How to Color a Bubble

One of the popular drawings from my coloring book, Pampered Pets, is the piggy in a bathtup. (What better way to pamper a pig?). I've seen many different color renditions of the page, and I've received lots of requests asking what is the best way to color a bubble? There isn't one perfect way, but I offer one approach that works well.

How to color a bubble

1) Start with a circle bubble shape. For this step by step, I will use colored pencils and a dash of white paint.

2) Color the inside of your bubble in a medium light color. Keep the edges soft. and leave the outer edges white.

3) Add pastel colors here and there in the outer white area. Keep these colors very light.

4) Add a highlight on the edge of the inner colored area. That's it! You've colored a bubble!

TIP: Keep your strokes curved with the contours of the circle

Here's an example with the highlight already drawn in, such as shown in the piggy in a bathtub illustration.

After you've learned to color a bubble, reward yourself with a relaxing bubble bath!

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If you haven't already signed up for my "For Color Lovers" email list, please fill out the form at the top of this page. When you join, you'll be directed to download a complimentary coloring page for your personal use.

Product Review and Giveaway: Staedtler 48 Colored Pencils Set

[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler 48 Colored Pencils Set mentioned in this article at no charge in exchange for writing a product review.]

I found Staedtler Colored Pencils to be a superb value. Here’s a basic set of colored pencils in a beautiful array of colors. These pencils are durable enough to last through many art projects and offer another big plus: the triangular barrels are so comfortable to grip I felt no pressure on my fingers.

The sets are in a lower price range similar to student level sets, yet they perform to the expectations of pricier artist quality sets. The 48 color set sells for between $9.68 and $16.98 online (Product No. 1270 C48A6). The pencils come in a flat cardboard box with two plastic grooved trays that hold 24 pencils each.

Great Performance and Versatility

TRIANGULAR SHAPED BARRELS PROVIDE AN EASY GRIP AND LIMIT PENCILS FROM ROLLING AWAY.

1. Wood barrels with 02.9 mm color core
2. Ergonomic triangular shaped barrels feel great in the hand. They’re easy to grip, your fingers won't cramp, and the pencils don’t roll away
3. The colors have consistently rich pigmentation, unlike many student sets that have faint or uneven pigmentation
4. The brilliant colors are soft and blendable. They color smoothly, layer nicely, and burnish well
5. The pencils are easy to sharpen. There is no lead “fall out,” chipping, or flaking. The leads hold a sharp tip and are durable enough to use for fine lines and details
6. The colors are vivid and clear and provide good coverage on a variety of surfaces, including smooth, medium, and rough toothed papers
7. Because they layer well, the range of colors can be broadened through visual mixes

BECAUSE THEY LAYER WELL, THE RANGE OF COLORS CAN BE BROADENED THROUGH VISUAL MIXES

Colors

The 48 color set includes a full range of light to dark primaries and secondary colors: reds, yellows, blues, oranges, greens, and purples. There are also some pastel hues and several warm and cool neutrals.

I found that occasionally the color of a barrel does not match the color of its lead. In a few cases the color of a lead is so much like the color of another lead in the set that it’s difficult to see the difference — even though the barrel colors differ. The barrels have no color names or numbers on them. I wrapped tape around the barrels and wrote names on the tape to help me identify colors. This is a small "drawback" though.

The Staedtler 48 Colored Pencils set proves to be fine value for the price. I would recommend this set to any beginning or experienced artist.

A Staedtler Giveaway and More [CONTEST IS CLOSED]

Staedtler has kindly offered to give a 48 Colored Pencils Set to one lucky winner! To enter, simply sign up on the "For Color Lovers" email list. If you are already on the list there's nothing more you need to do — you are entered automatically!

To sweeten the Giveaway, I’ve created 3 levels of prizes. In addition to the colored pencils set, the first place winner will also receive a Textile Designs Coloring Book, and a Creative Cats Sticker Book. Second and third place winners each will receive a Textile Designs Coloring Book and Creative Cats Sticker Book, too. Please see Giveaway Contest Rules below. Thanks for participating and good luck.!

COMPLETED ILLUSTRATION FROM MY NEWEST COLORING BOOK, THE ART OF MARJORIE SARNAT: ELEGANT ELEPHANTS ADULT COLORING BOOK, TO BE PUBLISHED JULY 2016. SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST TO BE THE FIRST TO LEARN ABOUT ITS RELEASE DATE. © MARJORIE SARNAT.

