#Caran d'Ache Work book

[thickness-protection-program]

is it worth paying out the ass for colored pencils?

This really depends on what your budget is and what you're planning on doing with them. If you're strictly on a budget then you absolutely don't need expensive pencils. There are MANY budget pencils that still work amazing. If you're a coloring book artist for example or doing something where you don't need too much blending or detail then again you don't expensive stuff. In general I would say there is no need for high end stuff if you're not a professional or aspiring professional. BUT if you happen to have the means and you do buy expensive pencils then generally they will never steer you wrong. Trust me you do get your money's worth in terms of quality. The most expensive pencils I've found are caran d'ache luminance and Derwent lightfast and they both are actually made by God. If you ask me though the type of paper you use is more important than the pencils. You can have the best pencils in the word but if you have shitty paper then the drawing will reflect that

[colourmanic]

#Repost @barbara.colour • • • • • • This is my page in 'A Million Sea Creatures', the new book by @lulu_mayo_art .🦀🐠🐳🌊 Thank you so much Lulu for sending me the page. 😍🙏💖 I've enjoyed so much colouring your beautiful illustration. 🤩 I've chosen my colours using the Color Catalog by @sarahrenaeclark 💛🧡❤💙💚 I've used @carandache Museum Aquarelle for the first time, those pencils are amazing !!! 🤩 The colours are so vibrant and at the same time easy to work, they have such a creamy texture when you wet the pigments! ✨️ 🎬 The color along of this page will be soon available on my channel. . 🇫🇷 Voici une page dans le nouveau livre de @lulu_mayo_art , A Million Sea Creatures. 🌊🦀🐠🐳💦 Merci beaucoup Lulu Mayo de m'avoir envoyé cette page ! 😍🙏💖 J'ai adoré colorier ta magnifique illustration. 🤩 J'ai choisi mes couleurs en utilisant le Color Catalog de Sarah Renae Clark. 💛🧡❤️💙💚 J'ai utilisé les Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle pour la première fois, ces crayons sont incroyables !!! 🤩 Les couleurs sont si vibrantes et en même temps si faciles à travailler, elles ont une texture crémeuse dès qu'on mouille les pigments, c'est un rêve ! ✨️ 🎬 Le coloriage complet sera bientôt disponible sur ma chaîne YouTube. . #barbaracolour #lulumayo #amillionseacreatures #thecolorcatalog #colorcube #carandache #carandachemuseumaquarelle #coloriagepouradulte #coloringbooks #colouring #colouringbook #colouringbooks #coloringbookforadults #coloringforadults #adultcoloringbook #adultcoloring #adultcolouring #colouringforadults #coloringtherapy #ilovecoloring #instacoloring #secretforestocean #colouringaddict #addictedtocolouring #colormehappy https://www.instagram.com/p/CnpYS6ajaQA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[littlewalken]

Sep 5

20 pages to go with the retyping, could be finished today. Keep in mind I'm trimming and condensing at this stage.

Taking some serious thought time now if I really do want to even bother doing color pencil comparison videos. Plenty of people already do them.

Hear me out, and this has to do with why I closed down my doll comparison website too.

Started with a D, had naked dolls posing, a lot of people liked to image link to it. Had someone claiming my Phantom of the Paradise (with my Sears dollhouse clearly behind him) was theirs and I changed that image to cop dolls calling him a thief.

If you are running a doll comparison site I still have all the old photos and would let you have and post them.

Again it was something else other people got in to doing, and better in many cases, and like I'm thinking with the pencils, I'm never gonna keep/catch up.

I am quite certain that of all my dolls on that site the non Mattel ones still being made exactly the same can be counted on one had.

Somewhere between having dolls I was making pattern books for be discontinued just as I published and deciding if I wanted to wait for a delayed doll again, you're not a Big Chief Dr Elebenty get over your plastic self, it wasn't fun. And I had to put them somewhere when I got them.

So I stopped.

With the colored pencils most of them I bought because I wanted them, like I wanted an oil set or skin tone set, and not many fell in to the 'I don't have that brand' because I still had standards. A few were curious about the line. I have no idea in hell how I got the SoHo ones. The one set was because I had their watercolor pencils. Some were will this work, nope, better get a different one.

