Nina’s Top Ten (or so) Green Pencils for
Botanicals
Good Green Pencils
Faber-Castells
170 May Green
168 Earth Green Yellowish
167 Permanent Green Olive
174 Chrome Green Opaque
278 Chrome Oxide Green
172 Earth Green
165 Juniper Green
 Play with coloring leaf shapes on your drawing
paper and create a chart to try out different
mixes of green and working with green pencils
to create more natural leaves.
 Study your leaf to get a feel for its nature. Is it
shiny, stiff, wavy or bumpy? What do you need
to show to illustrate this leaf?
Prismacolor
 Draw around the veins or carefully impress
Olive Green 911
them (demo.). They get smaller as they
Dark Green 908
 Work on value changes to show veins and
Celadon Green 1020
Pale Sage 1089
approach the edge. Study them carefully.
bumps.
 Try starting with a grisaille of gray or FC
Dark Sepia- or different blues for the darker
values in your leaf. Always look for range of
Chartreuse
Blend (P)Indigo and
(P)Canary
Blend (P)Ultramarine and
(P)Lemon
 Research the leaves of Margaret Mee and
Blend (P) Ultra. + (P) Canary
 Show shine by leave white highlights and
Blend FC #110 or 152 +FC 107
Blend FC #205 and FC#120
Blend FC #107 + FC #120
values and colors to give your leaf life and form.
Maria Sibylla Merian (above) and others and
note the variety of color.
burnish your work either with a blender or by
layering your colors to a physical shine.
Have fun and experiment.
“It’s not easy being green”…Kermit the Frog
Nina Antze
Revised April 11, 2016