As a beginner I always had the mindset that the more colors I got, the better the results will be. I was so wrong knowing that my art started improving when I minimized my materials
Yep! If you ever take an oil painting course you will (most likely) start with only 2 colors, and slowing add in more as you progress and learn how to shade, highlight and mix colors!
I went through my pencil case recently taking out pencil crayons in order to use a different brand for a change & to tidy things up a bit, rather than constantly searching for a certain color, eraser or sharpener. I agree with your comment with having more colors the results will be really good. This is the first time I've watched one of Kirsty's videos, but I know I'll watch more for future reference.
I have known forever. However I still have all 150 Prismacolor Premier coloured pencils. Cause I suck at matching colours. Actually I have a form of colourblindness 😂
I have sets of 24 and 36 colors. Actually thought of buying sets with more colors, but then I noticed that I didn't even use all the colors from these smaller sets xD Thank you for reassuring me that it is okay to do not get the 100+ sets! I've been dying to get the Holbein pencils, but they are so expensive! No way I can get the 100+ set, the the 24 is reasonable ^^
thank you, i really love how you explained the advantages on having smaller sets of colors because I'm using faber castell classic only, in 12 and 24 colors so i can relate what you've said. please continue creating these educational videos for beginners and thank you for the new video 💕 love from the Philippines
I learned that in elementary school and Im in my 60’s now. We know how to mix different ones . But as for me , I just like having all those extras colors cause I like having all those colors!!... i like looking at them. Sometimes i put them inside a glass to take the place of flowers!!
Elkah Mae Me too! I just love the colors even if they are just lined up in a row! Seeing them is my first step in the urge to create! I never thought of arranging them like flowers. Great idea!
Hey Kirsty, I never actually knew how to get a smooth wash of colours with color pencils until I saw your videos and it was an eye opener for me and I started using the tricks you showed and it really helped me grow to be an artist!! I'm so thankful for that. I can totally relate to this video because I never had my hands on so many different colours, I do have 24 colours but I won't even use most of the colors! I'm literally kinda like your student. Thank you so much for all the knowledge about art that you've shared, you definitely deserve more than a million subscribers!! Every week I look forward to your videos!
I used to listen to Kirsty for drawing advice... but her tips are actually really useful for ANY artform. I always think about how what she's saying can be applied to music, instead - and it always works.
Funny this comes out... I just bought prisma colour 150 pencils. Mind you I have dreamt of buying that set for more than a decade, but still. Timing is so amazing! ❤️ Thankfully shading and mixing can still give me so many more colours that what is provided in the set.
I love, love, love that you're promoting this idea to work with limited supplies! 😍 I think it's a healthy approach to art making. Congrats on 1 million!! 👏👏👏😊
I use only Faber Castell polycromos 12 set for all my portraits since I can't afford a set any bigger but it works really well for me. This video helped me a lot and made me realise that a smaller set is making me a better artist 💚
Congratulations on 1 million subscribers Kirsty partridge ❤💕 I've been your subscriber for quite a while and would like to say that you are one of the most deserving person ever 😇
It may be easier to have more colors than less. For example skin colors. It's harder to make good skin if you have set of 12 or 24 colors. At least for me :D
Well I understand your point ( I also face the same problem sometimes) but I think that struggle of mking good skin tones does improve your skills. Don't you agree?
I absolutely agree...I have seen in Facebook groups different ones saying, “I want to get “xyz” brand, do I really need to get the largest set? Because I am limited on funds.” I think some people don’t read the whole statement because invariably, you have people insisting that yes, indeed you should get the largest set. Meanwhile I and a few others will say, “No, you don’t absolutely have to get the larger set. Get the size set you are looking at and learn how to blend those colors to get other colors.” Some people, it seems are lazy and don’t really want to improve. While others who want to improve, seems that they do so with less. I do have the full set of the Polychromos, but don’t have the full set of Prismas and I am okay with that because I am still learning new combinations to come up with new colors. P.S. congratulations on the million subscribers!
I have learned more from you than all the artists I have followed on UA-cam, knowing that I am very weak in the English language, but making the translation option in your videos available for other languages, especially Arabic, was a nice thing on your part. May God bless you. You are a true artist and teacher who does not skimp on others. Tips, thank you very much ma'am 🌹
i think you have some valuable advice, but i personally love large sets of colours. i don't get paralysed, i get inspired! plus i rarely have trouble mixing to get what i want. there are advantages of larger sets too. there is a limited amount of pencil that paper will take especially smoother papers and if i already need to combine 4 or 5 colours to get even just a base colour (including shifts in hue/value due to lighting/shading) with a large set, then it would take even more layers of colour to get what i want if i have to mix from a smaller set. plus it depends on the chromaticities in the set, but the more spread out the colours you have, the wider range of colours you can mix. so-called primary colours do not enable you to get all the colours by mixing. you lose the richest saturations of secondaries & tertiaries if you rely on mixing primaries alone.
