Realistic Mixed Media Illustrations: Combining Markers and Colored Pencils

1. Introduction: One needs to spend several hours or even days on colored pencil drawing to capture the depth and details required for realism. This long medium could be dputic to some, but for others, it could be a limitation because of the time constraint they face. What if I told you that you can speed up your colored pencil drawings and yet produce such vibrant detailed drawings by combining it with another medium? In this class, we will use alcohol markers to create an underpainting for our colored pencil drawings. Hi, Sitha, an artist and an art instructor, based out of Backlog India. You can find me on social media as art Underscore by Underscore Sita. I work mostly with dry media like colored pencils and pastels. I have already published a few beginner friendly classes on these mediums on Skillshare, and a couple of them are staff pigs, too. So what's new in this class? Let's find out. Most of you might own a set of alcohol markers lying somewhere, waiting to be used. Can create stunning illustrations with just markers alone, and that is an entirely different topic. Our aim in this class is to combine markers with colored pencils and make all easier. While markers bring in the depth the extra vibrancy and speed to the drawing, colored pencils are perfect for blending, adding finer details and textures. I will explain the materials required, the techniques that will be followed, and a few useful tips to take your skills to the next level. After that, we will move on to the class project, which includes these three illustrations. You can draw any one of these or even all three. I will provide you with a reference photo, take you through the process of choosing the colors, and then we'll explain to you how to use markers as a base for your drawings before adding details and textures with colored pencils. This class is perfect for those who would like to explore the possibilities of combining different mediums or for those who would like to reduce the time they spent on realistic colored pencil drawings. You can take this class if you have never ever used alcohol markers, as we are only using them as a means to speed up the process. Main medium, however, will be colored pencils. You need not be a pro at colored pencils to take this class, but you will find it easier if you have had some basic colored pencils knowledge and experience. If you're completely new to this medium, then as a prerequisite, please watch any of my beginner friendly colored pencil classes on skill share to understand the basics. I towards the end. This class opens some new possibilities for you when it comes to mixed media or see you in class. 2. Class Structure & Project: Before we begin, let me explain to you how the class is structured, what will be included in the following lessons, and what to expect for your class p. I will first explain the materials required for the class and what to keep in mind while choosing them. Please note that the goal of the class is to combine two different mediums, markers, and colored pencils to create realistic drawings. So we will not go in depth of each of these mediums, but rather we will try to utilize the best features of both of these mediums to our advantage. But in case you would like to get an in depth understanding of colored pencil techniques. You can watch my previous colored pencil classes here on Skillshare. In case you would like to get a deeper understanding on how to observe a reference photo, break it down and identify the colors. You can watch my class on the same topic. Of course, I will be sharing colored pencil tips and techniques in this class as well, and also we'll explain with examples how to use colored pencils along with markers. You need to do is watch that particular lesson carefully. Understand the techniques, practice a bit, and then you are good to start the class project. You can always post your questions in the discussion section, and I will guide you. For the class project, I have chosen these three illustrations. First, a tomato, then an apple slice, and finally, this popsicle. I will provide you with a reference photos and explain the process of choosing colors with the help of a color chart. I will also suggest alternatives if you don't have the exact shades. These are simple subjects, and you can easily sketch them out. I have also included a time lapse of how I sketch them out. You can follow along with me and draw any of these, or, if possible, all three subjects. I'm sure you will be able to follow the instructions quite easily as I have demonstrated the steps in a simple manner to cater to beginners as well. You can upload your drawings in the projects and resources section of this class so that I can have a look and give feedback. All right, then. Let's get started by gathering the materials required for this class. 