Covid #6 Challenge: A new Hue

 It's been fun to see your works and watch the different ways each of you have approached the challenge of creating tonal variations in Red. But now for a more tricky one:

YELLOW (3 ways)

Yellow can be difficult to work with as it is strongly affected by the addition of any other color. If you add too much blue or violet it turns green. If you add red it gets too orange. And then, if you add grey tones you can end up with a muddy olive color. When working with yellow it is important to understand that it is bright, light tone. Just about anything you add (except white) is going to darken and change the tone. So you need to start light, with your lightest yellows and only add darker tones in the final stages to create form and shadow.

To demonstrate I have prepared 3 drawings showing technique for 3 different mediums; Ink or Inktense or watercolor pencils, Prismacolor/waxed pencils, and just for DH, graphite over color.

Ink

'When Life Gives You Lemons' ©Linda Weil

I have done this work in Inktense pencils. Note you can achieve a similar result with watercolor pencils or watercolor, but you need to be wary of how watercolor can move and wash away previous layers. Please see the image below showing the 'steps' and pencils used to achieve this work.

Color Pencils

'Lemon #2' ©Linda Weil

Working with color pencils is fun - and learning how to layer is key. Note in this work I have used a Derwent colorless blender in one of the steps. You do not need this, you can blend the pencils together by adding more pressure in the next layer, or use a white or light pencil over the top to work as a blender. Remember, when using a blending pencil it can alter the tooth of the drawing making successive layers more difficult to add.

Adding Graphite

And finally, if you are not overly comfortable with working in color, yellow is the perfect hue to include in a graphite work. It isn't overpowering, and graphite works well with it when used to add tone. In this little drawing done in 210 Art Spectrum drawing paper (pad), I put down a single layer of yellow using Inktense block color and washing it, taking care to leave the white highly showing. Once dry I then worked over it using various hatching techniques to create the illusion of form.

'Lemon #3' ©Linda Weil

The Challenge:

Draw something yellow! Use one of the three techniques I have shown you here - or do your own thing. Just remember to be aware of keeping the yellows bright and sunny. Have fun!