Prismacolor Pencils

By BRENNE MEIROWITZ

If you have been following this blog, you may have noticed that I alluded to using Prismacolor watercolor pencils in my last article, “Prismacolor Colored Pencils Drawing Techniques.” Prismacolor watercolor pencils are made up of water-soluble materials, which enable an artist to create watercolor like effects within a drawing.  By applying a damp paintbrush to a composition drawn with water-soluble colored pencils, rough areas can be gently smoothed away.  Rather than use an eraser to try to remove or lighten areas of a drawing, applying a damp brush to these so-called mistakes, can actually enhance a drawing.

Here is an example, suppose you are drawing a landscape.  Rather than worry about having to cover a large area, such as the foreground, simply color the area gently with pencil, and then apply your brush to smooth out the spaces.  You can also draw on top of the water brushed area, but make sure that your paper is not too wet, or the paper will tear.  An alternative would be to wait until the paper is dry, and then apply a second layer of pencil to the drawing.  This may only be a few pencil accents made with yellows, violets, or reds to indicate flowers.  Once you have drawn in your flowers, use the damp brush again to blur and smooth the area.  You will find that brushes will pick-up some of the Prismacolor watercolor pencil pigment, so you can use that color to add additional color and texture to your drawing without having to put your pencil to the paper.  Remember always to keep a cup of clean water near your drawing area, in order to rinse accumulated pigment from your brush.  Dry it gently using a soft rag; paper towels will come apart and leave pieces in your brush.

Before you begin a watercolor pencil drawing, make sure to tape the paper to a smooth surface, such as a piece of Masonite.  It is advisable to use drafting tape, because it is easy to remove from your finished drawing. The reason why you will want to tape your paper down to a board is because once paper is moistened, it will curl.  Even if you are only using a dampened paintbrush for highlighting purposes, those areas will bubble.  Therefore, make sure to tape down your drawing.

Drafting tape comes in a variety of widths, so depending upon the size of your drawing will determine the tape width you will want to use.  Larger papers will need wider tape to secure it to the Masonite board.  Additionally, once the tape is removed, the unpainted area will be the border of the drawing.  To make sure that you have an even border, use a T-square and ruler to mark off the area.  You can adjust the border as it pleases your eye and the dimensions of your paper.  A slightly wider border on the bottom is preferable.  Most artists sign their drawings on the bottom of their drawing, so leave enough room for the signature.  Also, keep in mind, that you will also want to mat and frame your drawing after it is finished, so leave enough room around all the paper for this as well.  Use one strip of drafting tape to mark off the border.  Longer is better; you can always cut the excess away.  Make sure to smooth out any bubbles in the tape once it is laid down.

To make sure that you have a nicely even border, be sure to first measure and mark your paper using a pencil – preferably a 2H, non-water soluble pencil, i.e. not a Prismacolor watercolor pencil. A 2H pencil is hard enough not to smudge your paper, and if you do not press down very hard, it is hardly noticeable. You also do not want to use watercolor pencils when drawing the border, because the pigment can run into the drawing area.  The pigment can also run onto the tape, or into bubbles in the tape, and smear your border.