Greyscale Isn't Scary: An Intro to Colouring

[@patcarey7956]

This is my introduction to grey scale coloring. I feel quite confident and ready to go. Great video.

[@patricktilley5203]

Good job. You take the fear out of those intimidated by gray scale. So easy...

[@CLong-xo4ww]

Thank you for this demonstration. Have a few grayscale coloring books I was hesitant to start in because I wasn’t sure how to start. Again thank you and really love your accent.

[@jacquelinehainge8334]

Thank you for this video. I also like using "eye shadow" on my grey scale books, it takes really well, creating some fabulous shimmering effects.

[@bridgettmckean5424]

I'm new to this grayscale coloring and I was wondering how you apply the eyeshadow.

[@rufussengi1063]

Thanks for sharing this! Just got my first grayscale book, and suspected these things, but didn’t want to botch it if I was wrong, so I thought I’d better look into it to be safe! Lovely tutorial! 😊

[@elainewines4687]

Humphrey is so cute!

[@lhasalynn2091]

I have only just attempted Greyscale coloring, having always thought it looked MORE difficult to achieve different effects---and what a delightful surprise to discover that it is just the OPPOSITE! The Greyscale tones will do most of the work for me! I've just ordered a new book that has come out, in 2024, called "Adorable Animals - Greyscale Coloring Book" by Jane Maday--and I can't wait to color in it!! Lynn in NYC

[@TheColourCave]

Enjoy!

[@lhasalynn2091]

@@TheColourCave The book arrived yesterday--and I can't wait to start coloring in it--it is such a beautiful drawn, creative coloring book, with 48 perforated pages of all sorts of animals, all in grayscale with different grayscale backgrounds on wonderful paper with a white backing on each page. . In the front, are step-by-step instructions of just how to color grayscale---coloring fur, coloring light to dark, layering etc.----with many colored examples of animals--and space to practice!! And in the back, are examples of just how the artist, Jane Maday, colored them herself. I am so delighted with it! It's the best $15.95 coloring book I have ever come across. Thanks again for your wonderful video! ❤❤❤Lynn in NYC

[@shariwanderer5761]

This was very informative to me because I didn't even know what grey scale was. lol

[@lorrykohls]

Thanks very much! Just what I needed. Bennett Klein's art is so fun to color. You did a great job w/Humphrey :)

[@TheColourCave]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed!

[@jacklynchristani960]

Outstanding instruction, your voice is very pleasant to listen as I swatch out my FaberCastell A.D. watercolors, I have a beautiful Mermaid grayscale book, now I will copy off a couple items and practice. Thank you. J.

[@BlueBirdsSong]

I absolutely love his name you gave him “ Humphrey”...perfect ❤️. You definitely made the, what should be enjoyable and fun grayscale coloring just that...enjoyable and fun. So many make it complicated, with countless numbers of layers for just one color but same family of color, there is a place for that, but not for the beginners like me. It sucks all the fun out of coloring. I have an Art background and you are always learning and hopefully having fun. I just don’t want to spend half a day coloring a small part of a picture when it’s not really needed, I just want to relax. That is why I loved your video. You made me want to pick up my colored pencils again. I love Grayscale coloring. Yours turned out so beautiful and cute. Thank you so much for this video. By the way, I Love your accent it’s beautiful. Stay safe and healthy. ✨❤️

[@MarjorieMcLachlan]

Thank-you. Thank-you. Thank-you. I've been given almost a dozen grey-scale books over the last few years. And I've been too intimidated to even start. Now I'm feeling inspired!

[@TheColourCave]

I love a good greyscale, have fun now and enjoy all of your lovely books!

[@Shannon5909]

You makes it look soooo easy!! And isn't Humphrey a handsome wee fella!

[@kylara4119]

I am in the process of coloring a greyscale image and thus helped out tremendously. Ty so much

[@Ink-t5x]

Ok now I only want to color greyscale pictures! Humphrey is so adorable! Thanks for this video!

[@michellestone4657]

I'd given up on trying greyscale but now you are inspiring me. Thank you for this tutorial.

[@TheColourCave]

Most welcome! I'm glad it has helped you 😊

[@sueellens]

This was helpful. Thanks again for sharing the link. Humphrey is so cute! I’ll be going back to watch your previous videos today!

