November 2024 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists featured in the November 2024 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.
Divan Diva by Faith Wheeler
10.5 x 9.5 inches
Prismacolor on Stonehenge Kraft paper. (Own photo reference.)
After doing pet commissions for other people, I wanted to do a portrait of one of my girls. Daisy had the most expressive eyes along with knowing how to use them to get her way. I thought this was the perfect pose to use showing her diva side.
I chose Stonehenge Kraft paper to use as a middle tone. I then started marking my main areas with my darks first. After that I worked from dark to mid-range colors, then to light, ending with the whites. Working this way takes a different way of thinking from my usual method of light to dark on white paper, but I like the results. One change I made from the original photo was to change the background from another quilt pattern, which made it too busy, to a dark blue that not only matched the blues in the bottom quilt but contrasted nicely with the orangey red of Daisy’s fur
About Faith Wheeler:
Faith is an award-winning colored pencil artist who has also been published. Working in graphic design for many years after earning her BA in Studio Art from FSU, she worked in medical coding while still creating colored pencil art in her spare hours. Now retired, Faith now focuses her time with her family, art, dogs and traveling.
Sùilean air an nàmhaid (Eyes on the Enemy) by Kevin Moffat
25 x 20 inches
Faber-Castell Polychromos on 300gsm Mountboard. (Own photo reference.)
In the spring of 2022, I decided to slightly shift the focus of my artwork from WWII aircrew to an earlier period in history, and this piece is the second in that new series. It portrays seven Highlanders from the 1745 Jacobite Uprising on patrol, who suddenly come across the enemy. This work, which took six months and more than 400 hours to complete, is a labor of love that captures a fleeting moment in history. As a Scot, my deep interest in Scottish history, particularly the First Wars of Independence and the Jacobite Uprisings of the 17th and 18th centuries, is profound. Each Highlander depicted is based on a real person, including friends and colleagues. The completed artwork has been kindly donated to Duncarron Medieval Fort to support their fundraising efforts.
About Kevin Moffat:
Kevin Moffat, a self-taught artist residing on Scotland’s west coast, has dedicated more than 40 years to graphite art before transitioning to colored pencils 11 years ago, a medium he has since embraced. His artistic focus is on historical figures, and he is an ex-member of the UK’s Guild of Aviation Artists.
Solange by Nancy McCabe
8 x 10 inches
Luminance, Lightfast, Pablo and Polychromos on .005" matte 2-sided Drafting film. (Photo from Pixabay, used with permission.)
I recently developed an interest in human portraiture, particularly in how I can push the medium of colored pencil to achieve the realism and smooth effects I want. While looking for inspiration for a human portrait, I was captivated by a photograph of a young girl and was immediately taken by her quirky, inquisitive expression. I loved capturing all the textures in this portrait, from the silkiness of her wispy hair, impossibly dark eyes, her knit sweater, and smooth skin, while keeping her childlike qualities. I named her Solange, from the French, which loosely translates to sun angel, depicted in the soft halo of her hair, and the dappled sunlight in the leaves and grass behind her. As an artist, I instinctively connect to any subject’s eyes, be it human or animal, and continually strive to bring this quality to the viewer so they will be as drawn into the subjects story as I was.
About Nancy McCabe:
After a 30-year career in communications and graphic design, colored pencil artist Nancy McCabe returned to her first love of capturing the world around her through her art. She has been offering custom commissions and fine art from her home studio in Stanhope, Prince Edward Island, Canada since early 2023, and is now exploring human expressions.
See more at www.pei.art/nancy-mccabe.com
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