It depends on the medium, some have no issue with layering. In fact, I specifically use Derwent Inktense color pencils & blocks, bc you can actually build up colors on paper or in a pan before transferring it to the canvas. It helps that they can be used dry or get activated when wet for more saturation. Instead of water, I use alcohol so that it doesn't cause the paper to crinkle up. Having a multitude of sets from different brands also helps too. My Tombow collection (2 sets of 30) is mostly made up of 'Fluorescent, Pale, Moody' & 'Vibrant, Pastel, Earthy' colors. My Faber-Castell are the basic 36, my Derwent Inktense are 24 each, and my Koh-I-nor are a basic 12. Despite them being basic sets of colors, they have different shades & tones in their hues. So if one red doesn't suit my needs, I'll look at my reds from another brand. I organized my pencils by tints/tones/shades & made a color chart so I can pick them out easily. Using a good blender or mineral spirits helps as well. I also have one tube of white gouache if I need to further change the tint. Yes, it can feel like you need to do a bit more work to get a specific color, but this is what artists do! Before the existence of huge sets and long after, artists have always preferred to play with color & create their own desired mix. We shouldn't think of small sets as a limitation, rather we should think of them as the baseline for art and that big sets are just an added convenience. It'd be like saying that walking is a limitation, in comparison to driving. They each have their pros & cons. Smaller sets force you to think creatively outside the box, bigger sets allow you to work faster. And both can be cumbersome for different reasons. Regardless of what you get, these are just tools. The tools do not make the artist, the artist makes use of the tools. I've seen monochromatic studies & triad-color schemes that took my breath away. You just need to know how to work with what you've got.
@@KirstyPartridgeArt your channel is the reason of my growing art skills you discuss the problems as if I'm talking about mine n you help in a blessed way love you so much Kirsty ♥️♥️♥️
I almost never buy the big sets because I am cheap! 😂 but it has definitely served me well to grow my skills! I have less than 10 paint colors, and only a 36 count of prismacolors, and a 24 of polychromos. I don’t feel like I am hindered artistically. Though I have to admit, having a cool gray and a warm gray has been life changing!
I feel like some important information is left out here. I've been working with coloured pencil and tried to create new colours by mixing them. From my own experience I can say that you depend a lot in the quality and thickness of the paper, as well as the pencils used. I haven't been able to create new colours with cheap pencils on thin paper since you can't layer. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, if so, any feedback is more than welcome.
You definitely need good pencils and paper to blend, layer and burnish. However, you can create amazing art with a pack of crayola and printer paper.....learning skills is the way to make good art. The supplies are just bonus.
Definitely agree with this. You should have the smallest set of the highest quality colored pencils (or whatever medium) AND the right paper for that. You cant waste your time and emotion trying to blend crap cheap stuff. I stopped drawing because I got the cheap ass ones. A crayola crayon even blended better than those lol. Also take note that a lot of texture gets smoothed out when you take a picture of your artwork. Step back a bit regularly. Same principle applies with makeup too. Crappy chalky eyeshadow will not blend beautifully no matter what youdo/a professional does.
I challenge myself to pick 3 warm red/yellow/blueish colors and 3 cool red/yellow/blueish colors, white and either a dark brown or a black or dark purple and then try making a color chart and then doing a drawing with just them. It has really helped me see values and learn blending and I'm using colors that I wouldn't normally use like subbing a purple for a red, or an orange for a yellow or a teal-ish for a blue). Maybe that would get you started.
A great practice could be the 3-color challenge. You randomly pick 3 colors from your set (with your eyes closed, or throw them all into bag and pick blindly), and then you make a drawing out of it. Makes you discover completely new color combinations. Works the best with colored pencils and alcohol markers, cause with watercolors you can mix dozens of new colors with just 3 picks.
This is great advice, especially focusing on color theory and value studies instead of focusing on materials! I love making colored pencil drawings with just three colors-a red, yellow, and blue shade-and I find that process so relaxing and freeing compared to having so many color choices.
Ehhhhh, the problem is that what I enjoy drawing is characters, which often have unrealistic colors to begin with, and it's the colors of the characters that I love so very much. Not being able to get the correct color for them frustrates me to no end, especially since I'm used to digital art where I don't have that limitation. Plus I've only got cheap, like, crayola and roseart pencils from my childhood, and not only have I had trouble getting these to blend... at all, but I've seen lots of people who use colored pencils regularly say that these brands are known for not mixing well. Curious to know if you'd agree with that one yourself or not. Edit: Just found out she's got some old videos trying out some Crayola pencils, and the answer to that question depends on if you're burnishing or using something like solvent. Unless it's white, then it's just garbage regardless but I think anyone who's tried using these pencils knows that already. Definitely worth checking out those videos, especially the one where she creates an owl.
Absolutely right. Thanks to my 12-set colored pencil...they force me to learn primary colors, secondary, intermediate, tertiary and the other colors derived from blending the existing colors.
You are so professional. I admire you and I've learned a lot of techniques and theories in order to improve my skills. Thanks a lot, you've changed my life with your influence.
I had a pack of 48 and it was perfect I had to learn a lot and that made me such a better artist I just got the 150 set because it was on sale and I had a gift card also I needed some grays
This video was very helpful. I always trying to know what to do with colours .I thought im gonna fail drawing realistic because too many colours. Now I know I could use only a little bit colours I got even more active to be an artist. Thank you Kristy.
"What are you doing with your life? " "Art!!?? As a career??!!" "C'mon you'll never make it! " "Prepare for some Government job or something! " "Stop drawing! Have you done your homework??!! " . . . *sigh... All of these words just stresses me out, demotivates me... *BUT* All it takes to gain back that confidence, is a new KIRSTY PARTRIDGE UA-cam VIDEO!!!! 🤩🤩🤩. NO DOUBT SHE HAD TO REACH 1 MILLION, SHE DESERVES EVEN MORE!!
Dont listen to them you will be much more successful doing something you love and it will pay off in the long run. As long as you are determined and passionate it will work out, just put in that work.
