Iris in Colored Pencil

Layering and blending colored pencils builds rich colors and values. Combine this with embossing and outlining the drawing with a hard Verathin pencil to precisely control detail. Outlining the drawing at the start helps to contain the subsequent pencil strokes, making it easier to make a crisp and clean drawing. Detail is the last step. Had it been applied early in the process, it would have been smudged by the Odorless Mineral Spirits and lost beneath layers of deepening color. Click on the first image to start a step-by-step slideshow.