My Top 10 Tips for beginners
Colored Pencil Drawing Tips
This advice comes from my personal experiences as a Colored Pencil beginner and this is what I would tell my past self.
To come up with this list, I spent some time looking back at my earliest drawings and notes that I made in an effort to remember what I struggled with and what questions I had.
Hopefully, it will help you!
Tip 5- Set a Timer and Work for another hour
How to Overcome the ‘Ugly Stage’ in Your Colored Pencil Drawings
As artists, we all experience it—the point in our drawing when it just doesn’t look right. You might be frustrated, thinking, “I’ve spent hours on this, and it still looks awful.” But here’s the thing: your drawing isn’t bad, it just isn’t done yet. I like to say, “If it looked good at every stage of the process, it would be done at every stage.” It would be finished after the first mark, and we all know that’s not how art works!
This realization has saved countless drawings of mine from being tossed in the trash—including many you see on Instagram and Patreon.
Early on in my journey, I started paying close attention to other artists’ work at different stages of completion. What struck me was that if they had stopped at certain points, their drawings would have been awful too. This phase is often referred to as the ‘ugly stage’—a necessary but sometimes disheartening part of the creative process.
The drawing you see here of a Fading Flower was challenging! There were many times I wanted to call it quits. Many places that it looked so bad that I thought, this just isn’t going to work.
Keep reading to see this drawing at various stages of completion and learn how I keep myself going.
Understanding the ugly stage
We’ve all been there. You’ve been working on your drawing for hours, and suddenly you hit a wall. Your artwork looks flat, muddy, or just wrong, and it can feel discouraging. You might think, “I’ve already spent three hours, and this is what I have to show for it?” At that moment, the temptation to quit and start over is strong. But here’s the truth: if you give up every time you hit the ugly stage, you’ll never finish anything. Every drawing goes through it.
So, what can you do when you’re stuck in the ugly stage?
My secret weapon: the one-hour timer
Here’s where my tip comes in—a simple yet effective solution that takes the emotion out of the equation. Set a timer for one hour. Find a part of your drawing that looks “bad” and commit to working on it for the full hour, even if it starts looking better after just 10 minutes. Do not stop until the timer goes off.
This method is all about being deliberate with your time and effort. It helps you push through the frustration and keeps you focused on the task at hand. During this hour, make it a point to study your reference image closely. The more you observe, the more you’ll see.
Key Focus Areas for the One-Hour Fix
During this hour, pay close attention to the following aspects:
1. What’s Different from the Reference?
Is your drawing missing something? Is the color off? Are the shapes or values different? Compare your work carefully with the reference and see what stands out. This helps you identify areas to focus on.
2. Is the Blending Smooth?
Do you need to blend better? Can you still see the graininess of the paper? Use additional layers if necessary, especially if you’re working with colored pencils, which sometimes need more building up to achieve smooth gradients.
3. Edges and Details
Sharp edges and clean lines can make a huge difference. Take your sharpest pencil and clean up any edges that are too soft or messy. Use an electric eraser to remove smudges or pencil bleeding. Adding a tiny detail here or there—a dot or a line—can transform your piece and make it look more realistic.
4. Change Your Perspective
Step back from the drawing and evaluate it from a distance. Try hanging it on the wall or turning it upside down. Sometimes a fresh perspective will reveal what’s missing.
5. Try Mixing Mediums
If you’re really stuck, don’t be afraid to experiment with another medium to help push your drawing forward. For example, when I was working on an apple last year, I needed more coverage and opacity, so I used Inktense pencils. I also use a Posca paint pen from time to time to add tiny white details that my colored pencils just can’t achieve on their own.
Evaluate Your Progress
Once the timer goes off, step back and evaluate your work. Has it improved? If it has, that’s a huge win! Remember, your drawing doesn’t have to look exactly like the reference in order to be good. No one else will see your reference image, so trust your instincts and artistic choices.
The Hard Truth: Sometimes It’s Okay to Start Over
If after the hour you still hate your drawing, it’s okay to toss it in the trash and start over. In fact, sometimes starting fresh is exactly what you need to move forward. The key is to evaluate what you learned from the process. Ask yourself:
- What did you learn about your technique?
- Are there things you want to do differently next time?
Staying stuck is the worst thing you can do when learning to draw. Embrace the process, and keep pushing forward. Remember: your ugly stage is temporary, and with a little patience, your artwork will evolve into something beautiful.
Final Thoughts
The ugly stage is a natural part of creating art, especially in colored pencil work. With my timer trick, you can make progress and push through those challenging moments. And don’t forget, sometimes the best way to improve is to learn from what didn’t work and try again. Keep drawing, keep learning, and most importantly—don’t give up!
If you are apart of my Patreon membership, check out this video with tips on how to know if it is time to call it quits.