Well, let me tell you: Government jobs suck. Literally. Those words probably come from people who love and want the best for you. But everyone is different, and a 'stable' career is not 'the best' for everyone. I'm now in my early 30s, and my stable career can go and suck itself, for all I care. I have no greater regret in my life than listening to my parents and grandparents, as it made me unhappy and empty to the point of suicidal. After cutting down my working hours (and income) drastically, starting to draw and paint again after nearly 10 years without even sketching and being now a semi-professional artist, I can tell you this: My 'stable' career is over, I'm dirt poor and I've never been happier in my life (On the other hand, I live in Germany, so no matter how low the income, I still have full and reliable health insurance and a secured, but low income).
I would advise anyone who is in this dilemma to study hard and not ever stop painting. I have a government job which really makes my life stable and prosperous and I have an Instagram art account because I almost paint daily. Learnt a lot from Kirsty and others. Why not go for both? I have sold art in quite satisfactory deals too.
Kirstyyyy......these video are soo freaking helpful💓❣️💜💞❤️✨💫 U know what...I probably use the cheapest colour pencils for my drawings!!! Being a 14 year old....ur videos are soo inspiring and trust me...I have improved A LOT!!!! Just wanna say a BIG BIG THANKS to u for helping ppl like me ❣️💖💝😅💞
I agree with you 100%. We learn more about color theory, like people had to until fairly recent times. To make art that is good, and satisfying to ourselves, we need to understand color theory. When I first started using colored pencils I thought I needed tons of colors to make good art. I had a new roommate who was a better artist than me, he taught me to use less, how to learn to mix colors to achieve the desired color and I saw how much better the end result was. I now live on a fixed income so I can't afford a lot of supplies and I don't believe in buying cheap materials. I can happily get by with a set of 12 for most of my colored pencil needs, the most I will buy now is a set of 24, but not so much.
Congrats On 1 million you deserve more!!! Your such a great artist and your tips are so Good, and you’ve helped me Improve so much, I hope your doing well and staying safe 🥰
So I guess starting with less can kind of help focus more on composition & form. Then adding to it later with little self-doubt. I never really caught onto it before. Very helpful. Congrats on 1M by the way. 👍👏👏👏
I agree with this as I always only had smaller sets. I just got my Faber-Castell 120 set and now I'm going to follow the same techniques I use with smaller sets with this set too. I always limit myself to 12 to start with as I swatch and I've had to add or take colors away but using a base 12 system is a great way to refine technique, saturation, or color scheme. I grew up with 12, 24, and 48 pack sizes. It made me laugh when Crayola came out with a 50 and I was like dang as a high schooler. Then a couple years ago I see a 100 pack set by Crayola and I was like snatch, right of the shelf. MINE *sing songy* I was excited to see what I could do with more color. It really is a good idea to mess with less first. It also allows for a confidence boost and less confusion like your saying.
This is the perfect video. I am a colorist who does a lot of tutorials with Prismacolors on my channel. Usually they're limited palette and we have a small amount of pencils to use. Everyones work is always beautiful with just a small amount of pencils. It is challenging, but not overwhelming when you have just a few of the 150 pencils to grab. Great video!
Thanks to the different art mediums I like to use (sketch on paper,pixel art, digital, etc) I learn from each of them on how to get what I need. For pixel art, it’s to limit your palette as to not muddy up your work with too many similar colors next to each other causing unnecessary noise. I have the habit of having a base color and shades/highlights to complement the color. Meaning that the grass, the stems of plants and the leaves on a tree will share the same color most of the time.
I have a few big pricey watercolour palettes and I'm just a beginner in that media, but now I'm going outside I am taking the small cheap cotman sketch palette of 12 colours, and the satisfaction I get is immense, as I never bothered before to mix my own colours... The turquoises I get (which is my favourite colour) are so much satisfying that the convenience blue-greens I have ready made. The other day I made an earth green by mistake an it was perfect... I have been delving a lot into minimalism in many areas of my life but I've been buying excess in my art materials, and its not really necessary. I hope to curate my art supplies with time as I get to know my style tastes and needs
Hi! I love your channel and also art. You inspired me to draw myself, and I think I finally started to improve. I really hope you are having a great day :) Also congrats on one million subscribers, I have been your long time subscriber and I enjoy and love every single one of your videos :D
I completely agree with this! Not just with colored pencils but also with paints. With watercolor, i only use 8-12 colors and it helped me so much to learn more about colors.
I started last year with 24 colors and i did nice drawings with them but now I wanted to have more option so I buyed a 150 prismacolor set but I totally recommend to start with 24 colors cause you can get lots of tones mixing them or at least basic and nice tones to paint with
Hey kirsty please bring more tutorials on coloured pencils And please try a new medium like acrylic or digital drawing 🎨 Congratulations🎉🎉🎉🎉🎊 on 1 million
So glad you reached the 1 million subscriber plateau! I do hope that it levels up your payment from UA-cam as well! I enjoy watching your videos and believe that you give excellent insight into the creation of your art! So many wonderful tips and strategies too! Thank you Kirsty!
Thank you for the video! I bought three boxes of 12 pencils as they were a good package deal but was worrying that it's all the same colors. Now I know that it might be not so bad if I only try to learn how to mix them 😃
Yes mixing color is totaly different skill to master. Even when i draw a perfect little house. but i change the color 5 - 6 time until i m happy with the result. I m still learning now
A lot of good points, thank Kirsty. I've amassed more pencils than I need... I have people finding out I'm drawing with coloured pencils and donate their old pencils etc. It seems impolite to tell them to stop. I do look at my reference and usually go through and pick out maybe 10 colors and mark them with tape for the current drawing. Rarely do I need to go out of that group. Well it is working so far. Thanks for your help!!! I'll be a patreon soon!
