Master Coloured Pencils: Tonal Layering, Blending, and Burnishing

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In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the essential techniques needed to create stunning, realistic drawings. Learn the basics of coloured pencils in this beginner-friendly tutorial. You will learn the fundamentals of coloured pencils, including tonal layering, blending, burnishing, and pencil pressure control, using a vibrant watermelon as the perfect subject to master these techniques.
​Throughout this tutorial, you will find over 20 illustrated stages that meticulously break down the entire process, from sketching the initial outline to adding the final touches. Each stage is accompanied by detailed instructions and tips, ensuring an easy and effective learning experience, especially if you have never used coloured pencils before.
To further enhance your experience, we have provided the reference photo and you can also access an outline that you can download and print out, and a list of colours in the Derwent Chromaflow range. If you do not own these specific pencils, we have provided a colour chart to help you match the pencils you have with the colours we used. It is perfectly acceptable if the colours are not an exact match.

What You'll Learn:

• Tonal Layering: Discover how to build depth and dimension in your artwork through the technique of tonal layering. Learn how to apply different shades to achieve a smooth gradient and bring your drawings to life.
• Blending: Master the art of blending colours seamlessly. We'll guide you through various blending methods, ensuring your transitions between colours are flawless and harmonious.
• Burnishing: Understand the process of burnishing to create a polished, professional finish. This technique will help you achieve a rich, saturated look in your artwork.
• Pencil Pressure Control: Learn how to hold and control your pencil for both soft and heavy applications. We'll show you the nuances of pencil pressure, enabling you to create delicate lines and bold strokes with ease.

REFERENCE IMAGE AND COLOUR CHART

REFERENCE IMAGE

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Materials used for this tutorial:

In this tutorial, we will be using the brands listed below; however, we would like to provide a disclaimer. Our tutorials are designed to explore a variety of products and ranges to enhance an artist's collection by experimenting with different surfaces and brands. We do not endorse one product over another, so if you do not have the specific materials mentioned and cannot purchase them, please feel free to use any hot pressed watercolour paper you have. You can match the pencil colours you already own with the provided chart. It is perfectly acceptable if the colours are not an exact match.

• Hot Pressed Watercolour Paper
• Coloured pencils​
• ​Pencil for outline​
• Sheet of Tracing Paper
• Clean Eraser
• Soft brush

• ​24 White
• 2300 Black
• 21 Natural Brown
• 04 Flame​

• 0020 Parmesan 
  
• 1520 Pastel Mint
• 1530 Cactus
• 16 Basil

• 07 Salmon
• 0800 Blush Pink
• 05 Scarlet
• 0600 Strawberry

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Derwent Chromaflow pencils are vivid, intense colours with a velvety, smooth application. These coloured pencils are available in 72 colours and boast a soft, highly pigmented core, making them ideal for layering, blending, and creating a variety of artistic effects.

Bockingford Hot Pressed paper is a high-quality watercolour paper, traditionally crafted on a cylinder mould machine. Made from pure materials to archival standards, Bockingford Hot Pressed paper is acid-free and lightfast, ensuring the longevity of your artwork. 

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Important information before you begin:

Please ensure that your pencils are sharpened before proceeding. However, since the lateral surface of the pencil lead will be primarily used during the process, re-sharpening will only be necessary if the pencil has become significantly worn down. The objective is to apply soft layers of pigment rather than creating hard lines, as this facilitates blending. Begin with light layers, gradually increasing pressure to build up to heavier applications. Please be aware that once the paper is saturated with pigment, it becomes challenging to add additional layers. 

To avoid transferring natural oils from your hands onto your artwork, it is advisable to place a clean sheet of paper under your hand while applying color. These oils can potentially damage the artwork and may be difficult to rectify.

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FIND THE OUTLINE TO THIS TUTORIAL ON OUR KOFI PAGE

​Our Ko-fi page features a shop where you can download the outline for this tutorial. These outlines are completely free for our Ko-fi followers. If you're not yet a member, consider joining to access all these resources at no cost or, if you prefer, you can simply screengrab the outline and print out.

What is kofi?

Please find below a brief overview of the various sections of a watermelon, along with the corresponding names used in each description in the accompanying images.

1. Rind: The thick, hard outer skin of the watermelon.
2. Pith: The white or pale green layer just beneath the rind.
3. Flesh: The juicy, sweet, and edible red interior of the watermelon.
4. Seeds: The small, hard structures found within the flesh.

​Let's begin!

OUTLINE AND PITH

The base tones of a watermelon just beneath the green rind exhibit a transition of colours that contribute to the fruit's overall visual appeal. Directly under the green outer layer, you'll often find a pale, almost white or light green layer. This lighter hue gradually shifts into the more vibrant colours of the watermelon flesh, typically ranging from pale pink to deep red. 

