Let’s talk about underpainting in colored pencil – yes painting can be used with non-liquid mediums! When working on a colored base, an underpainting can make the shading easier by providing a varied surface underneath – as well as make the colors POP!
I love visiting the tulip fields in the Skagit Valley north of me! It’s worth the long drive, as you’ll see in the video – the color is stunning! I’m anxiously awaiting the full bloom so I can make my annual pilgrimage up there. The daffodils are out now so it shouldn’t be long!
Tutorial: Underpainting in Colored Pencil (Tulip Baskets)
This demonstration is linked within the PDF for the Tulip Basket Sketches, so it’ll be easy to find if you decide to color these up later!
Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully!
Three Tulip Baskets
As I worked on one tulip basket that wasn’t really going to be anything but a single video, I decided to try another….then got thinking that you might like to try these too. That turned these drawings into a kind of a mini-class via PDF, paired with the above video….so all of my tulip lovers can enjoy this kind of drawing too!
On kraft
Stonehenge Kraft paper was my first try – I have a pad that’s been crying out to be used. It’s got that Stonehenge drawing paper surface I love, but this rich deep color that the white really shows up on well, and that white makes the tulips pop!
On grey cardstock
I also had some Narwhal Cardstock by Lawn Fawn that had a nice surface to it, so I tried that too.
Unknown green cardstock
That got me digging around in the stash for other papers that had a nice surface to try, which led me to a green – I have no idea what brand it is!
Tulip Basket Sketches: get yours!
I put together a PDF with a BUNCH of resources in it – hopefully that makes these easy sketches to work with! First, note that they are SKETCHES, not finished, polished line drawings. They’re meant to print on these midtone papers and just kind of disappear into the color on the page.
And then there’s pages and pages of tips, color lists, and more.
Embedded into the PDF is a link to today’s YT video – so once you purchase the PDF you can reference the video from there anytime, instead of just looking at your printouts and wondering where the heck that video was at. 🙂
I hope some of you try these, it was such a relaxing process to draw this way! And you may well even have some great midtone papers and colored pencils, so all you need is the file! Tap here to go get yours!
Tulip gardens coming tomorrow!
To stay away from posting on the holiday weekend, my second big video this week will be manana. Waterbased marker tulips on cards – very very easy ones! And those can be created in other mediums as well.
Supplies
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
- Tulip Basket Sketches
- Stonehenge Kraft
- Narwhal Cardstock, Lawn Fawn
- Green cardstock: unknown
- Prismacolor pencils
- Prismacolor Hex Chart
- Quietsharp Pencil Sharpener: BLICK – AMZ
- Dahle Chubby Pencil Sharpener
- Kneaded Eraser
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Oh beautiful!! I’m so inspired! Spring flowers are still in the future here in Colorado. I adore all of your tulips and baskets! Thank you!
These are just gorgeous Sandy