3. Materials Required: You will need alcohol markers. Any brand of your choice. A set of 24 is sufficient for this class as we are just using them for the underpainting. I will be using these markers from Artisa and a few from Windsor and Newton. They have a bullet tip on one end and a chisel tip on the other. I will be mostly using the bullet tip as I feel it gives me more control. If your marker has a brush tip, then you can also use the same. You will also need colored pencils, preferably a set of 48. A set of 24 is fine, but then few brands may not include grays in them, so I will be using grace and few other shades from a bigger set too. You can use either wax based or oil based colored pencils. I have used wax based colored pencils, namely prisma color Premier set of 24 and a few shades from Derwin Croma flow and arndah Luminus. A white gel pen is optional for highlights. You can also use a very opaque white colored pencil instead. You will need basic stationery like a graphite pencil, eraser, and a sharpener. I will be using this mixed media paper from Stratmo. The paper that you choose plays an important role here. As we are using alcohol markers, ensure that you use a thicker paper that can hold the medium. If the paper isn't thick enough or not designed to hold markers, then the pigment might bleed through, and also the paper might not be able to take in many layers. I suggest you first try making some swatches or a rough drawing and test the paper. I will be using a craft knife and a battery operated eraser for texture and highlights. These are optional. You can do the same with a white pencil. In the next lesson, we will understand some important tips and techniques to be followed. 4. Basic Techniques: Most alcohol markers come with two tips, a bullet tip and a chisel tip. A chisel tip is generally used for calligraphy. Some markers even have a brush tip. Since we are using markers for just the underpainting and not doing the entire drawing with them, it actually doesn't matter which end you are using. But in my opinion, a bullet tip gives more control when it comes to coloring and blending. I have used the bullet tip throughout the lessons. But for this popsicle, I have tried using a chisel tip as well. You will see this in detail in one of the lessons. Markers help cover large areas quickly, easily filling the tooth of the paper. You will notice that this not only speeds up the process, but also end result will be smoother and vibrant. Of course, you can do the entire drawing with just markers if you use a bigger set. But our intention here is to just use them for the initial layers as an underpainting, and then add colored pencils for further layers, textures, and details. If you were to do the same drawing with just colored pencils, it would have taken twice the time, at least. We will try to combine the best of both worlds. Please be informed that speeding the process doesn't mean that you can magically finish the drawing in just a few minutes. It depends on the subject and the amount of details you want to add. Let me explain the techniques that we will be following in this class. When using markers with colored pencils, the order is important. Always, use markers first and colored pencils next. Once you add colored pencils, you will not be able to use markers on top of them because the surface gets slippery, and also this could damage the marker tip. Consider this reference picture. The highlight and the light tones are on your left hand side. Towards the center, we have the mid tones, and then at the right, we have the dark tones. If we were to draw this with just colored pencils, our approach would be to go from light to dark, starting with peach or light orange for light tones, orange or amelin for mid tone, reds for dark tones, and a magenta or a Tescan red for the extreme dark tone on the right. But while using markers for base layers, we start directly with a midtone, in this case, orange, and then we add a dark tone that is red and then blend them a bit. After that, we add the lightest tones and the darker tones with colored pencils. You can see that the light tones here pop nicely on a mid tone base. You can even add a white highlight quite easily on the marker base. The white looks more opaque here as compared to adding it on just colored pencils. Your paste layer with markers need not be perfect or need not be blended smoothly. Just block out the area with the main color that you see, preferably the mid tone. If you add a very dark tone with markers initially, then it is very difficult to add more layers and details with colored pencils as they won't be visible. Avoid adding too many layers with markers. All the blending and retailing will be done with colored pencils. Try to make swatches and rough sketches before starting the drawing. This will help you decide on the color palette. There are chances of pencil dust getting accumulated on your paper because after the application of markers, the surface becomes smooth and will not be able to hold a lot of pencil pigment if you apply heavy pressure. Try working on an easel or keep your paper inclined so that the dust gets accumulated at the bottom of the desk and not on the paper. Or if you're keeping the paper flat on the desk like this, then gently tap the dust of the paper and erase any pencil marks with a needed eraser. All right. Time to start our first class project. 