And there was that girl who sold me a shit load of Derwent pencils for $20 I don't care why but I did sent her some pics of my art so she knows they will be used for pure ebil. Heh heh heh.

So I need to ask myself then if you don't like working with those pencils why not just get rid of them, by which I mean put them aside until I find a home that needs them, and concentrate on using the ones you like and making art the thing you do so you don't kill people.

I was sitting there looking at the Castle Art stuff, took a bath and began to think why do I even want those, and didn't get them.

Like looking up the reviews of the 520 color set. There's enough reviews out there to tell me I don't need them and have to make a review because no one else it. Their reviews tell me all I need to know. Looking at the comments it's a Pandora's art box.

Art Gear Guide guy there is a difference with some (amount of) oil (in their blends) pencils Irojitan and Derwent Colourfast behave differently than Luminance. It's a transparency and layering thing troost meh.

But perhaps to satisfy that part of my brain I should do one last round, for myself, with notes on the back, for myself, of why I parted with that pencil, for myself.

If you come over with some Castle Art or a brand I don't have and let me color with them I'll give you the SoHo set.

And if the question is what artist quality set I'd recommend for general all around work? I really like the Caran d'Ache Pablo. But if you can't afford those then the Goldfaber.

[dausy]

(Copied from instagram) Welp..so..I loved my tan Hahnemule sketchbook so much I had to try the grey..and I think its just too gloomy for me. I feel an obligation to use it as I opened it and bought it but Im uninspired. Like what can I draw that needs a dark undertone.

So if this was done tan he would have looked much..sunnier..

I may go back and get another tan book but Ive already abandoned 2 other white flavored sketchbooks and I feel an obligation to go back and fill those. But now I hate white.

Also, not copied from insta but I just recieved my little package from Blick. I can tell one of the white pencils was used!!! But as retribution I guess they sent me an extra purple pitt pen.

Ive been really enjoying the inktense pencils. Ive gone thru the black fast! So I needed a replacement. Which made me curious about the white. I dont have much hope for it working that well but I am curious. And then the caran d'ache pencils had me curious as well. Im not sure if inktense counts as a watercolor pencil..so Im not sure if the museum aquarelle ones are going to work similarly but I got 3 just to try. Black which I use the most, white because somewhere out there is a holy grail white and a brown/red color which is overall useful...hmm.

[theartgearguide]

Caran d'Ache Workshop Book

Caran d'Ache Workshop Book

Just over a year ago, perhaps a bit longer, Caran d’Ache published a book, the book is called the “Caran d’Ache Workshop Book”. I was first alerted to it when a good friend of mine, Vinnie Gracanin from Australia who used to be a representative for Caran d’Ache, told me about it.

I took a look at the Caran d’Ache website, trying to find out a few more details; I knew from Vinnie that the book contained a lot of art work from various artists using Caran d’Ache products, but I didn’t know too much more.

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I took a look around YouTube and other art related blogs, just to see if there was other reviews or write ups about the book and I couldn’t find anything at all, other than a video of someone unboxing the book. So I took the plunge and purchased to book for myself and I was so happy that I did. However, I didn’t want people to go through the same issues I experienced before purchasing the book and having to blindly by it, and so completed this review. I know watching or reading reviews of books is not the most exciting thing in the world, especially as actually reviewing books can be very tricky. I can’t show too much of the book, to the extent people know everything there is in the book and don’t need to buy it, but I have to show just enough to help you see what the benefits of the book are.

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Languages

Before getting into the contents of the book and why I love it so much, it is important to let you know just who can purchase this book. Of course anyone can buy the book, but what I mean is who can purchase it and read it in their own language. Luckily, Caran d’Ache haven’t just published a wonderful book and done so in English, the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book comes in many different languages.

Obviously English, which serves a good portion of the speaking world, Swiss, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch and Austrian. On the Caran d’Ache website they also have an option for Belgium, however the main language spoke in Belgium, or one of the languages spoke there is Dutch, there is also French speaking and Brabantian. So as you can see, the book is available to most of the speaking world.

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Status

The format of the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book is what I would call a “Coffee Table Book”, the type of book that you would have out on display in your living room our lounge for anyone, artist or not, to pick up and browse through. For those of you who may not be old enough to remember, before the internet and Google, if you wanted to learn something new or research a topic, you had to pick up a book with pages, not an e-book, and read it. No question a much more laborious task than that of the methods we use today, non the less, this book is not only full of incredibly interesting information, this is also an visually stunning, page turning master piece in its own right.

