Draw a Rose - Learn How to Draw a Rose in Colored Pencil

Seeing values is often a challenge, especially with a strongly colored subject. To help me get a better idea of the tonal mapping of this subject, I've used a paint program to desaturate it. I've heightened the contrast and brightness to help me see the fall of light. I've added a touch of sepia for a warm neutral look. You might prefer to use a straight grayscale version. If accuracy is important to you, you can preserve original tonal values, or adjust brightness and contrast to get better detail in highlights or shadows. I often create several versions of images as references, as well as using photos taken from various angles to help me form a 3-D 'mental picture'.