29 Colored Pencil Artwork Ideas & Tips for Beginners

Last Updated on January 4, 2025 by Nell Marie

When I sit down with my sketchbook or journal, colored pencils are my go-to for bringing ideas to life.

There’s something so relaxing about layering vibrant colors to create little masterpieces on the page. (or just scribbling a mess on the page!)

In this article, I’m sharing some of my favorite colored pencil artwork ideas that I use regularly—like dreamy landscapes, expressive faces and people, mouthwatering food illustrations, and cozy houses.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration or just want to see what’s possible with colored pencils, I hope these ideas spark your creativity!

Colored Pencil Artwork Ideas

I recommend this great video about layering colored pencil.

I’ve always loved using colored pencils in my sketchbooks.

There’s just something about their simplicity and versatility that keeps me coming back to them again and again.

Whether you’re a seasoned artist or someone who just loves to doodle and journal, colored pencils have so much to offer.

Let me share some of the reasons why I think they’re a must-have, plus a few tips to make the most out of them in your creative projects.

Why Colored Pencils Are Amazing for Sketchbooks

Portable and Mess-Free
Colored pencils are super easy to carry around. Toss a small set into your bag with a sketchbook, and you’re good to go. Unlike paints or markers, they don’t require water, brushes, or special paper, and there’s no messy cleanup afterward. This makes them perfect for on-the-go creativity or a quick sketch session at home.

Great for Layering and Blending
One of my favorite things about colored pencils is how you can layer colors to create depth and texture. You can start with light shades and slowly build up to darker tones, or blend colors together for smooth gradients. It’s such a satisfying process and gives you so much control over the final look.

Precision and Detail
Colored pencils are ideal for adding tiny details and textures to your artwork. The fine points allow you to draw intricate patterns, hair strands, or the veins of a leaf with ease. When I’m working on faces or tiny food illustrations, they’re unbeatable for capturing those little nuances.

Budget-Friendly
Compared to other art supplies, colored pencils are super affordable. Even high-quality brands won’t break the bank, and you can always start with a basic set and upgrade as you go. Plus, they last a long time if you take care of them.

Versatile Medium
Colored pencils work well in all kinds of sketchbooks and journals. Whether you’re into mixed media, doodling, or creating realistic art, they adapt to whatever style you’re going for. And they pair wonderfully with other supplies like ink pens, watercolors, or even markers.

A Few Tips for Using Colored Pencils

Start Light and Build Up
When working with colored pencils, it’s best to start with light pressure and gradually add layers. This gives you more control over the colors and helps you avoid mistakes that are hard to fix.

Experiment with Paper
Different papers can change how your colored pencils perform. Smooth paper is great for detailed work, while textured paper can give your art a unique look and help with blending. Try a few and see what works best for your style.

Invest in a Good Sharpener
Keeping your pencils sharp is key for detailed work, so a good sharpener is a must. A dull pencil can ruin your lines and make it harder to achieve the effects you want.

Blend with Tools or Techniques
If you want smoother blends, try using blending tools like a colorless blender pencil or even a tissue. You can also experiment with layering and cross-hatching to achieve different textures and effects.

Store Them Safely
To keep your colored pencils in top shape, store them in a pencil case or organizer. This prevents them from breaking and keeps them easy to grab when inspiration strikes.

Colored pencils are such a versatile and fun medium to use in your sketchbooks and journals.

So, if you’re sketching landscapes, doodling your favorite snacks, or adding a splash of color to your journal pages, they’re a reliable tool that’s always ready to bring your ideas to life.

Give them a try, and I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do!

Landscape Colored Pencil Ideas

When it comes to landscapes, colored pencils are such a fun and versatile tool to capture the beauty of nature.

In this section, I’m sharing some of my favorite landscape art ideas to spark your creativity, along with a few tips to help you bring those rolling hills, sunsets, and serene forests to life.

If you’re aiming for realistic detail or a more whimsical style, you’ll find plenty of inspiration to make your landscapes pop!

Easy Outlines

Mark making and outlines are great for those who aren’t sure about colors and textures yet but want to play around with colored pencils and landscape ideas.

I love everything about colored pencils, including how casual they can be with just outlining objects.

Soft Landscapes

On the reverse of simple outlines are more realistic and soft landscapes. Can you believe both forms of landscape are created using the same material?!

I love how soft this method is.

A light touch and paying attention to the details will help you achieve the result below.

Mini Landscapes

A fun challenge are mini landscapes.

Make a circle or square or any shape you’d like and do a teeny tiny landscape.

It’s quick and a fun challenge of your skills and experience with the medium and allows your mind to be creative in a whole new way.

Playful Landscapes

I really enjoy experimenting with color, texture, and white space with colored pencils and landscapes.

Playful and colorful landscapes lend themselves to this way of coloring up a scene.

Think about colors and how they play together, think about strokes and textures you can make, and white space and watch a fun and whimsical piece come together.

