Using
Colored
Pencils
How
to
Create
a
Color
Wheel
and
Blend
Colors
A
good
color
wheel
is
helpful
any
time
you’re
making
color
decisions
in
your
art.
This
holds
true
whether
you’re
working
with
a
limited
number
of
colors
(a
limited
palette)
or
with
many
colors.
Most
companies
sell
color
wheels
and
color
charts
of
their
products,
as
do
many
print
shops,
art
supply
stores,
and
online
providers.
Instead
of
buying
a
color
wheel,
another
option
is
to
make
your
own,
which
may
be
much
more
helpful.
Not
only
will
it
be
a
useful
studio
tool,
but
making
a
color
wheel
is
an
excellent
way
to
learn
how
colors
mix
with
each
other.
The
template
I
use
for
my
colored
pencil
color
wheels
(shown
below)
features
primary,
secondary,
and
tertiary
colors.
Its
outer
“ring”
is
for
color
applied
with
heavy
pressure,
the
middle
ring
is
for
color
applied
with
light
pressure,
and
the
center
ring
is
for
showing
how
each
color
mixes
with
its
opposite
(complementary)
color.
Step
1:
Primary
colors
Primary
colors
are
colors
that
cannot
be
created
by
mixing
other
colors.
There
are
three
primary
colors:
red,
yellow,
and
blue.
All
other
colors
are
combinations
of
these
colors.
For
this
demonstration,
I
used
Process
Red,
Non
Photo
Blue,
and
Lemon
Yellow
and
applied
color
into
each
of
the
slices
labeled
“Primary.”
I
used
light
pressure
in
the
inside
rings.
For
the
outside
ring,
I
used
heavier
pressure
and
multiple
layers,
then
burnished
with
the
colorless
blender.
This
is
the
color
wheel
with
the
primary
colors.
Step
2:
Secondary
colors
Secondary
colors
are
a
one‐to‐one
mix
of
two
primary
colors.
For
example,
one
layer
of
yellow
and
one
layer
of
red
produce
orange.
I
added
secondary
colors
to
my
color
wheel
by
glazing
(using
light
pressure
to
apply
color)
a
single
layer
of
two
primaries
into
the
secondary
slice
between
them.
I
glazed
one
layer
of
Process
Red
into
the
secondary
slice
at
the
bottom
of
the
wheel.
I
then
glazed
Non
Photo
Blue
over
the
same
slice
to
create
purple.
I
used
light
to
medium
pressure
with
both
colors.
To
finish
the
outer
ring,
I
applied
alternating
layers
of
Process
Red
and
Non
Photo
Blue
at
medium
pressure.
I
then
used
heavy
pressure
to
add
a
final
layer
of
each
color,
then
burnished
the
outer
ring
with
the
colorless
blender.
Green
and
Orange
were
added
to
the
color
wheel
in
the
same
way,
using
Lemon
Yellow
and
Process
Red
to
make
Orange
and
Lemon
Yellow
and
Non
Photo
Blue
to
make
Green.
Finish
this
step
by
adding
each
color
to
the
inner
ring
of
its
complement.
Using
light
or
medium
pressure,
glaze
Lemon
Yellow
over
the
inner
ring
of
the
purple
slice
and
so
on.
Each
color
should
be
glazed
over
its
complement.
Yellow
should
be
glazed
over
the
inner
ring
of
the
purple
slice
and
purple
should
be
glazed
over
the
inner
ring
of
the
Yellow
ring.
The
difference
will
be
subtle,
but
you
will
see
a
difference
in
the
resulting
two
colors.
Do
the
same
with
the
secondary
colors.
Layer
each
of
the
colors
that
make
up
the
secondary
color
over
the
complementary
color.
Keep
the
pressure
about
the
same
for
each
color
to
get
the
most
accurate
results
possible.
You
can
also
burnish
the
inner
ring
when
all
the
necessary
colors
have
been
applied
to
that
area.
