Colored Pencil Painting Portraits: Master a Revolutionary Method for Rendering Depth and Imitating Life

While there are several comments complaining about her promotion of products, I look at it as her method. Naturally, anyone can choose whatever products they want that are similar. There are certainly enough of them. This is not a book for beginners. While I was an art student 100 or so years ago, my rust has been showing as I began to pick up pencil, pen, and brush after many years of ignoring one of my favorite hobbies. This book is amazing. I am very impressed with the depth of the information in it. The methods for laying down of color, blending, papers, etc., are top-notch. The Appendix compares different brands of pencils and how each brand works with standard blending methods and papers. The Index is terrific as well, and it's easy to find what you need regarding questions about the medium. The quality of the book itself is off the charts. In fact, I had to come back to Amazon to double-check the price. It is heavy, with strong, thick inner sheets. The warning I'd give is the same as others have given. If you are a beginner, this may not be the book for you. That said, put it on a shelf and come back to it later. Although on second thought, the processes taught in the book are good for anyone, in my opinion, from beginner to more advanced. Beautiful book. All i have to do now is to get my face drawing in order. :-)

This book really is a must have for every colored pencil artist, not only for those who do portraiture, the book applies to every subject! Everyone who knows colored pencils a little, knows they have their flaws and challenges, like creating timeconsuming backgrounds, like layering lighter colours on top of darker ones and like preserving the white highlights. These things had to be solved to get the colored pencil on top of all fine art mediums. So Alyona invented the colored pencil painting kit , which contains five new revolutionary supplies. In this book she describes the way you can use these supplies. They make it possible to think like an oilpainter, like creating an underpainting in tonal values, like creating backgrounds in a small amount of time and like putting white highlights on top of dark colours with such an ease that it almost feels like cheating. Alyona studied how the great masters layered with their oils and translates this system to colored pencils. I read this book almost in one shot, but I will definitely re-read it several times! It contains brilliant information, the pictures are like eye-candy and it brings something really new! There is no other book about colored pencils like this one! I really have much respect for Alyona, for the way she studied the great masters, for the way she studied the colored pencil properties and for being such a pioneer in the colored pencil world. Also, of course not the least, for the way she draws herself. I think you shouldn't hesitate to buy this one if you want to be part of this colored pencil revolution. Go for it!

Colored Pencil Painting Portraits: Master a Revolutionary Method for Rendering Depth and Imitating Life covers more than just using Powder Blender but goes over details about pencil types. The pros and cons of different pencils for different applications, using solvents for blending, details about different paper types. This book is not just a "how to draw" project book. It feels like a full semester of art classes with how much technical information is included about working in colored pencils in general. Don't worry though, if you're looking for some step by step instruction, there are quite a few demonstrations for you with that as well with tips you can apply to your own portrait work. She also shows how great working with an underpainting for portraits can work with colored pencil. You guys see me paint this way in oils or acrylics, but you can do the same with colored pencil too! Especially if you're using the Brush and Pencil products she talks about in this book. Those products really do change how we are able to layer and blend the pencils for realistic work. When I was asked to write a bit about my experience in using these products for the book I jumped at the chance! With how much I loved Alyona's first book, Colored Pencil Painting Bible (and before I had even met her so there was no bias at that point haha), I was really excited to be even a teensy bit apart of this one. I can honestly say I've enjoyed this book even more than I expected. I went into reading it thinking "I already know how to use powder blender and to draw portraits, there can't be that much for me to learn", but there really was! I love this book so much that I bought the kindle version in addition to the hard copy so that I could easily read it again and again on my phone. There is so much information packed into this book that I'm going to need to read it several times to digest it all!

Hate throwing words like revolutionary around but I do believe this deserves the title. I've bought lots of art instruction books over the years and most are a rehash of the same material presented from a slightly different artistic perspective. Nothing wrong with that-- love my reference library. But *this* book breaks new ground. Initially, I bought the book for Ms. Nickelsen's lovely portraits. I mean really! They just glow. And after reading her techniques, I honestly believe I can paint colored pencil portraits too and that in my opinion, is the hallmark of a wonderful teacher. It will take time and discipline but she offers solid instruction based on sound principles that can be practiced step by step. There's lots of information about Ms. Nickelsen's line of products and at times the writing can sound a bit like an infomercial. Normally, that's a huge turn off but, in this case, the products are a game changer and to fully utilize them, all that information is a big help. I've watched YouTube videos on her powder blender but this book trumps all those. Secondly, it definitely covers portraits but the lessons can apply to any subject. The book is not for beginners. Reading this even a year ago, I'd have been lost. Intermediate to advanced seems about right. The book is packed and it's the first time in years that I've sat down with an art book and took notes. Solid five stars.

