This encyclopedia explains the basic characteristics and colour
ranges of all the main types of coloured pencil, from hard and soft leaded and
wax based pencils to pastel varieties. It teaches how to exploit the linear
qualities of the medium and gives step by step visual demonstrations of all the
key techniques of using them, right from blending, blocking in and burnishing
to agraffito, stippling and impressing. The effects they produce are elaborately
illustrated. Besides, the book is almost a visual gallery of finished examples
that show how practicing artists make imaginative and dynamic use of the
various techniques to present their personal interpretation of a wide range of
popular and the not-so-popular subjects. The encyclopedia is written in two parts. Part
one is all about techniques and Part two about themes. The techniques explain
blending, blocking in, burnishing, collage, contour drawing, counter-proofing,
dashes and dots, drawing into paint, erasure techniques, filing in, fixing,
frottage, gradation, hatching, handling pencils, highlighting, impressing,
working with ink and pencil, line and wash, linear marks, line qualities,
markers, masking, mixing pencils, overlaying colours, effect of paper grain,
pastel and pencil, patch correction, shading, sgraffito, sketching, solvents,
squaring up and down, stencilling, stippling, textured grounds, tracing and white
line technique. Under Themes, Judy Martin dealing with landscape and cityscape
writes about colour studies, shapes and textures, light and atmosphere,
buildings, facades and townscapes. A chapter is devoted to domestic and
decorative objects, toys and fruits and ephimera. About nature, there are
flowers and foliage, container plants, animal studies, pattern and texture and
animal movement. A chapter on people helps drawing and creating individuals,
groups, children, life studies, movement, environment, expressive portraits,
character studies and full length portraits. Every chapter ends in a
‘demonstration’ and an index gives easy access to topic one is looking for.