The amount of pressure applied on the paper as well as the strokes you can achieve are all determined by how you hold your pencil. Hand position and the pressure applied changes frequently during the coloring process. For finer details or more control, hold the pencil in the writing position and closer to the point. Moving your fingers further away from the point produces far less pressure which is desirable for even coverage and enables you to cover large areas more quickly. The pencil can be held vertically, slanted using the side of the pencil and occasionally altogether parallel to the paper.

 

Writing is of course a different action than drawing or coloring, yet the handwriting position has its place in the process of creating a colored pencil piece. You may notice however that instead of keeping your hand and arm still there is more movement when using the colored pencil.

Tip: Since this is the most common hold, your hand often rests on the surface you are working on. To protect from smudging the surface, place a sheet of paper or better yet, some glassine (smooth semitransparent paper) between your hand and the drawing surface.

With this position you can do circular strokes or linear strokes, you can follow contours easily and fill in the little holes or valleys in the paper, making smooth transitions or hard edges and you can press down with varying pressure.

With the writing hold, you are always using the tip or point of the pencil, unlike other holds where you use the side of the pencil point. This writing hold can vary, occasionally turning your hand over slightly or comfortably bending and curving your hand to suit the position of the paper or strokes you wish to accomplish.

Hold the pencil like you do when writing, but with a more relaxed grip and further away from the pencil point to have more range of motion and a lighter touch. For more precise control and to render finer details, you hold the pencil closer to the pencil point.

 

Placing your index finger over the top of the pencil and resting the other fingers alongside the pencil in the overhand position you can use the side of the pencil point. Using more movement of the arm, slanting the pencil more level with the paper you can get a strong and even application of pencil on the paper. You can press firmly or lightly depending on what effect you want to achieve.

 

Similar to the handwriting position, but holding the pencil further away from the point, the underhand position helps for a very light application. Hold the pencil between thumb and index finger and rest the other fingers alongside the pencil. You will not have the same precise control as with the more typical writing hold, but you can work faster with this method sometimes if you need to cover large areas. You won’t be able to press very hard, so this is helpful when you need washes or layers of even color. Slant the pencil parallel to the paper as you maneuver the pencil in either linear or circular strokes. The whole hand and arm can move if necessary with this position.

Try this:

• Grip the pencil with the lightest hold possible
• Use more movement while working: hand, arm and even shoulder to loosen up
• Change the position of your hand or the paper, vary your posture and so on till you are comfortable
• Take breaks and gently stretch or flex your hand and fingers

 

The following video demonstrates how I typically hold my colored pencils: