The Art of Botanical & Bird Illustration

From Sketch to Final Color

Colored pencil is a natural transition from working in graphite to working with color. The skills used are the same! Adding color is all about color mixing, following surface contour, and creating harmony. Create your own still life scene to render step by step, or follow along with my example.

Set up a still life of fruits and/or vegetables, and illuminate it with 11:00-at-45-degree lighting. Take a picture with your smartphone or digital camera, and convert the image to grayscale to see the tonal values.

Find interesting colors, textures, and shapes for your still life. Start simple, and then progress into more ...