Introduction

As someone who loves traditional art, I’ve always liked for my digital illustrations to have some degree of traditional feel and texture to them, so in this tutorial, I will be sharing my techniques and preferences for creating soft illustrations that look like they were drawn with colored pencils.

✦ 1. Video Version

✦ 2. Text Version

In the first part of this tutorial, I will explain everything you need to know about colored pencils, how to use them and how to achieve their natural look in your digital illustration.

 

 

In the second part of this tutorial, I will show you my step by step process, drawing a Landscape illustration with colored pencils in CSP with additional tips in every step.

Traditional Colored Pencils

Before diving into digital tools, let’s get to know more about traditional colored pencils.

This information will helps us mimic them digitally to create that natural vibe and texture in our illustrations.

✦ 1. What are they ?

Colored pencils are drawing tools created by blending pigment with a binder (wax or oil) and encasing them in a wooden pencil.

The color is transmitted on paper through friction, pressure, and layering.

 

 

Ps : The Binder is the substance that holds the pigment together as a soft-hard entity (core of the pencil) that sticks together and sticks to the drawing surface, creating a unique texture of layered pigment.

✦ 2. Types of Colored Pencils

The types differ depending on the binder and the amount of pigment.

Here are the two most-used colored pencils :

Wax-Based Colored Pencils

- Soft core, rich in pigment, smooth and creamy, great for blending and allows smooth color lay-down.

-Overall used for layering and blending.

 

 

Oil-Based Colored Pencils

-Hard core, more binder, precise, holds point longer, great for clean details with less smudging.

-Overall used for precision and fine details.

 

 

✦ 3. How To use Them ? Drawing, Layering, and Blending Techniques

Colored pencils, both traditional and digital, can create different styles and textures, depending on how you use them.

 

 

Here are some of the most famously used techniques of drawing with colored pencils :

1. Layering : Applying multiple light layers to create rich colors.

 

 

Based on how you hold your pencil and how much pressure you put on it, we can distinguish two types of layering :

A. Hard Layering (Otherwise called burnishing)

-You build up tone by applying multiple ‘hard’ layers exercising Strong pressure on the pencil.

-The direction of the pencil strokes doesn’t matter much because the out come will be too opaque to tell the difference.

-The colored pencils texture is often lost in this method due to the hard pressure and opaque color.

 

B. Gradual Layering

-You build up tone by applying multiple ‘light’ layers exercising weak pressure on the pencil.

-Tilt pencil for a soft color lay-down.

-This method preserves more texture.

2. Hatching : It is made of Parallel lines drawn close together to build up tone or texture.

The lines can be long and continuous or short, filling the objects’s space of color.

In some other variations, the lines can be directional based on the object’s shape or multi-directional for a more artistic style.

 

3. Cross-Hatching : It is made of two groups of parallel lines in opposite directions, crossing each other. Layer them on top of each other to create a darker value or shadows, and make space between the lines to create a lighter value or light areas.

4. Circling/Scumbling : It is made of tiny overlapping circular strokes. Make several circular motions in the same spot to create a darker value and make space between them for a lighter value.

5. Stippling : It is made of small dots filling the color space. Draw several dots close to each other for a dark value and a richer color or make space between them for a lighter value.

6. Blending : After you draw using any of the methods mentioned previously, you can use the blender in Csp, a blending stump or a solvent in traditional art to blend.

In some cases, using a white colored pencil also creates a blending effect.

Basically, you pass over the drawing, or the areas you want to blend with the chosen blending tool back and forth til you smooth it out.

There are endless ways to use colored pencils depending on your creativity, so I encourage you to experiment and discover some more techniques or combinations for your personal style.

Digital Colored Pencils

✦ 1. What Makes a Digital Colored Pencil Feel “Real”? Brush Settings

To mimic a traditional colored pencil, a digital brush should have at least 4 of these settings :

- Grainy Brush Tip : Adds believable tooth and pencil stroke.

 

 

To edit this setting or any of the following settings : Select your Brush in ‘Sub Tool’, go down the ‘tool property’ tab and click the wrench icon to open “settings” or “sub tool detail” tab, then choose the setting you want to change and edit.

- Grainy texture : It adds the look of a toothy paper or a pencil stroke. But keep density medium to keep ‘some’ of the creamy effect in the pencil strokes.

Without Texture, the pencil will be too creamy and will get even more opaque with layering loosing the colored pencil functionality.

- Gap between strokes : To preserve the grainy effect for later layering.

- Weak or Medium Anti-aliasing : Keeps strokes sharp and natural. Too strong anti aliasing will soften the edges.

- Brush density around 70-90% : For subtle color buildup through layering.

