I've recently taken up drawing (laughably I suspect the average 5yo could do a better job) and I got a load of coloured pencils. The problem I'm having is that when I sharpen them they almost always break. This, in addition to my heavy handedness which comes from having a muscle tremor so at times I do press down hard to stop something most children have mastered which is colouring within the lines. Since Subeta is brimming with so much talent I thought I could get some tips on what real artists use and how they don't break their tools like I seem to be doing every time I use them.

What brand of colored pencils did you get? The reason your pencils break when you sharpen them isn't because of something you're doing (most likely) but because the lead is probably broken inside of the pencil. This happens with cheaper brands or if they are dropped a lot, etc. etc. and the lead gets broken, and when you sharpen it you get to the points with the break and it'll snap regardless of how you're doing it.

I'm assuming you're using a pencil sharpener to sharpen, personally I hand sharpen my tools with a razor blade, but because you have a muscle tremor I wouldn't suggest that for you, so if you ARE sharpening it by hand, I'd get a nice metal pencil sharpener, manual not electric.

The pencils you use is a matter of preference. I am an art student, and when teachers ask me to get colored pencils, Prismacolor is the preferred brand. I don't honestly use colored pencils myself, so I can't really give much advice beyond that.

Also, for coloring inside of the lines, even with your muscle tremor, I'm assuming you're holding the pencil incorrectly. If you're holding your artistic tools like you would a pen for writing, then you're not doing it right -- ESPECIALLY for filling in large areas of space. Typically you'll hold your pencil farther back and use the side of the lead, because you can better control the heaviness of your stroke and make even areas of color, and also using the side of the pencil lets you fill in the space more economically then using only the tip.

I haven't watched this video, but it should shed some light on how to hold and control your pencil: CLICK

Also, I will say the main reason you would want to hand-sharpen a pencil with a razor is so that you can expose more lead and get a broader edge and a finer tip -- but again, it might not be the best method for you with the muscle tremor.

I hope that helps!

Lets see... I did get some Prismacolor and they seem to be the ones breaking the most which is bad because they're pretty expensive but are the best blending pencils I've found. I also got some faber castell polychromos, even more expensive but I thought they'd be good because I find their graphite pencils the best in terms of drawing but they don't break as much but don't blend as well. And I got a big tin of Derwent pencils great colour range but too hard even their coloursoft are still too hard. So lots of pencils and I did get their dedicated sharpeners. My father is also an artist and he suggested the same thing with using a blade, but I've slipped once too often and bled on my paper so sharpener it has to be. The issue I'm having is when I'm lining out details like leaves, tendrils that sort of thing.
I am NO artist. I just try to draw stuff and hope it looks passable. That's why I very much appreciate your help and advice.

hmmm.. well as Surgery said the most likely reason your pencils break is because the inside is already broken, usually cause they've been dropped multiple times. Did you buy them online by any chance? Cause when they get shipped the package might have been handle carelessly and this is the result D= As for the brand I am completely in love with Faber-Castell Polychromos, I am surprised that you think they don't blend well, could you show me some examples of what you've been drawing??

I actually have to hold colored pencils between my pointer finger and middle finger because I tend to "death grip" writing/drawing implements and be heavy handed. (I constantly break the lead in regular pencils unless they are dull... and I hate using dull pencils.) Changing up the hold helps me control the pressure because it's not as natural for me and I have to think about it. You might want to try different holds to see if one of them helps.

Prismacolors are my favorite but they do have a soft core... That's why they blend so well. Just like with graphite pencils the hardness of the core plays a large role in how well they blend. If you have hand tremors then you will probably have to sacrifice the ease of blending for a core that can hold up to the occasional extra pressure. Faber Castell Polychromos seem to be the best choice, considering what you said in your last reply.

Now to cover some info you may already know: (but just in case you don't)

The type of paper will effect the results, including how well you can blend. I use smooth Strathmore Bristol board for my colored pencil drawings. It's got some tooth without being overly textured. Copy paper is just too smooth and drawing pad paper is inconsistent. There are other brands of paper, which seem to be preferred by professionals but some of them are at least twice the price.

