The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - February 2018
February 2018 Featured Artists. Corresponding with the art gallery that is featured each month in Ann Kullberg's COLOR Magazine, The Pencil Box blog series will give artists a bit more space to share insight and inspiration about their colored pencil art. Make sure to check out links at the bottom of this post for our Facebook group partners - join in the fun and your artwork could be featured, too!
Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d'Ache Pablos and Luminance with a watercolor background. I used Daler Rowney Bristol board smooth.
I am so used to do doing pet portraits and graphite pictures that it was more than exciting to do something with so much color and vibrancy. I made this with a a tutorial in mind so I wanted to focus on a subject that they could be proud to show off once done. This was my very first feathered piece and I certainly faced some challenges but it soon turned out to be one of the favorite pieces I have drawn to date. I have become known for my unusual backgrounds and this one is no exception to that.
About Bonnita:
Bonnita has made a name for herself producing colorful water color paintings, ink illustrations and graphite portraits. Her signature splash helps to set her style apart. 18 months ago Bonnita moved onto colored pencils and loves everything about them, they have taken her art to a whole new level. See more at http://www.bonnitadoodles.com.
Reach for the Sun by Kylie Carney
18" x 12"
Prismacolor, Polychromos, Luminance pencils and Zest-It solvent on Fabriano Artistico.
Reference photo from Pixabay.
Reach for the Sun was created for a colleague in the addiction and mental health service in which we both work. The sunflower, with its face towards the sun, is a symbol of hope and recovery from addiction and mental health issues. This painting is about keeping going through the dark times, doing the sometimes difficult work of recovery, and keeping hope for the future.
What I think makes this painting effective is the use of vibrant color and contrast which captures the bright light of a hot, sunny day. To achieve this, firstly I wasn't afraid to use dark tones in the shadows to create contrast with the lighter yellow and orange tones of the petals, and I completely filled up the tooth of the paper with multiple layers of colored pencil, and blended layers with Zest It solvent for a smooth, saturated look. I also used an X-Acto knife to scratch out highlights on the fuzzy flower stems and an embossing tool to create the lighter veins of the leaf.
Martine started painting and drawing a couple of years ago. Recently she finished her Art- school education (oils, fine-arts). But although she likes to paint she completely fell in love with colored pencils. She shares her enthusiasm for the colored pencils now in lessons and workshops in the Netherlands. See more at http://kyliecarneyfineart.com/.
Self Portrait by Maureen Kolhoff
11" x 14"
Caran d’Ache Luminance and a white gel pen on Strathmore paper.
I love to draw portraits in color, but always someone different, like famous people, friends or commissions. This is the first time that I have drawn myself in color.
This drawing is not only about myself, but also about my triplet sisters. You see three butterflies in the drawing, each butterfly represents one of us. The colors of the butterflies refer to our favorite colors when we were young. We are identical triplets, but we have our own color (own personality, hobby’s, etc) and now we’re older, we’re going in our own direction, our own way. Like the butterflies in the drawing, each butterfly is flying in an other direction.
In the drawing, I drew myself two times. One I’m happy and the other one I’m looking down. Everyone has ups and downs. Sometimes you’re happy and sometimes not. I have this process with drawing a lot. I want to quit the drawing, because I think it’s not good enough. Sometimes I start again or I continue the drawing and in the end I’m happy that I didn’t quit. The two portraits represent this process.
In this drawing I tried to show who I am in life. I really like color, therefore this drawing is really colorful. A really big inspiration for me is the universe. We’re all part of it, so I drew myself in the middle of the Universe with the planets around me.
About Maureen:
Maureen Kolhoff (Netherlands) ,was very young when she started drawing. At the end of high school, she knew that she want to be an Artist. At this moment Maureen lives in Edinburgh where she studies at the Edinburgh Atelier of Fine Art. Beside drawing, she makes 3d / 2d street paintings. See more at http://maureenkolhoff.com/.
16" x 20"
CP on Canson Mi Teintes Pastel Mat
I had not been involved in drawing for at least thirty years and when I retired two years ago I began painting in acrylics after being encouraged by my sister, Denise, to paint a picture of an octopus for her beach house. During this period I discovered the world of colored picture art and decided this is what I wanted to do. I love the detail and realism that can be achieved with this medium.
After drawing animals, people, and flowers, my sister suggested I try a landscape, which I had never done before, and though I was not sure I gave it a try. Using a photo she had taken in Bermuda I reproduced it and presented it to her as a birthday gift. She has been one of my biggest supporters and because of her I found the desire to create art again.
Marlene has been married to the love of her life for fifty years. She is a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother who resides in the United States. Retired and loving it, she has became interested in the world of colored pencil art two years ago.
These artworks were published in the February 2018 issue of COLOR Magazine.
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