Basic Colored Pencil Techniques [Paperback]

Bet Borgeson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1997

Easy-to-follow demonstrations show you how to use colored pencils to paint trees, flowers, animals, people and other popular subjects.

The colored pencil is an easy-to-use, inexpensive and incredibly expressive medium. And nobody is more skilled with the pencil than Bet Borgeson.

Using many visual examples to illustrate her points, Bet will teach you how to use layering, burnishing, lifting color and other basic colored pencil techniques to create an exciting range of effects - from highly detailed realism to loose, luscious color. She also offers advice on choosing the right materials, conveying textures, layering in backgrounds, and combining colored pencil with other mediums.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Borgeson, author of several books on the subject, is recognized as having helped renew interest in colored pencil as a fine medium. This volume is a revision of her earlier Colored Pencil Fast Techniques (Watston-Guptill, 1988). It fits well in the "Basic Techniques" series, with individual sections on tools, drawing surfaces, etc., giving way to discussions of sophisticated techniques of layering, burnishing, and lifting color. An excellent chapter of studio tips is added. Warr's work strives to be comprehensive but fails for lack of space, and its scattershot style will confuse the beginner for whom it was written. For the novice, Jenny Rodwell's Coloured Pencil Drawing (Studio Vista, 1994) is much more useful. Borgeson's book is recommended for the serious student and will do well in collections that don't already contain her earlier works.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (March 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891347364
• ISBN-13: 978-0891347361
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Colored Pencil
  • #74 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Pencil

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No idea where to start? pick this one., March 24, 2000

By 

Marcelo Jost (Brasília, DF Brazil) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Basic Colored Pencil Techniques (Paperback)

I always liked to draw using colored pencil. Nevertheless, I never found any interesting book that would deal with several approaches to the colored pencil medium. After reading about Mrs. Borgeson work, I decided to try and never got disapointed. Her books (all of them) give you several different points of view about the colored pencil and teaches you (step by step) how to apply the techiniques to solve apparently simple problems. Layering, lifting, color interactions, error corrections, light and much more. A nice book to have and enjoy.

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Concept for Backgrounds, August 29, 2005

By 

Beverly A. Roberts (Compton, AR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Basic Colored Pencil Techniques (Paperback)

I found Borgeson's handling of background very interesting and different from all the other colored pencil artists' books. Her use of spot layering and single layer color juxtaposition helps to make the large areas go quickly. She also presents other methods to speed up colored pencil application. Of course, she covers all the basics, too. A good book for any colored pencil artist.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Techniques to Develop Impressive Colored Pencil Drawings, April 5, 2008

By 

CLG "Carrie Greenwald" (South Dakota) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Basic Colored Pencil Techniques (Paperback)

I was immediately struck that the author uses Prismacolor Professional Colored Pencils, my own brand of choice. This made it easy to practice her techniques using the same colors as stated by each image. I learned the best way to layer color - basic tonal layering, heavy pressure layering, two layer approach, spot layering (basic, bold, blended), plus doing the single layer approach. Other techniques covered are the lifting of color, covering large areas, using various colored paper for special effects and so much more that it would take another paragraph to fully describe the multitude of methods the author covers in this book. This book has steered me on the path to produce interesting works of art with colored pencils, where before I managed to use my college art classes to some degree, but not in the quality I really wanted to see my work develop. This is a good book for beginners and intermediates, maybe even good review/reference for the advanced artist. I am so pleased with this book over other colored pencil technique books that I am sure that the others will get dusty from lack of use, while this one will become a true tool to help me with my future artistic endeavors.