I have a 12 and 24 colored pencils set . I like to combine pencils with Pastels to add details. Thanks for the video. I appreciate your great artwork Kirsty.
Learning to mix your own colors by limiting your selection is essential, and it's true that it's easiest to learn with a limited palette. You also don't need a bunch of colors to make great art. However if you're a colorist who wants to be able to reproduce any color with great accuracy, a larger collection is actually essential. I grew up with my dad insisting that "a poor craftsman blames his tools" when I said that I couldn't get the results that I was looking for with my twelve-color set. I didn't understand until college physics (and a painting prof. that forbid us from using pre-mixed black) that this is because I didn't really understand subtractive and additive color. While you can get a wide range of colors from five to twelve pigments, you will probably face some difficulty reproducing them all. It's one of those things that matters to you if it matters, and doesn't if it doesn't!
Thankyou so much Kirsty, you explain this issue so perfectly 👌 I was shading a botanical and got overwhelmed with “yellow paralysis “ thanks to WAY too many shades of yellow pencils 😅 Now I have put half of them away. You are just awesome 🤩 and I LOVE your channel 🧡💛🧡
i recently found your channel and saw this video....I have the entire sets of the FaberCastel and Prismacolors and I mean the 120 and 150, i find i do use all the colors at some point just not at the same time. Zero regrets in getting them haha I saved for over a year to get both sets and the watercolors of fabercastel large set too. those i use a lot and they are still going strong. i do love crayloa's coloring pencils and stadelers but thankfully those are in sets of 24, 36 and 48 so thats pretty good. I love your videos and congrats on a million!!!! i hope to subscribe to you on pateron at some point :D
I do enjoy getting the large sets just because I enjoy having them but this is very enlightening. One of the drawings I did was done using the 12 Polychromos Colored Pencils, and that was a real challenge, but I'm glad I did it. Great video.
I have started with a base color of gouache and then layers with colored pencils for my hyper realistic drawings. Also, thank u so much for all of ur videos. I have improved so much just from watching ur videos this year. Ur amazing!
Thank you so much Kirsty you've provided us very informative video and I'll grow my colour pencil skills more and more by seeing this video Thank again for providing such informative video ❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍
Remember to get your FREE colored pencil class for beginners here: www.kirstypartridge.com/free-resources
Ok! Thank you Kristy your such a Great Artist and Role Model, your tips helped me improve so much 😊
That moment when you realise that your teacher is getting teg recognition she deserves... congratulations for 1M subscribers
Join Kirstys patreon you will learn so much so fast even as a bigger you will not regret It..
Kirsty Partridge Art your patreon and this really helps me! So I put watercolour bird day 20 Watercolour bird day 50 and watercolour bird at day 120
@@toadmag2226 yes I am patreon i will always be. what name are you ill go look now mate and comment. some amazing work there all great tbh
As a beginner I always had the mindset that the more colors I got, the better the results will be. I was so wrong knowing that my art started improving when I minimized my materials
Yep! If you ever take an oil painting course you will (most likely) start with only 2 colors, and slowing add in more as you progress and learn how to shade, highlight and mix colors!
I went through my pencil case recently taking out pencil crayons in order to use a different brand for a change & to tidy things up a bit, rather than constantly searching for a certain color, eraser or sharpener. I agree with your comment with having more colors the results will be really good. This is the first time I've watched one of Kirsty's videos, but I know I'll watch more for future reference.
2:27 that’s a funny looking yellow. So orange and red makes orange lol
I have known forever. However I still have all 150 Prismacolor Premier coloured pencils. Cause I suck at matching colours. Actually I have a form of colourblindness 😂
I started combining colored pencils with my watercolor artwork.. love it
I love combining those 2 mediums too 🥰
@@KirstyPartridgeArt So nice to get a reply from you Kirsty. Yes, I have started combining those 2 thanks to your videos..
is it weird that i combine alcohol markers and colored pencils? i just love how vibrant iti could came up but i think i'll try this too!
Saska what paper do you use?
@@deannacullen471 I mostly use heavy weight paper with Cold press surface
I have sets of 24 and 36 colors. Actually thought of buying sets with more colors, but then I noticed that I didn't even use all the colors from these smaller sets xD Thank you for reassuring me that it is okay to do not get the 100+ sets! I've been dying to get the Holbein pencils, but they are so expensive! No way I can get the 100+ set, the the 24 is reasonable ^^
thank you, i really love how you explained the advantages on having smaller sets of colors because I'm using faber castell classic only, in 12 and 24 colors so i can relate what you've said. please continue creating these educational videos for beginners and thank you for the new video 💕 love from the Philippines
What? I thuoght you're Thailand sorry 😅
yes, I'm a filipino 😌
yes, I'm a filipino 😌
Me too 💕
Most of the people have less colour.
This video is definitely for us....
ya
Lure Art defined me...
I learned that in elementary school and Im in my 60’s now. We know how to mix different ones . But as for me , I just like having all those extras colors cause I like having all those colors!!... i like looking at them. Sometimes i put them inside a glass to take the place of flowers!!
Elkah Mae Me too! I just love the colors even if they are just lined up in a row! Seeing them is my first step in the urge to create! I never thought of arranging them like flowers. Great idea!
Such a fun idea! Thanks 🙏😊
Does that make me one of the best artists in the world?
