7 Easy Tips to Improve Your COLORING PAGES

Sarah Renae Clark
10 Mar 202211:35

TLDRThis video offers seven tips to enhance your coloring pages, focusing on blending and shading techniques, pencil grips, mixing media, upgrading paper, adding highlights, practicing regularly, and taking risks. The presenter shares their journey from basic to advanced coloring skills, emphasizing that improvement comes from consistent practice and experimentation. They also highlight the importance of using good paper over expensive pencils and encourage viewers to challenge themselves creatively. For those looking to create custom coloring pages for practice, the AI coloring pages generator is a great tool to generate personalized designs and add more variety to your creative journey.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 Learning to blend and shade colors can significantly improve your coloring pages. Start with simple gradients using two similar hues.
  • ✏️ Experiment with different pencil grips to find what works best for you. Holding the pencil closer to the point gives more control, while holding it further back allows for lighter layers.
  • 🌈 Mixing media, such as combining pencils with markers or watercolors, can speed up the coloring process and make colors brighter.
  • πŸ“„ Upgrading your paper can have a bigger impact on your coloring than upgrading your pencils. Good paper reduces frustration and enhances results.
  • ✨ Adding highlights with white paint pens or gel pens can add finishing touches and make your coloring pages more vibrant.
  • πŸ“ˆ Practice regularly to develop your coloring skills. Creating new projects often helps you grow faster than just watching tutorials.
  • πŸ’ͺ Take risks and challenge yourself with new techniques or projects. Embracing failure can lead to significant improvement in your art.
  • πŸ‘€ Basic blending and shading are foundational skills for creating advanced effects like lighting, skin tones, and 3D effects.
  • πŸ”„ Change the direction of your coloring lines or work in small circles to reduce harsh lines and achieve smoother results.
  • πŸ”— Check out the author's website for recommended supplies and tutorials to help you improve your coloring techniques.
  • πŸ‘€ Subscribe to the channel for more coloring tutorials, challenges, and tips to develop your skills.

Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of the video?

    -The main purpose of the video is to share seven easy tips that the creator has learned to improve coloring pages, applicable to any budget and aimed at helping viewers enhance their coloring skills. For those looking to personalize their practice, the AI coloring pages generator is a helpful tool to create custom designs, offering even more opportunities to apply these tips and improve coloring techniques.

  • Why does the creator emphasize blending and shading as the first tip?

    -Blending and shading are foundational techniques for creating depth, gradients, shadows, and 3D effects in coloring. Mastering these basics allows for more advanced effects like advanced lighting and realistic skin tones.

  • How can beginners start practicing blending with colored pencils?

    -Beginners can start by choosing two similar hues of a color (e.g., two greens) with one being darker or lighter than the other. They should layer the colors with light pressure, overlapping them and gradually increasing pressure to achieve a smooth blend.

  • What is the 'Dreaded Death Grip' mentioned in the script?

    -The 'Dreaded Death Grip' refers to holding a pencil too tightly, which can cause hand pain and make it difficult to apply light pressure. It is a common mistake among beginners.

  • What are some alternative ways to hold a pencil for better results?

    -Holding the pencil closer to the point provides more control for fine details, while holding it further back reduces pressure and is better for lighter layers. Holding it at an angle allows for smoother blending and coloring large areas.

  • Why does the creator suggest mixing different media like markers or watercolors with colored pencils?

    -Mixing media can speed up the coloring process, especially for large areas, and can make colors appear brighter. It also adds variety and can enhance creativity.

  • What is the importance of upgrading paper quality according to the creator?

    -Upgrading paper quality can make a bigger difference than upgrading pencils. Good paper can reduce frustrations, make the coloring process easier, and enhance the overall result.

  • What are some recommended papers for colored pencils mentioned in the script?

    -The creator mentions Nina Bristol Vellum and Spring Hill Bristol Valley as good options for colored pencils. These papers are more affordable and suitable for printing coloring pages.