There are 192 pages, protected in a sturdy hard backed binder, the spine of the book is a little different to other books you may have read, I am not quite sure how to explain it to you, other than show you some images of it. With the binding of the pages in such a format, it allows you to open the book out with worry of splitting or cracking the other spine.

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Contents

When you first open the book, the inside of the hardback cover have the image of a swatch on them, which I thought was quite funny given that when us colored pencil artist buy a new set of colored pencils the first thing we all do is create a swatch.

The book is split into manageable and easy to follow sections and within each section are sub sections, I wouldn’t really call them chapters, but I guess if you would prefer to call them chapters, that would be fine.

The first section in the book is called “Background”, and I personally think this is such an interesting section that it grips you and pulls you into the book and company right from the beginning. Here they discuss the materials Caran d’Ache use and their commitment to the environment. For a lot of artists, this is such an important subject and one I am happy to report, many art supply companies are really taking seriously.

The next section is called “Practice”, this section talks about possible tips and techniques for using Caran d’Ache products such as Graphite, Gouache, Watercolor, Coloured Pencils, Fibre Pens, Pastels, Acrylic and Modelling Clay.

The next section is called “Know-How” and this is quite a comprehensive section with lots of topics covered. Topics such as the Colour Wheel according to Wilhelm Ostwald, Paper, Colour Theory, Techniques, which has so many subsections in itself.

The next section is called “In The Caran d’Ache Workshop” which I am sure you can guess what is covered here? Subjects such as mixing techniques, tonal drawing techniques, modelling clay techniques and so much more.

The next section is called “Passe-partout” which is a French phrase and according to the Collins English dictionary means

“A mounting for a picture in which strips of strong gummed paper are used to bind together the glass, picture and backing”

This section discuss framing, the different types of framing processes and frame types that can be used, storing your finished work and presenting it. This information is of course incredibly useful to artists wishing to sell their work and present it in the best possible way.

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The final two sections are pretty self explanatory, “The Gallery” and “Caran d’Ache History. I know from previous reviews I have completed that a lot of people are not interested in the history of a company, however, I personally find to understand a companies current situation and future aspirations, it is important to understand the history.

the Gallery is full of wonderful images from artists all over the world using various products from Caran d’Ache, no matter what your favourite Caran d’Ache product is, be it the Museum Aquarelle, the pigment bursting Neocolour II, the Royalty quality Luminance, the precision of the Pablo or the enormous color selection of the Supracolor Soft, there is an art piece to represent your favourite product.

However, you don’t just have to flick to the back of the book to see images of artwork, the entirety of the book is littered with beautiful and detailed images of Caran d’Ache products. For those of you who follow The Art Gear Guide reviews and like the style that I have tried to incorporate into the reviews with extreme, Hi-Def, close ups images of the products and enjoy this format, then you will love the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book.

The images throughout the book are amazing and so incredibly inspirational. We all find inspiration in different things and ways. For me, there are a few YouTubers who I watch all the time, re-watching videos they have created over and over again and I find inspiration in this. Caran d’Ache actually have a YouTube Channel were they show case and demonstrate their products, watching these videos help ignite inspiration and now the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book helps stimulate my inspiration,

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Price

the price for the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book is very much a universal price just with the different exchanges at play. Buying the actual book is difficult to get hold of via the likes of Amazon or Ebay regardless of the country. I looked on these platforms for months and just couldn’t find one. So the best place to go is directly to the companies website. From here you will have no problems whatsoever getting hold of a copy and you can select which language you want the book in.

The price of the book is £41 and as I mentioned, because the only place selling the book is the Caran d’Ache website, it is the same price regardless of the country you reside in. I personally think for a book of this type, a wealth of important information, a gallery of beautiful art work created by amazing artists from all over the world and a detailed catalog of the companies most desired and favoured products.

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Conclusion

I am sure most of you who know me, know just how much I love the Caran d’Ache products I have used and reviewed thus far, so when I learnt of a book published that detailed the products, demonstrated techniques about the products and spoke of the company’s history among many other things, I really had to get a copy. Before getting the book, as it was an online purchase, as opposed to walking into a book store and flicking through it, I would have liked to know a bit more information on the book, in the form of a review, prior to buying it.