Giveaway Contest Rules: Eligible only for residents of the U.S.A. or Canada. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PDT, July 17, 2016. Winners will be drawn at random from my email list on July 18, 2016, and notified by email promptly thereafter. If winner(s) don’t respond by July 24 prizes will be awarded to alternate persons at my discretion. [CONTEST IS CLOSED]

Make a Revolving Colored Pencil Caddy with Lift-out Cups

I love using colored pencils, but after rummaging through boxes looking for a certain color, having cardboard holders flop over, and grabbing at pencils steamrolling off my table, I knew there had to be a better way.

Quick and Easy

So in less time than it took me to locate sky blue, I made a revolving caddy to organize my colored pencils. Read on to learn how I made it and to discover why this one might be just the right thing for you as well.

In addition to the materials below, you’ll need a scissors, a ruler, and a pencil or Sharpie-like pen.

Materials

• A minimum 10 to 12 in. diameter utility turntable, such as Rubbermaid’s, from Target, Amazon, or Walmart for about $15.00.
• 16 or 17 same-size plastic drinking cups, approx. 5-1/2 inches tall. Make sure they stack. I bought five to a package at the Dollar Store.* 
• E6000 or Goop type glue. (Elmer’s type white glue doesn’t adhere well to plastic.)
• The cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels, or two tubes from a couple of rolls of toilet paper.

Total Cost: Under $20. depending on brands

Instructions

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1. Arrange approximately seven plastic drinking cups in a circle around the edges of the turntable and place one cup in the center. Sizes may vary; make sure they all fit right up to the lip of the turntable. Color of the cups is unimportant.

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2. Glue the bottoms of the cups onto the turntable using a generous amount of glue. Let dry thoroughly; it may take several hours.  NOTE: If your cups have a hollowed out bottom. Make sure you put enough glue around the edges that touch the surface of the turntable so the cups adhere well.

3. While the cups are drying, measure 1-inch marks on the paper tube(s).

4. Cut the tube into 1-inch segments, flattening out the tube as you go to cut it more easily. Reshape the segments into “rings” again.

5. When the glue is dry, drop the cardboard rings into the cups that are glued onto the turntable. The rings should sit edge-on at the bottom.

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6. Insert a second cup into each glued-on cup. I stacked three in the center for easier access.

7. Fill the cups with colored pencils, and you’re done!

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Handy Access

The key to this colored pencil caddy is its ease of use. When you're looking for a colored pencil, especially a shorter one, simply lift out the cup to find it. Replace when finished. The cardboard rings prevent the top cup from sticking to the bottom one. 

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* The plastic cups I bought have DEHP in them that make them unsafe to drink from. DEHP can leach from the plastic when exposed to liquids. I am using the cups with no intention to drink from them. If you have any kind of aversion to this, use a different set of cups that you’re more comfortable with.

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Organizing Colored Pencils

Here's a system that keeps your colors visible and close at hand.

Hard and Waxy Pencils

I combine both hard (such as Verithin) and soft lead pencils (such as Prismacolor) in my caddy sections. I group both together because it's the color that matters most to me, and I use both pencil types on every piece I do. The hard lead works for small details and the waxy lead is good for filling large areas and for layering over the hard lead areas.

I do not keep watercolor and pastel pencils in this caddy because I use them separately with other materials.

Group Colors into Families

It's easier to find colors when you keep color families in rainbow order, such as reds/oranges, pinks, purples, blues, greens, yellows, and browns around the edge, and cool neutrals in the center.

1. Reds/Oranges – include colors such as vermillion, coral, orange, dark magenta, crimson, burgundy, and other red-based tones.
2. Pinks – Although pink is light red, I separate pinks from the red family because there are so many shades. Include colors such as light magenta, pale pink, bright pink, mauve, and peachy colors.
3. Purples – include colors such as dark purple, lavender, orchid, blue-purple, and violet tones.
4. Blues – include colors such as pale blue, turquoise blue, lavender-blue, bright blue, cobalt, indigo, ultramarine, and other blue tones.
5. Greens – include colors such as olive, pale green, bright green, dark green, grass green, aqua, turquoise-green, and yellow-green.
6. Yellows – include colors such as ochre, pale yellow, bright yellow, golden yellow, yellow-orange, and cream colors.
7. Browns – Browns are warm neutrals. Include colors such as sienna, umber, beige, tan, taupe, terra cotta, khaki, and warm earth tones.
8. Cool Neutrals – Put this group in the center section. Include colors such as black, white, all shades of gray, and blender pencils.

Half & Half Colors 

There are colors that could fit in either of two groups, such as yellow-green. Is it more yellow? Or more green? Life is short; pick one and move on.

Metallic Colors

If you work with metallic colors, consider putting gold and bronze in the brown group because they're warm neutrals. Group silver and pearl white with cool neutrals. 

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Is this the pencil caddy you’ve been waiting for? Or, do you have a better way of organizing your pencils? Let me know your thoughts. Start a discussion in the comments.