[@sherimcdaniel3491]

Ok, I wasn’t smart enough to notice I was was buying gray and black scale coloring books. So, that means I didn’t realize I was supposed to be intimidated….hahaha! I sought your channel because the sample photo you showed is very similar to one I had already chosen. That being said, I became an INSTANT subscriber because you are very good at the art of instruction. You don’t “talk down” or waste time on useless chatter. AND, as if that wasn’t enough, there’s the matter of your marvelous accent!! I could listen to it all day long (and I might, you never know). Are you Irish? Seriously, I really do like the way “teach” and I will now listen to the rest to learn a bit about what I don’t currently know. Thank you, my dear.

[@TheColourCave]

Welcome Sheri, nice to have you here in the Cave. I'm glad you like my 'teaching' method... I'm really just being my old self. I tend to keep the rambling for the 'chat' videos, although I do still disperse explanations in amongst my chatter, even in those. I'm Scottish, not Irish, but a common question from people outside of Europe 😊

[@sherimcdaniel3491]

@@TheColourCave I am so happy to hear that you’re Scottish! I am learning Gaelic from Duolingo and I find I don’t have trouble remembering the lesson, it’s making my “too American English” brain remember the correct mouth positions for your Gaelic words! But I am determined. ❤️

[@sandywilkie1671]

Thanks I've been looking forward to this video. I did one gray scale picture and wasn't very happy with it but with the tips you showed I'm going to give it another try. Thanks again

[@emyyroblox8285]

Hey , you got me on to scrawlr box 📦 yay I ordered the subscription I will be unboxing it with you xx❤️❤️

[@diannetrout3399]

Absolutely love your accent... I love Scotland.

[@elainewines4687]

Thank you for your video. It takes the fear away.

[@sharonlockwood1825]

Thank you. So helpful!

[@reginanguyen6573]

What was the blending tool you used on Humphrey and on the Flower? Beautifully done. Thank you so much! Your awesome!!

[@ArtsyLady]

I was wondering the same

[@karensquirrell7232]

Really enjoyed this video and loved the pic, it is beautiful. You explain everything so clearly and really appreciate it, thank you 💖

[@JudyXthree]

Very informative! Loved it Gem!

[@wendymaddock7705]

Thankyou it’s like magic I will have a go of grey scale xx ❤😊it seamed a bit scary xx but he showed me how he stunning Rodger xx

[@wendymaddock7705]

Thanks for giving me a reply am sorry I text a message to my friend about his dog lol 😂 xx but I did love you video Wendy

[@wendymaddock7705]

Beautiful 🤩 xx

[@pattytolliver2651]

He is adorable. I learned some new techniques for grayscale coloring.

[@lost619]

Trying this for the first time. I attempted to colour a small piece the other day and it looked OK so going to do it properly for first time

[@olderthandadirt]

Thanks for the video. Until yesterday I had no interest in grayscale but then I saw some books in a thrift store. I had no idea what to do with them and no intention to buy them. Until I saw one page was completed and it looked amazing! It looks like I joined the club.

[@TheColourCave]

Glad to hear it! Once you get the hang of it, it's a very stress-free colouring experience. Your screen name also made me laugh, thank you!

[@lesleyritchie5085]

tyfs was so scared to try but now i'm just going to try

[@biancasantiago2958]

This is great!!! Thank you

[@sherimcdaniel3491]

Well, I think Humphrey is a very proper name for this adorable little guy! I started my first grayscale attempt today and, miracle of miracles, I began with the light on light and dark on dark!! I know …… I can’t believe it myself. (I would love to see your completed Humphrey!) Thank you so much for the mini lesson in blending colors as well. I’ve been using PrismaColor blender sticks and they sure don’t do the job yours did! Anyway, I’ll be binging you now and barricading myself in my apt with a note on my door and a msg pad in case someone actually wants to talk to me. Take care my new friend and be well.

[@tracywindle1737]

Loved the video Gem. Looking forward to the blending video ❤️

[@TheColourCave]

Hi Tracy, I had no plans to do a blending video, but the original idea came from Erin Jarboe - here's a link to the video if you want to check it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3exmYidaJyjn80

[@myriambinnemans532]

thanks for the amazing work and help

[@TheColourCave]

Most welcome Myriam - thanks for watching!