NOTE:
Make
sure
to
clean
the
colorless
blender
between
colors
to
avoid
carrying
the
color
from
one
slice
into
the
next.
This
is
especially
important
if
you
burnish
darker
colors
first.
It
is
better
to
begin
burnishing
with
the
lightest
colors,
but
you
still
need
to
clean
the
colorless
blender
frequently.
(To
clean
the
colorless
blender,
either
sharpen
it
like
any
other
pencil,
or
wipe
it
on
a
clean
piece
of
paper
until
no
color
remains
on
the
tip
of
the
blender.)
Step
3:
Tertiary
colors
Tertiary
colors
are
the
combination
of
one
secondary
and
one
primary
color.
For
example,
Blue‐Green
is
a
combination
of
Green
(secondary
color)
and
Blue
(primary
color).
One
easy
way
to
remember
what
colors
to
layer
is
to
remember
that
there
are
three
layers
of
color
in
a
tertiary
color.
Blue
and
Yellow
(secondary
color
Green)
and
Blue
(primary
color
Blue).
To
mix
a
tertiary
color,
layer
blue‐yellow‐blue.
Glaze
one
layer
of
Non
Photo
Blue
into
the
appropriate
tertiary
slice
between
Green
and
Blue
on
the
color
wheel.
Use
light
to
medium
pressure.
Next,
use
light
to
medium
pressure
to
glaze
Lemon
Yellow
over
the
blue,
followed
by
another
layer
of
Non
Photo
Blue,
also
with
light
to
medium
pressure.
Finish
the
outer
ring
with
blue‐
yellow‐blue
with
a
medium
to
heavy
pressure
followed
by
burnishing
with
the
colorless
blender
.
Do
each
of
the
remaining
tertiary
colors
the
same
way.
Then
complete
the
color
wheel
by
glazing
the
complement
of
each
color
over
the
color’s
inside
ring.
Notice
that
the
complement
of
a
tertiary
color
is
always
another
tertiary
color.
The
complement
of
Blue
Green
is
Red
Orange,
so
red‐yellow‐red
needs
to
be
glazed
over
the
complementary
ring
of
Blue
Green
and
blue‐yellow‐green
needs
to
be
glazed
over
the
complementary
ring
of
Red
Orange.
Add
the
complements
to
the
color
wheel.
If
you
prefer,
you
can
then
burnish
each
section.
If
you
choose
to
burnish
the
color
wheel,
burnish
section
by
section.
Otherwise,
you
will
pull
color
into
the
adjacent
areas.
This
a
finished
color
wheel.
The
outside
ring
shows
each
color
at
full
strength
and
burnished.
The
second
ring
is
each
color
with
light
pressure
and
no
burnishing.
The
next
ring
shows
what
each
color
looks
like
with
its
complement
glazed
over
it.
Using
stock
colors
You
can
also
create
a
color
wheel
using
stock
colors.
This
final
color
wheel
was
created
using
Lemon
Yellow,
Crimson
Lake,
and
Non
Photo
Blue
for
the
primaries;
and
Orange,
Grass
Green,
and
Purple
for
the
secondary
colors.
I
then
created
tertiary
colors
by
layering
the
colors
that
were
on
either
side.
There
are
advantages
and
disadvantages
to
each
method.
Making
a
color
wheel
from
three
colors
is
helpful
in
learning
the
range
of
color
and
value
possible
with
just
the
primaries.
It
is
a
time
intensive
process
requiring
layering,
careful
decision
making,
and
planning.
Using
stock
pencils
wherever
possible
is
a
major
time
saver.
Each
of
the
primary
groups
contain
many
colors,
however.
Learning
which
reds
to
mix
with
which
blues
to
get
the
desired
purples
can
also
be
time
consuming.
Whatever
your
preferred
method,
making
a
color
wheel
is
an
excellent
way
to
learn
how
colors
work
together
while
improving
your
pencil
skills.
It
takes
a
little
time,
but
it’s
definitely
worth
it
in
the
end.