 

 

Aside from layering, a brush density of 70-90% also allows color mixing.

For example, if you draw one layer in blue and then a second layer in yellow, you will have a green-ish color like traditional colored pencils.

This help create new hues and color variety in your illustrations.

✦ 2. Pen Pressure

Pen pressure refers to how hard you press your stylus on the tablet.

It affects:

- Opacity & Density :

Light pressure results in low opacity (a more transparent color) and low density (more texture), ideal for layering and gradually building color and value.

Heavy pressure results in high opacity (intense, opaque color) and high density (grainier, denser texture which often results in losing texture).

- Size: Some Brush lines grow thicker as you press harder, mimicking a real colored pencil behavior, and get thinner the lighter you press on the stylus.

Basically, It goes from light and textured lines when applying little pressure on the pen, to sharp, dense lines when applying strong pressure on the pen.

✦ 3. Tilt

Tilt detects the angle of your stylus. It’s used to simulate the side of the pencil tip, allowing broad, soft shading.

Example: When you shade with the side of a traditional pencil, you create wide, textured marks. In Clip Studio Paint, a tilt-sensitive brush will respond the same way when you angle your stylus.

Ps : Not all tablets support tilt.

You can adjust both pen pressure & tilt option in the Brush Settings panel:

- Select a brush.

- Open the Sub Tool Detail > Brush Size.

- Enable the Pressure and Tilt check boxes.

- Adjust the graphs to control sensitivity.

Flat curve = minimal response

Steep curve = dramatic response

Try drawing strokes while tilting your pen and varying pressure and you’ll immediately see the effect.

Then go over to Ink section : Opacity and do the same thing.

✦ 4. Default Pencil Brushes in Clip Studio Paint

CSP includes default brushes that work well as colored pencils. These can be found in Sub Tool Group: Pencil (鉛筆) Or Sketch :

Some default brushes that mimic real colored pencils:

- Mechanical Pencil: Grainy and responsive to pressure.

- Real Pencil: Has a slightly waxy, illustrative quality.

- Rough Pencil: Textured and good for expressive sketches.

 

Change the brush color to something like red, blue, or green, then test layering strokes. You'll notice how the texture interacts with the canvas depending on the brush pressure.

 

 

If you can’t find these brushes in your Tools, you can download them from assets :

 

✦ 5. Download Colored Pencil Brushes

CSP has a library (Asset Store) that offers hundreds of free and paid brushes.

How to Download:

1- Open assets library in your navigator.

2- In the search bar, type keywords like: “colored pencil” , “pencil brush” or “traditional pencil” .

3- Click on the One you like and it will lead you to the download page.

 

 

4- Click “Download”.

 

 

After it’s finished downloading, check your ‘Material: Download’, select your downloaded brush, hold and drag to the Sub tool tab and drop.

My Favorites are :

-Pencil - Tilt, from ‘Realistic pencil set’ best substitute for wax colored pencils for layering, color transition and shading.

-Intoxicate pencil diffusion x4, from ‘Intoxicate pencil set’ best substitute for oil colored pencils for detailing, hatching and cross hatching techniques.

-Pencil eraser, from ‘Intoxicate pencil set’ a great tool to create texture, erase with texture and to make highlights.

 

 

Links :

✦ 6. Traditional-Like Eraser

In traditional colored pencil art, erasers aren't just for mistakes, they’re used for lightening, texture creation, and highlights.

In CSP, you can simulate these effects using the default kneaded eraser, since this one has a texture to it, it doesn’t create sharp edges and defined cuts.

It is suitable for lifting pigment and erasing mistakes while keeping the natural look of the drawing.

You can find it in Csp Sub Tools : Eraser

Another alternative is the Pencil eraser which is included in the intoxicate pencil brush set.

This one is my favorite because it has a pencil texture and it acts like a white colored pencil.

✦ 7. Paper Texture

In traditional art, the texture of your paper, also called its “tooth”, affects how colored pencils lay down pigment.

The same principle applies to digital colored pencils.

A rough paper catches more color and shows texture while a smooth paper gives you cleaner, more refined strokes.

The color, tooth or grain of the paper will also affect the colors as well as the texture.

Light smooth surfaces will keep the colors integrity but with less texture.

A neutral beige (light) textured surface will bring out the colors and add texture to the pencil strokes.

And a darker surface will either heighten or darken you colors depending on what colors you use.

Recommended Assets :

There are endless textures in Csp default and assets so feel free to check them out.

 

 

This is the pack I used for this example.

And this is the paper texture I will use in my illustration.

I will explain more about how to use it and make the most of it later in my process tutorial.

Let's draw a colored pencils illustration in Csp

Before we get to the process, I want to talk about colors and how to choose them when using colored pencils.