So I hope for anyone who is interested in the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book or, perhaps a bit like myself, has been interested and just wanted to know a bit more about the book before buying it, I hope this review will be of some help to you. I know some people may think that £41 is a bit too much for a book, however if you take a look around Amazon and other book stores, books in this particular genre and size, mostly cost in and around this price point.

For any colored pencil enthusiast, be that watercolor pencils, pastel pencils, colored pencils, graphite pencils or even supplies such as modelling clay, acrylic paint and felt tip pens, I really think this book will be a source of knowledge, inspiration and visual stimulation. I have also completed a youtube video showcasing the book as much as I can without damaging sales for the company, follow the link to watch if you are interested.

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[mysticsparklewings]

Arteza Expert Colored Pencils Review

Hu-boy, have I got a story for you guys! So I've been seeing Arteza's Expert colored pencils floating around in both ads and as freebies to Art Youtubers for a while now, and finally, it was too much and I threw up my hands and said to myself OKAY LET'S TRY THEM. (even though I very sincerely don't need any more colored pencils...) Previously, I've tried their Woodless Watercolor Pencils and liked them, and I've specifically heard good things about these pencils. So I went in with measured, but positive expectations. The full 72 set goes for about $30 either on Amazon or Arteza's own website, which is the same price point as the Schpirerr Farben colored pencils currently on Amazon. So they aren't the super-duper cheapest, but the price is pretty fair compared to companies like Derwent, Faber Castell, or Caran D'ache. So, some tea first, and then I'll talk about how the pencils handle (tea in small text in case you don't care): My set came in the mail and I immediately opened them and went to swatching, as I do. It was when I was writing out the color names (I write the names out first, then go back and put the color down) that I noticed I had two "Charcoal A120" pencils, and likewise discovered I was missing "Peacock Blue A008." And suddenly I was filled with dread; oh no something's wrong I'm going to have to contact customer service ohnononoohno.   So I contacted their customer service through the Guarantee address (returns@arteza.com) on the back of the tin, hoping to get the issue resolved as quickly as possible and wanting/expecting nothing more than the one pencil I didn't have. About two hours later, they got back to me and through a bit of back-and-forth, I provided pictures (which I expected them to ask for), then a screenshot of the Amazon Order Details and my shipping address (also expected). It was just after 4:00, last I heard from them on a Friday, so I figured either that was that and I should be on the lookout in the mail, or they had closed up shop for the weekend and I'd heard from them again on Monday. I woke up Saturday morning with an order confirmation email that confused me, and another reply informing me they couldn't just send the one pencil, so they'd be sending me a whole new set, and I didn't have to return the original set; I was welcome to keep or donate it. This made the confirmation email make sense, as it was for the shipment of the new set. This naturally was a nice surprise. (And I must also add the reply email had a timestamp of 4 in the morning so I have to applaud the magical soul that was coherently responding to customer service emails at such an hour as I would be loathed to do the same.) With that issue at least temporarily dealt with (as I wanted to wait and see the new set before "officially" closing my mental books on it), I moved on to producing the test image you see above and otherwise evaluating the pencil. However, I decided to wait and not fill out a Colored Pencil Testing Workshop for these until after the new set arrived, just in case. And I'm glad I did. The replacement set came in on Wednesday, and I was practically bursting at the seams to get it open and see what was what. All 72 different colors were present and accounted for. However, the "Emerald A094" pencil's tip was broken/missing. I did sharpen it back up, and it appears completely fine. Probably what happened is it was broken during sharpening or something at the factory. Not a big deal, but noteworthy when combined with my previous experience and considering that there are other signs of minor quality control issues. For example, the company/color names and information printed on the pencils are not aligned consistently, and if you go on Amazon and start looking at the negative reviews you'll find a lot more than just these relatively small things. My point in including all this: As I'll talk about in a second, the pencils themselves work just fine and I don't think Artexa is maliciously producing defective sets of colored pencils and just trying to make a quick buck. Quite the contrary. I think they are dedicated to making the best products they can while still keeping them affordable compared to their competition. It's just that they have some issues here and there like every company in existence does, and part of that, in my theory, is likely because they have less in the budget for certain quality control measures when compared to the more expensive brands. This isn't a dealbreaker by any means, but I do think it's important to keep in mind. So all of that out of the way, how do these pencils actually work in the field? They're not as soft as Prismacolor, but I went in expecting that from what I'd already heard. They're not as hard/rigid as the Faber Castell Polychromos, so they land somewhere in the middle. They layer pretty well; they don't seem to build up wax quite as quickly as Prismacolor, but they aren't nearly limitless with layers like the Polychromos. Blending was better than I expected and overall pretty good. The white surprised me a little. The Prismacolor white is still the best I've used, but this one did better than I expected. It also worked well with blending other colors. Speaking of; Color selection is interesting. In the plastic trays, they seem to be arranged from in color order...but in three separate "sets," rather than in typical "all the yellows are together, and the pinks are together," etc. color order. This bothers me a little since I'm used to the other way, but that's just me. The colors themselves though seem to sit somewhere between typical color choices and also trying to be different, which is. (Also a lot of them have really fun color names, which I really appreciate personally.) (And while we're here, I will say the tin and trays are nice/pretty standard, but the trays are pretty snug in there so I have a little trouble moving things around, but it's not so much of a deal-breaker that I feel I need a separate case for them.) They seem to generate a lot of dust/crumbs, but the weird thing was that when I went to wipe it away, it didn't smear specks of color on the paper. Good, but odd. Honestly, they measure up about the same as the Schpirerr Farben pencils in terms of falling somewhere between Prismacolor and Polychromos in terms of performance, and that makes a lot of sense considering both sets are at the same price point. (Though the Schpirerr Farben pencils do still behave and feel different, most likely because they're oil-based to the Arteza's wax-base.) They aren't my new favorite, but they are pretty decent and if Prismacolor is just too expensive for you, I'd say they're not a bad second choice. I did notice something exceedingly peculiar during my testing though: These pencils have basically no water resistance. They melt down almost like watercolor pencils, or at least like the Derwent Inktense (which dissolve pretty well but compared to typical watercolor pencils they do take a little more water and working to melt down entirely). Typically, regular colored pencils do move when hit with a lot of water, but not to this extent, and it usually takes a lot to really pull a noticeable amount of pigment out. The thing about this is that Arteza sells a set of regular watercolor pencils, and as best I can tell from the pictures (as I have yet to procure a set for myself) the only differences between that set and this one are the colors on the front of the tins, and the Expert pencils are round/circular, while the watercolor pencils are hexagon shaped. Other than that, there aren't any visible differences between the two. Granted, this isn't really fair, as the main differences would normally be in how they perform on paper and you can't really tell that from stock photos. And yet, and I can't help but wonder if there's something fishy going on there.  Could they be the exact same cores, just packaged differently...?   I am very tempted to order a set of their watercolor pencils just to compare...But until then, I am planning on trying a watercolor piece with these just to see what happens. Maybe I'll try and they won't turn out that well and my theory will be busted, or maybe I'll have to order the other set and find out for sure that way...   ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[artistsemamartin-blog]