5. Tomato Illustration Color Chart: Let's start with the tomato illustration. This is the reference picture that we'll be using. Please download it from the projects and resis section and observe it for a few minutes. Try to identify the light tones, mid tones, and dark tones. In this case, the lightest tone will be a golden orange or even a peach shade. Mid tones will be orange and scarlet. Dark tones will be deep red along with maroon. I will now make a color chart so that you can get an idea of what colors to use. Try to pick similar colors depending on what you have. As explained earlier, we will start with markers first. That means we need to start with the mid tone. In this case, orange. Next, you can also use a red for a darker tone. As for colored pencils, start with the light tones like this light orange or pink, a white for the highlight. I will explain how to layer these colors in the next lesson. As of now, just watch this lesson and try to identify the colors that we will need. Next, for mid tones, you can choose orange, scarlet, or red. For dark tones on the right, you can use a deeper red like crimson. You can also mix red and magenta or red and a moron. Moving on to the stalk, you will need a lemon yellow or a lime green, and then a slightly darker green for the marker base. As for colored pencils, I have chosen the shade of green. You can also use a lemon yellow and a light green for the lighter tones. For mid tones, use a darker green and also a bluish green. For extreme dark tones, use a very dark green along with a deep blue or indigo. These two shades when combined together produce a rich deep green. For the shadow, for all the three drawings in this class, I have used these two shades of grace. You can use a light gray if you don't have a dark gray marker. You will need one or two gray colored pencils and also a dark brown and also a white. Now, let's sketch it out. Just a simple sketch without much details. Once done, erase any harsh graphite lines. In the next lesson, let's start coloring. 6. Tomato Illustration Part 1: First, block in the mid tone, that is orange. And then a slightly dark tone like a scarlet or even a pinkish red. I'm using the bullet tip and moving the marker circularly. As much possible, try to shade uniformly and avoid a streaky look. Observe the reference closely. The darker tone should be on the right hand side and wherever there are shadows. You don't have to blend mu with markers. All that can be done with pencils. Once the white of the paper is covered, you can start adding colored pencils. As explained in the previous lesson, start with light orange and a light pink or peach. Oh. Mark the highlights with a white. Generally, for a pure colored pencil drawing, I insist on using a very light pressure for the first few layers and then gradually increase the pressure as you build up layers. But here, since we already have the paper white covered with the markers, we don't have to add as many layers. Hence, you can start with a medium pressure. But the techniques are the same. Move circularly overlap adjacent colors. Move on to darker oranges and reds. For the shadows below the stalk, I'm using a crimson red. Der For the darkest areas, especially on the right, use deep reds or maroons or burgundy. For the water drops, first make the shape with the dark red and then fill in with a mid tone and a light tone. Add highlights with a white. You can use a white gel pen if you have one, or else a good opaque white pencil will also do the job. In the next lesson, let's color the stock and do the shadows. K 7. Tomato Illustration Part 2: For the stock, start with a yellow or a lime green marker. Cover the entire area first towards the end at a darker shade of green. Now, build up the layers with pencils with a yellow or a fresh green like this one, and then a grass green or a green. O bserve the reference picture carefully, and you will notice hints of blues as well, at a bluish green or simply blend a green and blue together. Next, add the dark tones with a dark green. Don't go for a smooth look here. The stalk is quite textured, so adding those tiny marks and scratches. The Use a deep blue along with a dark green to get a very dark tone. Don't restrict yourself while using a dark tone here. We need a good contrast. Also, in between, you can always go back and make adjusts. Add blues or yellows, if needed. Add a white where you can see the highlights. I'm using a craft knife and gently scraping off some pigment to create texture. This part would have been quite easy to do if I had used only colored pencils. It is a bit tricky now as I have used markers for base layers. Nevertheless, you can add these tiny details with a sharp pencil too. You can use yellow or white. For the shadow, use a light gray and a dark gray marker, or just a light gray is also fine. The cast shadow is darker towards the base of the tomato. Hence, using a dark gray here. Oh. I'm trying to make the shadow quite smooth using a very light gray colored pencil. For darker areas, using a dark gray and a dark brown, add a couple of layers and blend. You can use a white pencil here so that the shadow doesn't end abruptly. Just merge it into the white of the paper. Here is the completed drawing. The drawing looks extra vibrant and smooth because of the marker under painting. In any realistic drawing, I try to get the contrast right. You can clearly observe the light and tones here. Aim for getting the values and textures right and not on replicating each and every detail from the reference. I hope the instructions were easy to follow along, and in case you have any questions or you feel stuck somewhere, please feel free to start a discussion in this class. I will try my best to help you out. Once done, please upload the drawing in the projects and resources section. I shall see you soon in the next lesson. 