Wow. I am a watercolor artist and I never wanted to try colored pencils because of how long it takes. But this changes the game for me. Thankyou!!!

I have a massive collection of budget colored pencils that would be perfect for this technique, since I wouldn't mind grinding them down to make the powder blend. In fact, I think this might be the best way to repurpose the spent stubs I've been saving up.

Some tips. Try using pastel pencils (like Stabillo Carbothellos). They have the powdery texture you were getting without having to grind them and rub them on. Also try a heavier weight paper that can take some pressure without wrinkling. Also try a smoother surface paper to avoid the white spots. Those white spots are low areas that the pencil can't get down into. You might also experiment with other types of paper. There are "pastel" papers that come in pre tinted colors. Also you might try velum. And you might also try taking regular mat board and adding a clear acrylic "texture" paint which dries to a feeling of fine sandpaper. This added tooth helps pull the pencil lead off the pencil just like the sandpaper you used to make the powder. In other words make your whole working surface like sandpaper by adding the clear texture paint. When I discovered pastel pencils I didn't ever want to go back to colored pencils.

Something that's not mentioned in the video that I think is a huge potential benefit for this method is how it can save your hand. I've had to quit colored pencils because of how badly it hurts my hand, but I might try this and see if it's easier on me.

I discovered this technique by accident last winter. I use Conte hard pastel sticks to powder the base into place and then draw onto that. By using Conte sticks I can scrape the powder directly into place over large areas for block in and then smooth out with a tissue. I can lay down a 2/3-layer base coat very quickly.

Reducing solid and friable drawing media to powder is a great way to get broader coverage and more variety in mark making! Artists testing this technique who can use light-duty solvents might also try using denatured alcohol to "paint" with the powder- some colored pencil core material can be blended with alcohol, and after it evaporates, it leaves a uniform brushstroke that can be incorporated into further drawing! (Works with graphite, too)

This is brilliant. Made me rush immediately to get my inexpensive pencils and use your technique to create a lovely soft background. As a beginner, I've been struggling to stay within budget. Now there is no need to buy any more supplies (pastels/fixative spray and whatnot) Thank you so much for sharing this.

You can also use the pan pastel knife(applicator) and also a makeup tool that has a foam-like tip for blending.

When you drew in her eye details it was like a magic trick. Absolutely brilliant I can't wait to try this technique. Thank you for sharing this.

About six months ago I joined your patron page, and I just have to say that you made a huge difference in my life. Five months ago I attempted a drawing for a school expo, after watching your tutorials. And by the event I had many people come up to me and ask if the drawing was printed! It was simply a drawing of an eye, but it taught me a lot about shadow, layering/ mixing colors and other techniques that can be used for multiple mediums. It also gave me the confidence to start painting again. which I haven’t done for years, and I’m really grateful for that! It also helped me view the world in a new light, and start to appreciate all the beauty that God has placed on this earth. From the colorful change of leaves during autumn, to the vibrant flowers in the spring and summer, there lyes so much beauty all around us. We just need to stop and take a moment to appreciate it. Instead of just looking at an object/scenery as a whole I now see the blending of perfect colors,shadows,highlights and angles that make up that object/scenery. For anyone who believes that that drawing/art is a waste of time, or any less important than other subjects in school, I would recommend giving it a real shot. And before you’re so quick to say that you can’t draw try one of Kirsty’s tutorials and you might surprise yourself! I know I did! Drawing doesn’t only help change your view on the world, it helps you increase your attention span. And this is so important these days where everything is instantaneous. And this video even helps you speed up the process a little bit so you have no reason not to start! Just go for it! Don’t let the blank page scare you! And for those of you who have taken the time to read this long comment thank you. 🙏 I hope you have a wonderful day full of beauty and inspiration.💕

This is a game changer! Especially for doing backgrounds! I do adult coloring and I enjoy coloring with my Prismacolor pencils and a few other brands like Faber Castill and Caran d'Ache, but I have to use a different medium for my backgrounds because trying to color a whole background will eat up your colored pencils super fast, and the pencils I use cost too much to use them up on backgrounds! So I usually have to use pastels, water soluble pencils or gel sticks, etc. So I am super excited to try this method out and share this video with my coloring friends! Thank you so much for sharing! And you are an amazing artist!

