Northern Lights on black paper
A tutorial for coloured pencil artists

​Paper Used: Daler Rowney Canford Black paper
​Pencil ranges Used: Prismacolor Premier, Derwent Metallic pencils, 
Other: Sakura Gelly roll pens

This tutorial provides an effortless way of drawing with coloured pencils, especially if you are new to the medium. The Northern lights or Aurora Borealis, is an amazing phenomenon, which is caused when an interaction occurs between charged particles from the sun and atoms in the upper atmosphere. Images of the borealis are spectacular and it is a dramatic subject to recreate. You achieve great results without any previous education in art. To keep the tutorial simple, you only need 6 colours. Just allow yourself to be loose and expressive throughout. The secret is the effectiveness of the layers, and less the accuracy. The blending process will energize your work before adding the fine detail of the trees and stars.

We use the Prismacolor Premier pencils and the Daler Rowney Canford black paper in this tutorial. Your products do not have to be an exact match. Select colours from your own collection that closely resemble the colours used here. You can replace the Canford paper with other smooth, black paper.

The reference image can be found below, which you can screen grab and print out or view on a tablet whilst reading the instructions on a smartphone or computer.

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This tutorial was originally created for the Colored pencil Magazine 'Workshop series' from April 2022 and has been reproduced here for inclusion in my mini tutorial sections. 

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and if you would like to request a subject for inclusion of a future tutorial, please get in touch!

REFERENCE IMAGE

The products you will need

1. INDENT/EMBOSSING TOOL
2. SAKURA GELLY PEN - SHIMMER (Optional)
3. SAKURA GELLY PEN - WHITE
4. DERWENT BLENDER
5. PENCIL SHARPENER
6. SOFT BRUSH
7. PRISMACOLOR PREMIER PENCILS
     - BLACK
     - WHITE
     - APPLE GREEN
     - GRASS GREEN
     - TRUE BLUE
     - VIOLET BLUE
8. DERWENT METALLIC
      - YELLOW
      - BRONZE

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Colour chart

We keep the colours for this tutorial to a minimum as it is much easier to create the light and dark values through mixing and blending. We used the Prismacolor Premier range, the Derwent Metallic and the Sakura Gelly roll pen. The metallics and the gelly roll pen are both optional and you can use a brand you own. Simply select the pencils that match the colours in the chart below, however, they do not need to be exact.
*If you do not have an embossing tool you can use a pointed object like a wooden skewer instead.

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IMPORTANT TIPS:  
* Ensure your pencils are sharp before you begin as this will allow for finer hair and create a more realistic look.​
* When applying your undertones at the beginning, use a blunt pencil to avoid harsh lines so you can soften them easily when blending.
*  To avoid transferring natural oils onto your drawing from your hands, have a clean sheet of paper to lean on whilst applying colour.  Natural Oils from your skin can damage your artwork which you may not be able to repair.​

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Masking Tape

​Applying masking tape around the edges of your paper before you begin, offers a neat border around your drawing. Be aware, however, that the tape can pull at the fibres of the paper when removing it, so remove the tape gradually.

Shooting star

Start your drawing with the shooting star. Use a ruler to establish a straight line. Apply the Metallic Bronze to the top section and fill the rest of the line with the Metallic Yellow. Use normal colours if you do not have metallic pencils. To finish, use the white gelly pen or a white pencil, to taper off either end and add an accent to the central point of the yellow line. Why not add some sparkle along the line using the Gelly roll shimmer pen (if you have one).
COMPLETED

Embossing

Using the ruler again, run the tip of your embossing/indenting tool all the way along your line. This will push the colour into the surface of the paper and keep it neat during the rest of the process. The metal point of the emboss/indent tool comes in various sizes, so ensure you use the correct width.
COMPLETED

When working with black paper, you do not need to apply heavy layers. A moderate application will provide ample colour, and soft layers are easier to manipulate, especially during the blending process. Heavy pressure may be required as more layers are added, but avoid saturating your paper too early. Keep your application loose and administer your colour using the side of the lead rather than the tip. This creates soft strokes that are easier to smooth out when blending. It can look quite messy during the early stages, but once you begin to define the detail, it becomes more compelling.

