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Practical tutorial · colored pencils

How to color characters with colored pencils step by step

Learn to color characters with colored pencils step by step: test your palette, prepare the skin, build the hair, shape the clothing and concentrate the final contrast in the eyes and face.

Start the tutorial View the palette
10 visual steps Pressure and blending Form and finish Eyes as the focal point
Finished character colored with colored pencils
Build before saturating Light layers preserve the paper and let you adjust mixtures.
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Before starting

The full tutorial strategy

Goal

Soft finish

Build an expressive illustration without saturating the paper too early.

Order

From broad shapes to details

Tests, skin, hair, clothing, features and final contrast.

Key tool

Test sheet

Check pressure, saturation and mixtures before touching the drawing.

Focal point

Eyes and face

Reserve the cleanest edges and strongest contrast for the face.

Working method

First I decide, then I color

Before working on the character, check how each pencil responds, how much it darkens with layers and which mixture produces the shadow you need. This preparation avoids harsh corrections and keeps the result clean.

Test the color Check each shade on the same paper as the illustration.
Start gently Preserve the tooth so you can add more pigment.
Shape the form Darken only where the shape and light require it.
Finish with contrast Leave strong pressure for accents and focal points.
Colored pencil pressure, saturation and mixing tests Step 1

Step 1 · Tests

I create a small color chart

I work on a separate sheet. First I make a very gentle sample, then a medium layer and finally a more saturated area. I also test what happens when layering a warm shade over a cool one.

15–20%

Light pressure

For transparent bases and first layers.

40–50%

Medium pressure

For building shadows and form.

70–80%

Strong pressure

Only for accents, edges and final details.

! Avoid: testing a mixture for the first time directly on the face or hair.

Building the character

From light layers to final contrast

Once you have chosen the palette, work through the areas without finishing one with maximum pressure too early.

First gentle layer applied to the character’s skin Step 2

Step 2 · Skin

I prepare the skin with a light base

I apply a light, warm tone with very gentle pressure. I keep the facial highlights clean and avoid completely covering the drawing’s shadows.

  • Unify the skin without losing the lines.
  • Preserve white in the highlights.
  • Leave room for blush and later shadows.
✓ Goal: unify the face without losing brightness or texture.

Step 3 · Hair

I place a warm base following the hair

I stroke in the direction of the strands. I do not fill the hair as a flat silhouette: each line follows its flow and curve.

  • Work from the root toward the tip.
  • Change direction when the strand changes.
  • Reserve the lit areas from the start.
✦ Tip: recovering highlights after saturating the paper is much harder.
First warm layer in the character’s hair Step 3
Building shadows and form in the hair Step 4

Step 4 · Form

I separate the strands with deep shadows

I add Brown Ochre and Burnt Ochre at roots, crossings and hidden areas. Contrast concentrates where one mass of hair overlaps another.

  • Darken roots and overlapping strands.
  • Soften the transition toward lit areas.
  • Do not draw every hair with the same intensity.
✓ Intended result: hair that reads as a three-dimensional form rather than a flat patch.

Step 5 · Hoodie

I spread the base color without hiding the folds

Apply a light base layer with the side of the pencil, keeping surfaces facing the light paler. The reference image shows a cool, grayish tone; choose a similar muted color if you want to follow its appearance.

  • Use broad strokes and light pressure.
  • Respect the structural lines of the folds.
  • Avoid turning the whole garment into one value.
✦ Key point: the base color unifies the garment but should not erase its structure.
First grayish-blue layer on the hoodie Step 5
Violet and blue shadows in the hoodie folds Step 6

Step 6 · Folds

I shape the hoodie with cool shadows

I strengthen the inner sleeves, lower edges and folds with Middle Phthalo Blue and thin layers of Caput Mortuum. Then I soften the transition toward the base tone.

  • Connect each shadow to a real fold.
  • Alternate hard and soft edges.
  • Avoid purely decorative dark lines.
✓ Check: the shadow should describe a change of plane rather than look drawn on top of the fabric.

