Precision texture with tape
I vividly remember the moment I erased one inch of my carefully constructed sandy beach scene by dropping tape onto the surface. I'd been using tape to add texture – to remove grains of sand and add small pebble shapes. It was working well. Until I applied too much pressure over too big an area and dropped the corner of the tape. I struggled get my nail underneath to lift it off. I put the tape away and told myself that the 'mistake' had enhanced the natural randomness of the sand texture. Something doesn't go to plan? Ah, it's better this way anyway… (she says with confidence, sob).
It was about eight months later that I picked up the tape again. This time, I approached it with considerably more respect.
What is Tape Lifting?
Tape lifting is exactly what it sounds like: using tape to selectively remove pigment from your coloured pencil artwork. Rather than drawing every element, you can create shapes, textures, and highlights by lifting away layers of pigment you've already applied.
Think of it as drawing in reverse – instead of adding marks to create a leaf, you remove pigment to reveal a leaf-shaped area. This technique is particularly valuable when you're faced with complex textures like dense foliage, grass, or fur, where drawing each individual element would test anyone's patience.
The beauty of tape lifting lies in its ability to create organic, natural-looking textures quickly. Where traditional drawing might require dozens of carefully placed marks, tape lifting can achieve similar results in seconds.
Why This Technique Works So Well
Tape lifting is most effective when pigment sits relatively loosely on the paper surface – think those first few light layers rather than heavily burnished areas. The technique works because coloured pencil pigment, when applied with light to medium pressure, is only loosely held by the fibres of the paper rather than being deeply embedded in the tooth.
This makes it perfect for artists who:
Struggle with the concept of negative drawing
Find detailed texture work overwhelming
Want to add spontaneity to their controlled drawing process
Need to create highlights or correct areas that have gone too dark
Essential Equipment
What You Need:
Scotch Magic Tape (this is my preferred choice – it's gentle but effective)
Eraser shield (highly recommended for precision)
Your artwork with light to medium pigment layers
The Eraser Shield Advantage: While not absolutely essential, an eraser shield transforms this technique from risky to precise. This thin metal template (similar in size to a credit card) protects the surrounding artwork while you work on specific areas. Without it, you're relying entirely on hand-eye coordination – possible, but considerably more nerve-wracking.
Step-by-Step Method
1. Prepare Your Tape
Before applying tape anywhere near your artwork, remove some of its initial tackiness. Press the tape lightly against a clean finger. This reduces the risk of lifting too much pigment or damaging your paper.
2. Position Your Shield
If using an eraser shield, position it to protect areas you don't want to affect. Choose an opening that is slightly bigger than the size of the mark you want to create.
3. Apply Pressure Through the Tape
Place the tape over your target area. Using a pencil (ideally one you'll be using for the next stage of drawing), press gently through the non-sticky side of the tape to create your desired shape. The pencil tip allows for precise control over exactly which areas receive pressure.
4. Lift and Assess
Remove the tape smoothly to reveal the lifted area. You now have a precise shape ready for development.
5. Reapply Pigment
With a pencil, pop some colour back into the shape created and work up the surrounding area.
Caution! Test First
Choose an inconspicuous area or use a separate piece of paper with the same surface and similar pigment application. Apply the tape gently, press lightly with a pencil, and remove tape. This tells you exactly how the tape will behave with your specific combination of surface and pigment layers. Examine your tape carefully. Did you remove fibres too or damage the paper? If so, I recommend something gentler - like a kneadable eraser.
Practical Applications
Dense Foliage Effects
When drawing trees or bushes with overlapping leaves, this technique transforms an overwhelming task into an efficient process. Apply your mid-tone green base layers first. With your chosen green pencil in hand, apply tape over the area, then use the pencil tip to press through the tape in leaf-like shapes. When you lift the tape, you'll have crisp leaf-shaped negative spaces. You can then work back into these areas with the same pencil, building up highlights and mid-tones to create convincing layered foliage effects.
Quick demo of tape lifting
Creating Grass Texture
Instead of drawing hundreds of individual grass blades, apply a base layer of green, then use tape to lift vertical strips. This creates the foreground grass blades, which you can then develop with additional colours.
Adding Highlights
Perfect for areas where you've gone slightly too dark or where you need crisp highlights that would be difficult to preserve during the drawing process. I used tape a lot for my autumn leaves piece, below.
Texture Variety
From woolly sheep textures to tree bark undulations, tape lifting adds an element of controlled randomness that can be difficult to achieve through drawing alone.
Those little straggly bits of wool? Removed with tape. Just a few wiggly lines!
Surface Compatibility
Works Exceptionally Well On:
Strathmore Bristol Vellum 500 series
Rising Museum Board
Most hot press watercolour papers
Proceed with Caution On:
Heavily textured surfaces (pigment may be too embedded)
Very delicate papers that might tear
Any surface where you've applied heavy pressure or burnishing
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Too Much Pressure: Remember, you're lifting pigment, not excavating it. Gentle, consistent pressure prevents paper damage and gives you better control.
Wrong Timing: This technique works best on light to medium layers. If you've burnished an area heavily, the pigment may be too embedded to lift cleanly.
Skipping the Test: Every surface behaves differently. What works perfectly on Bristol Vellum might be too aggressive for a more delicate paper.
No Protection: Working without an eraser shield near finished areas is asking for trouble. The shield gives you precision and confidence.
Troubleshooting
Nothing's Lifting: Your pigment may be too light, or the surface too textured. Try building up slightly more pigment first.
Too Much Coming Away: Your tape may be too sticky, or you're applying too much pressure. Remove some tackiness from the tape and work more gently.
Uneven Results: This often happens when the underlying pigment application was uneven. Ensure your base layers are consistent before attempting to lift.
Paper Damage: Stop immediately. Your surface may not be compatible with this technique, or you're being too aggressive.
Making It Part of Your Process
I've found that tape lifting works best when integrated naturally into your drawing process rather than used as an afterthought. Plan where you might want to use it early on, and build your layers with this in mind.
The technique encourages a more fluid, less precious approach to drawing. When you know you can lift and adjust, you're more likely to experiment with bolder colour choices or take creative risks.
Most importantly, tape lifting can transform tedious detail work into something almost meditative. There's something deeply satisfying about the dance between adding and subtracting, building up and lifting away.
Alternative Approach: Kneadable Eraser
If the precision of tape lifting feels too controlled for your artistic style, consider keeping a kneadable eraser on standby. I often use this for less precise pigment removal – simply dabbing it against areas where I want to lift colour or adjust values.
This approach works particularly well for:
Creating soft, organic textures
Adjusting values without hard edges
Adding gentle highlights
The kneadable eraser offers more spontaneous results than tape lifting, making it perfect for artists who prefer a looser, more impressionistic approach to texture work.
Looking Forward
Whether you're drawing a single leaf or an entire forest, tape lifting offers a way to reduce overwhelm and draw with more fluidity. Pigment in. Pigment out. Pigment in…
Have you experimented with tape lifting in your own work? I'd love to hear about your experiences – and any creative applications you've discovered that I haven't mentioned here.
A version of this article also appeared in Talking Point (Issue 95, March 2025), published by the UK Coloured Pencil Society.
Here’s an older video of me demonstrating tips for drawing meadow grass. Fast-forward to 4:15 mins for a tape demo.