Playful with Mixed Media

One type of landscape I enjoy creating are mixed media – markers and colored pencils specifically.

You’ll see how they work together beautifully in the piece below.

Think about either making the marker being the background base and layer it with colored pencils, or like the piece below, do that but also use the marker for bold mark making, as well.

Illustrative Landscapes

This is one of my favorite ways to use colored pencils with landscapes!

I typically base them on photographs so that I can get the details, or general feeling of a landscape.

It can take practice but once you get the hang of drawing, it’s a lot of fun.

I’m not naturally skilled at drawing, so it took me a long time and a lot of practice to draw in this style. I’m not a pro at it either but it brings me great joy to draw based on a photo and see it come to life with the general feeling of the picture.

Food Colored Pencil Ideas

Food illustrations are some of the most fun and satisfying things to draw with colored pencils!

In this section, I’m serving up ideas to inspire your foodie sketches, from colorful fruits and veggies to decadent desserts.

You’ll also find tips to make your food art look mouthwatering and vibrant, whether you’re going for realistic details or a playful vibe.

Let’s dig in and bring those tasty creations to life!

Food Tips

What I enjoy about food is that you can make it playful, colorful, and fun or you can make it illustrative or even realistic depending on your skill level.

I like an illustrative with a slightly realistic style but admittedly I don’t draw food as much as other subjects, like people and landscapes.

My tips for drawing food is to view the food in person while drawing it, or get a picture of the food, this will allow you to see the details, the colors, the shading etc.

But, most of all, just have fun!

House Colored Pencil Ideas

There’s something so charming about drawing houses with colored pencils, whether it’s a cozy cottage, a modern masterpiece, or a whimsical treehouse.

In this section, I’m sharing house art ideas to inspire your sketches, along with tips to add depth, texture, and personality to your architectural creations.

Get ready to bring your dream homes to life on paper!

House Tips

I have this thing with drawing houses- I think it’s because I have such a love with being a homebody, treasuring my safe and happy home, that I love drawing them.

Whatever your reason for enjoying drawing houses, it can be such a rewarding and exciting subject to draw.

You can make them quirky, whimsical, realistic, and illustrative. Pretty much the world is your oyster!

My tips for drawing houses would be go simple at first – even just with outlines, like the landscape I showed you with the simple outline of a home and landscape.

Once you’ve mastered super simple lines, go for a style like the one below, which is a step up from the simple lines. This will allow you to have a bit more fun with colors and style. Simply draw a rectangle-like base of the house and then draw the roof. It’s a lot easier than it may appear once you practice a couple of times.

Detailed Houses

If you want to try something more difficult but still whimsical, playful, and fun – try drawing more details of the house.

I like using a picture of a house to give me a guide in drawing the details of the home.

Play around with details that show texture, like bricks, or shingles, and don’t forget to shade the windows with yellow for light and gray to show a room without any lights on.

Illustrative Rooms

This is my first and only illstrative room but ohmygod I’m hooked! I can’t wait to make time for another.

My tip, do this once you’re pretty comfortable with shapes and using your colored pencils for shading and textures.

I used a photo for inspiration. I didn’t use it for an exact replica but it helped me in fleshing out the room.

If you aren’t great at drawing yet but want to try your hand at this style, I’d try fleshing out the shapes and objects with a light pencil, then when you have it all how you’d like it, use a kneaded eraser to pick up most of the lead from the pencil, that way, when you color it all in, you don’t see the lead lines.

People and Faces Colored Pencil Ideas

Drawing faces and people with colored pencils is such a rewarding way to capture expressions, emotions, and unique personalities.

In this section, you’ll find plenty of ideas and inspiration for sketching faces and figures, as well as tips for shading skin tones, adding realistic features, and bringing characters to life.

Let’s dive in and make your portraits pop with color and personality!

People Tips

This has been the most difficult to draw and I’m not even good at it yet. I struggle with getting the porportions right, doing a side angle is nearly impossible, but the more I practice, learning from my mistakes, the more I grow and enjoy the process.

My advice is to practice as much as possible. Take a class or read a book on drawing people. And don’t rush it, be patient as your style and skills grow.

Faces Tips

I really love drawing faces!

It’s my favorite.

I like how playful or whimsical you can make them and how alive and unique they become depending on the features you give to them.

I feel that faces are more forgiving than people/figures. You can really get funky with the features if you’d like, as you’re learning, and people are still going to tell it’s a face.

I’d recommend focusing on different eyes and nose styles to really bring in your unique touch.

Final Thoughts

Colored pencils are such a versatile and accessible medium, perfect for bringing creativity to your sketchbooks and journals.

So, if you’re drawing dreamy landscapes, delicious food, charming houses, or expressive faces, they offer endless possibilities for vibrant, detailed, and personal artwork.

With a few techniques and a bit of practice, you can create art that feels uniquely yours while having fun along the way.

So grab your favorite pencils, let your imagination lead the way, and enjoy the simple joy of making art with color!