8. Apple Illustration Color Chart: For our next project, we will be drawing this apple slice. We will be drawing the slice on the right. Please download this reference photo from the projects and Resus section. Let's start with the upper section. I will not be using a lot of markers here as it is quite pale. I will only mark the darkest area on the top with a golden yellow. For the remaining areas, use a pale yellow or a cream colored pencil. You will also need a golden yellow and a blush pink to mark the details. I will demonstrate the same in the next lesson. For now, I'm just making a color chart. For the sat, use a dark brown and a reddish brown or burnt sienna. For the underpainting on the peel, use a red vermulion, yellow and an apricot shade like this one. As for colored pencils, you will need red, deep red, orange, yellow, pink, and a cream. For the shadow, light gray and a darker gray marker, like how we used in the previous lesson, and a similar set of colored pencils. Also, dark brown and a couple of creamy shades of colored pencils that we used in the beginning. I will shortly explain how to use them. Now, let's finish the line drawing. It's quite simple. Just make a semicircle and modify it. And once done, lighten the sketch. Let's start coloring in the next lesson. 9. Apple Illustration: Roughly mark this golden yellow on top with a marker. In fact, you can even skip this and directly start with colored pencils if you don't have the shade in your marker set. For the remaining part, if you have a pale yellow or cream colored marker, you can use it for the base layer. I did not have such a light shade, and hence I directly used colored pencils. Observe the reference photo, and you will notice that this area is a bit textured. So use the texture of the paper to your advantage. You don't have to blend too much or burnish it to make it smooth. Of course, you can use a white pencil in between to bring all the colors together. Oh You can use a pink here at the sides. For the seed, use a very dark brown and burn sienna or a lighter brown. For the peel or the skin, just mark all the colors that you see, that is red, orange, yellow, and peach or pink. And then use the same shades of pencils to smoothen them out. Oh You can see a few yellow dots here in the reference. I'm using a battery operated eraser to lift off some pigment and then we add the yellow dots with a pencil. You can also scrape the pigment off with a craft knife. In case you don't have both these tools, then try to leave these tiny spots white in the beginning itself by not adding any color there. These tools are quite handy for such tiny details, especially if you forget to leave the highlight area white and if you've already added color. You can easily lift off the pigment and rectify your mistakes. Now, adding in all the remaining details on top. Use a couple of gray and a golden and also a white. The process of doing the shadow is similar to that of the tomato. But here, if you carefully observe the reference, along with grace, you will notice hints of creams and pinks from the apple on the shadow re. Here is the final d rawing. I'm looking forward to seeing yours in the projects and section. In the next lesson, let's start the popsicle drawing. 10. Popsicle Illustration Color Chart: Let's get started with this popsicle drawing. This is the reference picture. I have marked two green popsicles here. I have actually combined these two. I wanted to draw the dark green popsicle at the bottom, but I also liked the orientation of the light green popsicle at the top. Other than that, this one had a shadow to. Hence, I rotated the photo this way so that it's easier. Let's do the color chart first. You will need a light green and a dark green marker. Colred pencils corresponding to the same and few additional greens, if you have, like an olive green or a sap green and a very dark green. You can also use an indigo to darken the green. For the popsicle stick, you can use a pale yellow or cream marker and colored pencils in the same shape. Additionally, you can use a yellow ochre or brown ocre or even a very light brown for the details. The shadow is quite simple. Use a light gray and dark gray. For the line drawing, draw a rectangle this way and then modify it. I have included the time laps. Lighten the sketch, and let's get started with the coloring part. 12. Closing Thoughts and Key Takeaways : Thank you for watching this class. I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. You now know how to use markers for creating an underpainting for your colored pencil drawings, and then to add the details and textures with colored pencils. I'm sure you are now more confident with realistic colored pencil drawings. I hope you were able to apply the techniques learned and complete the class project. I can't wait to see your drawings. Please upload them in the projects and resources section so that I can have a look and provide feedback. If you share your drawings on Instagram, please tag me there so that I can reshare them. In case you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to start a discussion in this class. If you enjoyed this class, please consider leaving a review here. Your feedback is important to me as it will help this class reach a wider audience and help me come up with better ideas for my next class. You can follow my profile on Skillshare, if you'd like to get notified whenever I post a discussion or publish a new class. That's all for now. See you soon. Oh.