Tag a friend who would love this! I used an orange mount for this portrait to bring out the bright colours in Jaffa's fur. I loved drawing this calico kitty and I cant wait to draw another! ---- Tomorrow I will be starting my new commissions for the year and I am a little anxious and excited. I haven't been drawing all Christmas because I have been working hard on my book and I slightly feel like I have forgotten how to draw! Lol I wonder if you guys feel the same way. ---- If you haven't already then please sign up to my wait list for my book on 'How to start a commission based business' its not just for pet portraits, its aimed at any creative art product. I think it would really help anyone starting out and trying to make a living from it. See the link in my bio. Let me know what you think! 🎨💟🐾😻 ---- ✏ Materials: Pan Pastels, Faber Castell Polychromos, Caran d'Ache Luminance and Pablo pencils on Extra Smooth Bristol Board Paper. ---- 👉 @artistsemamartin 🌐 www.semamartin.com 💌 hello@semamartin.com (at United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B68j8d4BSki/?igshid=1c23acddxn8ui

[mechanicalcurator]

Image from 'Là-Bas [i.e. in Germany] et ailleurs. Préface de Jacques St.-Cère. Dessins de Caran d'Ache, etc', 002511703

Author:

Page: 79

Year: 1890

Place: Paris

Publisher:

View this image on Flickr

View all the images from this book

Following the link above will take you to the British Library's integrated catalogue. You will be able to download a PDF of the book this image is taken from, as well as view the pages up close with the 'itemViewer'. Click on the 'related items' to search for the electronic version of this work.