Also, I thought I would mention that grease from the hand can also be an issue. If I am working on a finished piece (that is, a piece I actually want to look presentable), I take a piece of clean copy paper and keep it underneath my hand as I work on top of the paper and the drawing. (Anything that'll keep the hand off the paper and the paper clean will work really. Some people even overachieve and protect everything but the small area they are working on.) It's a pretty common practice but not everyone knows about this little trick, especially amateur artists. So... Yeah... Even if you are already familiar with it, maybe this tip will help someone else who happens across this board.

---edits--- Forgot to mention, I don't have any specially made sharpeners nor do I use a blade to sharpen my pencils... I have an old school metal pencil sharpener that works pretty well. (Not one with a fancy select-a-size thing either. Hated those when I was in school and still hate them now.) It's like... 40+ years old and I love it. It is dedicated to my art pencils and I check the interior parts before I use it, cleaning it out as necessary.

I'm using Faber Castell Polychromos. I love to use them because you can easy blend colors together and the outcome is smooth. There are so many colors to choose from and ev3en my old pictures (~10 years old) still have the same brilliant colors.

To sharpen I use a normal cheap pencil sharpener, but I always take care that the blade is really sharp and that I hold the pencil straight when sharpening.

I found that the poly-chromos dont blend as well as the Prismacolor. Plus they are super expensive (even more than the prismacolor) I got a tin of 10 to see and it cost me $25 and I'm not good enough (I'm just a scribbler) to invest a lot of money in drawing implements. And I suspect that the prismacolor tin may have been dropped once or twice.
I don't have a scanner and my card reader is broken but I'm just scrawling a pet (a feli) just to see if I can replicate something.

I tend to be harsh on lots of things, when I did computing I was constantly told not to hit the keys so hard so I totally death grip every pen and pencil I use. : I am using cheap paper simply because I am not an artist so I don't want to waste good paper.

I do like the colours, just not the price. If I was an actual artist perhaps I'd be more willing to invest but I'm just starting out and will probably stay where I am.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, ideas and clues, but mainly for your willingness to help someone who isn't really an artist. I'm just a person taking up a creative hobby because it was recommended to help calm the old brain-box down in the evenings.

Oh I'm not an artist either, it's just an hobby for me and I've been into colored pecils just for a year, my entire production is approximately 5 drawings, lol xD I know they're expensive but if you find a shop selling them separately they should be cheaper, I pay them 1,5 € each ^^ Usually what I do is using 2/3 basic polychromos I can't live without and then blend them with other colors but this is probably not a good suggestion, lol. However if you wanna give it a try for portraits I always make sure to have at least Indian Red, Cinnamon and Light Flesh for the skin and then use a different, cheaper type of Faber-Castell pencils to finish the shadows =)

I'm not an artist either, it's just an old hobby from me =). It's good to calm down and get my head free of all the stress from the day. I don't now how pricey the polychromos are today - I bought mine years ago for ~1€ each (I'm from germany). Just try it out, I've used cheap color pencils from a discounter once and they where really nice to work with. Just look around and maybe you're lucky and find some that are good for drawing. I also like the prismacolors, I'm just more used to the old polychromos ^^".

LOL I used to have to get new keyboards once every 6 to 8 months, because I would kill the most used keys. I've gotten better though.

The only thing about using cheap paper is that the drawings will not come out as well as they would on the more expensive stuff. It can make a big difference, in some cases... I remember when I first started using Bristol board... I had been using plain white cardstock before (which isn't bad for doodling, by the way) and the quality was easily distinguishable to me... I think, since you are using cheap paper, you probably are not going to be able to get full effect from your expensive pencils... After using Prismacolors, I could never go back to the cheapo pencils but you might consider using them for your doodles and practice sketches.

If you are going to use cheap stuff though: My absolute favorite is Pacon brand Art1st Sketch Diary... (I got mine at Wal-mart... It was somewhere between $4 to $5 for the 8.5" by 11" 70-sheet version...) The paper is pretty good, but it will yellow as it ages. I personally think it's the best brand of "cheap" paper and would be my second choice after Bristol board for finished colored pencil drawings, yellowing or no.