[@sazjay3174]

just found this video thanks for this i downloaded coloring books from etsy that are grayscale and i am now gonna try attempting them I was overwhelmed when i looked at them at first.

[@TheColourCave]

Aw, this is so great to hear! Go ahead and have some fun, it's one of my favourite things when I don't want to use my brain too much. Thanks for watching!

[@tinyvanvlierberghe5327]

Thanks this was very interesting

[@gagatoots807]

Oh my that picture is absolutely adorable. After watching this video I now feel brave enough to tackle a grey scale 😁 what video do you talk about that blending pen? I've not heard of one before

[@TheColourCave]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZm9iKeNjsuFqqs

[@elliegreen2692]

Thank you so much! This is awesome and so helpful.

[@TheColourCave]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kimberlyfebo7605]

Ty ❤❤❤

[@ravenwolf1637]

Thank you for taking the fear out of grayscale!

[@TheColourCave]

Most welcome, thanks for watching!

[@greeneyedmimibostian3013]

Thank you

[@RAFFIREMAN2]

Really found this very useful thank you very much

[@TheColourCave]

Most welcome. Thanks for watching 😁

[@cyngyn1675]

So helpful thank you so much.

[@TheColourCave]

Most welcome!

[@hannahlynnart]

Thank you, looking to putting out some grayscale books so I'm trying to understand more from the colorist's perspective!! I spy my "Moon Glow" coloring page in the background of your intro there

[@TheColourCave]

Glad it was helpful! Feel free to drop me a mail if you'd like any more input [e-mail]

[@cateyes3813]

Hi! 👋 What is that really cool thing (I think I saw Copic on it??) that you used to blend out the colours at 22:56? That looks REALLY good! ♥️ from Australia 🇦🇺

[@judylittle2919]

He DOES look like a Humphrey!! ❤

[@ccsmith9725]

As a newby to coloring it would have been so grand to have known the pencil color number…😉

[@monabadr]

This book is sold out on amazon and resellers price at $100!

[@TheColourCave]

Yes, all of Bennett's books are out of print now. You can still download them digitally by contacting him directly though. Greedy people just looking to make a quick buck!

[@monabadr]

@@TheColourCave greedy people?

[@TheColourCave]

Yes. These books retailed at around $10 USD originally and are printed on Amazon Createspace paper (not a popular paper) - people asking $100 for a book.....

[@monabadr]

@@TheColourCave I don’t understand how do I contact him directly? His Etsy page says Shopify I can’t find him......$100 to $700

[@TheColourCave]

You can find him on Facebook - I think it may be the only place to reach him- send him a message and he will reply.

[@melissaclark7734]

Thank-You so much for sharing this video💖 I just purchase a lovely greyscale coloring book but didn't really know how to color it with my colored pencils🤔 What colors are considered flat colors?🎨

[@TheColourCave]

A flat colour is just a single colour, i.e just one pencil with no shading, blending or mixing with other colours - sometimes referred to as 'block colour'. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@crazybyproxy]

Humphrey looks like a little friend for Stuart little 😃🪄

[@KitarraChaosWeaver]

Thank you. Greyscale is something I have not tackled yet. Have you tried the greyscale images that are deeply greyscaled? Like ones that were transformed from photos? They look so dark that it feels like colored pencil won't take them.

[@TheColourCave]

I have, and the quality varies wildly. Some seem to think you can convert any photo into black and white and you have a greyscale colouring page. Not so. As you say, some are just too dark, and the paper quality needs to be of a high standard. I'm not really into the photograph-type greyscale, but there are some lovely, high-quality books out there. I think they are quite relaxing to colour.

[@KitarraChaosWeaver]

@@TheColourCave I have been tempted to try the animal one. Where it's really lovely animal images in greyscale.

[@davidnikkicortes7462]

OMG YES THANK YOU I THINK I CAN DO THIS BLESSINGS 😇 USA 😊

[@joycehenderson8209]

Thank you for this! I'm just starting out with this and am not feeling so intimidated now. In another note I love your voice, are you Irish?

