December 2023 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists featured in the December 2023 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.
Soft but Clear, Lush and Lovely by Linda Lucas Hardy
12 x 15 inches
Prismacolor, Holbein, and Caran d'Ache Luminance pencils on .005" 2-sided DuraLar drafting film by Grafix. Artist’s photo.
I started out as usual, photo cropped for the best composition, colors tweaked, drafting film sized, and a line drawing in place. I had no plan but to recreate the image to the best of my ability, so I dove in. I began with the greens because they were the farthest back and then progressed to the inside of the white flowers. I realized very quickly that peonies are confusing because the petals go every direction. While only partially finished with the white flowers, I moved to the darkest flower.
As I worked, I began to think about the outer blossoms. That’s when the “What if?” question came to mind. What if I let them fade somewhat into the background rather than making them sharp and defined. I wasn’t sure how much or how little, but the more I worked the more I knew what I wanted to accomplish. I brought some of the blue into the outer petals, which created soft edges causing them to gently fade into the background.
About Linda Lucas Hardy:
Linda Lucas Hardy is a multi-award-winning master colored pencil artist, oil painter, and instructor. She didn’t begin to follow her lifelong dream until she was 53, after her seven children were grown. Since then, her art and/or articles have been published in 30 magazines and 17 books. She’s represented by galleries in Dallas and Scottsdale.
See more at: www.lindalucashardy.com/ and facebook.com/lindalucas.hardy.
On The Table: Crystal and Peonies by Jeannette Sirois
15 x 20 inches
Prismacolor, Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d’Ache Luminance and Pablo pencils on Stonehenge. Artist’s photo.
My use of colored pencils in creating art has become a defining characteristic of my artistic journey. For me, colored pencils offer a unique and captivating way to bring my visions to life with a rich and vibrant palette. It is a remarkable medium.
With this latest piece, I am embarking on a new direction in my artistic exploration in that it represents a departure from my previous style, and incorporates a new type of storytelling. I’m exploring the use of a very defined foreground (table edge), middle ground (crystal and vase) and background (blue color block). They are almost nonexistent and vague, as the elements hint of a table where the crystal and peony seem to dominate, and a wall, popping with vibrant color, complements and balances the still life. With this new direction, I am challenging myself to experiment with different techniques and concepts, venturing into uncharted artistic territories. It is my way of breaking free from the confines of familiarity and embracing the unknown. By pushing myself to try something new, I am working at expanding my artistic horizons and unlocking fresh avenues for self-expression.
This piece marks a new chapter in my artistic exploration as I embark in a fresh and exciting direction. It is not easy, as many artists know, to break away from the familiar to a new journey but with each pencil stroke and concept laid down on paper it becomes more and more exciting and fun.
About Jeannette Sirois:
Jeannette Sirois has been a full-time colored pencil artist for more than 15 years. Her favorite subjects are figurative and still life with works in public, permanent and private collections worldwide. Her awards include Americans for the Art Public, and she twice finalized for the prestigious Kingston Art Portrait Prize.
See more at: www.jeannettesirois.com.
Dandelion Dance by Katerina Koukiotis
8 x 10 inches
Prismacolor Premier, Colerase, and Verithin pencils on Canson Mi-Teintes, Black. Original design/concept, drawn from life, en plein air.
I was hired to create an artwork titled “Dandelion Dance”. My client asked me to draw a ballet fantasy scene with dandelion flowers. As I am fond of both ballet and flowers, I found this project to be enjoyable and fun to work on.
To create this artwork, I used colored pencils on black pastel paper to give the flowers and dancers a more magical and contrasting look. I enjoy using colored pencils, sometimes combined with other art mediums, such as pastels or white charcoal, on black or tinted colored paper, as it makes multiple colors stand out more.
I sketched out several ideas before settling on a concept that I thought would suit the theme. My client gave me a lot of creative freedom, which allowed me to create what I thought would work best for this piece. I started with the dandelion flowers and then moved on to the ballerina-fairies’ poses. Dandelion flowers are delicate and pretty, and I wanted to capture that feeling in this artwork.
I was thrilled to hear that my client loved the drawing, and I enjoyed working on it, too.
About Katerina Koukiotis:
Katerina Koukiotis is a talented traditional artist from New York who specializes in creating original drawings and paintings of fantasy imagery and portraits in a realistic style. Her art pieces have been exhibited in various art galleries, printed in books, sold, and licensed by professional companies.
See more at: www.katerinaart.com.