Also, I'd just like to say... It takes a long time for most any artist to master their tools and their style... Until then, there is likely to be more fails than wins, so just have fun with drawings and don't get too upset if you get outside of the lines. You might even consider working to make that part of your style... I know some artist make wildly colorful pieces and blend the background with the "foreground" feature. I can't do that though... Must. Draw. Perfect. Dang. It. (<<< This leads to much discouragement and few finished pieces. -sigh-) I have a hard time even using my cheap stuff because I think... "Well, I won't be able to get it look the way I want to anyway... So why waste the paper?" /sad face

when I say artist I mean someone who can draw, I cannot draw at all. I've seen your work so your 'hobby' art is seriously better than my best efforts on my good days. I cant trace stuff as well as you draw. I never had the gift, I just wanted to be like my dad (who could draw with such ease) when I was young, guess I still do in some ways.

Since I've not seen your art, I cant comment but I'll bet it's what I would consider art. Most people on Subeta seem to be artists each with their own styles and all better than I could ever be. This leads to much discouragement if I'm honest, and very much to my shame a little jealousy. Not envy of Faustian proportions, just that slight pang when I see people do things with ease that which I can never do.

Well the keyboard I'm using is missing so many keys ATM I rip the suckers out when they don't work any more most are useless to me any ways though the TAB key is missed on occasion. And the need for perfection ah it's my own personal demon. It's one of the reasons why I stopped drawing when I was younger, and it's why I struggle each day with what I try to do, and I'm only copying stuffs ATM. I guess when an entire childhood is spent being told to be perfect at what you do and that anything less than perfection is penalised. I guess it isn't a big surprise when it bleeds into every aspect of life I get the whole "why waste good pencils and paper when I'll never be any good at making it look passable let alone what I envision it to be?" I've torn up and shredded more paper than I'd care to think about.

I really believe anyone can draw, it's just a matter of finding your style and then practice! Don't get so discouraged, maybe you're frustrated cause you try to be like someone else and you shouldn't, for instance I'd love LOVE to be a cartonist but I can't draw comics, I've tried all my life -beeing a huge Marvel nerd- and it's just not for me. With A LOT of effort and patience I can draw something decent but it takes countless hours just to get one pose right and only if I have a ref picture, I don't understand anatomy apparently D= If you think I'm 42 and I've been trying since I was 9 you can probably imagine how frustrating it was for me, I literally quit drawing for a very long time because I was pissed at myself and I couldn't accept the fact that I wasn't good at it. Then I started playing neopets and I wanted that BC trophy so I tried again and again I got frustrated cause apparently I can't do neopets style either, lol.. But eventually one day I made a fan art sketch for a friend and BAM, I found my thing! I finally found something I was decent at and without struggling so much, it was awesome! See, all that time I've been trying to be Byrne and it's not possible, I'm not that kind of artist, I'll never be, but I found my thing and so will you so never never give up. Try different styles, try everything and never be afraid of failing, in order to make good art you have to make A LOT of bad art, it's how it works for everyone, not just you =) Check out these articles, I've found them quite helpful and maybe you will too HERE and HERE

EDIT: You might also be interested in THIS and THIS

LOL We perfectionist are so violent... Destroying our keyboards and death gripping our pencils.

I will say this... (Though it's obviously not a philosophy I currently live by, when it comes to traditional art at least...) If you are drawing, you are at the very least practicing and that is not a waste of paper. You can not improve without practice.

Currently, I am doing my artwork on my computer, using Inkscape. It is helping me, on some level, with my traditional stuff because I am forming a better understanding of shapes and shading. I have improved so much over the past two years and that's all because I've kept at it. (Knowing that I was just using computer memory and not a physical piece of paper helped me move past my need for perfection I think. I knew I could just delete it if I wanted to.) All that time I spent on "sub-par" images has helped me find new techniques and gain better control over my medium...

Please try to believe that every single line you put down on paper has a purpose, even if the final piece doesn't turn out the way you envisioned it. You will have improved your control of the medium, you will have learned something new... You just may not be aware of it until months or years later. -nods-

Be patient. Be brave. Believe in yourself. XD