The container she uses to hold her powder in the first part of the video is for pan-pastels (note the printing onthe lid). That is a powdered pastel pigment which is applied exactly as her "new" technique is, and for the same reasons. You can also layer colored pencil over it, erase it off and so forth. You can also mix a medium into it ans apply it as a watercolor looking base layer. Often pan-pastels are used with sanded paper because they fill the tooth of the surface so well.

Something I ALWAYS do when drawing with pencils is place a clean white sheet of paper on top of the drawing whenever I need to move my hand over any part of it. That way, it stays protected and you won't smudge things out by accident, or put colours on it where they don't belong. ;)

Alyona Nickelsen published a book in 2017, Colored Pencil Portraits, in which she teaches classic portraiture using this approach (gathering pencil pigment dust) to greatly speed up the time and to create portraits that look like oil paintings. I think she also sells a variety of products that make it easier to collect the dust, maybe a special paper, too, if I remember correctly. Fantastic book, well-researched and thorough.

Cool technique. I do the same with chalk pastel. I use it as the foundation then spray it with a fixative. It creates a tooth that the pencil can grab ahold of. It's great

Watercolour artists may like to try watercolour pencil crayons. You can keep the sharpened shavings from the pencils. I’ve made combo colours by combining the bits of sharpened pigments Regarding pencils you can shave then with a knife you might loose less pigment using this technique

I literally got anxious and all rigid for the outcome of that drawing/all your work when that grey (which looked blue on my screen) was accidentally swiped onto that face. So glad you could fix it. Thanks for showing all that too. It really helps. Quite frankly, everything you post helps so much you’re my number 1 recommendation to others that want to draw “but can’t “ because you are such a master at giving newbies the confidence on top of the know-how to draw and more. QUESTION though: what was that white pencil with wooden barrel please? I have no idea what difference white charcoal, white pastels or white chalk would give, what the pros and cons are with each one

Great idea! This needs to be taught in elementary school all the way to art school. I think that a better idea would be to get a long thin nail and gently grind away at the top end of the pencil, instead of wearing away at the usual sharpened tip. You could even use a cheap drill to spin the to nail. The idea is that the top of the pencil will become hollow, and you can still hold on to it, as the pencil shortens, which means that you get more use out of the coloured stuff. Also, the powder can be collected in pill containers, which are used to keep track of 7 days worth or a month's worth. Another idea is to use old contact lens containers: they seal tight, even though they are supposed to be thrown out. Does this all make sense?

Great video! This is a technique that has been used by artists for years. I can't remember who taught me, but I know it was over thirty years ago. It's a great way to lay a foundation to keep the paper from ripping.

I've been doing this for years since I discovered you could sand down pastels 😂 I tried the color pencils and it worked greatly.

I love the more sketchy look of this piece. It turned out beautifully and I'm definitely going to try this technique. Thank you for going through the trouble of testing these methods out. Appreciate you sharing all your techniques and tips. You are amazing!

Thank you for making such amazing tutorials for free, all kinds of artists can learn so much from your channel 💜

Love that drawing. Especially the way you bring the blurry colours of the eyes into such sharp focus with some dark outlining. I really enjoy watching your clips.

Brilliant! Quick coverage, ability to easily layer on top, plus lift highlights…wow! Thank you!

Fascinating and striking! Your work is brilliant and beautiful. Thank you for sharing ❤

This is brilliant! Definitely going to try it. I am learning so much from you, Kirsty, thank you for sharing your incredible talent!

Love this! Not only does it speed up the drawing but it gives it a lovely texture that brings out the essence of the medium instead of that super smooth look that burnishing and some other techniques for blending color pencil give.

This was amazing! Thank you so much! I've actually tried a similar technique with the skin using old makeup and the brush! It really did help to speed up the process. I'm nowhere near as good at coloring as you, but it was so fascinating to see this being done using coloring pencils! Thank you so very much!

I really enjoy all of the videos I’ve seen of yours. You inspire me often to keep trying new things, and also help kind of bring back techniques I forget about. Thank you for sharing this! I’ve done this with charcoal but never colored pencils! I’ll have to try it out!

Thank you! I love colored pencil art. In one vid you addressed many of my great difficulties with the medium. Looking forward to starting my next/ 1st pic using your technique.

