Painting Random Moments of Joy

by Lori Loré

Colored pencils are ideal for realistic, detailed figurative drawing, but also allow for imagination, exploration, and artistic expression. I am free to challenge myself, to explore techniques, surfaces, color schemes, and pencils, which best set the scene to portray a unique story. Vacation photos are great sources of anonymous people in a variety of places. Painting random moments of enjoyment and relaxation expresses the world as a place where joy is found by those who look for it.

You Are My Sunshine – This tender moment captures my grandchildren in an enduring expression of sibling affection. 

“You Are My Sunshine” took three years and as many studies to complete – five years if I include the many days spent studying the photo, and drawing it in my mind’s eye. The photo of my grandchildren was taken by their dad, and is the August photo in a 2019 desk calendar. I studied each color and fold in the rainbow dress; how the stripes outline the shape of my granddaughter as she turned to cup her hand under her brother’s chin; his downward gaze and uncut curls; the warm sunlight that glowed between them; and the darkened shadows of a late summer afternoon. Painting this tender moment was my return to art.

I worked from an enlarged print of the small calendar photo that lacked crisp detail. I chose a Canson Mi-Teintes toned paper to capture the mood of a warm, late summer afternoon. I concentrated on her cupped hand and arm that connected them, his expression, and the glow of sunlight between them. I used shadow shapes, and exaggerated highlights next to dark shadows to create structure and form. The deep shadows hid details. I simplified the pattern in the dress, and used the stripes to form her complex gesture. I chose blue, red, and yellow pencils as base layers on the dress to develop the green, purple, red and orange stripes. Complex gestures, deep shadows, and a complicated dress did not deter me from capturing this enduring expression of sibling affection.


Spring Fling – Three young friends share a delightful spring morning before the days of summer and endless blue skies begin.

“Spring Fling” portrays three friends sharing a delightful spring morning before summer begins. I want the viewer pulled into an idyllic time of endless summers and blue skies. The reference was created from live photos I took of the girls at a pond one bright, sunny spring morning. The live photos captured the girls’ motion in frames from which I selected frames to position them in the scene. I removed difficult reflections, lily pads, and moss from the pond, and painted it a vibrant blue to reflect the bright sky and tall grasses. The duck, visible in a live photo, had the girls’ attention.

To show playfulness, I chose a palette of primary colors. I layered various blue and yellow pencils as a base to develop the values and green hues of the landscape. Repeating patterns of yellows and greens suggest soft grasses, shrubs, and distant trees against the sky. I chose Stonehenge paper because it would take many layers.

I changed the color of the girls’ clothes to be the hues of spring flowers. I exaggerated their movement using complementary colors to develop the vibrant highlights and deepest shadows. The stillness of the blue water emphasizes the movement of the girls frozen in a moment of surprise and glee.
The biggest challenge was composing the piece from several reference photos where the sunlight came from different directions. I used imagination to paint the duck’s reflection, and gave each girl unique characteristics.

Afternoon Delight  – A young couple relishes the tranquility of a warm, fall afternoon when the world disappeared and all that remained were themselves.

“Afternoon Delight” portrays a young couple relishing the tranquility of a warm, fall afternoon. I invite viewers to linger quietly and recall their own afternoons of delightful escape. The reference along the Danube River was taken on a day trip to Djerdap National Park in Serbia. The invasion of a tour group did not distract them. Was this their moment when the world disappeared and all that remained were themselves?

I followed the rule of thirds to place the woman’s face as the focal point. I used angles and shapes to determine the proportion and placement of the figures on a 45° line that bisected the paper. This placed the couple within a harmonious and balanced triangle; a repetitive pattern reinforcing harmony and symmetry.

I draw value, color, and freehand sketches to examine composition, map values, try color schemes, and decide what details can be removed. A value study revealed the deepest shadows under the male figure, her arm, and the wrinkles in his shirt that lead the eye to her face. The shadows connect the couple to each other and to the earth. Dapples of sunlight were strategically placed to create interesting patterns.

I chose an analogous blue-blue violet color scheme with orange-yellow complements. Blue-toned Canson Mi-Teintes depicts the Danube River, provides the midtones in his shirt, and illuminates her gaze. Though I trace the reference, a freehand sketch reveals nuances and the difficult aspects of the subject. The wrinkles in his shirt express his body language and attentiveness to his companion. The position of his head and her expression are crucial to the composition. If not technically correct, the entire piece will be wrong.

Lori Loré

Lori Loré studied fine art, was a graphic designer, earned an MS in System Engineering, and finally returned to art in 2021. She believes art is an engineering skill requiring analysis, design, problem solving, detail, and ingenuity. Lori lives in Vancouver, WA, and teaches the fine art of colored pencils to adults with no art background. Applying the system of value and color, students are astonished to discover they can create realistic art. Lori was published in CP Treasures, Vol 10.

Website: https://lorilorefineart.com/