  • Why does the creator recommend using white paint pens or gel pens?

    -White paint pens or gel pens are perfect for adding highlights, sparkles, reflections, and finishing touches to coloring pages. They add a professional and creative touch to the artwork.

  • How does the creator suggest improving coloring skills over time?

    -The creator emphasizes practicing regularly, challenging oneself with new techniques, and taking risks. Consistent practice and embracing failure as a learning opportunity are key to improving coloring skills.

  • What is the creator's advice on taking risks in art?

    -The creator encourages using good supplies and trying new things without fear of failure. Taking risks allows for significant growth and can lead to surprising creative achievements.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Learning and Improving Coloring Techniques

The speaker reflects on their journey in coloring, comparing a coloring page from 18 months ago to a recent one. They share seven tips to improve coloring skills, emphasizing that these techniques are applicable regardless of budget and formal art training. The first tip is learning to blend and shade colors effectively. The speaker explains the importance of practicing gradients and using two similar hues (e.g., two greens) to create depth. They also discuss pencil grip techniques, suggesting different grips for different tasks like fine details and blending. Additionally, they mention the importance of experimenting with pencil pressure and angles to achieve desired effects. The speaker concludes this section by encouraging viewers to practice blending and shading obsessively, as it forms the foundation for more advanced techniques.

05:01

πŸ“ Tips for Better Coloring and Paper Quality

The speaker continues with more tips for improving coloring pages. They discuss various pencil holding techniques, such as holding the pencil closer to the point for more control and pressure, and holding it further back for lighter layers and blending. They also recommend working in small circles to reduce harsh lines and changing the direction of lines in subsequent layers. The third tip is mixing media, such as combining pencils with markers or watercolors, to speed up the coloring process and achieve brighter colors. The fourth tip is upgrading paper quality, which can make a significant difference in the final result compared to upgrading pencils. The speaker shares their experience with different papers and recommends affordable options. They also mention the importance of using the right tools to make the learning process easier and more enjoyable. The fifth tip is adding highlights using white paint pens or gel pens for finishing touches like sparkles and reflections. The sixth tip is practice, emphasizing that regular creation and challenging oneself are key to skill development.

10:04

πŸš€ Embracing Creativity and Taking Risks

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of practice and creativity. They share their experience of creating new content every week, which has helped them develop their skills significantly. They liken creativity to a muscle that grows with use, encouraging viewers to create regularly and challenge themselves with new projects. The seventh and final tip is taking risks, which the speaker believes is crucial for growth. They discuss how fear of failure can hold people back and share their personal experience of embracing failure, leading to significant improvement in their art. The speaker invites viewers to take risks with their supplies and projects, emphasizing that even if something doesn't turn out well, the learning experience is valuable. They also mention a follow-up video where they discuss things they wish they had known as a beginner artist.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Coloring Pages

Coloring pages are sheets of paper with outlines or designs that people fill in with colors using pencils, markers, or other coloring tools. In the video, the focus is on improving the quality and appearance of coloring pages through various techniques. The creator mentions their own journey of improving coloring pages over time and shares tips to help others achieve better results.

πŸ’‘Blending

Blending refers to the technique of smoothly mixing two or more colors together to create a gradient effect or to achieve a more natural transition between colors. In the context of the video, blending is a crucial skill for enhancing coloring pages. The creator explains how to blend colored pencils by layering colors, using light pressure, and overlapping colors to create a smooth gradient. This technique helps add depth and dimension to the coloring, making it look more professional and visually appealing.

πŸ’‘Shading

Shading involves adding darker tones or colors to create the illusion of depth, shadows, and three-dimensionality in a drawing or coloring page. In the video, the creator emphasizes the importance of shading as a foundational skill for creating realistic and dynamic art. They mention that learning to shade properly can transform a flat coloring page into something more lifelike and interesting. For example, they suggest using two shades of the same color to add shadows and highlights, which helps bring the artwork to life.

