Colored pencils, also known as pencil crayons, are not actually pencils in the normal sense at all. Colored pencils are not filled with graphite (or lead), but with a wax-like substance containing pigments and fillers. Colored pencils are versatile tools, and are used in a variety of ways.
Features
Colored pencils are available in a wide variety of colors, depending on how much you want to spend on a set. Basic colored pencils, such as those sold with children's school supplies, contain about a dozen colors, but professional colored pencil kits can contain more than a hundred. If you don't want to spend the extra money on a high-end colored pencil kit, learn to blend the colors from your smaller kit for a similar effect.
Function
Colored pencils can be called pencil crayons, and they live up to the name. The write with the bright colors of a crayon, but are precise and functional as a pencil. To vary the strength of a colored pencil line or shaded area, a light touch can be used to leave only a faint line. A heavy stroke can leave a pleasingly dark line, but be careful not to apply too much pressure, as this can break your pencils.
Potential
Colored pencils are capable of a surprising variety of drawing techniques. Shading, hatching, scumbling and burnishing are all possible with a sharp colored pencil. When you get your first set of colored pencils, spend a little time learning about the techniques you can perform with them. Later on, these techniques will be useful for your drawings.
Potential
Rather than creating an entire sketch with colored pencils, try creating a full sketch first with a standard graphite pencil. Then, when you've fleshed out the drawing, add colored accents with your colored pencils. The final effect can look professional, and is an easy way to augment your normal sketching.
Expert Insight
Keep in mind that the marks left by a colored pencil are actually contained on top of the paper surface. To add a different look to your drawings, try overlaying two colors thickly in a single space on your paper. After you have done this, use a paperclip to gently scratch away the top color layer, revealing the bottom color in a sharp way.