[ilincamitchell-blog]

Story time! Yesterday was my grandma's birthday. Unfortunately she is no longer with us and hasn't been for a long time. When I was little she used to fascinate me with her drawings. I wish I still had some of her work but they've been lost between all my moves throughout the world. Thanks to her I grew up having a strong sense of appreciation for art and for art tools. She had so many neat gold plated ink pens and other fancy things. We were not rich by any means, but it was a joy for her, and later on for me, to collect and use nice writing tools or art supplies. I remember how I used to save up money I got as a kid and instead of using it for snacks at school, I used to ask my grandma to take me to the book store where they sold nice pens and pencils and other writing/art supplies and buy something nice. It's such a good memory for me. Yesterday instead of going to the local art store with my granny, I went with my husband. I got a nice Caran D'ache pencil, a fancy sharpener (mine is so dull and old it keeps eating my pencils), a new red ink to try out, and a new sketchbook of the same kind my friend got me addicted to. A bigger one this time 😍 It was not the same experience as going with my grandma, but I like to think that maybe she was there too... Thanks for listening to my story and keeping her memory alive by doing so. Hope you have a wonderful productive or relaxing weekend 😙 #art #artist #draw #drawing #ilincamitchell #ilincamitchellart #traditionalart #ink #inkdrawing #yeahthatgreenville #gvlarts #stillmanandbirn #newartsupplies #carandache #HappyNewYear #shoplocal

[artistsemamartin-blog]

Testing Arteza Art Supplies

This blog is about my test of an art brand called Arteza You may have heard of them. They had kindly enough sent me two of their products to try out and evaluate. Their 100 sheet premium sketch A4 sketch book and their tin of 48 expert colored pencils. There will be links to buy them below if you would also like to test them out.

On initial inspection of the products the paper is lovely and smooth with a small tooth. Not as smooth as the paper I currently use for my professional work but it is perfect for practise and sketching. There are a surprising amount of very useful colours in the selection tin. Many greens and browns that are very useful for animal fur. Now its time to try them out and see how they feel. 

I started out by just drawing a cat eye for my test of Arteza colored pencil and paper products. They are a waxed based pencil and therefore quite soft and great for blending. The tooth of the paper can hold around 3 layers of pencil which is quite good considering it does feel thin. I really love the brightness of these colours. The greens have really popped which is what you want when you are drawing dramatic eye colours. It is hard to layer light colours over dark, the pencil becomes muddy. But having said that the white pencil is actually very good at little highlights over the black, especially when very sharp. 

Here is my finished test drawing for the Arteza colour pencil brand and sketch book. I did really like the paper. It is smooth and can take a good amount of layering. The sketch book comes as a pack of two so its defiantly worth the money I think. I really liked the selection of coloured pencils but I did find it a little hard to layer the fur without the colours going muddy. They were perfect for blending like in the eye and nose area though. Try them out and let me know what you think! 

Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Sema Martin and I am a realism pet portrait artist based in Wales, UK.  I specialise in colour pencil as a medium and have created many pet portraits for customers in Wales drawing from their reference photo sent to me by email. The high-quality brand of colour pencils used is a mixture of Faber Castell Polychromos and Caran D'ache Luminance on extra smooth Bristol Board paper.

[theartgearguide]

Alyona Nickelsen's Colored Pencil Painting Portraits Book Review

Alyona Nickelsen's "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits" Book Review

I would just like to start this review by thanking Alyona for asking me to write a review on her new up coming book, "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits". The book is not yet released and so I was incredibly fortunate and excited to get a copy months before the publication date in which to review. According to Amazon, the digital version of the book will be released on the 20th of June 2017 and the print publication is available now for pre-order but release on the 7th of July 2017. I would advise pre-ordering this book as soon as you can, as I have a feeling stock will move very fast once released.  

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I actually feel a tad embarrassed about writing this next section, an introduction as to who Alyona Nickelsen is and her previous accomplishments in the world of colored pencil art. I personally feel this lady really needs no introduction at all. Alyona's name and reputation is exemplary throughout the colored pencil community and indeed the art community in general. Not just for her vast wealth of information but her incredibly kind and generous nature makes people automatically gravitate to her. Good natured souls such as Alyona are in short supply and so when discovered are not only refreshing but comforting. 

