This months question and answer section.

What is Bloom?
Colored pencils are made of wax. The more colored pencil that is built up on the paper surface the more wax bloom. To make this simple, bloom is a cloudy film that comes to the surface of a drawing. This can be wiped off with a tissue and eventually sprayed with a fixative. I like to wait for the bloom to come to the surface, wipe with a tissue and repeat the process several times before I spay it. This process can take days to several months. I suggest wiping the bloom continually while working on a peice. Drawings can take some time to complete so you have several surface cleanings finished by the time the last layer of pencil is put to paper. Be aware that burnishing will create more wax bloom.  Bloom may still surface if the art work is subject to temperature changes, or it might just rear its ugly head at any time just to torment the artist. Don't be afraid of bloom, it is part of the medium. Besides, all art work requires maintinance and care. Oil colors darken and produce cracks over time but that doesn't keep anyone from painting in oil.

What is Lightfastness?
Lightfastness is an issue that effects all mediums. It is a color's resistance to fading. All art mediums are faced with this issue. I believe everything that exists will fade if exposed to sun.  Just look at your furniture or even wall paper. They will fade if facing a south window. Pull a picture off of a wall that has hung for years and I bet you will see a silhoutte of your frame on the wall. Do not fear lightfastness. Nothing in life is permanent. Sandcastles are washed away by the tide, flowers wither when cut. This doesn't stop anyone from building sand castles on a summer day and it most certainly does not keep people from enjoying fresh cut flowers. Quite simply, beauty fades and all we can do is try to slow it down a little.When I first heard the dirty little word, lightfastness, I was sure my drawings would fade away before my very eyes and disappear forever like a bad magic trick. This was a bit over the top. There will never totally be a solution to this problem as long as the sun continues to rise, but measures can be taken to minimize the problem.
 
One way that we are minimizing the problem is that there are pencils on the market that are now becoming more lightfast. We can all thank the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) for championing this cause.Their efforts to create a lightfastness standard for the manufacturers of colored pencils has been fantastic. The CPSA even has a book that members can order which ranks the lightfastness of pencils by brand and color.  I suggest anyone working in colored pencil check out their site and become a member. The CPSA has a wealth of great advice and opportunities for artists. Make note that most professional pencils have a lightfast rating. Also, I have noticed that natural earth tones are less likely to fade than other colors. I find the colors blue and violet to fade the most, so I try to limit there use.

Framing is a second measure to improve an art work's lightfastness.  Framing is very important as all colored pencil art should be framed with UV (ultraviolet) protected plexiglass or museum glass. I recommend plexiglass as it is lighter and less likely to break. Ask a local framer as most often they can be helpful in this area. Make note, UV protection comes at a price. It is more expensive but worth the cost if you value your reputation and the longevity of your work.

What is a burnisher and burnishing?
A burnisher is a tool used to blend color. Prismacolor has a nice clear burnisher that can be purchased at any local art supply store. Two of my favorites art supply stores are Dick Blick and ASW. Burnishing is simple. The burnisher is rubbed over the paper's surface to blend colors. It also creates a shine. It works nicely to fill in the valleys in the paper surface eliminating the white color of the paper. Paper has texture. Hills are the top of the texture that sticks up and valleys are the low spots. Naturally your pencil slides easily over the hills but has to work harder to fill in the valleys.  Burnishing should always be the last step as it will make it difficult or impossible to add more color, if needed, because burnishing squishes the hills into valleys and destoys the paper surface. Burnishing is a style choice, some artists use it sparingly while others indulge, it is personal preference. Just weigh the benefits and the draw backs.

 

The Portrait Process in Steps