CONGRATS ON 1 MILLION YOU DESERVE IT!🥳🎉🎊
Yo 👁️👄👁️
Lure Art 👁👄👁
No and yes in my opinion
I have 9 bicolor pencils but the colors are very limited and are shitty to layer with any other colour
Asad Gove mine don't layer at all I have like the staedler noris club ones and they are not very good at all 💗😂
Hey Kirsty, I never actually knew how to get a smooth wash of colours with color pencils until I saw your videos and it was an eye opener for me and I started using the tricks you showed and it really helped me grow to be an artist!! I'm so thankful for that. I can totally relate to this video because I never had my hands on so many different colours, I do have 24 colours but I won't even use most of the colors! I'm literally kinda like your student. Thank you so much for all the knowledge about art that you've shared, you definitely deserve more than a million subscribers!! Every week I look forward to your videos!
I used to listen to Kirsty for drawing advice... but her tips are actually really useful for ANY artform. I always think about how what she's saying can be applied to music, instead - and it always works.
This makes so much sense! I don’t use most of my big sets anyway- I always end up going back to the same few colors.
Funny this comes out... I just bought prisma colour 150 pencils. Mind you I have dreamt of buying that set for more than a decade, but still. Timing is so amazing! ❤️ Thankfully shading and mixing can still give me so many more colours that what is provided in the set.
Have fun with it and never feel guilty about it :D
I love, love, love that you're promoting this idea to work with limited supplies! 😍 I think it's a healthy approach to art making. Congrats on 1 million!! 👏👏👏😊
I use only Faber Castell polycromos 12 set for all my portraits since I can't afford a set any bigger but it works really well for me. This video helped me a lot and made me realise that a smaller set is making me a better artist 💚
Congratulations on 1 million subscribers Kirsty partridge ❤💕
I've been your subscriber for quite a while and would like to say that you are one of the most deserving person ever 😇
Ma'am you are absolutely correct......i onlyhave 24 color pencils set therefore as a beginner I can learn how to layer and creat colors 😊
It may be easier to have more colors than less. For example skin colors. It's harder to make good skin if you have set of 12 or 24 colors. At least for me :D
Well I understand your point ( I also face the same problem sometimes) but I think that struggle of mking good skin tones does improve your skills. Don't you agree?
i mean this video isnt about having it EASY. its about becoming BETTER. nothing comes easy if you wanna be good
Yep. I bought two skin tone colored pencils separately at Michaels a few weeks ago and it helps, but I wish I had more to choose from, haha.
Ikr
I absolutely agree...I have seen in Facebook groups different ones saying, “I want to get “xyz” brand, do I really need to get the largest set? Because I am limited on funds.” I think some people don’t read the whole statement because invariably, you have people insisting that yes, indeed you should get the largest set. Meanwhile I and a few others will say, “No, you don’t absolutely have to get the larger set. Get the size set you are looking at and learn how to blend those colors to get other colors.” Some people, it seems are lazy and don’t really want to improve. While others who want to improve, seems that they do so with less. I do have the full set of the Polychromos, but don’t have the full set of Prismas and I am okay with that because I am still learning new combinations to come up with new colors.
P.S. congratulations on the million subscribers!
I have learned more from you than all the artists I have followed on UA-cam, knowing that I am very weak in the English language, but making the translation option in your videos available for other languages, especially Arabic, was a nice thing on your part. May God bless you. You are a true artist and teacher who does not skimp on others. Tips, thank you very much ma'am 🌹
i think you have some valuable advice, but i personally love large sets of colours. i don't get paralysed, i get inspired! plus i rarely have trouble mixing to get what i want.
there are advantages of larger sets too.
there is a limited amount of pencil that paper will take especially smoother papers and if i already need to combine 4 or 5 colours to get even just a base colour (including shifts in hue/value due to lighting/shading) with a large set, then it would take even more layers of colour to get what i want if i have to mix from a smaller set.
plus it depends on the chromaticities in the set, but the more spread out the colours you have, the wider range of colours you can mix. so-called primary colours do not enable you to get all the colours by mixing. you lose the richest saturations of secondaries & tertiaries if you rely on mixing primaries alone.
It depends on the medium, some have no issue with layering. In fact, I specifically use Derwent Inktense color pencils & blocks, bc you can actually build up colors on paper or in a pan before transferring it to the canvas. It helps that they can be used dry or get activated when wet for more saturation. Instead of water, I use alcohol so that it doesn't cause the paper to crinkle up. Having a multitude of sets from different brands also helps too. My Tombow collection (2 sets of 30) is mostly made up of 'Fluorescent, Pale, Moody' & 'Vibrant, Pastel, Earthy' colors. My Faber-Castell are the basic 36, my Derwent Inktense are 24 each, and my Koh-I-nor are a basic 12.
Despite them being basic sets of colors, they have different shades & tones in their hues. So if one red doesn't suit my needs, I'll look at my reds from another brand. I organized my pencils by tints/tones/shades & made a color chart so I can pick them out easily. Using a good blender or mineral spirits helps as well. I also have one tube of white gouache if I need to further change the tint. Yes, it can feel like you need to do a bit more work to get a specific color, but this is what artists do! Before the existence of huge sets and long after, artists have always preferred to play with color & create their own desired mix.
We shouldn't think of small sets as a limitation, rather we should think of them as the baseline for art and that big sets are just an added convenience. It'd be like saying that walking is a limitation, in comparison to driving. They each have their pros & cons. Smaller sets force you to think creatively outside the box, bigger sets allow you to work faster. And both can be cumbersome for different reasons. Regardless of what you get, these are just tools. The tools do not make the artist, the artist makes use of the tools. I've seen monochromatic studies & triad-color schemes that took my breath away. You just need to know how to work with what you've got.