Alyona Nickelsen

Alyona is originally from the Ukraine but now currently lives in the U.S. As a young child Alyona was always fascinated with art and it was when she moved to the U.S in 1999 that her passion grew, helped by the vast array of opportunities available to young artists in the States. Alyona has since won many awards and show cased her art at many prestigious events throughout her illustrious career.

Alyona has already published an outstanding book for colored pencil artists called "Colored Pencil Painting Bible" a book I personally purchased long before I knew Alyona and found it to be of enormous value in teaching me the correct methods and techniques for using colored pencils.

However, Alyona's most notable success to date has been the "Brush and Pencil" kit that has become the must have tool for all colored pencil artists and enthusiasts. The kit comprises of 9 oz spray can of Advanced Colored Pencil Texture Fixative, another 9oz spray can of Advanced Colored Pencil Final Fixative, a 10ml bottle of Colored Pencil Touch Up Texture, a 14 gram jar of Colored Pencil Powder Blender and finally a 14 gram jar of Colored Pencil Titanium White. Unfortunately I have not used this revolutionary new kit myself, so I am unable to expand further on this, except for the fact that every single colored pencil artist who has used it, absolutely swears by it and can simply not do without, once tried.

"Colored Pencil Painting Portraits"  

Perhaps the most noticeable feature of "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits" is the absolutely stunning visual feast laid out for the readers. Before jumping right into the book and learning the absolute wealth of knowledge Alyona has to offer, when you flick through the pages you will instantly be transformed to a visual paradise of remarkable and outstanding beautiful images from Alyona's own colored pencil art. Perhaps the first notion that will enter your train of thought will be along the lines of "are they really colored pencil paintings" on account of their beauty, realism and incredibly detail; but of course they are. 

It is always difficult writing reviews on books, you don't want to reveal too much information, making people feel they don't need to purchase the book, however, on the other hand, publish just enough information to tantalise interest in the book. I do think that with Alyona's up coming book "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits" the book really speaks for itself given how fabulous Alyona's work is and the fact that almost all colored pencil artists have struggled at one time or another on portraiture. 

Inside 

"Colored Pencil Painting Portraits" is divided into seven chapters, not including the Forward, Appendix and Introduction. As previously mentioned, throughout the book you are treated to an absolute visual paradise for the eyes, full size pages displaying Alyona's own outstanding colored pencil portraits, many would pay handsomely for a book of just such wonderful art or to view such art hung in a gallery, however, "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits" is  182 pages of outstanding literature delight, detailing colored pencil methods. I almost wrote, tips and techniques, but this is simply not an adequate description of the concise and inspirational words delicately placed within these pages. 

Chapter 1 is Colored Pencil Revolution

Chapter One, goes through all the various stages of colored pencil art work, the pencils used, type of pencils, the various blending tools and the reasons you use blending techniques, the Brush and Pencil kit and a brief introduction to all aspects of the kit. Chapter one gently eases you into colored pencil art and the tools used by Alyona, the rest of the chapters start to get mind blowing after this. 

Chapter 2 is Rules of the Game

Some of you may think that Chapter Two is not relevant to you and skip it, which is of course your right, however, I would highly recommend reading it. I think, personally speaking, in order to become a good artist, at least a knowledgable artist, it is important to understand the great artists we all learnt about in school and the techniques they used. Chapter two also covers topics like color variation, color layers, color underpainting, all the important foundations of colored pencil art. 

Chapter 3 is Working The Medium

Chapter 3 goes into amazing detail regarding application of colored pencil, the various blending methods in much more detail, showing you exactly the type of results you can expect from using solvents after applying too much pressure of the pencil as opposed to an even application of light pressure. Alyona goes through dry blending and the purpose of layering with ACP textured fixative and the reasons why you might use this particular method.   

Chapter 4 is Controlling Colour

Chapter 4 really digs deep into the obstacles colored pencil artists face with regards to applying color, especially highlights etc. This isn't paint we are dealing with, were mixing color is relatively painless if you know your color theory, colored pencil art is a very different beast and Alyona explains this in perfect detail. Covering subjects such as color mixing, the light and shadows of color, the illusive subject of white pencils and black pencils and how they display various levels of opacity or opaqueness and utilising these abilities of colored pencil. 

