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Description
There are more references in this series: Rainbow and Cool Colors .

You are welcome to download this tutorial and print it out. Depending on your monitor and printer, the colors might not be true to life, but hopefully it will help anyway! Let me know if you want a different size.
Do not repost this on another site without a direct link to this deviation page! Thank you!

I will happily respond to questions or comments about this tutorial, or colored pencils in general.

------------------------------PAQ (Potentially Asked Questions) ------------------------------

What set do these colors come from?
A: These are from a set of Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils. I have the set of 120 pencils that was produced up until 2008 or so. Since then, some pencils have been discontinued and others have been added, so you might end up adjusting these combinations to fit your particular set. If you have a smaller set, you can still use these! Just omit some in-between colors and blend more gradually.

What paper do you use?
A: I use Strathmore Smooth Bristol Board. You can get that paper or something similar at any art supply or craft store. If you try to blend colored pencils on copy paper, it might wrinkle or crease.

How do you blend with colored pencils?
A: Here’s my usual way (many artists do it differently): I put down the darker color, pressing down hard, and then lighten up on the pressure near the edge of the dark area (where the lighter color is going to overlap with it). Then I take the lighter pencil and color over the edge of the dark area, pressing down hard. If I’m worried about getting dark flecks in my light pencils, I put down the lighter color first and do it backwards. (You can also use a colorless blending pencil or a white colored pencil to blend.)

If I use [for example] the yellow gradient for a yellow shirt, or a brown gradient for brown skin, will it look realistic?
A: Not necessarily. Using a gradient directly from these tutorials will achieve a smooth, vivid look, but if you want realism, you’ll also need to consider your lighting and the true color of the surface.

Where can I buy Prismacolors?
A: You can browse online at Amazon or Jerry's Artarama to see what set you want (from 12 to 150). If you buy them from a craft store, be sure to buy them on sale or use a coupon!! (Protip: you might find a gently used, discontinued set on eBay for a huge discount.)

Is it worth it to buy Prismacolor pencils instead of Crayola or another brand?
A: It depends. They are pretty darn expensive. If you’re still working on your coloring and shading skills, using Prismacolors won’t make much of a difference, so buy yourself a set of 50 Crayolas for $10 and blend like crazy! I practiced with Crayolas for years, and they can do stuff like this too! If you’ve mastered coloring with Crayolas, though, you’ll like Prismacolors’ soft lead and variety of colors.

Description
There are more references in this series: Rainbow and Cool Colors .

You are welcome to download this tutorial and print it out. Depending on your monitor and printer, the colors might not be true to life, but hopefully it will help anyway! Let me know if you want a different size.
Do not repost this on another site without a direct link to this deviation page! Thank you!

I will happily respond to questions or comments about this tutorial, or colored pencils in general.

------------------------------PAQ (Potentially Asked Questions) ------------------------------

What set do these colors come from?
A: These are from a set of Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils. I have the set of 120 pencils that was produced up until 2008 or so. Since then, some pencils have been discontinued and others have been added, so you might end up adjusting these combinations to fit your particular set. If you have a smaller set, you can still use these! Just omit some in-between colors and blend more gradually.

What paper do you use?
A: I use Strathmore Smooth Bristol Board. You can get that paper or something similar at any art supply or craft store. If you try to blend colored pencils on copy paper, it might wrinkle or crease.

How do you blend with colored pencils?
A: Here’s my usual way (many artists do it differently): I put down the darker color, pressing down hard, and then lighten up on the pressure near the edge of the dark area (where the lighter color is going to overlap with it). Then I take the lighter pencil and color over the edge of the dark area, pressing down hard. If I’m worried about getting dark flecks in my light pencils, I put down the lighter color first and do it backwards. (You can also use a colorless blending pencil or a white colored pencil to blend.)

If I use [for example] the yellow gradient for a yellow shirt, or a brown gradient for brown skin, will it look realistic?
A: Not necessarily. Using a gradient directly from these tutorials will achieve a smooth, vivid look, but if you want realism, you’ll also need to consider your lighting and the true color of the surface.

Where can I buy Prismacolors?
A: You can browse online at Amazon or Jerry's Artarama to see what set you want (from 12 to 150). If you buy them from a craft store, be sure to buy them on sale or use a coupon!! (Protip: you might find a gently used, discontinued set on eBay for a huge discount.)

Is it worth it to buy Prismacolor pencils instead of Crayola or another brand?
A: It depends. They are pretty darn expensive. If you’re still working on your coloring and shading skills, using Prismacolors won’t make much of a difference, so buy yourself a set of 50 Crayolas for $10 and blend like crazy! I practiced with Crayolas for years, and they can do stuff like this too! If you’ve mastered coloring with Crayolas, though, you’ll like Prismacolors’ soft lead and variety of colors.