Alyona Nickelson is a kind of “pioneer” of colored pencil painting, a dedicated researcher, generous with her knowledge of the medium and techniques. Now there are new products and approaches that can truly be called “game changers” for colored pencil artists, whether they are old hands or new to the medium. I found a lot of tips in The Colored Pencil Bible that were useful in graphite/pencil drawing as well. But, can colored pencils really be on a par with oils? If you are after painterly, impasto effects, those lush thick passages of color and texture that only paint can deliver, or if you want to work on a very large scale, then colored pencils probably aren’t going to satisfy you. If your goal is hyper-realism, you can achieve saturated or subtle gradations of color, highly realistic effects, and exceptionally fine detail with colored pencils—-and they supposedly can compete with oil paintings. To work in a “classical realist” manner, you actually have to have the same understanding of color, of underpainting and glazing, to work with colored pencils as you do with oils. So, if you are happy with oil painting, why switch? Cost is one argument—-colored pencils are less expensive. There’s no mess, no cleanup—-which is great if you don’t have a lot of space to work in. Alyona Nickelson’s book isn’t really about trying to convert all painters to colored pencil, but showing colored pencil artists of all levels of experience and skill the new , advanced possibilities of this “humble” medium. With recently developed special fixatives, blenders and highlighting products, extensive layering is now possible. And whereas the recommended support for colored pencils has always been a fairly smooth cotton paper, there is now another option—-sanded papers or boards. But colored pencil work is labor intensive and to work successfully in colored pencil—-even with all the new products and techniques—-you had better have big reserves of patience. Producing fine art takes patience no matter what your medium but getting the effects you want is slow going. I can tell you this from experience. It’s not necessarily a negative—if that’s how you like to work, but it can be trying for someone used to achieving the same results more quickly in oil or acrylic. I purchased this book because—-having used oil and acrylic extensively—- I wanted to re-acquaint myself with colored pencils. I tried the sanded paper and did not like it—-but of course this is a personal preference. I tried hot press watercolor paper and that was better, but I still did not get the results I could get with oils on paper prepared for oil. I really did like the brand of colored pencils she recommends for a lot of her work—-Faber Castell Polycolor—-but will probably end up using them in conjunction with oil paint or graphite.

As I began anew my journey into pencil drawing, and searched Amazon for 'how to' books, this book came up on the screen. This book definitely falls into the must have category for the visual step by step processes, but more than that, this book is a must have for they way it lifts the creative spirit. Be prepared to be totally amazed. Each page reveals the delicate transitions the artist takes to render the finished masterpieces. One can see how it is done, but remain in awe by the final work of art. Alyona Nickelsen is a master! Yet, a master that is not unwilling to share how it is done, and help motivate the beginner to persevere with continued practice, study, and observation. I give the book highest ratings. I give 5-stars to the perfect condition in which I received the book. 5-stars to the fast delivery once I ordered it. 5-stars to the reasonable price. And 5-stars to the book's truth to its Amazon advertisement. I would definitely recommend this book to others. I would, if need be, purchase this book again. It is an inspirational book not just for its lessons and teaching, but for the ability to access and study and be close up to the completed artwork itself. To know that pencils can render works of art equal to those of oil on canvas is magical.

Gorgeous, delicious book. Can’t stop reading it. Now I just need to start using it in my art work. If you have any interest in creating portraits in colored pencil, you owe it to yourself to get this book.

This is a great book for theory and information. It is not a beginners book on having fun with colored pencils. It is a serious look at how it works - how to use color, blending, and other information. In my mind it is a bit advanced. But I really like the info.

Bellissimo peccato che è scritto in inglese

It is always great to learn new techniques. I have been using colored pencils as a professional artist for over 40 years . I thought I had come up with the techniques I developed , they evolved over the years. Nice to see so many others growing and developing new ways with colored pencil .

bottom line: this is a very interesting books full of qaulity and technical informations, BUT every other pages the author advertise the specific brand of product she developped to obtain her gorgeous and stunning results. Unfortunately those products are not so easy to find moreover being "exclusive they are pricey. Costing twice as much as other products of the same type. I realized it woul dcost me an extra 100€ to get the recommended products. The author skills and expertise is obvious, and well known. Her long term dedication to improve on classic colored pencil techniques is commendable. I also understand her desire to turn her work and research into a business. But you must be aware that the books heavily advertise the specific equipments she developped, and which she sells through her own website in the USA and through only a very few retailers worlwide. However the subtitle is fair, books is packed with insightfull advices and new ideas and help a lot understanding the process of layering colored pencils to obtain great results. The main focus is on "painting with colored pencil like the traditional oil painting approach, which means multiple layers covered by the speicfic textured fixative. Which remove the usual problem of applying colored pencil when the tooth of the paper is allready filled with previous layers. The technical discussion in itself is highly intersting. Also note that the book focus on portraits drawing, and several chapters are portraits specific, however the general tehnique can be applied to any subject. The content in itself is 5 stars, if it where not for the aforementioned issues. So this really depends on what you are looking for. This is not for beginner but even intermediate users might benefit a lot fromt his book. The equipment necessary to obtains those results is on the expensive side for an amateur but should not be a problem for professsionals. Even with the mentionned products you might benefit from the book you may find subsitute , but it will require some trials and errors. Recommended with reservations.

This is great resource for artists who want to work with colored pencil in a realistic way. Her book has detailed instructions, covering everything from material selection and layering methods to capturing lifelike skin tones and subtle facial expressions. Excellent.

Libro de calidad artística tan bello como indispensable Disponía en mi modesta biblioteca personal de un libro anterior de esta gran artista norteamericana (Alyona Nickelsen), titulado "Colored Pencil Painting Bible". Me cautivó desde la primera hasta la última de sus páginas, tanto por la belleza de las ilustraciones como por las enseñanzas que esta artista imparte en dicho libro. Y ahora, con la compra de este segundo título, "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits", mi admiración por ella y por su talento ha aumentado en grado superlativo. Recomiendo sinceramente su compra; será un placer su lectura, estudio y consulta para cualquier persona con sensibilidad artística.