Outline

Use the coloured pencils to construct the outline instead of using a graphite pencil. Use both light and dark greens and blues to create the composition. On black paper, you do not need to apply heavy pressure, simply sketch the lines. Easy to erase if you make a mistake and these will be covered during the creation process.
​COMPLETED

Blocking in

With the deep blue tone, loosely apply in the areas this colour is needed. Once complete, follow up with the dark green (Grass Green). Use the reference image to guide you. Ensure a consistent application throughout. 
COMPLETED​

Blocking in continued

Continue the colour blocking using the lighter green (Apple Green). Introduce highlights using the True Blue, concentrating around the edges where the greens transition into the deep blue sky.  
COMPLETED

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Layering

As the two greens are similar, this image provides a better view of the areas treated with the lighter green tone. We added a lighter dusting to distinguish between the dark and light tones as it is difficult to determine in the previous photo.
COMPLETED

Highlighting

With a sharpened pencil, add the white highlights. Apply vertical lines with enhanced pressure to lighten the tones. Lessen your pressure on the pencil when requiring a subtle hue.
COMPLETED

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Highlighting - On the easel

This image provides you with an illustration of how I applied my layers. If you are working with soft pencils, you will need to sharpen your pencil more often. Wipe excess pigment from the tip of your pencil between applications.
​COMPLETED

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Values

Introduce accents of black into the deep blue sky. Start from the top and work downwards. . Create some darker values over the green areas using the black pencil. Apply a light layer to deepen the tones.
COMPLETED

First Blend

Introduce more highlights using the True Blue. Once again, concentrate them around the edges where the greens and deep blue tones join. To achieve soft edges when overlapping other colours, loosen the pressure of the pencil. Once you have finished, blend your work using a blender pencil. Apply using circular motions to achieve the most efficient blend.
COMPLETED

Green warm tones

With the Apple green, introduce some warm accents by overlapping the highlights. Create effortless transitions by releasing pressure on your pencil at the edges. This makes it easier to soften during the next blending session.
COMPLETED

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Highlighting

Deepen the white highlights further by applying more pressure with your pencil. As you enter the final stage, the pressure you apply will need to be heavier, but remember that you only need to brighten the green tones rather than saturate with an opaque white.  Keeping your pencil clean will provide brighter tones.
COMPLETED

Final Blend

Finish off with any additional work or if you wish to add in any extra colours, do it here. Your art should appear more defined now, but for realism, they need to be softened with the pencil blender for one final time. Use circular motions for better efficiency.
​COMPLETED

Adding trees

​Finally, fill in the black trees found in the bottom corners of the composition. Due to all the layers you have applied over the course of this drawing, you will need to apply firm pressure to obtain maximum coverage. 
COMPLETED

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Trees

If blended accurately, your pencil lines will appear far smoother which will provide more authenticity. Ensure you are happy with your drawing in preparation for the next stage.
COMPLETED

Stars

All that is left to do is add the stars. This can be achieved with the white gelly roll pen (or use acrylic paint instead). Place lots of dots around your drawing. Avoid uniformity by varying the size of them. Press a finger over the top of the pigment whilst partially dry, to soften the colour. You can also introduce some sparkle, by using the shimmer gelly pen too.
​REWRITE TO READ BETTER

Finished portrait

Congratulations on the completion of your drawing. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial, and learned much from it.

Completed

Understanding the process of creating depth helps achieve shape and definition. Ensure the lines you draw are softer at the edges which will create movement in the water. Creating smooth transitions and a good balance of light and dark in your work will aid realism. It is better to create art in your own style, using these techniques as a guide. Your art will be more expressive and interesting than a carbon copy of the reference photo.

Please do email your drawing to me via karenmberisfordart@gmail.com so I can add it to the gallery on this page. ​

This is one of those subjects where your portrait may look rather untidy right until the very end when you begin to soften the harsh lines and it then begins to come together.

The application is rather loose, and a large palette is not needed. Of course you may prefer to add many shades of greens or blues, but the secret is to ensure you get the right balance of light and shade.

Correctly building up your tonal layers and learning how to balance the shading on these berries will help you achieve a highly effective drawing regardless of your subject.

Learning how to pick out the correct tones needed for the under layers will help prepare you when it comes to creating more detailed subjects and your artwork will become a lot more effective in depth and shape the more you do.