Seriously i had complex that I can't draw well untill I get more than 60 colours after this video I'm ok now
Glad the video helped you. You definitely don’t need lots of colours to make good art 😊
@@KirstyPartridgeArt your channel is the reason of my growing art skills you discuss the problems as if I'm talking about mine n you help in a blessed way love you so much Kirsty ♥️♥️♥️
I almost never buy the big sets because I am cheap! 😂 but it has definitely served me well to grow my skills! I have less than 10 paint colors, and only a 36 count of prismacolors, and a 24 of polychromos. I don’t feel like I am hindered artistically. Though I have to admit, having a cool gray and a warm gray has been life changing!
So cute
I feel like some important information is left out here. I've been working with coloured pencil and tried to create new colours by mixing them. From my own experience I can say that you depend a lot in the quality and thickness of the paper, as well as the pencils used. I haven't been able to create new colours with cheap pencils on thin paper since you can't layer. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, if so, any feedback is more than welcome.
You definitely need good pencils and paper to blend, layer and burnish. However, you can create amazing art with a pack of crayola and printer paper.....learning skills is the way to make good art. The supplies are just bonus.
Definitely agree with this. You should have the smallest set of the highest quality colored pencils (or whatever medium) AND the right paper for that. You cant waste your time and emotion trying to blend crap cheap stuff. I stopped drawing because I got the cheap ass ones. A crayola crayon even blended better than those lol. Also take note that a lot of texture gets smoothed out when you take a picture of your artwork. Step back a bit regularly.
Same principle applies with makeup too. Crappy chalky eyeshadow will not blend beautifully no matter what youdo/a professional does.
Can you do the opposite vídeo? I am overwhelmed by my colors, but I already have them (gift) and I have to use them so could you do tips for that??
Thanks for the suggestion, that would be a great topic for another video 😊
I challenge myself to pick 3 warm red/yellow/blueish colors and 3 cool red/yellow/blueish colors, white and either a dark brown or a black or dark purple and then try making a color chart and then doing a drawing with just them. It has really helped me see values and learn blending and I'm using colors that I wouldn't normally use like subbing a purple for a red, or an orange for a yellow or a teal-ish for a blue). Maybe that would get you started.
A great practice could be the 3-color challenge. You randomly pick 3 colors from your set (with your eyes closed, or throw them all into bag and pick blindly), and then you make a drawing out of it. Makes you discover completely new color combinations. Works the best with colored pencils and alcohol markers, cause with watercolors you can mix dozens of new colors with just 3 picks.
I purchased the large set of polychromo and i went online and found their colors for their 12 set and pulled those to use. Try that.
Olga Hein great idea thank you :)
Thanks so much for these insights. This explains why I ran away from coloured pencils to graphite and charcoal 😊😊
why after watching your video i feel like i am sooo more interested in arts and drawing thank u soo much kirsty
This is great advice, especially focusing on color theory and value studies instead of focusing on materials! I love making colored pencil drawings with just three colors-a red, yellow, and blue shade-and I find that process so relaxing and freeing compared to having so many color choices.
So nice
Congrats on 1M subscribers!! You are so talented and inspiring!!
Thank u for the tip kristy 😊 👍 👌
Congratulations on hitting 1 million subscribers! You truly earned it.
Ehhhhh, the problem is that what I enjoy drawing is characters, which often have unrealistic colors to begin with, and it's the colors of the characters that I love so very much. Not being able to get the correct color for them frustrates me to no end, especially since I'm used to digital art where I don't have that limitation. Plus I've only got cheap, like, crayola and roseart pencils from my childhood, and not only have I had trouble getting these to blend... at all, but I've seen lots of people who use colored pencils regularly say that these brands are known for not mixing well. Curious to know if you'd agree with that one yourself or not.
Edit: Just found out she's got some old videos trying out some Crayola pencils, and the answer to that question depends on if you're burnishing or using something like solvent. Unless it's white, then it's just garbage regardless but I think anyone who's tried using these pencils knows that already. Definitely worth checking out those videos, especially the one where she creates an owl.
Fairest Moss i agree i draw characters rather than realism so it pretty hard without a certain amount of coloured pencils 😂
Absolutely right. Thanks to my 12-set colored pencil...they force me to learn primary colors, secondary, intermediate, tertiary and the other colors derived from blending the existing colors.
You are so professional. I admire you and I've learned a lot of techniques and theories in order to improve my skills. Thanks a lot, you've changed my life with your influence.
Congratulations on hitting 1 mil! Totally well deserved! Your videos have really helped me a lot.😊
I literally don't know how to combine colors before but now I improved watching your videos kirsty .btw congrats on your 1m subs ❤
So beautiful
I had a pack of 48 and it was perfect I had to learn a lot and that made me such a better artist I just got the 150 set because it was on sale and I had a gift card also I needed some grays
I recall Mark Crilley giving very similar advice, I took it at the time and you know what? As far as advice goes its solid.
I come here for your knowledge and artwork but I’m always blown away by your beauty!
This video was very helpful. I always trying to know what to do with colours .I thought im gonna fail drawing realistic because too many colours. Now I know I could use only a little bit colours I got even more active to be an artist. Thank you Kristy.
Look at yourself as a color. You may not be everyone's favorite, but one day u will need one to complete the picture!
Omg wow 👁️👄👁️
HAPPY 1M SUBS I WISH YOU MANY WISHES AND CONTINUE TO DO WELL IN YOUR YT CEATOR I LOVE YOU
This video made me cry ! No artist inspire me about a few color like this ! Thanks Kirsty!
