimes it's awkward to put so much time into something and call it a drawing. Drawing sounds more like a quicker investment or a preliminary layer to a painting. When you consider watercolor pencils and solvents it makes it even more weird to say drawing. Good thing it's a painting!
I do caution that with this book in particular that it's better to have a complete artist tool box. To properly do all the tutorials you'll need artist grade pencils and paper--otherwise you'll a had time layering and burnishing, which are two of the demonstration sections. The other two require solvents and watercolor. The last section is a combined techniques section, including a fun-looking environmental portrait of someone release an elaborately-colored hot air balloon.
The Ultimate Guide to Colored Pencil: Over 40 Step by Step Demonstrations for Both Traditional and Watercolor Pencils is easily my favorite general art book so far. I bypass many books because they're hard to follow, have a distasteful style, or don't have appealing subjects, but all of these issues are nonexistent in The Ultimate Guide. It suits my learning style and interests almost perfectly.
May 23, 2016
The author's style is so extremely realistic that, at the size his paintings were reproduced in the book, I often couldn't tell them from photographs, which made them feel rather pointless. (Especially since I don't find that style particularly inspiring. If I wanted something to look like that, I'd take up photography.) Still, there's lots of good information there. And the color charts for different brands of pencils can be handy if you're trying to match suggested colors with ones from your own collection.
April 13, 2025
Libro ben fatto.
Presenta in modo preciso i materiali e le carte e spiega il perchè e per come preferire certi materiali ad altri.
Una sezione è dedicata all'uso della fotografia come base per il dipinto, spiegando che stendere il colore con le matite colorate è un processo lento non adotto allo schizzo veloce.
Gli esercizi sono molti e vengono presentati alla fine del libri e sono inerenti le tre tecniche principali con le matite colorate: layering, burnishing e underpainting.
La prima prevede di stendere prima il colore più scuro e poi il più chiaro, la secondo è il processo inverso, la terza è dare un fondo con le matite acquerellabili.
Il libro quindi è ottimo, peccato che spesso questi libri si concentrano sull'ottenimento del realismo che a me dice poco, anzi sono convinto che con le matite colorate combinando le tre tecniche sopra citate più il tratteggio icrociato si possono realizzare cose interessanti anche con un uso più libero e creativo del colore.
Presenta in modo preciso i materiali e le carte e spiega il perchè e per come preferire certi materiali ad altri.
Una sezione è dedicata all'uso della fotografia come base per il dipinto, spiegando che stendere il colore con le matite colorate è un processo lento non adotto allo schizzo veloce.
Gli esercizi sono molti e vengono presentati alla fine del libri e sono inerenti le tre tecniche principali con le matite colorate: layering, burnishing e underpainting.
La prima prevede di stendere prima il colore più scuro e poi il più chiaro, la secondo è il processo inverso, la terza è dare un fondo con le matite acquerellabili.
Il libro quindi è ottimo, peccato che spesso questi libri si concentrano sull'ottenimento del realismo che a me dice poco, anzi sono convinto che con le matite colorate combinando le tre tecniche sopra citate più il tratteggio icrociato si possono realizzare cose interessanti anche con un uso più libero e creativo del colore.
January 13, 2024
There are some excellent tutorials in here for how to create beautiful, rich colored pencil drawings. The example pics he gives, with their initial sketches, are great. My one beef with the book is that he tells you what pencils to use for each drawing, but they can be from a number of different sets. I don't know how many people have a complete set of prismacolors and caran d'ache, and etc., etc., but it's not me, and I assume not most people. So then that leaves me guessing which of my prismacolors would be a good substitute or the various colors in the other brands. He does provide color swatches for all the major brands, which is great in and of itself.
January 8, 2020
This is the first book I’ve ever read on colored pencil techniques. Greene discusses the very basics such as sharpening, erasing, paper, and pencil brands to layering, color value, burnishing, blending, and different ways to use water soluble pencils. When it comes to becoming a better artist, there’s no substitute for practice, but this book will make your practice a little more perfect.
February 16, 2017
Everything I've wanted to learn is in this book!
i have read the entire book and cant wait to get started. i have most if the supplies needed or close enough to do each demo lesson. The instructions make sense and will be easy to follow - so here goes!
i have read the entire book and cant wait to get started. i have most if the supplies needed or close enough to do each demo lesson. The instructions make sense and will be easy to follow - so here goes!
Read
January 4, 2020Very detailed
This book covers color pencil types, different techniques and even gives instructions for projects that you can complete. It's very detailed and a good book for anyone learning to create with color pencils.
This book covers color pencil types, different techniques and even gives instructions for projects that you can complete. It's very detailed and a good book for anyone learning to create with color pencils.
February 21, 2021
Fantastic guide!
Great book! So much information, and explained very well, awesome follow along demonstrations that make it so doable. Perfect for drawing from scratch, to palette inspiration for colorists. I highly recommend
Great book! So much information, and explained very well, awesome follow along demonstrations that make it so doable. Perfect for drawing from scratch, to palette inspiration for colorists. I highly recommend
May 15, 2017
Great information but I wanted more on watercolor colored pencils. Very helpful for beginners.
