How to draw Rose Gold
For some reason drawing shiny or metallic things is always a bit daunting. But really we needn’t feel that way. There are three simple things to remember.
1. Contrast
2. Shapes
3. There are no such colors as gold, silver etc. what we see are the colors they are reflecting.
1. Contrast is important because it is contrast that gives the illusion of shine. It is really important that your lights are very light and your darks very dark.
2. Shapes matter. This is all about careful observation. The shapes that reflected colors make are what make the piece look three dimensional. Shapes going in the wrong direction or the wrong places make the finished piece look
a little off to the eye.
3. Stop trying to think of the color gold or the color silver. This is hard to do because our heads always create an image of that color. Start looking at shiney objects and observing all the colors you really see when you look at them.
1. Contrast
2. Shapes
3. There are no such colors as gold, silver etc. what we see are the colors they are reflecting.
1. Contrast is important because it is contrast that gives the illusion of shine. It is really important that your lights are very light and your darks very dark.
2. Shapes matter. This is all about careful observation. The shapes that reflected colors make are what make the piece look three dimensional. Shapes going in the wrong direction or the wrong places make the finished piece look
a little off to the eye.
3. Stop trying to think of the color gold or the color silver. This is hard to do because our heads always create an image of that color. Start looking at shiney objects and observing all the colors you really see when you look at them.
Step 1
So here l am showing you how l drew the final letter of my love balloon. This for me is by far the most complicated and important step. Although what you see above does not look like much it takes a very long time. I am very lightly mapping out the basic shapes, colors and reflections. I use pale colors, but with enough contrast so that l can physically see where the basic colors are for later steps. I use Caran D’ache Luminance in Violet Grey to make the markings of where shade will be later. I use Prismacolor in Clay Rose to mark in the mid tone patterns and lines. I use Caran D’ache Pablo’s in Brownish Orange to mark in where the darkest lines will be. I block in with heavy pressure the brightest highlights with Luminance in White. I mark in very lightly the creases in the inflated balloon using Faber Castell Polychromos in Warm Grey 3. Then between each marked crease l use Luminance White with heavy pressure to emboss the white highlights. Finally l use Holbein Shell Pink to shade the pink areas of the balloon.
At this stage it is really important to get the drawing accurate. The shadows and markings here follow the lines and curves of the balloon. Lots of concentration is required for your eyes to untangle what you are seeing.
At this stage it is really important to get the drawing accurate. The shadows and markings here follow the lines and curves of the balloon. Lots of concentration is required for your eyes to untangle what you are seeing.
Step 2
Here in step 2 l start to strengthen some of the mid toned areas. Defining the shapes a little more, beginning to add more of the reflected colors and deepening the base layers.
l use Pablo Brownish Orange, Holbein Peach and Pablo’s Venetian Red on the areas where one letter joins another, on the inner curves of the inflated parts and on some of the outside ‘frills’. I add a little depth to these areas with Pablo’s Brown. I mark out the darkest areas of the shadows using Luminance Light Aubergine and finally add a little more Holbeins Shell Pink and Ash Rose to the pink areas.
l use Pablo Brownish Orange, Holbein Peach and Pablo’s Venetian Red on the areas where one letter joins another, on the inner curves of the inflated parts and on some of the outside ‘frills’. I add a little depth to these areas with Pablo’s Brown. I mark out the darkest areas of the shadows using Luminance Light Aubergine and finally add a little more Holbeins Shell Pink and Ash Rose to the pink areas.
Step 3
In step 3 of this tutorial a lot more detail starts to go in and more contrast. If you look back at step 2 and compare with this photo you can see how the greater contrast is starting to create the illusion of shine.
So along the edge that joins the ‘v’ l use Pablo Brown. I layer Holbein Cinnamon over that to make it more orangy. Then l add shadows with Polychromos in Caput Mortem Violet and finally use Polychromos Dark Sepia for the very darkest ‘lowlights’.
l use Luminance Light Aubergine lightly over all the darkest areas and with a heavier pressure over the really dark areas. I am being more careful now to define the lines getting the shapes really accurate.
l begin to shade the pink areas using Holbein Ash Rose, Luminance Violet Grey and Prismacolor Clay Rose. I then blend these areas together with a layer of Holbein Shell Pink.
l use Luminance Light Aubergine to start picking out some of the creases in the balloon.
So along the edge that joins the ‘v’ l use Pablo Brown. I layer Holbein Cinnamon over that to make it more orangy. Then l add shadows with Polychromos in Caput Mortem Violet and finally use Polychromos Dark Sepia for the very darkest ‘lowlights’.
l use Luminance Light Aubergine lightly over all the darkest areas and with a heavier pressure over the really dark areas. I am being more careful now to define the lines getting the shapes really accurate.
l begin to shade the pink areas using Holbein Ash Rose, Luminance Violet Grey and Prismacolor Clay Rose. I then blend these areas together with a layer of Holbein Shell Pink.
l use Luminance Light Aubergine to start picking out some of the creases in the balloon.
Step 4
Finally l build the depth using mainly darker colors. Pablo’s Venetian Red and Brown and Polychromos Caput Mortem Violet and Dark Sepia on the orangy areas.
l use Polychromos Warm Grey 3 over the whole of the shadowed areas, then a layer of Holbein Sea Fog over them to blend and to add back the lilac that the grey took away. Then over the darkest areas of shadow l use Polychromos Warm Grey 4 to really make them Dark.
For the warmest most shaded pink areas l use Prismacolor Clay Rose and Luminance Sepia 10% and a Little Luminance Light Aubergine. I blend all that together with Holbein Ash Rose.
l use Polychromos Warm Grey 3 over the whole of the shadowed areas, then a layer of Holbein Sea Fog over them to blend and to add back the lilac that the grey took away. Then over the darkest areas of shadow l use Polychromos Warm Grey 4 to really make them Dark.
For the warmest most shaded pink areas l use Prismacolor Clay Rose and Luminance Sepia 10% and a Little Luminance Light Aubergine. I blend all that together with Holbein Ash Rose.
