Creating realism with coloured pencils is an art form that requires careful attention to detail, but not every detail. These three tips will help you achieve lifelike results while maintaining balance and depth in your work.

1. Balance Your Details

It might sound counterintuitive, but achieving realism isn’t about adding every tiny hair or fur strand. Instead, focus on contrasts—lights, darks, and shadows. Real animals don’t reveal every single detail to the naked eye, and neither should your artwork. Emphasise areas of high detail in some places and softer, less defined areas in others. This variation helps your work look natural and structured, rather than overly detailed and flat.

2. Use Black Wisely

Black is a powerful tool for creating depth and vibrancy, when used correctly, it enhances shadows and adds dimension without overwhelming your piece. Try layering black over other colours, like reds or violets, to deepen tones subtly. A slightly translucent black, like Polychromos, works beautifully for this purpose. It allows you to build shadows while keeping the richness of those colours underneath, creating a more realistic effect.

3. Lose the Outline

Animals don’t have outlines, and your artwork shouldn’t either. Avoid hard, defined edges that disconnect your piece from its background. Instead, aim for “lost edges,” where parts of the subject blend gently into the background. This technique creates a naturallook and avoids the cut-out effect. Reserve strong edges for areas of high contrast, such as where light meets shadow, and let other areas blend softly into the surrounding space.

Bonus Tip: Let Your Subject Breathe!

Consider how your piece interacts with the space around it. Give it plenty of room with clean, open areas. This allows it to breathe and create a more polished finish.

Focus on these three key techniques—balancing details, using black effectively, and mastering lost edges—and you’ll elevate your coloured pencil portraits to new levels of realism!

Make sure to watch the video at the top of the page to learn a little more about these three tips!