Wow this was a brilliant showcasing of your talent. What a beautiful end result. So happy that you were able to save the image from the gray tones. This was such a great technique to see. I am blown away by your talent. It is so lovely to see you expanding into new areas not only for yourself, then sharing it with others. That makes you a ROCK Star in ART in my opinion. Thank you for the lesson, the inspiration mostly though for adding your creative talent to the collective. We all rise when ARTISTS share their gifts. ✨🧡✨

This is an awesome technique. I definitely will try it. You are so awesome and always come up with new ideas. We never regret following you ever. ❤️❤️

I love your creativity and ingenuity! Such a great hack. The portrait is gorgeous! 🌻

That's great! I usually work with watercolor and use the crayons over it more or less excessively to add more detail to my watercolors. But with your new technique, I might also try working (almost) entirely with dry media and wouldn't necessarily have to use the watercolor paper. That opens up new possibilities. Thank you!

Holy moly! That saved SO MUCH time! 😮🥰 I am absolutely going to try this. Thank you for exploring it for us!!!❤️

I am so pleased in observing your techniques. You inspire me so much. I'm glad that I found your blog.

I’m a portrait artist and this is going to make a huge difference!!!

Thank you for sharing this technique. It’s inspiring. And your artwork is just beautiful. So skillfully executed. Lovely work!

What great tips!! I can hardly wait to try this!

That is absolutely beautiful 😻. Such a talent!! I’m generally artistic, so I like to flip between different mediums and projects. But I’ve NEVER successfully drawn a face, hands, feet etc. So I’d like to start practicing. I’ve not used pencils for years, I’ve just purchased some new pencils, but I’ve found it’s an expensive task. As each time I realise there’s something I’m not keen about the pencils I’ve bought. Don’t think I’ll ever be as good as you, but I can only try! X

That's a really interesting technique. Thank you so much for sharing! ❤️

This is so cool! I've been collecting broken pencil tips for a while and now I have something to do with them! Thank you!

Wow, this technique is amazing Kristy. I have used chalk pastel powder under colored pencil before, but I didn't always have the right color. This is a game changer. Thank you so much! I don't use charcoal, so this never would have occurred to me. Thank you!

Kirsty , i love this tip and hint! thank you for sharing.

Omg to do this drawing in that time is amazing! I love working with powdered graphite and charcoal and never thoughts of using coloured pencil in this way. Thank you I will definitely be trying this. Thank you 👏👏👏👏♥️♥️

The most useful art lesson I've watched! Thanks a lot!

I have seen lots of artist rest their hand on glassine paper so they don't transfer color or smudge their art. Have you ever tried that?

Superb dear. I have been following your videos since 2018 and learned a lot of techniques and this is one of the most unique of them! Thank you 🥰

Wow! Amazing! That looks fantastic-thank you for sharing this!!

Thank you for showing us this hack! What an absolute game changer!!

Thank you so much for doing this video. I hated coloured pencils for being do harsh on the paper & not providing softness to my drawings. You are very talented.

What an extremely great find and tip! Genius! Thank you so much.

This technique answers a question I have had for a long time. Thank you! I am going to try this.

WoW very interesting. I can’t wait to try this new method. Thank you Kirsty 😊

This technique is amazing and the art look great too. Thanks for sharing.

Miss I've not even finished your video and I have to say your a genius. Well done 👏

Congrats! Such a creative solution to a common problem. Can’t wait to try it

Thanks for everything Kristi 🌷💖You are an excellent teacher.Have a nice day and keep it up

thank you for tackling the number 1 issue with color pencils to me!

Cool! 😍 I wonder if sanded soft pastels would have the same effect as the coloured pencils as a base layer? This is great - I do it with graphite pencils but it has NEVER occured to me to use it with coloured pencils 🤯 definitely a game changer for me 😍

That is amazing, I've started colored pencils again, definitely going to you this .thank you 💜

Wow! This is one of the best colored pencil hacks I've ever seen! ❤️

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing! You are AMAZING!!! It's my dream to be able to draw like this!!! I've been drawing since I was a kid, but I could never draw at this level! I will keep trying! Wow!

I think i will try this technique to draw shadows next time. Thanks for the tip 🤗

Fantastic Kirsty! I'm going to try this!

Yessssss blogger kirsty came back!! Im so happy~

I had a set of pastel pencils that I didn't know what to do with, so have started adding a base layer to my CP drawings. Works well on Bristol board aswell as pastelmat. I will also try CP for the colours I don't have in pastel pencils

What a timesaver. Thanks for sharing!!!