This is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. Thank you!!
Congratulation on hitting 1 million. You're such a great artist. I love your videos.
So beautiful
I love the way you explain everything 👌🏼👌🏼😊😊
"What are you doing with your life? "
"Art!!?? As a career??!!"
"C'mon you'll never make it! "
"Prepare for some Government job or something! "
"Stop drawing! Have you done your homework??!! "
.
.
.
*sigh... All of these words just stresses me out, demotivates me...
*BUT*
All it takes to gain back that confidence, is a new KIRSTY PARTRIDGE UA-cam VIDEO!!!!
🤩🤩🤩.
NO DOUBT SHE HAD TO REACH 1 MILLION, SHE DESERVES EVEN MORE!!
Dont listen to them you will be much more successful doing something you love and it will pay off in the long run. As long as you are determined and passionate it will work out, just put in that work.
Well, let me tell you: Government jobs suck. Literally.
Those words probably come from people who love and want the best for you. But everyone is different, and a 'stable' career is not 'the best' for everyone. I'm now in my early 30s, and my stable career can go and suck itself, for all I care. I have no greater regret in my life than listening to my parents and grandparents, as it made me unhappy and empty to the point of suicidal.
After cutting down my working hours (and income) drastically, starting to draw and paint again after nearly 10 years without even sketching and being now a semi-professional artist, I can tell you this: My 'stable' career is over, I'm dirt poor and I've never been happier in my life (On the other hand, I live in Germany, so no matter how low the income, I still have full and reliable health insurance and a secured, but low income).
@@olgahein4384 Wow, that's such a great story, Olga! I'm so glad you are happy with your artist career rather than your "stable" job.
I have 4 children and have always encouraged them with art. My youngest left at home has a lot of great art supplies to experiment with.
I would advise anyone who is in this dilemma to study hard and not ever stop painting. I have a government job which really makes my life stable and prosperous and I have an Instagram art account because I almost paint daily. Learnt a lot from Kirsty and others. Why not go for both? I have sold art in quite satisfactory deals too.
I agree with you, every think is good which reveals you in front of us.
Cute
Kirstyyyy......these video are soo freaking helpful💓❣️💜💞❤️✨💫
U know what...I probably use the cheapest colour pencils for my drawings!!!
Being a 14 year old....ur videos are soo inspiring and trust me...I have improved A LOT!!!!
Just wanna say a BIG BIG THANKS to u for helping ppl like me ❣️💖💝😅💞
Hey army
Congratulations on 1M subscribers👌👏
I agree with you 100%. We learn more about color theory, like people had to until fairly recent times. To make art that is good, and satisfying to ourselves, we need to understand color theory. When I first started using colored pencils I thought I needed tons of colors to make good art. I had a new roommate who was a better artist than me, he taught me to use less, how to learn to mix colors to achieve the desired color and I saw how much better the end result was. I now live on a fixed income so I can't afford a lot of supplies and I don't believe in buying cheap materials. I can happily get by with a set of 12 for most of my colored pencil needs, the most I will buy now is a set of 24, but not so much.
Congrats Kirsty on your achievement!!! 🙌🏼 hard work pays off!! ☺️
So beautiful
Congrats On 1 million you deserve more!!! Your such a great artist and your tips are so Good, and you’ve helped me Improve so much, I hope your doing well and staying safe 🥰
Congratulations for 1M subs
So I guess starting with less can kind of help focus more on composition & form. Then adding to it later with little self-doubt. I never really caught onto it before. Very helpful. Congrats on 1M by the way. 👍👏👏👏
Awesomely
When I see you the sun rises on my sad and cold winters and my heart blooms again and I feel life as if it is spring🥰❤❤❤
I agree with this as I always only had smaller sets. I just got my Faber-Castell 120 set and now I'm going to follow the same techniques I use with smaller sets with this set too. I always limit myself to 12 to start with as I swatch and I've had to add or take colors away but using a base 12 system is a great way to refine technique, saturation, or color scheme. I grew up with 12, 24, and 48 pack sizes. It made me laugh when Crayola came out with a 50 and I was like dang as a high schooler. Then a couple years ago I see a 100 pack set by Crayola and I was like snatch, right of the shelf. MINE *sing songy* I was excited to see what I could do with more color. It really is a good idea to mess with less first. It also allows for a confidence boost and less confusion like your saying.
Kirsty as you are so good at watercolours, would you try oil pastels and oil paints and give tutorials? By dear subscriber
This is the perfect video. I am a colorist who does a lot of tutorials with Prismacolors on my channel. Usually they're limited palette and we have a small amount of pencils to use. Everyones work is always beautiful with just a small amount of pencils. It is challenging, but not overwhelming when you have just a few of the 150 pencils to grab. Great video!
So beautiful
This is a VERY good point! Hi from Australia 👋
Congrats on 1 million💙💙 and great video as usual!
So beautiful
Thanks to the different art mediums I like to use (sketch on paper,pixel art, digital, etc) I learn from each of them on how to get what I need. For pixel art, it’s to limit your palette as to not muddy up your work with too many similar colors next to each other causing unnecessary noise. I have the habit of having a base color and shades/highlights to complement the color. Meaning that the grass, the stems of plants and the leaves on a tree will share the same color most of the time.
