Colored Pencil Step by Step

Capturing Mood

with Pat Averill

Many times the most captivating characteristic about a subject is the feeling it evokes in the viewer. For example, the energy of a bustling street scene or the serenity of a peaceful meadow can be captivating. So how do you translate the mood of a scene to paper? With color! In general, warm colors portray a sunny, upbeat mood, whereas cool colors seem more calm or mysterious. For example, a sunlit field of bright yellow flowers seems cheerful and invigorating, whereas a quiet harbor blanketed in blue-gray fog appears serene and still. In this drawing, Pat Averill uses layers of dark, muted hues to capture the tranquil feeling of a deserted beach at dusk.

Step One First I make a simple line drawing of the scene, ...