Step 7 · Lower body

I bring the legs and shoes into the same lighting

I use Salmon for skin and Caput Mortuum for shadows and footwear. I darken beneath the hoodie, between the legs and at shoe joints to add weight.

  • Repeat the temperature used on the face.
  • Add contact shadows where parts meet.
  • Keep the shoes subordinate to the focal point.
✦ Tip: contact shadows help the character stop looking as if it is floating.
Coloring the character’s legs, socks and shoes Step 7
Applying blush and warm shadows to the face Step 8

Step 8 · Face

I add blush and warmth to the skin

I gently apply Salmon on the cheeks, nose and face edges. The layer should blend into the base.

  • Build pink through transparent layers.
  • Soften the edges before increasing pressure.
  • Keep the main highlights clean.
! Avoid: pressing hard with pink and creating a patch separate from the skin.

Step 9 · Eyes

I concentrate color at the focal point

I add Middle Phthalo Blue while preserving white highlights. I darken the upper iris with several layers of Middle Phthalo Blue and leave the lower area brighter.

  • Preserve reflections from the first layer.
  • Darken beneath the upper eyelid.
  • Soften the gradient without losing definition.
✓ Priority: keep reflections crisp and the iris gradient clean.
Applying turquoise blue to the character’s eyes Step 9
Finished character colored with colored pencils Step 10

Step 10 · Finish

I balance the whole and clean up the result

I review the character from a distance. I strengthen selected edges, deepen small shadows and check that the face dominates the clothing and shoes.

  • Strengthen only the necessary edges.
  • Balance warm hair tones with cooler, muted colors in the clothing. Test the suggested pencils on scrap paper before choosing your combination.
  • Check that no area competes with the eyes.
✦ I stop when: each area has form, but none competes unnecessarily with the face.

Faber-Castell Polychromos

Character palette

This selection of six Polychromos pencils builds skin, hair, clothing, deep shadows and the eyes’ focal color without using a whole box.

Polychromos

Burnt Ochre

Warm hair shadows, roots and deep transitions over Brown Ochre.

Polychromos

Brown Ochre

Main hair base and bridging shade for building gold and brown strands.

Polychromos

Caput Mortuum

Deep shadows, footwear, contact areas and small warm contrast accents.

Polychromos

Salmon

Skin base and blush, cheeks, nose and warm facial transitions.

Polychromos

Leaf Green

Hoodie base color and clothing mid-tones.

Polychromos

Middle Phthalo Blue

Cool hoodie shadows, eyes and small accents that draw attention to the face.

Open the Atlas app (in Spanish) Find these Polychromos pencils (in Spanish)
ⓘ Correct name: the color is called Caput Mortuum. In the Atlas app, find each pencil by brand and name.

Close-ups of the result

Key finishing details

The close-ups show where the most important transitions and contrasts are concentrated.

Close-up of the finished eyes Focal point
Eyes

Iris depth

A dark gradient above, luminous blue below and preserved white reflections.

Close-up of the finished hair Form
Hair

Distinct strands

Value changes separate the masses without turning every hair into an identical line.

Close-up of the finished hoodie Texture
Hoodie

Soft folds

Build the garment with a pale, muted base and cooler shadows while preserving its soft feel. The suggested palette is an option, not an exact identification of every pencil shown in the reference.

Method recap

The key is to build, not just fill

1

Test

Check important mixtures on a separate sheet.

2

Base

Start each area with light, even pressure.

3

Direction

Follow the flow of the shape and texture.

4

Highlights

Preserve the brightest areas from the beginning.

5

Contrast

Reserve the greatest intensity for the eyes and face.

Final result

Give every layer a specific purpose

First test, then establish the base, shape the form and use stronger pressure only at the end.

Repeat from step 1 Practice blending Choose paper Open the Atlas (in Spanish)
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