NOTE: This is not a physical DVD.
How to Draw a Rose with Colored Pencils
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Silver Level or Higher Class
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Class Description
In this lesson you will learn how to draw a realistic rose with coloured pencil.
During the class you will learn :
1) How to choose which pencil start with
2) How to mix your colours on each petal
3) How to create depth in the petal
4) How to show distance between the petals
5) and much more.
Class Tutorial
Transfering the drawing onto paper
Today we will draw a rose in coloured pencil.
I never sketch directly onto the drawing paper as that dirties up the paper.
I rather first draw onto a loose sheet and then transfer the final lines to the actual drawing paper.
To transfer the outlines of the rose to the drawing paper I use dressmakers carbon paper.
Dressmakers carbon paper comes in different colours so you can use a colour which will blend into the final drawing.
In this case I am using yellow carbon paper.
When drawing one of your aims is to keep the drawing as clean as possible so you will see that I keep my reference photo underneath my hand.
That way it acts as a protection for the drawing.
Drawing in the underlying colors
I’m right handed so you will see that I start drawing from left to right. That way I never need to work over or lean on completed work areas.
When drawing I start by looking at the lightest and underlying colour.
Each petal will have an overall underlying colour.
It could be any colour, but in this rose it is mostly pink. If you look at some the other petals however you will also see orange as an underlying colour.
I will lay down this underlying colour first.
From there I will gradually work my way darker in the correct places.
As I work getting the total values correct is always my top priority.
If my colours are a bit off in the final drawing it won’t matter, but if I don’t get the tonal values correct then the shape of the petals will look wrong.
With roses you will find that in general each petal appears lighter towards it’s outer edge.
This contrast shows depth and distance between adjacent petals.
In general the outer edge of the petal who also end in a sharp or found edge.
Refining the petals using sharp contrasting colors
The sharp contrast between the light outer edge of the front petal against the dark inside of the back petal also shows distance.
I then look for places where this found line softens until it disappears. These transitions indicate that the distance between two petals is reducing until they touch.
At the point where they touch you will have a lost line. In other words you can’t see where the one petal starts and the other one ends.
Drawing these transitions between lost and found lines also helps show depth and dimension in your drawing.
To get the colour of the area that you are drawing correct, you need to look and compare.
Look and compare the area you are drawing against the corresponding area on the reference photo.
Then ask yourself is the area on the reference photo more yellow, red, pink, purple, blue, etc., than what I see on my drawing.
In other words you’re trying to spot what colour is missing on your drawing.
For example, if you see that there is too little pink in your drawing then choose your closest matching pink pencil and continue drawing with that pencil.
As you continue colouring keep looking and comparing.
Often the missing colour changes as you lay down this second colour so you may need to change to a third or even fourth colour in some areas.
Always start with a light pressure building up the colour by adding one layer over the next.
Only when you see you are not able to get as dark as required using layers do you start to press harder on the pencil.
Pressing hard must always be your last resort because once you press hard it becomes very difficult to fix or erase mistakes.
How to Draw a Rose – Tutorial
A little while ago, Shannon asked me to do a tutorial on how to draw a rose. Well, here it is!
All the principles are the same as drawing a portrait, you’re just working with different shapes.
The first thing I did was head over to the Wetcanvas Reference Image Library to study what a rose actually looks like and to find a good reference. As I browsed through the photos, I began to get a feel for the patterns of light and dark within a rose’s petals. They are deeply shadowed near the base and get lighter as you reach the edges. Here are a few possible references; I put them in grayscale to better see the values.
I will be drawing from the photo on the left, which has the best range of lights and darks. For this tutorial, I won’t be using a grid. When drawing a rose, unlike a portrait, it’s not absolutely necessary that everything be accurate down to the last millimeter. Here it will be enough to use the shapes the petals make in relation to each other to get an accurate rendition of the rose.
As always, start with a line drawing. Use a hard graphite, like a 2H pencil, and press just hard enough to leave a mark. Don’t press so hard that you indent the paper, otherwise you will never get rid of that line.
At this point, don’t focus on drawing a “rose.” Instead, draw the shapes that the petals make as they overlap one another. Pay close attention to the contours of each petal. It’s the little notches and irregularities you see that will help make your rose look as realistic as possible.
Next, still using your 2H, begin to shade in the values. Don’t press hard, but work up the graphite in layers to create some shadows. Shade in everything but the very lightest areas; keep those free of graphite completely.
Be very careful with your edges. You’ll notice in the reference image that some of the shadows have very hard edges and some are very soft and gradual. Try to render these exactly as you see them. This will give the petals volume and show that they are curled and three-dimensional. Don’t bother trying to understand what is happening in the center. Focus on the values and the shapes, and draw those. Blend with a tortillon.
Now take your B pencil and shade in the midtones. Here you’re adding depth and value. Again, pay close attention to the hard and soft edges. Blend.
Next, use your 2B to darken the deepest shadows. This is where you can sharpen some of those edges. Blend it out into the rest of your shading.
The last step in our rose drawing tutorial is to use a kneaded eraser to pull out the highlights and again, to sharpen some of the edges.
And there’s your rose finished! I hope this helps, Shannon, and if anyone else has a request for a tutorial, just get in touch!
PS: Stay tuned for a giveaway announcement in about a week!!
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