How to color with pens and achieve a professional finish

I love, love, love coloring with pen. The results are bold and vibrant and pens are great fun to work with. Coloring with pen can be very precise and the final results are striking.

When I first started coloring with pen, I  used any pens I had around the house but got frustrated with overlapping lines and the results not looking quite how I imagined them. Through time and a bit of trial and error,  a lot of trial and error really, I now feel happier with the results.

Here are a few tips I have learned along the way.

How to avoid overlapping lines

It really is important to invest in professional coloring pens if you would like to avoid overlapping lines, especially if you are coloring in larger areas. They are more expensive, but definitely worth it.

Alcohol based pens are best. They may take a bit longer to dry but they are great for covering larger areas and usually come double sided, with a thick nib for the larger areas and a thin nib for the more detailed areas.

Some of the cheaper pens may ‘split’ or little pieces can crumble from them, which is very frustrating. This doesn’t happen with the professional pens, so another good reason to invest in them. Always remember to store your pens lying flat though, so they do not dry out.

Always remember to store your pens lying flat though, so they do not dry out.

If you are wishing to invest in a good set of pens but aren’t sure which colors to start with, think about the types of pictures or designs you will be coloring in.

I started off coloring seaside images and landscapes, so I started my collection with blues and greens and then invested in browns, oranges and yellows, not buying pinks and reds till much later. So the colors you need will depend on the types of pictures you are coloring.

Staying in the lines

It goes without saying, that coloring in requires a lot of patience and trying to stay within the lines can be a challenge at times. To gain a professional look, it’s important to be precise.

If you know that the pens that you are using may bleed a little, then take this into consideration and leave a slight gap leading up to the outline.

If you press too hard on pens, they can also bleed, so when coming up to the outline it is worth being a little gentler.

I’ve tried all different methods of trying to correct it when I have went outside of the lines of the outer border (it happens to us all), where I haven’t been able to cover it up with more color but I can’t say I have had any real success. I’ve tried tippex, white paper, white pen, an eraser and cellotape but the results are always visible.

On occasion, I have cut out the design and reapplied it to another piece of paper. This can look effective, especially if you chose a decorative or colored card. You could also use the color you have went over the line with and continue to outline the whole image in this color so it doesn’t look like a mistake – this can be effective too.

But at the end of the day, when coming to an outer border, you do need to be careful – don’t rush it.  There are also many designs which have a thicker outer edge, so there is less chance for this to happen.

Quality of paper

If you are coloring in a book then the quality of paper has already been chosen for you.

If you have a favorite design that you are coloring in, you may also choose to photocopy it onto white card. With card, there is less chance of the color bleeding or the paper ripping or disintegrating if you are blending colors together. It also means that when you are finished, you are able to frame your design and proudly display it in your home or it could make a lovely gift for a friend.

With card, there is less chance of the color bleeding or the paper ripping or disintegrating if you are blending colors together.

Using card also gives a professional and finished look to your design. Johanna Basford does this very well.

Blending

It may be hard to blend using everyday coloring pens, as the paper can become saturated and rip but if you are using professional pens, blending colors can really ‘lift’ your design, giving it dimension.

By using a shade or two darker, you can indicate shadow and by using a shade or two lighter, you can indicate tone and light.

Once your coloring is complete, you may also wish to include fine white detail, using a white gel pen. This highlights areas and again, gives dimension. It’s worth noting though, that you should leave using gen pens till the end, as they are very difficult to ‘color’ over. They also take a bit longer to dry and there is more chance of you dragging the color or smudging it.

Choosing the right colors

With respect to color, as they say ‘less is more’.

To create a professional design or illustration, it is worth spending time at the beginning to consider the colors you are using. You may wish to color randomly and see how it goes, which is great and is what coloring is all about.

If you wish a more planned approach however, choose a color palette to work with, which incorporates different hues of the same color and then keep within that range, using a dramatic color change only if you want to capture your audience’s attention to a specific area of your picture.

Be aware of uncolored patches

If there are areas which have not been colored in or there are white patches showing through, your eye may be drawn to those areas, so for a professional finish, it is important to make sure all the area is colored in or if it is left uncolored, it is for a reason.

It is also best to do this at the time because if you go back at the end to redo an area, then overlapping may be visible.

The most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing, take your time and every now and again, stop coloring, look at your work and consider your next steps in achieving beautiful results!

The most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing, take your time and every now and again, stop coloring, look at your work and consider your next steps in achieving beautiful results!

What is your experience with using pens for coloring? Let me know in the comments below.