Chapter 5 is Portrait Facts and Fiction

Chapter 5 is starting to get into the real detail of portraiture, covering everything from how to take amazing photographs of people for your subject piece, the lighting required, the correct posing positions, your camera settings giving you the best possible outcomes, aperture settings, ISO settings and shutter speeds.  Alyona also takes a look at well know portraits, briefly explaining them and of course your right to adding some artistic licensing.  

Chapter 6 is Practicing The Essentials

Chapter 6 also takes a look at some of the more well known portraits such as Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and others. Alyona also covers the subject of facial planes, the importance of backgrounds for your portrait, an area I personally struggle with, the actual skin tones and color combinations used for lighter skin tones, medium skin tones and dark skin tones. Chapter 6 also covers hair and all the complexities surrounding this subject, the various types of hair your are likely to encounter from old hair to baby hair. 

Eyes are also covered, but not just a generalisation on eyes, eyes from different cultures are covered, lips, ears, hands, feet and of course noses are also detailed. These complex and sometimes frustrating facial details are explained in detail like no other portraiture book I have read. 

Chapter 7 is How To Keep Freidns And Make Clients Happy 

Chapter 7 is like no other chapter you are likely to read in a colored pencil art book, however the importance of this chapter is so clear. Alyona talks about some of her own personal experiences which lead nicely into this delicate subject. How to deal with clients when they ask you to paint a portrait of a loved one and the importance of not just the reference image but also getting to know the individual you are painting, whether they are deceased or still with us, and their characteristics. All subjects that must be approached with compassion and delicately chosen words. 

Alyona takes you through step by step stages of her own work in this area, clearly showing the reader the process from start to finish. 

Appendix 

It may seem odd to be writing about an appendix of a book, however, this section in "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits", Alyona has included incredibly valuable tables of information. Each table has information relating to a wide range of artist quality colored pencils from Caran D'Ache Pablo, Luminance, Derwent Artist, Coloursoft, Lyra, Prismacolor and a few others. The information highlighted is regarding blending properties of each pencil, showing you the various results from various blending products, it is incredibly unique and valuable. 

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Conclusion 

As I have mentioned, it is really difficult writing a book review, especially one that has not been released yet. I am constantly conscious of not giving away too much information, to the extent people feel they do not need to purchase the book. Running the risk of destroying years of hard work and research on behalf of the author. There is so much to say about "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits", but to do so would spoil it for potential readers. 

However, I can tell you in great detail what I thought of the book and what I felt I personally gained from it. I fell in love with the medium of colored pencils, I found so much freedom and escape from severe clinical depression and PTSD with colored pencils and the creative freedom of expression they offer. My passion only stared approximately a year and a half ago and throughout this time I have purchased and read almost every book written on colored pencils, so I like to think I have a good understanding of what is generally available to colored pencil artists and enthusiast in terms of literature.

I have to say, that Alyona Nickelsen's "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits", is the single most concise book I've ever read regarding portraiture with colored pencils. So many colored pencil artists struggle with portraiture, whether it is portraiture in its entirety or just a specific feature of the face, however, this book helps to build you up, right from the very foundations of portraiture art. Guiding you through every area you have perhaps at one time or another struggled with.

Alyona is such a highly respected authority in the world of colored pencil art and for good reason. Her knowledge is limitless and her passion to spread such wealth of knowledge unsurpassable. Alyona's passion for the medium shines through in her work. Alyona's first book on colored pencil art, "Colored Pencil Painting Bible" is a must have reference for colored pencil artists and enthusiasts alike. To have both these books on your studio library is in itself like having your very own colored pencil Alyona guru at your side, just waiting to help you overcome any colored pencil related challenge you may face.

To have access to this amount of knowledge on behalf of Alyona is to have a serious tool in your arsenal. This is a must have book for all colored pencil artists and not just those interested in portraiture but those looking to really understand and master the art of colored pencils.  

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Image from 'Là-Bas [i.e. in Germany] et ailleurs. Préface de Jacques St.-Cère. Dessins de Caran d'Ache, etc', 002511703

Author:

Page: 223

Year: 1890

Place: Paris

Publisher:

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