January 2025 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists featured in the January 2025 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.
Fancy a Dip? by Beverly Drake
15.75 x 11.8 inches
Polychromos, Pablo, Luminance, and Derwent Lightfast colored pencils on Pastelmat. (Photo by Leanne Moss, used with permission.)
I was looking for a subject to draw for my little grandson. I wanted it to be a big cat with a friendly, playful face to hang on his bedroom wall. This photograph of a young tiger by photographer Leanne Moss was perfect.
I was drawn to him by his gentle expression and also the challenge of the many different textures I would need to render in addition to his fur and whiskers. The tumbling waterfall, the rocks in the background and foreground all provided their challenges, but I was so happy with the finished drawing. The pastel artist Susan Jenkins once said, “Art Makes Life Better.”
I find this very true because it is so immersive: an escape from the troubles of the world we live in. It is a time thief; the hours fly by as you are engrossed in bringing your subject to life, pencil stroke by pencil stroke. There is a magic in finding a photograph and interpreting it as artwork in your own style. With animal art you can form a bond with the subject you draw. The artwork becomes a part of you, and along with the joy of the achievement it is sometimes hard to part with it at the end.
About Beverly Drake:
Beverly is a pet and wildlife artist based in Kent, United Kingdom. She took up drawing seven years ago, discovering the joy of colored pencils four years ago and was instantly hooked. Beverly enjoys the sense of calm it (mostly) brings her whilst immersed in bringing her subject to life, whether for herself or a portrait of a much-loved pet for someone else.
See more at facebook.com/DrakesArt1
Taking A Look by Chris Rodgers
26 x 18 inches
Polychromos, Luminance, Derwent Lightfast, Pablo, Museum Aquarelle colored pencils on Fabriano Artistico HP watercolor paper. (Photo by Courtney Danielle, used with permission.)
I saw this reference photo and my reaction was “Wow, how amazing, look how close the photographer got to this breaching whale.” I loved the colors and movement of the water, so I challenged myself to draw it. I posted the drawing back in the reference photo group and after thanking the photographer, I was told it was a sculpture in Juneau, Alaska. I had to laugh thinking that I had been drawing a marvel of nature, but it was a brilliant Alaskan sculpture. Looking at my drawing with that knowledge, I see it differently. The orange color is part of the metal. The shapes at the base of the whale are obviously the water jets. It has not diminished the pleasure I had of drawing what I thought was a magnificent creature of the sea.
About Chris Rodgers:
Chris started drawing in colored pencil in 2021. She enjoys the mindfulness of colored pencil and its effect on her mental wellbeing. She has not yet found a theme for her drawings but likes to challenge herself exploring different textures, from fur to feathers, rust to water. Humans and botanicals have made an appearance in her art as well.
See more at facebook.com/Christie-Robyn-Art/
Paraná by Nestor Canavarro
8 x 16.5 inches
Polychromos and Luminance colored pencils on Fabriano 4 rough surface 160 gr. (Artist’s own photo.)
I took this photo of my wife, Marcela, with my niece, Juana, on a summer day we spent on the banks of the Paraná River, in the Argentine city of Rosario.
I love this image because it summarizes the experience of that moment: family fun on a magnificent sunny day, enjoying the cool water in a natural environment. Besides the gratifying memory that it represents, from a technical standpoint I chose this photo for the challenge of capturing the visual messages that convey those impressions. Obviously, I understood the importance of capturing the expressions of joy on the faces, but I also paid close attention to the qualities of the environment that complete the scene: a beautiful day, with a blue sky and its reflection on the river; an out-of-frame midday sun that is present through the intensity of the colors; the glimmers on the wet surfaces of the skin; and the sharp, deep shadows that it casts from its high position in the sky.
Another point of interest was to reproduce the appearance of the water, with its transparent turbulence on the foreground of the characters, extending into the far horizon.
The drawing took me about 40 hours. I enjoyed every minute of it. Immersing myself with pleasure in the details and aspects of the scene while reminiscing about that moment.
About Nestor Canavarro:
Nestor is an Argentine graphic designer and illustrator based in Buenos Aires. He is a self-taught artist who has experimented with various styles and techniques, recently specializing in realism with graphite and colored pencils. He teaches classes sharing his personal approach to drawing, based primarily on the development of observation skills.
See more at www.instagram.com/nestorcanavarro/
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