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Nephthys76 — Tree Frog
Published: 2013-02-19 04:46:46 +0000 UTC; Views: 1454; Favourites: 52; Downloads: 0
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Description
I enjoyed playing with color. I am extremely frustrated by the breaking of the colored pencils. Seemed like every time I sharpened my pencil, the lead would break. I went through 2 entire purple pencils for the purple background -- probably half of that was due to the breaking. Does anyone else have this issue? Am I doing something wrong?I was also frustrated with the way that my scanner picked up colors. Most of the colors in this drawing are pretty close, except for the yellow/goldenrod colors in the feet of the frog. They came out dark, bright orange instead of yellow in the scan.
**UPDATE** On 2/20/2013, I got a new scanner, and I re-scanned this drawing. I have updated the main file, and the colors are MUCH more true and bright than from the previous scanner.
Overall, I think I did pretty good, especially as a color pencil newbie.
If any color pencil folks are viewing this, I hope I can get some feedback. I have thick skin and eager to learn, so don't hold back.Reference
Progression
Materials:
11x14 Strathmore Bristol Smooth
Prismacolor colored pencils
paper mate skinny eraser stick
colorless blender
Related content
Comments: 28
LOVE THE FROG, and as I have Frog Medicine, I always post frogs on my Green Mother Medicine Page on FB, so I posted yours with this quote by E. B. White:
Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.
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Awesome thanks! 
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Hey Tonya - it turned out great! Don't know why I never noticed this one... FYI although I havent tried them personally, I have heard that the newer Prismacolor pencils are now made in Mexico & apparently breakages are an issues - have heard of stores that won't stock them. Maybe try a different type?
Also just for the record that group has declined all my stuff too 
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Thanks Andrea!
That's too bad about the Prismacolor pencils. I also have a small box of Lyra pencils. They are oil based instead of wax based and I haven't had the same breakage issue with those so far. Though I haven't used them as much. It's so expensive to buy an initial set of color pencils. I spent $50 on Amazon for the box of 72 Prismacolor I have. One of the pencils split down the side when I tried to sharpen it
I can't find any Lyra pencils on Amazon at all.
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Oh really? Yeah I know its expensive! you've really got to decide you want to do it. Well I have some Faber Castell polychromos (uhh 12), & although I havent used them much, I don't think they have breakage problems. Also apparently Dick Blicks own brand are pretty good (& MUCH cheaper) Thats funny we cant' get hardly any of those in Oz (but we can get Lyra!)
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Interesting... I have a Dick Blick about 30-40 miles from me. Maybe I'll check them out! I have been using Dick Blick graphites and I think they are decent for the price.
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Hey lucky you! - you know I heard someone talking about how when there pencils break, you can put them in the microwave & heat them up a little (if they're wax based) so the wax sticks back together ( but I think thats more to do with if they've been dropped) happy hunting!
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[link]
thanks for the tip! I'll be trying it today
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hey cool! let me know if it works lol!
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So, I put all 80 of my pencils in the microwave for about 15 seconds. It seems to have worked! I haven't had a broken wax core since I did that! Thanks so much for the tip!
I didn't notice, however, that my pencils have reflective silver foil-like printing on them... so my pencils were sort of smoking when I opened the door. Oops... doesn't seem to have hurt anything at least, I guess 15 seconds isn't really long enough to matter much.
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lol Hey great! I'll have to remember that one!
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If you drop colored pencils they most often break. Also use an electric pencil sharpener instead of manual. That's what helps me.
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Thanks Jennifer. I haven't dropped my pencils... but I did order them online, perhaps they were damaged during shipping. I think it is the sharpener, even though I bought a Prismacolor sharpener that is meant specifically for my pencils. I have found that if I tilt the pencil just right, the pencils are breaking a lot less often now.
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and thanks for fave-ing
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Thanks, Charles
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The last colored pencils I worked with were crayons... But i like it. Great job.
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Lovely! 
I know that for doing large backgrounds... I sharpen my pencil as little as I can get away with because of the breaking--they're so much softer than lead pencils and I tend to be heavy-handed as it is. I try to sharpen them to just under what I'd *really* like (so as to leave more wood support around the lead) and go from there.
Another fun pencil you might like, is a colorless blender, if you don't already have it.
Very cute and fun little guy. ^.^
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Thanks so much for the feedback, Becky. I found that my pencil leads were breaking INSIDE the wooden part, and so the point would wobble and come out. I'm glad to hear it's not just me, though
I do have a colorless blender, and I did use it in this picture. Still learning how to use it, it didn't seem to blend the way I expected it to. It definitely smoothed out the background, though.
Thanks again
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Thanks so much, Louise! And thanks for the fave
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