The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - July 2022

Always looking for inspiration, I attended an interview of a colored pencil artist. The artist stated that she uses Canson Mi-Tientes Touch paper to render seascapes. She then gave a quick demo of her technique. Her method of rendering her seascape intrigued me. The demo inspired me to challenge myself and step away from the comfort of my normally used process. Very soon after the interview I searched the internet, on free reference photo sites, for the perfect seascape to try this new technique. I was immediately taken in by the wave photograph I ended up using. I felt it was the perfect image for the plans I had formed in my mind and scribbled down notes during and after the demo. This was to be my next drawing. Challenging, yes, but that’s exactly what I needed. I was excited to use a surface and technique that was new to me. The technique was uncomfortable for me but I pushed through. I’m pleased that I did, as this technique took less time to complete this drawing than it would have taken me using my usual process. I was very pleased with the results. However, I may not be doing too many more seascapes, so I then ask myself, “would this technique work just as well on a different subject matter?”. To answer that question, I need to jump out of my comfort zone again and try a different subject using this technique. I am currently working on another piece using this technique, a landscape. I look forward to seeing the results. Who knows, this technique/surface may become a second ‘comfort zone’ for me to work in with my many colored pencils.

About Linda Phillabaum:

Linda was raised in Illinois where she was introduced to colored pencil art. She soon became a member of the Chicago CPSA. In 2010 she became an instructor for Beech Tree Studio. In 2015 she moved to Texas where she is the Vice President of CPSA chapter 224. She lives with her husband John. They have a daughter and two grandchildren.

See more at: https://www.facebook.com/lindaphillabaumfineart

This drawing is from a photo I took last summer at the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio. We visit there often with our 11-year-old grandson Mack, spending the day exploring the woods and fields and ponds. It’s an inspiring place for an artist and I take lots of photos for reference. I decided to draw this one on black paper to bring out the amazing color of the frog and the lily pad. And I loved the challenge of working almost exclusively in green but still making sure that the frog looked 3-dimensional and separate from the lily pad, and that the water droplets and wet skin looked real. I used Prismacolor pencils and since I was working on black, I was able to add many of the white highlights first and draw around them. I’m not a fast or prolific artist. I take my time, often walking away for a day or two to come back with fresh eyes. The original drawing was larger including several other lily pads. But I decided I didn’t like the balance, didn’t think that they added anything, and cropped them out of the drawing. Since I usually draw still-life compositions, I was pleased with how this came out.

About Susan Buling:

Susan Buling has been drawing with colored pencils since she was in high school. Retirement gave her time to experiment with different pencils, papers, and techniques. She’s enjoying the creative process. When she’s not drawing, she makes hand-painted garden bells out of wine bottles.