Unlock the Vibrant World of Prismacolor Pencils
You’ve just unboxed your first set of Prismacolor pencils, the soft, wax-based cores gleaming with potential. Or perhaps you’ve had them for a while, but your drawings still don’t have that smooth, photorealistic blend or luminous color you see online. The gap between having professional tools and creating professional art can feel frustrating.
Prismacolor Premier colored pencils are a favorite among illustrators, portrait artists, and hobbyists for a reason. Their rich pigmentation and blendable wax binder allow for effects that cheaper pencils simply can’t achieve. But to harness their full power, you need to move beyond basic coloring techniques.
This guide breaks down the exact methods, from paper choice to final sealant, that will transform how you use your Prismacolor pencils. We’ll cover the foundational techniques, advanced blending secrets, and crucial troubleshooting tips to help you create artwork that pops off the page.
Laying the Groundwork for Success
Before your pencil touches paper, your choices in materials will dictate your success. Prismacolor pencils demand a specific partnership with their surface to perform correctly.
Choosing the Right Paper is Non-Negotiable
Standard printer or sketch paper will leave you fighting a losing battle. The wax cores need a surface with enough tooth, or texture, to grab and hold multiple layers of pigment. Smooth paper fills up too quickly, leading to a shiny, plastic-like finish where no more color can be added.
For most work, a medium-tooth, heavyweight paper is ideal. Look for these specific types:
– Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board (Smooth or Vellum surface): The vellum finish offers more tooth for building layers, while the smooth is excellent for fine detail.
– Stonehenge Paper: A lush, 100% cotton paper that holds layers beautifully.
– Canson Mi-Teintes: A popular, more affordable option with a velvety texture on one side.
– Hot-Press Watercolor Paper: Provides a sturdy, slightly textured surface.
Always ensure your paper is securely taped down to a rigid board. This prevents buckling from the pressure of layering and keeps your surface stable for detailed work.
Understanding Your Core Tools
Prismacolor pencils are wax-based. This is their superpower and their quirk. The wax binder makes them incredibly soft and blendable, but it also means they can develop a waxy buildup called “wax bloom” over time, and their points break easily.
Keep a dedicated, high-quality pencil sharpener on hand. A dull point forces you to press harder, which crushes the paper’s tooth prematurely. A manual crank sharpener with a helical blade, like those from Dahle or Derwent, provides a clean, long point without chewing up the pencil.
Beyond pencils, gather these essential allies:
– A colorless blender pencil (Prismacolor makes one): This is a pencil with a clear wax core used to melt and mix layers.
– Odorless mineral spirits (OMS) like Gamsol and blending stumps/tortillons: For advanced, paint-like blending.
– A soft, vinyl eraser for lifting small highlights.
– A drafting brush to keep wax crumbs off your paper.
Mastering Foundational Application Techniques
Great Prismacolor art is built in layers. The goal is to gradually build up color and value, not to achieve full saturation in one pass.
The Art of Light Layering
Start every area with a whisper, not a shout. Use a sharp pencil and the absolute lightest pressure you can manage. This first layer should barely tint the paper. This initial “underpainting” establishes your color map without filling the paper’s texture.
Gradually increase pressure with each subsequent layer, always working with a sharp point. This method, called “burnishing,” comes later. For now, focus on building up 3-5 light layers. You’ll notice the color becoming more vibrant and solid with each pass. This patience prevents the waxy, shiny patch that comes from pressing too hard too soon.
Controlling Pressure for Dimension
Pressure is your primary tool for creating light and shadow. Practice making gradient swatches. Start with heavy pressure on one end of a rectangle and gradually lighten your touch until the pencil just kisses the paper on the other end.
In your drawings, reserve the heaviest pressure for the deepest shadows and the most intense focal points. Mid-tones should use a medium, consistent touch. Highlights are often the white of the paper left untouched, or colored with a very light layer of a pale hue.
Advanced Blending for Seamless Transitions
This is where Prismacolors truly sing. Blending eliminates the visible strokes of the pencil, creating smooth gradients and realistic textures.
