Hi everyone! Time for some blurb about coloured pencil supports, i.e. paper. Over the years I've tried many different kinds of paper, with mixed success and also a lot of annoyance as well as joy. Starting out I used heavy sketching paper, of the kinds you can find in any art shop or even supermarket. Whilst this works perfectly well, you will find that when you are serious about your work you might want to go for paper which is at least acid free in order to make sure that your piece won't discolor too much over time, although that is hard to avoid when pieces are framed and in contact with light, any light...  However,  there is now special glass on the market that will protect your work, ask your framing specialist next time you need to get a piece framed.

Back to the subject of paper, I am still searching for THE best paper! Never really became a 100% 'one kind of paper' girl, but maybe that will happen some day after I find the best paper for my purposes. However, I can list here a few of my favorite kinds of paper which are often printmaking papers and watercolour papers. Here are a few current ones that I'm using for you to try out....

From the US, and a favorite there with most colored pencil artists: Stonehenge Paper. Used for much more than just coloured pencils, it's also suitable for printmaking, watercolour, pen-and-ink, etc. It's got a smooth vellum like surface which will take a lot of 'abuse' from us coloured pencil artists :-) Available in sheets, rolls and pads, the paper comes in a variety of lovely soft shades, most perfect to combine with Prismacolor Colored Pencils as well as other softer pencils such as Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils and Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencils.

Another lovely paper is Fabriano Tiepolo Printmaking Paper, new at Dick Blick with a lovely smooth strong surface very suitable for coloured pencil work with all types of artist's pencils. Weight: 290 grms and 100% cotton, acid free. Artists such as the amazing Italian Marco Mazzoni use paper like this, with amazing effect.

Also been working with Canaletto Paper (unfortunately not available from Dick Blick!), which you can find in the UK at the excellent Ken Bromley Art Supplies online store. This is a 300grms white watercolour paper, with very smooth surface which makes it fantastic for use with coloured pencils.

You can achieve detailed bright work with all these types of paper, but make sure to use really good quality pencils which contain lots of pigment, get the best you can afford at all times because your work deserves it.

Hey dear folks! Every now and again I want to post about art that I've seen and like, art that inspires me, books, events, music, etc. The process of creating is to sometimes let inspiration in from other sources than nature reflected and bounced off your thoughts and emotions. Not too much of course and not too often, as that is not healthy and will dilute your own 'style' and direction if you are serious about your own 'message'. At least, that is what I find, as the great many possibilites out there confuse and dazzle me most of the time and leave me searching for direction.

I therefore cling to art that I've loved since I was a child in which I found myself...  The Impressionists, the Pre-Rafaelites, Art Nouveau... my comfort zone. Going back to wondering about Celtic art, revelling in the great realm of symbolism.... from Pictish crescent moons to Native American symbols.

If you are a fellow artist reading this... How do you feel about inspiration from other artists/art? Do you let it in or do you try to make sure your own 'style' doesn't get too diluted and therefore try to avoid too much exposure to other art? I know you are currently looking at my art of course, or maybe now you are trying not to ;-) Just to confuse you a bit more, here are some pieces that I've loved for many years... for inspiration :-)

Hi everyone! Hope you are enjoying your summer :-)

I am getting ready to start work on a commission, a graphite work with colour touches of a woman and her familiar, a black cat. Will keep you up to date on the progress, and will be presenting a step-by-step e-book with lots of photos to show you how I work on that piece.

Talking of books... Have long considered a portfolio book of my art, but not had the time to think about it further over the last few years, but due to a few changes in my life I'm going to have more time to once again devote to my art.  It would be an overview of my art together with quotes along with a brief biography and artist statement, mostly like an A4 sized hardback edition. I'm also thinking about a 2012 calendar... Would that be someting you'd be interested in?

If you are like me, you'll want plenty of sketching paper at hand all the time, to doodle away and document ideas that pop up in your head for safekeeping... I keep my ideas as very rough sketches and refer to these later when I'm working on pieces. Strathmore sketch pads are really excellent pads to use and are currently on offer from Blick Art Materials, one of my favorite shops. Click below for details.

Blick Art Materials: Save 70% on select Strathmore pads through July 13th!

Hi!

Welcome to my new blog, where I will post news about my artwork, coloured pencil information and reviews and also other art materials reviews from time to time. I hope this will be helpful information for aspiring and practicing colored pencils artists everywhere. Many thanks for visiting my site, hope you will become a regular guest :-)