✦. Colored Pencils Color

Colored pencils nowadays come in a very large palette, but, unless you’re a professional, it is very unlikely to create a vibrant illustration, which is why it is best to avoid overly saturated colors to keep the traditional colored pencils feeling in your illustrations.

So keep your color in the middle range or closer to the whites and greys to have a balanced palette regardless of the drawing tool, because using too many saturated colors will disturb the values and balance of the illustration.

And choose a neutral desaturated color for the background “if” you’re not using a colored paper or paper texture, to help other colors pop out.

 

 

Now let’s move on the Drawing Process :

✦ Step 1: Sketch

- I first made a new canvas Sized 2000×1274 px, 300 dpi.

- I used Intoxicate pencil diffusion n.4 brush to make my sketch, with a small size of around 7 and a medium pressure on the stylus to have defined yet textured lines.

- I picked the colors of my sketch according to what I imagined the final results would be (Green, orange and blue) because I won’t be deleting the sketch layer to keep the traditional pencil experience and natural results.

- I kept the sketch loose and natural.

✦ Step 2: Coloring Process

-I made a new raster layer by clicking the plus icon in the layers tab, and placed it beneath the sketch layer by holding and dragging it down.

Then I alternated between Pencil-Til & Intoxicate pencil brushes to lay the base colors.

I used light pressure on the stylus to keep the first layer of colors transparent for later color build up.

I used the pencil tilt mostly for large areas like the mountains and the sky keeping it at one or two layers because I intended to add more layers using other techniques mater on.

I used Intoxicate pencil to lay the base colors for the field and the tree with linear marks.

Then I started detailing :

With a small size of around 7-15 I used Intoxicate pencil to add more layers of color using several of the techniques I had previously explained :

Linear and directional hatching for the trees, scumbling for the bushes, cross hatching for the house, back and forth for the grass linear horizontal hatching for the sky and so on.

First - In hatching and cross hatching techniques, make your strokes fast and precise so they don’t come out wobbly.

Second - The lines when layering, hatching and scumbling are drawn close together in dark areas with little space in between strokes and then spaced in lighter areas with more gaps.

Third - Don’t draw the same exact pattern on top of the first layer when you’re shading.

Instead try to ‘slightly’ change the direction of your lines with each layer to create value while keeping texture rather than making it too opaque for the rest of the drawing.

 

 

✦ Step 3: Blending

When I felt like my illustration was coming together, I blended some areas, ever so slightly, in a back and forth motion, so that i don’t loose the overall texture.

Blending helps fill blank areas and smoothing some necessary parts where lines are too sharp or colors weren’t well mixed through layering.

For this step, I used Csp default textured painterly blender.

Make sure you don’t over blend and only use it where necessary like I did.

✦ Step 4: Texture

I added some initial texture using my pencil-tilt brush :

I created a new layer on top of my illustration, I increased the brush size and used light pressure at a tilted angle and filled the entire layer in a grey color.

Then I set the layer mode to ‘overlay’ so that the effect shows through on my illustration while also heightening my colors.

 

 

I lowered the opacity to 55% so that it doesn’t look too grainy and digital.

Back to ‘how to use paper texture’ :

To make your final artwork feel more tactile:

- Add a new raster layer on top of your artwork.

- Drag a paper texture material from the Material Panel > Texture.

- Set the layer mode to Overlay, Soft Light, or Multiply.

- Reduce opacity to around 20–40% depending on your art style.

This is ideal for giving your flat digital piece a natural paper grain look without changing brush behavior.

And try to use mid-tone backgrounds (light beige or gray) because it helps colored pencil colors pop.

So in my process, I added another texture paper to add some paper tooth look in some areas, as i will deleting some of it.

I lowered the opacity and erased the texture in some areas where it my colors darker.

I mostly kept the texture around the sky and clouds where it’s most obvious and realistic.

It’s necessary that you don’t overuse textures because too much will result in ‘digital’ effect rather than looking traditional, so make sure to lower the opacity to keep your original colors and erase some of the texture where you already have it or where you don’t need it.

I purposely left some gap areas to enhance the natural colored pencils feel to the illustration.

And this is the final results.

Conclusion

Finally, I’d like to say that the same brushes can result in totally different styles depending on how you use them.

For example I used the same brushes for the strawberry, the house sketch and the landscape but they all look somewhat different because i used different techniques so feel free to experiment and discover your style.

This was my take on colored pencils illustrations.

Let me know what you learned from this tutorial.

Does it look like colored pencils to you ?

Most of my illustrations are made to look traditional or painterly so feel free to check my previous tutorials and social media.

Thank you for Reading so far.