Comments on: 3 Little Birds with Colored Pencils – Kingfisher with Prismacolor Pencils

By: Frances Day

Frances Day — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:29:01 +0000

Hi Matt, I am very new to using colour, I work mostly in monochrome, but this set of tutorials has really made me realise I’m missing something! Please could you give a little summary of why the different materials have been chosen for each bird – what are their advantages for those particular drawings? I like to draw wildlife and wonder which materials I should invest in, given they are quite expensive, at least here in the UK.
I am not a painter, so which techniques are best for someone who prefers to draw?

By: Kate Turner

Kate Turner — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 19:31:02 +0000

In reply to Karen Emerson. I did that (to get a sense of the proportions and shapes) and found it really helpful! Kate Turner

By: Kate Turner

Kate Turner — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 19:24:48 +0000

In reply to matt.

Matt, as much as I’ve loved your courses, in some of the earlier ones, you did tend to leave out a few things like that. And there are semi-idiots like me who might miss the obvious. When I chose to go back to the little birds, I luckily didn’t get too far into the first lesson before realizing that my 11×14 Bristol paper was going to produce a very LARGE bird! On the other hand, you’ve become much better at providing written info on colors of pencils, etc.

As an introduction, I took your Colored Pencil class initially, then went on to do the Cat’s Eyes and the Peony before having rotator cuff surgery and being “grounded” for awhile. I have learned so, so much from all of your instruction – thanks!,

Kate Turner
Ithaca, New York

By: Wayne Patton

Wayne Patton — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 23:19:44 +0000

In reply to matt. If I invested in a larger set, would the 40 pencil Caran d’Ache set be sufficient?

By: matt

matt — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:15:14 +0000

In reply to Wayne Patton. Hi Wayne, Limiting the colors available to you with colored pencils is going to make it more difficult. Unlike with traditional painting mediums (oils and acrylics), limiting your palette with colored pencils also limits the range of color that you can create.

By: Wayne Patton

Wayne Patton — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 21:10:25 +0000

How difficult would the three birds be with a set of 12 colored pencils. I have Caran D’Ache, Derwent Ligthfast and Polychromos all in 12 sets.

By: matt

matt — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 13:25:11 +0000

In reply to Larry Dacy.

Hi Larry,

These papers are different. Bristol paper can be had in “vellum” (a slightly textured paper) or “smooth” (a very smooth surface). I hope this helps.

By: Larry Dacy

Larry Dacy — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 01:19:27 +0000

Is smooth Bristol paper the same as Bristol vellum?

By: Jill Towers

Jill Towers — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 04:51:15 +0000

Matt, I finished the kingfisher and was pleased with the result despite using different coloured pencil brand and of course not all the colours were available in my set. Despite this it was probably the best drawing I have done. I learnt a lot but probably the biggest thing I took away was to be patient. Which was difficult. Thank you. Jill, N.Z.

By: Bonnie Arnold

Bonnie Arnold — Fri, 26 May 2023 15:40:44 +0000

In reply to Terri Rich. Terri, I push 'Pause' a lot! LOL. It may help you to watch the video first without attempting to draw. Then go back and use the video and/or ebook to work on the physical part of the lesson. Everyone has different learning styles!