STAGE 1. OUTLINE
HB or B pencil

Before starting your outline, ensure you have four essential tools at hand: a graphite pencil for sketching, an eraser, a soft brush, and tracing paper. Use the tracing paper (or a clean sheet of paper), as a barrier between your hand and your artwork throughout the drawing process.  Start by sketching your outline, the shape doesn't need to be perfect. Keep the outline light; a heavy line will be harder to erase. 

STAGE 1. OUTLINE
Soft Brush

​Once done, use a soft eraser or putty eraser to gently diminish the outline's intensity, preventing it from competing with your coloured pencils' pigments, trapping the graphite beneath the pigment and potentially marring your artwork. Use the soft brush to sweep away any eraser debris, avoiding direct contact with your hand to prevent smudging.
Now, let's move onto applying the colour.

STAGE 2 - PITH & HAND PRESSURE
Colours Used: Salmon & Parmesan

It is important to hold the pencil correctly to ensure the pressure you place on the paper provides the right amount of pigment. Position your hand to allow a smooth 45-degree motion and hold the pencil three-quarters of the way up. This ensures you can gently build up colour without being too heavy-handed. Start by applying the Parmesan colour layer, then the Salmon layer below it.

STAGE 3 - PITH
Colour Used: Pastel Mint

Due to the inherent softness of Derwent Chromaflow pencils, they are ideally suited for this tutorial. The lateral surface of the pencil is prone to wear, thereby facilitating the formation of a refined edge that enables a softer pigment application, making it easier to blend. The third application is the pastel Mint above the Parmesan layer. For guidance on correct placement, refer to Stage 7.

STAGE 4 - PITH & RIND
​Colour Used: Cactus

The fourth layer is the Cactus Green, which should slightly overlap the Pastel Mint. Importantly, this isn't applied as a uniform line; some areas will appear denser than others. It should blend seamlessly into the Pastel Mint layer, but be careful not to completely obscure it.

STAGE 5 - RIND
Colour Used: Basil

At this stage, you'll apply the green of the rind, using a heavier hand to create a bold line along the outer edge. Notice how we're gripping the pencil further down; this positioning allows for greater pressure, resulting in a far darker pigment application.

STAGE 6 - RIND
​Colours Used: Parmesan & Cactus

Now, let's focus on the fruit's skin. Only two colours will be used here. Start with the Parmesan tone, applying it heavily to make this layer much brighter than before. Follow this with the Cactus colour, using it to add both soft and heavy strokes along the top for texture and depth.

STAGE 7 - STAGES OF COLOUR APPLICATION
Colours Used: 0

This is provided as a guide of the layers already placed and how the layers follow each other. The colours are as follows: 1.Salmon 2. Parmesan  3.Pastel Mint  4.Cactus  5.Basil  6. Parmesan  7. Cactus

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The Seeds

STAGE 8 - SEEDS
​Colour Used: Black

With the black pencil, partially fill in the seeds, making sure to leave some spaces within the marked areas shown in the image. These gaps will be enhanced with the white pencil next.

STAGE 9 - SEEDS
Colour Used: White

Next, use the white pencil to blend the edges of the black pigment. This helps to create shine and depth that contribute to 3-dimensional finish.

STAGE 10 - SEEDS
Colour Used: Black

After blending with the white pigment, you'll need to soften the edges with black. Observe how the transition between the colours becomes smooth, creating a seamless blend.

Related articles that may be of interest​

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Find out more about the Derwent Chromaflow pencils

What you need to know about the Bockingford paper.

Which products can help to blend your coloured pencils

A comprehensive guide to coloured pencils

The contrast in the following images has been enhanced to improve the visibility of colour and detail. The extent of colour application in your own drawing is a matter of personal preference; however, it is crucial to avoid applying heavy layers during the initial stages. This practice ensures that you can continue to add additional layers effectively. Additionally, please pay attention to your grip on the pencil. Holding the pencil further up will call for lighter layers, while holding it closer to the nib will allow for increased pressure as you apply more layers, particularly in the final stages of your work.

STAGE 11 - PULP
​​Colour Used: Blush Pink

In the next phase, please apply a light layer of Blush Pink. It is important to maintain a controlled grip on the pencil to ensure precise application of the pigment. Should you notice any unintended hard lines, please take care to minimise them. As this is the foundational layer, later applications will cover these imperfections; however, it is important to remain cautious, as creating hard lines during additional layers may be difficult to smooth out.

STAGE 12 - PULP 
Colour Used: Flame

After applying Blush Pink, proceed with the Flame colour, using the same technique as before. There is no one correct way to apply the pencil, and any marks made will be soft enough to blend later, if desired. Observe how the Blush Pink tones subtly show through in some areas while the Flame is more prominent in others. Layering multiple colours, rather than just one, is key to achieving a realistic look in your coloured pencil drawing.

STAGE 13 - PULP
​Colour Used: Scarlet

Next, we will apply the primary pigment that provides the distinctive colour of the watermelon. The previously utilised colour palette will contribute to enhancing the overall depth and realism of the fruit's appearance. In certain areas, you will notice that increased pressure is utilised to achieve looser colour distribution, overlapping into the Salmon pigment in the rind, mirroring the natural irregularities found in real life.

