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!
When you’re working with colored pencils, it’s not always as simple as picking the perfect color and placing it precisely where it belongs—as you might with a paint-by-numbers kit.
Realism in colored pencil art comes from subtlety. It’s about smooth transitions, soft gradients, and natural-looking blends. And the key to achieving that? Overlapping and layering.
I usually begin by blocking in my shadow areas, setting the structure for my values right away. At the same time, I like to protect the highlights using a light pencil to preserve those brighter areas as I work. Once that foundation is in place, I gradually build up the mid-tones, overlapping color across the shadows and highlights to unify the values.
You can see this progression on the strawberry below.
One of the beauties of colored pencil is the control you have. You can vary the pressure of your pencil to adjust how much pigment you’re laying down. Lighter pressure allows for soft, translucent color, while heavier pressure gives you richness and depth. Use this to your advantage as you transition between areas of light and shadow.
A fun little trick I love is something I call “splotching.” It’s exactly what it sounds like—scattering bits of color around, leaving patches of paper exposed. Then I come back in and fill those areas with another color. The result? A more natural and visually interesting blend, perfect for things like foliage, fruit, or textured backgrounds
Whether you’re just getting started or refining your skills, always keep this in mind: overlap and layer. It’s the secret sauce to colored pencil magic.
Have you tried layering this way in your own drawings? I’d love to hear how it’s working for you—or what techniques you like best!