Yes! It is a simple straight answer, but it has little traps inside of this answer. Keep reading because I share all the essentials on how you can use colored pencil on canvas.

Layering and Blending Colored Pencils

1. Rough in a sphere with loose gestural lines, slowly refining them to make the ball round.
2. Add a complementary color for the shadow, true blue.
3. On top of the shadow, I add layers of scarlet red (a dark orange hue).
4. Now I add layers of other colors, yellows, reds, and greens.

Since colored pencils adhere only mechanically to acrylics, it’s crucial to use a surface with a strong tooth, especially when framing without glass. After acrylics dry, the tooth is then still available for colored pencils. Regular acrylics are usually glossy and that finish interferes with colored pencil adhesion.

There are many benefits of working with colored pencil. Colored pencil allows precision, control of detail and depth. You can work lightly for a soft look or with many layers get the effect of oil paint. Colored pencils are very easy to carry and you can work almost anywhere.

Unprimed canvas is rough, making it an excellent surface for soft graphite or charcoal. Minimally primed canvas works well also because it has a lot of tooth. Heavily primed canvas has a smoother surface, making it ideal for detailed artwork, as well as for using ink.

Bristol papers

So how does an artist avoid the smudging headache?

1. Let your dominant hand lead. Simply put, if you are right-handed, start your drawing at the upper left corner and move your way down to the lower right corner.
2. Place a sheet of clean paper under your drawing hand.
3. Use a mahl stick.
4. Use a spray fixative.