Drawing Water Drops

Drawing Water Drops
Water or dew drops can create a
sparkling effect in a drawing. They are
drawn using a simple formula. Here’s how:
Begin drawing with Verithin pencils.
Color over with Prismacolor for richer
color. Burnish with White Prismacolor.
Relayer Colors. Crisp edges with Verithin.
1. Use colors of object underneath
drop . With darkest Verithin color,
draw a simple circle or oval. Example,
if drop were on a red tulip, use reds.
Photograph of dew drops on Leaf
photo by Susan Strok
Light Angle
2. Draw small circle inside larger at
top of the droplet. (Highlight)
The highlight will appear near the
top of drop at angle of light.
PRACTICE
3. Draw a crescent shaped shadow
using the darkest color value at bottom
of circle and fill in with dark color.
4. Using the same dark color, layer a
crescent shaped shadow at top inside
of circle, just up to and a bit beyond
top edge of small inner highlight circle.
5. Using next lighter color, draw in
another crescent, layering over the first
dark crescent, and extending beyond it
to about middle of drop. Feather edges.
Do not make a hard line. Surround highlight.
6. Using the next lighter color, again draw
another crescent, layering over first two
darker colors, At this point, you can use a
few more lighter colors if you want. Leave
a very slight rim of white at bottom.
7. Burnish over entire drop with white, except
for darkest top edge. Relayer colors.
Outline drop with darkest Verithin color
to crisp up edges. Outline highlight.
Deepen shadow and top edge.
8. Drawing a dew drop on Black Paper:
Use White on highlight and the
bottom bright rim. Surround the
highlight with necessary colors.
Practice these dew drops
using different colors and
noting that the light is
coming from different
angles.
Colored Pencil Technique by Susan Strok, 2004