Jumpstart Level 3: Golden Hummingbird

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Isn’t she a beauty?

This is a female rufous hummingbird. She and her kin nest in the Pacific NW but also as far north as Alaska, and they winter in Mexico. These birds are known for their extraordinary flight skills, flying 2,000 miles during their migratory transits. Their wingbeat frequency has been recorded at 52–62 wingbeats per second. That’s, um,  pretty fast. 

Speaking of fast, have you tried colored pencil on drafting film yet?

This wonderful surface isn’t just fast compared with paper; it’s forgiving too, letting you erase away your goofs easily to even start over, if you need to. Colors are vibrant, layers are few – there's everything to love about drafting film, especially when you have a charming subject like this golden hummingbird.

New at colored pencil or drafting film?  Let Rhonda Dicksion rapidly build your confidence in just 10 easy-to-follow steps.  Anyone can do this drawing, we promise! That’s how guided you’ll be by this tutorial.

You'll learn how to

• Build up color in only a few layers
• Use both sides of the film to intensify color
• Use directional lines to add interest and depth
• Easily add a soft halo background (vignette.)

About the Author: Rhonda Dicksion, CPSA, began her colored pencil journey in 2014. Her vibrant and graphic art quickly gained notice in the art world and has won many regional and national awards. Rhonda is the editor-in-chief of Ann Kullberg’s COLOR Magazine, active in the Seattle Chapter of CPSA, and a popular colored pencil instructor.

About Jumpstart tutorials: Created by master colored pencil artists, each Jumpstart tutorial features 8-10 steps and focuses on teaching you why and not just how the artist applies their technique. Our Jumpstart tutorials for beginners and beyond truly show you exactly how the artist works, making it easy to learn new colored pencil techniques to apply to your own projects. Easy, fun and a great way to learn!

Rocket your way through the novice stage with the Jumpstart Jetpack

The perfect addition to this Jumpstart lesson, the Jetpack Handbook is your secret weapon for getting started with colored pencils. Ann remembers feeling so frustrated and insecure when she first started drawing with colored pencil because there was so much she didn't know. If only there had been a basic colored pencil handbook that caught her up to speed quickly. 

That's what the Jumpstart Jetpack Handbook is! It covers all the basics you need to know about pencils, drawing papers, impressed line, blending, burnishing and so much more.  Add it to your order to get even more value out of this step by step project.

Bonus: Download exclusive video tutorials for FREE when you purchase the Jetpack Handbook with any lesson. 

Publish Date: March 2021.