Shop for the types of pencils you want to use. Many companies make colored artist pencils: Derwent, Venus and Crayola, to name a few of the most popular brands. Companies specializing in art supplies make more than one type of colored pencil. For example, Derwent makes water-soluble, waxy and graphite pencils as well as traditional colored pencils in up to 72 colors. Crayola colored pencils are inexpensive. For the best results, you should have at least brown, white, black, red, yellow, blue, indigo, violet, orange, gray, cream and green colored pencils.
Choose paper to draw on. Use less expensive drawing paper for practicing and save more costly varieties (watercolor, pastel and charcoal paper or bristol board) for the actual work of art. Paper made from 100 percent cotton adds permanence. Paper labeled as acid-free or archival quality will also provide for years of quality display.
Gather other supplies. The blending tool is a colorless felt-tipped device used for combining colors of wax-based pencils such as Venus and Derwent Waxy pencils. An eraser not only corrects mistakes, but can create details by revealing the underlying surface of a solid background or by adding highlights to a nearly-completed drawing. Remember, it is difficult to entirely erase dark colored pencil from the paper.
Apply the color lightly over the paper to reveal the paper's texture. Light will reflect off the paper as well the fragments of color creating a lighter color value. Burnishing is the application of a solid layer of color, leaving no paper visible. The effect is a darker, more brilliant color. Layering is accomplished by applying one color, then lightly applying a second color over the first. The second layer reveals the paper's texture while allowing the first layer to remain visible.
Blend colors together to create a rich and varied palette. Layer two colors, such as red and indigo. Use white -- which is an opaque color as are cream and gray -- to burnish and blend the two colors. Add indigo once more or, alternatively, add red again. After that, burnish once more with white and apply a layer of either orange or green. The hues achieved by this method are unique because you created them.
Change the hue of a particular color by utilizing opaque colors such as white, cream or gray to color over a solid color. The color changes can be striking. Apply the color evenly using the point of the pencil, blend with an opaque color, reapply the original color, then blend again. Finally, apply the original color once more for a glazed and textured effect.