Using the Colorless Blender Pencil
The blender pencil is your first-line tool for wax-based blending. After applying 2-3 layers of your base colors, take your sharp colorless blender and go over the area with firm, even pressure.
The clear wax binder in this pencil melts the layers beneath, pushing pigment into the paper’s tooth and creating a uniform, glossy finish. It darkens values slightly and intensifies color. Use it section by section, and be aware that after blending an area, it becomes difficult to add more pencil on top effectively.
Solvent Blending for a Painterly Effect
For the smoothest possible blend, akin to an oil painting, use odorless mineral spirits. Apply your pencil layers as usual. Then, using a small, pointed brush or a tightly wound paper stump (tortillon), dip the tip in a tiny amount of OMS.
Gently stroke the penciled area. The solvent will dissolve the wax binder, turning the pigment into a temporary wash that flows into the paper grain. This method creates incredibly smooth gradients, perfect for skin tones, skies, and fabric. Let the area dry completely before applying more pencil on top.
Always work in a ventilated area, keep solvents in a sealed container, and use a dedicated, non-absorbent surface underneath your paper.
Layering and Burnishing in the Correct Order
Burnishing is the final step, where you apply a heavy layer of pencil (often a light color like white, cream, or a light grey) to completely fill the paper’s tooth, creating a smooth, shiny surface. The critical rule: All blending and color work must be done before you burnish.
Once an area is burnished, the paper texture is gone, and you cannot effectively add more color. A common technique is to burnish highlights. For example, on a red apple, you would layer your reds, blend them, and then use a white or pale yellow pencil with heavy pressure on the highlight area to make it pop.
Troubleshooting Common Prismacolor Problems
Even with the right techniques, you might hit some snags. Here’s how to solve the most frequent issues.
Dealing with Waxy Buildup and Wax Bloom
Over time, a hazy white film can appear on your finished artwork. This is “wax bloom,” where excess wax from the binder migrates to the surface. Don’t panic. It’s not permanent.
Gently buff the surface with a soft, clean cloth or a tissue. For stubborn bloom, some artists use a tiny bit of odorless mineral spirits on a cloth. To prevent it, avoid using an excessive number of layers in one spot and ensure your work is stored flat, not in a hot environment.
Fixing Broken Pencils and Preserving Points
Prismacolor pencils are soft and can break inside the casing, especially if dropped. If a pencil tip retracts and won’t sharpen, the core is likely broken. You can sometimes fix this by gently heating the pencil barrel with a hairdryer to soften the glue, allowing the core to re-adhere.
To prevent breaks, never sharpen over your artwork (crumbs can stain), and rotate the pencil constantly while drawing to wear the point evenly. Store pencils horizontally in a case.
When Colors Look Dull or Grainy
If your colors aren’t vibrant, you’re likely not using enough layers or the right paper. Graininess means the paper’s tooth is still visible, which happens when you try to burnish too early or on paper that’s too rough.
The fix is to go back to light layering. Build up color slowly. Dullness can also be a result of using black to darken colors. Instead, try using complementary colors (e.g., use dark purple or navy to darken a yellow, not black) for more luminous shadows.
Your Strategic Path to Colored Pencil Mastery
Mastering Prismacolor pencils is a journey of layered learning. Start by committing to the right paper and practicing pressure control on scrap sheets. Create simple color charts and gradient scales before jumping into a complex piece.
Plan your drawings. Work from light to dark, and remember the golden rule: blend and color first, burnish last. Don’t be afraid to use solvents, but master the blender pencil first. Most importantly, embrace the waxiness—it’s what gives these pencils their unique, blendable character.
Your next step is to apply these techniques to a simple subject, like a single piece of fruit. Focus on achieving a smooth gradient from highlight to core shadow. From there, you’ll have the confidence to layer these skills into portraits, landscapes, and illustrations that fully showcase the vibrant, professional potential sitting in your pencil case.
