Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova
Drawing with Colored Pencils: A Self-Study Guide
An in-depth guide to colored-pencil technique that grew out of the author's 2007 combined guide: nineteen techniques — watercolor pencils included — with exercises and step-by-step demonstrations for every one.
Published in Russian by EKSMO · First published 2016, continuously reprinted and still in print · Second, improved and expanded edition · Chinese publishing rights acquired in 2019 · Not yet available in English.
Part of the "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova" series. The book has been published by EKSMO since 2016 and remains in print to this day.
Drawing with Colored Pencils: A Self-Study Guide came out in 2016 with the publishing house EKSMO and has been reprinted continuously ever since.
About the Book
After the success of the Self-Study Guide to Drawing with Colored Pencils and Felt-Tip Pens (2007), readers began asking for a separate, more in-depth book on colored-pencil technique. In 2016, the expanded Self-Study Guide to Drawing with Colored Pencils was published, adding new techniques developed by the author along with additional student works.
The book has won wide recognition in Russia and is recommended for study in art schools and supplementary art-education programs. In 2019, the publishing rights were acquired by a Chinese publisher — a testament to how universal and sought-after the method is.
The defining feature of this edition is its greatly expanded techniques section — from thirteen to nineteen techniques — including innovative ways of working with colored pencils, watercolor pencils among them:
- Using solvents
- The wash technique (dissolving pigment)
- Working on a damp surface
- Using a white pencil
- Creating effects with sandpaper
- Working on a textured surface
About Authorship and Editions
- 2007 — first publication of the author's colored-pencil method, in the combined Self-Study Guide to Drawing with Colored Pencils and Felt-Tip Pens
- 2016 — release of the second, improved and expanded edition, the Self-Study Guide to Drawing with Colored Pencils, in the "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova" series, reprinted to this day
Important: The year printed in the book may differ from the year of first publication, because the publisher updates it with each reprint. To check which edition you are holding, look at the publication information on the last page of the book. The ISBN may also change from one reprint to the next.
Edition Details
- ISBN 978-5-699-91640-5
- Published by EKSMO
- 96 pages, illustrated
- Format 84×108 1/16
- 2016 — second, improved and expanded edition
Who This Book Is For
- Beginning artists who want to master drawing with colored pencils
- Anyone who wants to use the widest possible range of artistic techniques
- Artists looking to raise their technical level
- Anyone who wants to learn the techniques of an experienced professional
The Advantages of Colored Pencils
Technical capabilities
- Precise control of the line
- Building up color in multiple layers
- Creating subtle color transitions
- Combining different techniques
Practicality
- No special preparation required
- Ready to use at a moment's notice
- Easy to carry
- Long shelf life
Versatility
- Suitable for sketches and finished works alike
- Combine well with other media
- Work on a variety of surfaces
- Can produce both graphic and painterly effects
Contents
- About the Author and the Book — p. 6
- Art Materials — p. 12
Artistic Techniques
- Getting to Know Your Pencils — p. 21
- The Transparency of Pigments — p. 24
- Strokes — p. 26
- Hatching — p. 30
- A Gradient in a Single Layer — p. 34
- Layers — p. 37
- Stencils and Masks — p. 42
- Toning — p. 45
- Blending — p. 49
- Burnishing — p. 52
- Pencil Dust — p. 56
- Uncovering White — p. 59
- The White Pencil — p. 62
- Sandpaper — p. 65
- A Colored Ground — p. 68
- Drawing on a Textured Surface — p. 71
- Using Solvents — p. 75
- Pencils: Washes — p. 81
- Pencils on a Damp Surface — p. 82
Drawing Together
- Roses — p. 84
- Water and Stones — p. 88
- Lily and Bird — p. 90
- Castle — p. 92
- Pencils — p. 94
Practice Assignments
- 19 colored-pencil techniques
- 3–10 exercises in every chapter on artistic techniques
- 5 complete step-by-step drawing demonstrations
What Makes This Book Special
- Clear explanations illustrated with examples of student work
- Detailed step-by-step illustrations
- Technique diagrams with practical tips
- Common mistakes described — along with how to fix them
- A set of exercises for every technique
- Advice from an experienced artist
What You Will Learn
- Skills and techniques for working with colored pencils
- Creating smooth transitions of color and tone
- Drawing fine lines
- Applying semi-transparent layers
- Original techniques for working with colored pencils
- Choosing materials and tools
The Illustrations in the Book
The Self-Study Guide to Drawing with Colored Pencils features works by both the author and her students. At first, Olga Shmatova did not always sign the illustrations, believing that readers would intuitively be able to tell professional work from student work.
The drawings her students produced under Olga's guidance, however, turned out to be of such high quality that even experienced artists could not always say with certainty who had made them. It is brilliant proof that Olga Shmatova's method helps beginners achieve impressive results.
At the same time, to avoid confusion, student works in later editions came to be marked with a special symbol — a white smiley face. This way, readers can give the author's skill its due while fully appreciating her students' progress.
The author thanks her students, whose works are used in this book.
Inside the book
