Colour Pencils and Sansodor

Another colouring technique that I have actually only fairly recently starting using is using Sansodor mineral spirit with colour pencils. I personally use Derwent Coloursoft pencils but I know a lot of people use Prismacolor pencils from USA. Sansodor is a make of mineral spirits by Winsor & Newton. When I first started, I used an odourless mineral spirit but for some reason it didn't seem to blend the colours that well which is why, with the help of Sue, I managed to get hold of some Sansodor.

First of all, like how I do my watercolouring, I see where I want the shadows and the light and then in the case of this image, I want the shadows around the edges with lighter in the inside to give a roundness to the character. I have gone around the inside of the lines with the pencil.

I then dip my paperstump into the Sansodor. A paperstump is just a rolled up bit of paper that has a blunt end is great for using with mineral spirit to blend the colours in. I have used a paint brush before which also works well but I like using the paperstump better. With the paperstump dipped into the Sansodor I use the end to blend the colour into the centre of the image. I find that circluar motions work best for me! As you can see in the first picture I have just coloured half of the ducks tummy in.

I then carry on with the rest of the image. I generally colour all the bits that are the same colour and then go on to the next. I also usually go from light to dark as some of the colour does stay on the end of the paperstump.

I would say to use farly thick card or watercolour paper as the mineral spirit do seep through a bit on to the back of the card, it does dry qucikly though. So that is it! again, I hope that it has helped a few of you! Happy colouring!