I have a few big pricey watercolour palettes and I'm just a beginner in that media, but now I'm going outside I am taking the small cheap cotman sketch palette of 12 colours, and the satisfaction I get is immense, as I never bothered before to mix my own colours... The turquoises I get (which is my favourite colour) are so much satisfying that the convenience blue-greens I have ready made. The other day I made an earth green by mistake an it was perfect... I have been delving a lot into minimalism in many areas of my life but I've been buying excess in my art materials, and its not really necessary. I hope to curate my art supplies with time as I get to know my style tastes and needs
Hi! I love your channel and also art. You inspired me to draw myself, and I think I finally started to improve. I really hope you are having a great day :) Also congrats on one million subscribers, I have been your long time subscriber and I enjoy and love every single one of your videos :D
So beautiful
Thanks for the advice! Very helpful 😁👍
So cute
Congratulations on a million
Ngl u deserve more
Also can u make an video on how to use more unnatural colours
I completely agree with this! Not just with colored pencils but also with paints. With watercolor, i only use 8-12 colors and it helped me so much to learn more about colors.
I started last year with 24 colors and i did nice drawings with them but now I wanted to have more option so I buyed a 150 prismacolor set but I totally recommend to start with 24 colors cause you can get lots of tones mixing them or at least basic and nice tones to paint with
Hey kirsty please bring more tutorials on coloured pencils
And please try a new medium like acrylic or digital drawing 🎨
Congratulations🎉🎉🎉🎉🎊 on 1 million
Thank you for the tips.Congrats again😊😇
So glad you reached the 1 million subscriber plateau! I do hope that it levels up your payment from UA-cam as well! I enjoy watching your videos and believe that you give excellent insight into the creation of your art! So many wonderful tips and strategies too! Thank you Kirsty!
Congratulations!!! For 1 million subscribers!
Keep going!!!!! You are great!
Yaaaay Kirsty's on a million 🎉 congrats
Thank you for the video! I bought three boxes of 12 pencils as they were a good package deal but was worrying that it's all the same colors. Now I know that it might be not so bad if I only try to learn how to mix them 😃
You're absolutely right... And Personally I think Less choices in colours turns out better artworks😁
Thank you so much for solving my problem 🙏
Your videos are very useful for beginners. Thank you 😊
Yes mixing color is totaly different skill to master. Even when i draw a perfect little house. but i change the color 5 - 6 time until i m happy with the result. I m still learning now
Dear Kirsty
Congratulations for 1M!!
Very true...thanks for wonderful videos and tutorials, it inspires me to go back and learn to love this craft again.
Yeeeeey Happy 1 M subscribers kirsty
A lot of good points, thank Kirsty. I've amassed more pencils than I need... I have people finding out I'm drawing with coloured pencils and donate their old pencils etc. It seems impolite to tell them to stop. I do look at my reference and usually go through and pick out maybe 10 colors and mark them with tape for the current drawing. Rarely do I need to go out of that group. Well it is working so far. Thanks for your help!!! I'll be a patreon soon!
Congrats on 1K Kirsty! I hope you continue growing with full speed 😉
Congratulations on 1m you are really an inspiration
Congrats! You made it to one million! I appreciate all you do for us in making how to videos and giving us free classes! You definitely deserve it!
Thank you Kriaty...
Congrats on 1m subscribers
I have a 12 and 24 colored pencils set . I like to combine pencils with Pastels to add details. Thanks for the video. I appreciate your great artwork Kirsty.
I've been working on color blending and never thought about using, a limited and of colors. Thanks!
Learning to mix your own colors by limiting your selection is essential, and it's true that it's easiest to learn with a limited palette. You also don't need a bunch of colors to make great art. However if you're a colorist who wants to be able to reproduce any color with great accuracy, a larger collection is actually essential. I grew up with my dad insisting that "a poor craftsman blames his tools" when I said that I couldn't get the results that I was looking for with my twelve-color set. I didn't understand until college physics (and a painting prof. that forbid us from using pre-mixed black) that this is because I didn't really understand subtractive and additive color. While you can get a wide range of colors from five to twelve pigments, you will probably face some difficulty reproducing them all. It's one of those things that matters to you if it matters, and doesn't if it doesn't!
1 million subscribers congratulations !!🎉
Thankyou so much Kirsty, you explain this issue so perfectly 👌 I was shading a botanical and got overwhelmed with “yellow paralysis “ thanks to WAY too many shades of yellow pencils 😅 Now I have put half of them away. You are just awesome 🤩 and I LOVE your channel 🧡💛🧡
Couldn't agree more!
This helped so much thank you 😊
I learn a lot watching your videos :)
CONGRATS You hit 1M subs Kirsty!
i recently found your channel and saw this video....I have the entire sets of the FaberCastel and Prismacolors and I mean the 120 and 150, i find i do use all the colors at some point just not at the same time. Zero regrets in getting them haha I saved for over a year to get both sets and the watercolors of fabercastel large set too. those i use a lot and they are still going strong. i do love crayloa's coloring pencils and stadelers but thankfully those are in sets of 24, 36 and 48 so thats pretty good. I love your videos and congrats on a million!!!! i hope to subscribe to you on pateron at some point :D
I do enjoy getting the large sets just because I enjoy having them but this is very enlightening. One of the drawings I did was done using the 12 Polychromos Colored Pencils, and that was a real challenge, but I'm glad I did it. Great video.
I have started with a base color of gouache and then layers with colored pencils for my hyper realistic drawings. Also, thank u so much for all of ur videos. I have improved so much just from watching ur videos this year. Ur amazing!
Congratsss for 1m subscriberr
Thank you so much Kirsty you've provided us very informative video and I'll grow my colour pencil skills more and more by seeing this video
Thank again for providing such informative video ❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