Thank you so much for this tipp, this is PERFECT. 💖 I have used pastel pencils in the past to get it more smooth than with colored pencils but I like to draw details with colored pencils sooo much more. I will paint our family dogs who past away for my mum for christmas because she wished for that and Im gonna use your brilliant technique. 🤗

Thank you so much for sharing! This changes so much! ❤

I’ve learned this technique from you for graphite- can’t wait to try it with colored pencil!

Wow my love that drawing turned out fantastic, well done sweetheart 🥰

So when I first bought my Caran d Ashe luminance, I didn’t want to waste them whatsoever so I would collect the pencil shavings and use them like this and it works so well that I started using this method with my other brands. I thought that other artists would have thought I was silly so I kept this “hack” to myself. Now seeing Kirsty do this I was like ,”yup I know this will work, try tissues” or “YES using your finger makes it go down darker for some reason.”😂

Wow! Its actually so strait forward, but didn't occur to me. Thank you so much for sharing ❤

Thank you so much Kirsty for detailing your thought process. Years ago i was thinking about just this because i hated seeing the waste from pencil shavings - all those very expensive materials lol! I thought I was being too over-complicated and should just do it the time-tested "right" way, but hated sharpening to a point from breakage as well as it being a mundane task. I left coloured-pencils because it took too long compared with other materials, esp. on much larger dimensions!! I think this would be very good for the less top-tier papers too, since those tend to accept fewer layers/ fewer rough bouts of handling, frustration etc lol 😂. And as always you're using all the core material which is a forethought for me :)

I learned this in art class in high school. Very useful and life changing tip!

This is the reason I've seen artists use pan pastels as a base! personally I use watercolor, alcohol markers etc, but this is a fun technique. I'll definitely try it out. 😊

Hi Kirsty thank you for all the tips here this is really going to help me I like it when your husband joins in to do drawings and paintings as well you are a lovely family by the way

That portrait does look great. I think this is a very excellent tip!

That was so informative and helpful. Thank you so much x

Wow, beautifully done!

Beautiful Kristy! 💗

This is very helpful for us, thank you so much!

Thank you so much for sharing this hack I love this idea ❤

that is seriously so good to know Ive struggled with the exact problem and wondered how to fix it

Very helpful! I have been quite frustrated by the difficulty of adding sharp detail with colored pencil after the base layer is filled in with burnishing or blending. I am excited at trying this technique. Thanks.

I love when you explain things more casually without a script

This is such a genius hack; I can't wait to try it!

This is sooo cool. I am currently doing an online drawing course, and shall certainly use this technique when we get to the coloured pencils module. I think I would have enjoyed the charcoal module more if I'd used the technique then, too. Thank you for an excellent tutorial!

Dear mam, keep creating a tutorial videos and we really love your all tutorial videos and thank you so much for providing this tutorial videos 🙏❤️

Wow, these are some really great tips! Can't wait to try.

Very informative. I too faced this problem. I will implement this idea in my work. Thanks for sharing this idea.

Very helpful video 👏 Your work is 😵 just awesome Love your videos ❤️

Probably completely wrong but my hack to lay a quick baselayer that saves hours of work: I take a cotton swipe and dip it into pencilblend, then I go over the whole face. Then I put down color, which goes on like crazy. Then blend it out again with a cotton swipe which this time is damp. Et voilà perfect base. Normally it took me up to 20 hours to do a portrait (really detailed). Now only 6 hours. Works with the baselayer for hair too. And yes it can also be erased, after you let it dry. And to speed up the drying process you can use a blower.

Fascinating! Definetly I'll try this!

this is amazing and I am going to try this. Thank You Kirsty

Wow!!! Wow!!! I'm very impressed!!! Thats I need it!! Thank you for this useful hack! Ohhh my GOSH!!!

Such a cool tip and you're an amazing artist!

Brilliant hack, I must try that! I like using colour pencils, but, as you said, it takes ages to make a realistic piece, and I don't always have patience nor stamina for that. Plus there's an extra benefit of this technique - there's no pencil waste, in contrast to having to sharpen pencils all the time.

Wow amazing time saver plus such smooth blending results. I don’t do portrait work but I can see this as useful for all pencil work. I know Sandy Allnock uses a tea strainer to shave her pencils to powder, but I can’t find a good tea strainer for it.