Colored Pencil

"Princeton Farm",2007
Prismacolor colored pencil on Bristol paper, 4" x 5 3/4"

I developed an interest in colored pencil. After seeing pieces by Jamie Gildow, Gary Greene, David Dooley, and Barbara Edidin, I said what everyone says, "That's colored pencil?" It seemed like the perfect media, lots of color, no mess, and when you stop, you just put down the pencil. When I have a few minutes, I can slip away and work on a drawing.
"Princeton Farm" was my first attempt and I filled the tooth of the paper too quickly by using too much pencil pressure. Now I start with light pressure and a very sharp pencil point. Many layers of pencil color develop more exciting blends and colors with depth.

"Oak Leaves", 2007

Prismacolor pencil on Bristol paper, 9" x 11"

This next drawing is more successful. I drew two oak leaves gathered from the yard and placed on my drawing board. I used Prismacolor colored pencils (which are wax-based) with a gentle pressure and small, circular strokes. I created the veins using an impressed line that stayed light as I added further layers.
Impressed lines can be made using a piece of tracing paper or vellum and a pencil or ballpoint pen. Place the tracing paper over the drawing and draw the veins pressing down with the pen on the tracing paper. This creates the indentation in your drawing surface.