[@TheColourCave]

Hello! Glad you found it helpful, greyscale doesn’t need to be stressful! I am not Irish, but you were close - Scottish, and a west-coaster at that, so right ‘next door’ 😊

[@BamaBells]

Thank you !!! I have ordered my very first grayscale book and was unsure about it. Now I see how simple it can be. I think I will start with the one color method and then go to the 3 colors. Oh...what type blender did you use ? Thanks again.

[@judithf9297]

This a great tutorial for greyscale,thank you. I wanted to ask you what paper are you using here? I assume you did the download and then print it. Actually even though this video is 2 years old, but that page with the digital download does not exist,and his books Color my sketchbook are between $100 and $300. I wonder why?

[@ANSTHVN]

Which book is this from? Please?

[@brawyn777]

Does Crayola do the same? I am so new to coloring,and can't afford the more expensive pencils, love your video

[@TheColourCave]

Crayolas will do a fine job for you too - no expensive pencils needed!

[@Patricia-j3r]

What do I do if the grey smears when I color? I don’t have a way to scan and reprint them.

[@TheColourCave]

It really shouldn't - are you using pencil? This would be more common if using inks. My only thoughts are the paper/print quality of the images you are using is poor. Are they 'cheaper' books you are colouring in? You can remedy this by spraying a workable fixative over the page first - this coats the page and protects the layer underneath - the Krylon brand is very popular if you are in the US, and most pencils will work over the top with no problems. Hope this helps!

[@Patricia-j3r]

I figured it was probably the ink and/or paper because I have to use a blender pencil to get a good look and that is when the picture ink smudges. I think the paper is probably more suitable for pens but I have been really enjoying the different things that can be done pencils. I will try the workable fixative. If I do decide to invest in a scanner printer, do you have recommendations? What is the best paper to use?

[@rps1689]

Thank you for this easy to follow video. I tried my first gray scale picture but It turned out a little too light. I am having trouble with how much pressure to put on my pencil. Is it light at first then heavy when blending? Thank you agIn for this great video.

[@TheColourCave]

Hello and welcome! You are correct- light layers to begin with to build up depth, then when you are satisfied you can go in with a heavier hand. Not necessarily a requirement though. Please check out some of my other videos for more techniques. Thanks for stopping by ☺️

[@rps1689]

@@TheColourCave Thank you I have been practising with colored pencils after checking out your other videos. I have been coloring for 5 years now and after watching your first videos of shading with one color, I am off to a good start. I want to start from the beginning to learn the basics.

[@gerryannbrown9645]

Lovely, I just started a Grey Scale, but I am having trouble. When I burnished it in with my blending pencil it looked horrible . Please advise me, do I burnish or just leave the layers as is?

[@TheColourCave]

Hi Gerry. A lot of things can affect the finished look of the image, (paper quality, darkness of image etc) but I wouldn’t recommend burnishing, particularly on dark areas of the image as it’s likely to smear the ink. I’d build up layers instead. Harder pencils work better for this purpose. Hope this helps, let me know if I haven’t answered your questions.

[@nancydubin9328]

What was the blender tool younusednat thenendnofnthe vid ??

[@TheColourCave]

It's just a blank marker filled with pencil blending medium - I use it in quite a lot of my videos, but I talk about it specifically here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZm9iKeNjsuFqqs - hope this helps.

[@Kamoopsipooh1990]

Your store is gone. Do you have a store on Etsy?

[@TheColourCave]

My store isn’t gone, this is just a really old video! Head to the website here: www.thecolourcave.co.uk - thanks for pointing this out, I may have to take some time and go back through my older videos….

[@nancydubin9328]

Did I miss it ??? What pencils are you usin???

[@TheColourCave]

No you didn't miss it. This is meant to be a generic intro to greyscale, so any pencils will be fine. In this video I'm using Faber Castell Polychromos.

[@juleseast3003]

I actually don’t find them intimidating at all. Like you say you can colour something that is quite intricate and will look fabulous when finished

[@judithfaber2667]

We had a guinea pig called Humphrey and he was a little guy who thought he was the size of an elephant!

[@TheColourCave]

That's so cute!

[@scarlettthebrave5854]

I need get Polychromos