What are the preferred ways to fill areas with pencil colors in 2d drawings?

Question

Regarding:

From: https://crafts.stackexchange.com/a/1699/96

Rather you would better understand if you take a look on the leaves (greenish bulgings), the color has not been equally distributed. This happens when the pencil is pushed forward and backward with pressure and the nip of the pencil breaks in small portions. This happens with everyone, at least when they have just started their art.

What is the way to fill areas with pencil colors?

Note: I use Faber Castell's student grade pencil colors.

Answer 1

I am the OP of this thread. Following is what I tried again:

Here the color pencils are same, but the drawing sheet is different (145 GSM) and the technique is different.

This time instead of drawing any kind of back and forth line, I started drawing extremely small circles, joined together and overlapping each other tightly, with the color pencils. These circles were drawn like the text of cursive handwriting where we do not pick up hand from the paper till the word is complete and all the alphabets are joined to each other.

This was done with an extreme light hand. Virtually zero pressure applied.
Then I repeated the procedure on the same area with the same color 4 times.

5th time, I applied pressure, and the 6th time I applied heavier pressure.

Basically, the following smooth coloring is the result of 6 layers.

I have taken this photo with a macro lens so you can see the tooth of paper also. The light in the room was dim, hence the dark photo, unfortunately.

Though the colors are still the same student grade, but the results are different and stunning. I believe if I use a high quality paper with better tooth, I will be able to apply more color which may result in darker coloring.

Answer 2

The recommended method of filling in space with colored pencils is by using small circular strokes. This way, the color is applied evenly and with minimal gaps or streaks.

Demietra's method will be effective in quickly filling in spaces, ideal for a sketch or other rough work, but it will leave streaks that you may not want in your final product.

Answer 3

I would rather try to explain the answer with reference to my first mechanical engineering drawing (ME-191) class in university. The first day our teacher said if you have put your first mark on paper, starting from point A to point B, Don't trace back from point B to A, because not only it makes the thing untidy but the accuracy or in this case value of that line gets lost. Rather he said draw a line from point A to B again draw a line from point A to B. (however for mechanical drawing only one is correct).

I would suggest if it's a closed shape, like an oval, circle or square, take a side (in case of oval / circle, assume a chord distance) and maintain each stroke from one fixed direction to other (only point A to B NOT B to A) . Well yes, it will take little more time than what's required but the drawing will be neat and clear.

However, the actual answer to your question is it depends on the purpose for which you are using it, in case if you are sketching it for some rough work then it doesn't matter whether strokes are perfect or not, but if it's something for which cleanliness matters then definitely you can try the aforementioned method.