Colored Pencil Drawing - Color Study

Okay so I got tired of drawing the face before doing my shading because it takes time to meticulously draw them only to ruin them with practice shading. I've thought about abandoning this technique but then I realized that the only reason I would be doing so is because I haven't practiced it enough to become the master I would like to be.

Keep trying, don't give up is what what that little voice inside keeps telling me so here are a few color studies. First, I am using hot pressed water color paper because I don't want a textured look to my faces like I get with cold pressed paper. Next, I began playing with colors.

In these exercises I lightly laid in my colors, one on top of the other and then burnished. I get a very different look depending on which colors are used, of course. In the square on the right below, I tried something different. I burnished with white first then laid in my colors and achieved a very smooth painterly look.

I like the peachy, creamy, sort of pinky look to my dolls so that's the look I'm going for. I did a quick little face sketch and used the dark peach, and cream all over the face before adding detail to the features. I burnished with white and repeated that process again only I added a little bit of pink.

I found that light, circular strokes for laying in color work best. Burnish with the same circular strokes for a more even, painterly look. After burnishing, darker colors can be laid in and be blended with the finger. I like that part. I plan to use some clear gesso to build my layers and add detail to the features. Doing these exercises will help me when I get ready to go to final and keeping notes makes a handy reference for future paintings.