Blueberry Pickin' Time in Tennessee

Since it is blueberry picking time in our area, I wanted to share a painting and technique that highlights blueberries. Painting this basket of blueberries can be as much fun and as easy as picking and eating them.

This painting was done using watercolor pencils. Watercolor pencils can be used in several ways and one or all of the ways can be used in the same painting. Below are some tips on how to use watercolor pencils:

How do I use watercolor pencils?
Using watercolor pencils is very similar to using a “regular” pencil or colored pencil. You hold them the same way, you sharpen them the same way, and they can be erased.

When water is added is then their uniqueness appears!

• You can use by painting with clean water over your drawing
• You can lift paint off of the pencil with a brush and then apply it to your paper
• You can wet the pencil and then draw with it
• You can wet the picture and then apply the pencil.
• OR, you can use all of the above in the same painting!


Applying a Wet Paint Brush to a Watercolor Pencil Drawing
By painting over a watercolor pencil drawing with a brush that has been loaded with clean water, the pencil lines “dissolve” into watercolor paint. The intensity of the wash produced depends on the amount of the pencil that has been applied to the paper; the more pencil, the more intense the color. Hint: It is easier to lay down color using a dull pencil rather than a sharp one). Be selective in which areas you turn into washes to make the most of the unique properties of watercolor pencils.

Lifting Color Straight Off a Watercolor Pencil with a Brush
To load a brush with a particular color, treat the pencil tip in the same way you would a pan of watercolor—wet your brush, then use the brush tip to pick up the color from the watercolor pencil.

Wetting a Watercolor Pencil Before Using It
If you dip the tip of a watercolor pencil into some clean water or dampen the tip with a wet brush, then draw with it, you will get lines of intense color. As the pencil dries out, the line will be become lighter.

Using a Watercolor Pencil on a Wet Surface
If you dampen your paper before you apply the watercolor pencil, you’ll get softer, broader lines of color than if you draw on dry paper. Work carefully; pencils that are extremely sharp may damage the surface of the paper.

Scraping Color off a Watercolor Pencil
To create texture: use a knife or palette knife to scrape off bits of pencil. Sprinkle these onto wet paper, or drop a bit of water on top of them and watch the color spread out.

Using Watercolor Pencils “Dry”You can use the pencils dry in the same way as an ordinary pencil. You can leave some of the pencil undisturbed or apply fine detail with a dry pencil once the washes have dried!

So "pick" up a watercolor pencil and work on a painting!