STAGE 14 - PULP
​Colour Used: Strawberry

The subsequent phase involves enhancing the colour distribution with the Strawberry tone, which is slightly deeper than the Scarlet pigment. At this stage, applying firmer pressure is essential to achieve a more pronounced definition. Similar to natural fruit characteristics, the central area surrounding the seeds will particularly benefit from the addition of these darker areas.

STAGE 15 - PULP
​Colour Used: Natural Brown

The final colour incorporated into the fruit pulp, particularly around the seeds, is the Natural Brown tone. It is important that the pencil is held at a nearly horizontal angle to the paper; as this technique facilitates the creation of a gentle shade rather than applying direct pressure with the pencil tip, which tends to produce stark lines. This layer helps to mimics the appearance of the translucent pulp of the fruit when executed properly.

STAGE 16 - PULP & PITH
​Colour Used: Blush Pink

The next step is to create seamless tonal transitions from the vibrant red pulp to the lighter hues of the fruit's pith. Use the Blush Pink shade, using the smooth edge that has formed from previous use of the pencil. Apply the pencil smoothly to facilitate this transition, using oval-shaped strokes to ensure the pigment effectively fills in the paper's texture, resulting in a smooth and cohesive appearance.

STAGE 17 - TRANSITIONS
​Colour Used: Salmon

In this next phase, soften the edges of the Blush Pink to create a natural transition back into the initial Salmon colour on the rind. This is done by blending with the same oval-shaped strokes as before, ensuring a smooth integration. We've zoomed in on the image so you can see how seamlessly the colours blend. Since no additional layers will be added, feel free to apply more pressure here.

STAGE 18 - REAPPLICATION
​Colours Used: White (Parmesan & Pastel Mint)

While this step may be optional depending on the amount of pigment applied in the initial layers, you may consider enhancing both the Parmesan and Pastel Mint shades in the pith area. If reapplication is not needed, you should proceed to smooth the transitions between these colours using the white pencil. This technique will lighten the tones while ensuring a seamless blend throughout this section.

STAGE 19 - HIGHLIGHT
​​Colour Used: White

Using the white pencil or alternatively the Salmon tone, apply a heavy-handed layer of pigment to the outer edges of the pulp. This technique will mimic the translucent effect seen in the reference image due to backlighting, enhancing the realistic appearance of the watermelon.

STAGE 20 - COMPLETION
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This stage provides an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of blending in enhancing the realism of your drawing. The texture of the paper is noticeable in the red section of the fruit where blending has not been applied, whereas the outer edges exhibit a smoother and more refined appearance.

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ADDITIONAL STAGE - BURNISHING

ADDITIONAL STAGE - BURNISHING
​Colour Used: Salmon

If you really want your drawing to look more realistic, you can use the Salmon or a colourless blender pencil, which contains the same materials as coloured pencils but without the pigment, to smooth out all the rough edges. This will eliminate any white of the paper that may be showing through, making the application look soft and smooth. However, this does come with leaving a heavy polished finish when viewing at a certain angle, due to the build up of the wax.

COMPLETION
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Whilst you can soften these marks somewhat with your finger or ideally a blending tool, you won't be able to get rid of the sheen left behind. This is the natural progression of coloured pencils and it is entirely your choice to decide at what point you cease layering, so that the shine is less noticeable. At this stage, a fixative can be applied to offer added protection to your drawing, but this is a personal preference. Not all pencil artists use a fixative. 

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Other articles that may be of interest​

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A comprehensive article about how brands compare.

This article provides great advice for those new to coloured pencils

Learn how to sharpen your coloured pencils correctly

A storage solution for coloured, graphite and pastel pencils

Final Analysis: The Crucial Role of Pencil Grip and Pigment Application

​If you'd like your drawing featured in our gallery, please contact us with your name and a clear photo of your final artwork. Alternatively, you can join us on our ko-fi page and ask a question or leave your thoughts about this tutorial here.
What is kofi?

Creating a realistic coloured pencil drawing requires a significant amount of patience and meticulous layering techniques. Using a single colour may result in a uniform appearance; however, incorporating three to four shades from the same colour family will greatly enhance the drawing's realism. How you hold your pencil is as crucial as the colours you choose. Employing the side of the pencil gives you softer applications, while the tip yields sharp, defined lines. For this project, the smooth edge developed from the use of an initial sharp point of the pencil is ideal for laying down smooth pigment, perfect for blending. Although you might need to sharpen your pencils, particularly if the tip has worn down due to the pressure applied, for a simple subject like this, you should ideally complete the drawing without needing to resharpen. If sharpening becomes necessary, it's advisable to gently run the side of the pencil on a scrap piece of paper to restore that smooth edge for blending.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Why not explore our other coloured pencil tutorials by clicking the links below?​

View our other coloured pencil tutorials