πŸ’‘Layering

Layering is the process of applying multiple layers of color to build up depth and intensity. In the context of coloring pages, layering is used to achieve smooth blends and gradients. The creator explains that layering is essential for blending colors effectively. By adding more layers and gradually increasing pressure, one can create a seamless transition between colors. This technique is mentioned as a way to improve the overall quality of coloring and make it look more polished.

πŸ’‘Pencil Grip

Pencil grip refers to the way a person holds a pencil while coloring or drawing. In the video, the creator discusses different pencil grips and their impact on coloring. They mention that holding the pencil closer to the point provides more control for fine details, while holding it further back allows for lighter pressure and easier blending. The correct grip can help prevent hand pain and improve the quality of the coloring. The creator encourages experimenting with different grips to find the most comfortable and effective one for each individual.

πŸ’‘Mixing Media

Mixing media involves combining different types of art supplies, such as pencils, markers, pastels, or watercolors, in a single piece of artwork. In the video, the creator suggests mixing media as a way to speed up the coloring process and achieve brighter colors. For example, they mention starting with a layer of marker or watercolor to cover large areas quickly and then adding details with colored pencils. This technique can add variety and creativity to coloring pages and help achieve different textures and effects.

πŸ’‘Paper Quality

Paper quality refers to the characteristics of the paper used for coloring, such as its texture, thickness, and ability to handle different art supplies. In the video, the creator emphasizes that upgrading to better-quality paper can make a significant difference in the final result of coloring pages. High-quality paper can prevent issues like bleeding or tearing and can enhance the appearance of colors. The creator shares their experience of discovering that better paper had a bigger impact on their art than upgrading pencils, and they recommend specific types of paper that work well with colored pencils.

πŸ’‘Highlights

Highlights are the bright or light areas in a drawing or coloring page that reflect light and add realism. In the video, the creator mentions the importance of adding highlights to enhance the artwork. They recommend using white paint pens or gel pens to create highlights, such as sparkles or reflections on water. Adding highlights can make the coloring look more dynamic and lifelike, and the creator shares their preference for using fine-point acrylic paint pens due to their reliability and ease of use.

πŸ’‘Practice

Practice refers to the act of repeatedly doing something to improve one's skills. In the context of the video, the creator attributes their improvement in coloring to consistent practice. They mention creating new coloring pages every week, which allowed them to develop their techniques and become better at blending, shading, and using different materials. The creator encourages viewers to practice regularly and challenge themselves with new projects to enhance their coloring skills.

πŸ’‘Taking Risks

Taking risks in art means trying new techniques, materials, or approaches without fear of failure. In the video, the creator highlights the importance of taking risks as a way to grow creatively. They share their experience of learning to embrace failure and how it led to significant improvements in their art. The creator encourages viewers to experiment with their supplies and try new things, even if it might result in mistakes, because these experiences ultimately lead to learning and growth.

Highlights

The author shares seven easy tips to improve coloring pages, applicable to any budget.

The author has no formal art training and learns alongside the audience.

Learning to blend and shade colors is crucial for improving coloring pages.

Using two similar hues (e.g., two greens) helps create gradients and depth.

Layering colors with light pressure and overlapping them achieves smooth blending.

Experimenting with different pencil grips improves control and reduces hand strain.

Holding the pencil further back and using its side allows for lighter layers and better blending.

Mixing media (e.g., pencils with markers or watercolors) speeds up coloring and enhances brightness.

Upgrading paper quality has a bigger impact than upgrading pencils.

Using high-quality paper reduces frustration and makes the coloring process easier.

Adding highlights with white paint pens or gel pens enhances details and reflections.

Practicing regularly and challenging oneself to try new techniques improves coloring skills.

Creativity is like a muscle that develops with consistent use.

Taking risks and embracing failure leads to significant growth in art.

The author recommends checking out their website for favorite supplies and recommendations.

Subscribing to the channel provides access to more coloring tutorials and challenges.