Craftsy Class Launch!

So happy to share the launch of my online Craftsy Class entitled Step by Step Photorealistic Coloured Pencil Portraitswhich which takes you through the process for drawing our beautiful model Katie and includes a comprehensive materials list, with all the pencils used, along with a helpful instruction sheet that will assist you in working through the video. You can find out more information here

Here is a sneak preview of the class..

This class is an interactive class and I welcome your questions and will always endeavour to get back to you within 24 hours.

Falling in love with the humble ballpoint pen

Contentment
8x10 inches
Coloured Ballpoint pen on Ampersand Claybord

I was doing some research the other day in preparation for a new artwork and stumbled across some ballpoint pen drawings which really inspired me to pick up the ballpoint pens and attempt another drawing using this medium. I attempted one a few years ago, but combined it with ink and inktense pencils so it couldn't really be called a ballpoint pen drawing. This time, after trying the pens on an assortment of papers, I tried them out on the Ampersand Claybord, which really helped with some of the problems you can come across when using pens. At least if you make a mistake or get one of those unsightly blobs of ink, you can very gently scratch off the surface and resume your drawing and this is a huge plus. There are some concerns about whether drawings done with ballpoint pens could fade over time. I have sprayed this one with 7 generous coats of varnish and am going to hang onto it for 6-12 months and then rescan it to see whether there actually is any fading. You can view a speed drawing of this artwork on YouTube. The reference photo for this gorgeous tiger was provided with kind permission of DigitalART2 on Flickr.  I found this piece really exciting to work on, and will be experimenting with a few more pieces - so watch this space :)

Latest OSWOA - Whistful

Whistful

4x6 inch OSWOA (Original Small Work of Art)

Graphite and black pencil on drafting film.

This is my latest 4x6 inch artwork. I will now be offering graphite pencil commissioned portraits from my Ebay, Etsy and Artfire stores. This original is available for sale now on ebay.