April 19, 2019
Very inspiring, lots of good tips and practical, technical instructions. I learned a lot and continue to consult as a reference.
June 17, 2020
An interesting book
November 9, 2021
The Ultimate Guide To Colored Pencil
Wow what a great little book! Contains enough examples to cover a wide range of projects. Step by step with illustrated images
Wow what a great little book! Contains enough examples to cover a wide range of projects. Step by step with illustrated images
April 10, 2012
This might be a good book for someone who wants to learn by the book. Its very clear and thorough, although everything in the book I had already figured out by experimenting, so I'm not sure how to review the book. Didn't do much for me, but is well-done for somebody.
January 5, 2015
An excellent book for anyone wanting to learn the different techniques used in coloured pencil painting. Easy to read, useful information on all the leading pencil brands and the cd at the back was very helpful to watch. A must for anyone wanting to take up the art of coloured pencil work.
January 16, 2015
Not overly impressed
Could not enlarge illustrations so that the written color placement could be read. While the suggestions for color to be used for each drawing was great, it would have been nice to break each step down in more detail.
Could not enlarge illustrations so that the written color placement could be read. While the suggestions for color to be used for each drawing was great, it would have been nice to break each step down in more detail.
March 8, 2011
Amazing pictures and easy to understand information about all aspects of using colored pencils. I have not viewed the video but I'm sure it's fabulous. I may even have to buy this book!
November 12, 2014
Very informitive
I'm a tutor for art and this aid helps drastically for explaining points and providing details to my student I work with.
I'm a tutor for art and this aid helps drastically for explaining points and providing details to my student I work with.
February 4, 2017
This book fulfills its mission of explaining the author's approach to the use of colored pencils, both dry and wet. Explanations are clear and photos are helpful. Recommended!
July 31, 2017
Comprehensive
Excellent book which covers all aspects of colored pencil drawing. The DVD included with the book is informative too. Great!
Excellent book which covers all aspects of colored pencil drawing. The DVD included with the book is informative too. Great!
May 2, 2017
A great book, and a definite "must have" for colored pencil artists.
This book, as noted in the title, includes over 40(!) step by step demonstrations utilizing a variety of colored pencil techniques. Some of the demonstrations are in traditional colored pencil, some in watercolor pencil, and some combine the two. There is a definite range of difficulty level here....some of the watercolor and combined demonstrations appear relatively simple, while some of the burnishing demonstrations, such as "brass pig" include extremely detailed layering which may be beyond the reach of someone relatively new to the medium.
I have only completed one demonstration thus far, that of the mango, and, for what it's worth, was not as happy with my results as I have been with some fruit tutorials in other colored pencil books that I have recently tried.
It's worth noting that there is definitely no "one" way to do colored pencil art--no one order to how to layer, for example. Some artists use underpainting, or grisaille, others do not. The mango demonstration that I completed did not use an underpainting technique to establish values. Also, I personally found that I had to purchase a lot of single stock prismacolor pencils in order to have the colors listed as needed for demonstrations. (Gary Greene uses mostly prismacolor premier in his work, as well as supplementing with other brands of pencils as needed.)
Also, I really liked the variety of demonstrations in this book...there is truly something for everyone here, whether you want to do a landscape, or an animal, or flowers, or still life, skin, sky, or water. I think this book has the widest variety of demonstrations of any I have come across.
All in all, I found this book extremely inspiring, and plan to try more demos.
This book, as noted in the title, includes over 40(!) step by step demonstrations utilizing a variety of colored pencil techniques. Some of the demonstrations are in traditional colored pencil, some in watercolor pencil, and some combine the two. There is a definite range of difficulty level here....some of the watercolor and combined demonstrations appear relatively simple, while some of the burnishing demonstrations, such as "brass pig" include extremely detailed layering which may be beyond the reach of someone relatively new to the medium.
I have only completed one demonstration thus far, that of the mango, and, for what it's worth, was not as happy with my results as I have been with some fruit tutorials in other colored pencil books that I have recently tried.
It's worth noting that there is definitely no "one" way to do colored pencil art--no one order to how to layer, for example. Some artists use underpainting, or grisaille, others do not. The mango demonstration that I completed did not use an underpainting technique to establish values. Also, I personally found that I had to purchase a lot of single stock prismacolor pencils in order to have the colors listed as needed for demonstrations. (Gary Greene uses mostly prismacolor premier in his work, as well as supplementing with other brands of pencils as needed.)
Also, I really liked the variety of demonstrations in this book...there is truly something for everyone here, whether you want to do a landscape, or an animal, or flowers, or still life, skin, sky, or water. I think this book has the widest variety of demonstrations of any I have come across.
All in all, I found this book extremely inspiring, and plan to try more demos.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews