Colored Pencil on Gourds offers tips from three Master gourd artist and me! Everyone has a technique!
Colored Pencils on Gourds: Tips
The gourd surface is not paper with grit. So, the problems are many from treating the gourd surface to picking the kind of pencils. But many gourd artists have found solutions and have developed their techniques.
Over the years I have collected information from three gourd artists I admire in my area and am trying to put all the good advice in one place. Today, I will share the work and skill of Helen Martin, Phillyis Sickles, and Gerri Bishop.
Most of the information comes from articles and interviews with artists written in 2013 and shared in an article by Bonnie Gibson. If you would like the original PDF files, just email me. Here is what I found most useful.
This turned into a rather long article so you will find this and additional tips from these ladies on the printed version available in the store. If you think this is something you want to learn, you will find the printout a great reference.
There are 4 basic types of pencils available: wax-based, clay-based, oil-based, and water-soluble based. These artists all recommend the Prismacolor pencils which are made with beeswax because they go rich and smooth. The watercolor pencils are second on their lists.
Pencils popular with Gourd Artists
I suggest you start with the wax-based. Brands include Derwent, Prisma™. and Faber-Castell™. Each has its differences. All are compared by coloring book fans on YouTube. You can find videos on using each type of pencil on the Internet. Pick a brand and take the time to watch them. They are filled with great tips on how to use each brand perfectly.
Colored Pencils on Gourds: Tips
Helen Martin
I begin with Helen because she teaches a class on the subject and sells a tutorial. She lives in Chandler Texas.
Note: Can’t find a link for her sight. If you know why please leave me a comment.
“The uniqueness of color pencils is the ability to apply many colors on top of each other to develop beautiful colors. There is a section within each book explaining the techniques, materials, layering, and tools. I take you through each step with the preparation of the piece.” Hellen was honored by the American Gourd Society to write the guidelines for painting and colored pencils for competitions at the gourd festivals.
Colored Pencils on Gourds: Tips
Helen makes it clear to all beginners using colored pencils on gourds that it will take patience and practice. Colored pencils are a challenge because of the gourd’s color, grooves, dark spots, and bumps. Her instruction includes how to: apply the product that adheres the pencil color to the gourd, addinging layers that are unique to colored pencils, blending. giving your piece the appearance of being painted.
One of her best tips is a product made by Golden Artist Colors, Inc, called Golden Gesso – Acrylic Ground for Pastels. This, she says, is a gift from Heaven to solve the problem. of getting the pencil to stick to the gourd. Mix it according to jar instructions and lightly paint it onto the area where you will be applying the pencils. It will leave a sandy texture which helps the pencil adhere to the gourd.
Colored Pencils on Gourds: Tips
Phyllis Sickles
This master gourd artist lives in Tucson, Arizona. She is by far my favorite gourd artist. She is an award-winning carver and uses both paints and colored pencils in her work.
You must give yourself the pleasure of going to her web page www.gourdvisions.com and see her work.
Here are four of her favorite products that are also mentioned by the others.
Prismacolor – holds the color as well as the more expensive Caran D’Ache and have the same feeling when using them. I would not recommend The watercolor pencils because the color faded quickly. The lead or graphite pencils are too hard and do not not cover as well.
Odorless mineral spirits
This is a solvent that speeds the colored pencil painting process and eliminates pencil strokes. It can be used with both wax and oil-based pencils. It dries quickly and leaves no yellow residue.
Workable Fixative
When the surface is filled with the pencil medium, applying a spray coating of workable fixative will allow you to apply 2-3 additional layers of colored pencil. This will also allow you to lighten or darken an area that is just too saturated with color.
Prismacolor Colorless Blender Pencil
It contains the same binding materials as the main pencil lines but has no pigment. It is used to blend colors.
Working with colored pencils by using the layering method
Begin with light colors with light pressure. Use fine strokes that are close together for a smooth, even coverage. Continue layering colors going with stronger pressure in the medium and dark areas.
Use the colorless blender to blend your colors instead of white. That will keep the color close to what you intended.
My fusing color method
This is a technique in which you smoothly apply color with stokes close together. Add solvent with a cotton pad or Q-Tip evenly by using a gentle tapping motion to dissolve the pencil strokes. When it is dry, another layer of color can be added if desired. After trying this technique on my gourd piece, I found dipping the tip of the colored pencil in the solvent and then coloring the gourd seemed to work better.
Colored Pencils on Gourds: Tips
Gerri Bishop
Gerri was a member of my gourd patch and introduced me to zentangling and drawing on gourds. She gave many classes for my group and others in the state and has been dearly missed since her death a few years ago. But the depth of color in her work is amazing. I have fond memories of her coming to a meeting with a big box filled with every color pencil imageable Some broken, others tape together. When I commented, she just said,
“I use them all! You never know what will work! “
Pencils
Lots of pencils will work, but they need to be water-soluble and lightfast.
Beginner? Use Prismacolor
My personal favorites: Caran d’Ache watercolor pencils, Caran d’ Ache Neo Color artist crayons, Derwent Inktense pencils. You can get sets of all of these, but the least expensive way is to buy the colors you need.
(Author note-She is saying she uses beeswax, watercolor, and ink-based pencils together, not one kind to a project )
Secrets to success with pencils on gourds
- Patience. If something doesn’t work, try something else.
- Several different types of pencils… watercolor, oil, lead, Inktense, Neo Colors…some gourds work well with one kind but not another, and some areas of the same gourd will do better with different types of pencils. Experimentation is the key.
Shading
Same as acrylic painting – dark to light, burnishing well with each additional color to blend. If you don’t like the results, use fixative and try again. When that doesn’t work, you may want to lightly sand and start again. Remember if you don’t like the colors, alcohol will take off a lot, but not all. Then go over with another color. You can also spray with a light coat of workable fixative before adding another color.
NOTE: INKTENSE DOES NOT COME OFF but you can spray with fixative and go over it.
My Tips
Beeswax based pencils are luscious to use but extremely fragile. You can drop one and break the lead inside. Therefore they come in metal cases as a set and many users keep them stored there. At $2 a pencil, treat these with respect and you will have them a long time.
I keep all my colored pencils in folding cases. I can easily see the tonal differences when I put the colors in order by color families. All my colors are easy to see at a glance. I found my case on Amazon. Having the case laid out in front of me with the colors means they are kept safely and not rolling off the table!
Another problem I had was the color on the shaft of the pencil was not a sample of the actual color. So I made swatches with their name and number on them.
This comes in handy when I shop. I recommend that you don’t buy the big sets. Start with the 12 or 24. Then add colors that you use most often. You can see that my yellow-orange selection is large. So when I shop I take my swatches and know which colors I already have.
Beware of inferior beeswax pencils. Check that the wax is also in the center of the shaft. If it is off-center it may not sharpen right and will break often
I usually buy my pencils from Dick Blick or you can also buy them individually at Micheals.
The great thing about color pencils is that you don’t have a lot of messy materials to work with, so traveling with this medium is easier. If this is a medium you like please share more of your experience with us .
Share your thoughts here in the comment box or share them with all the gourd artists on our Facebook Group Page.
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I love this site! I really appreciate these gourd artists sharing techniques! I appreciate you then having it available to us; it’s so nice that we don’t have to be so competitive but cooperative! Not everyone has the skill these artist have but we still enjoy our own art.
Thanks, Linda, for the lovely comment. Would you let me add it to the site as a recommendation comment? My intent was to gather the information I have and what video information is now on the Internet and then just talk about it and help each other out. I have been amazed at the number of people that are downloading the paper versions of the posts and how many people from other countries are finding the Facebook group. Sure makes my effort rewarding!
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