by Michelle Farmer I’ve always been a creative soul. As a child you could find me with a sketch pad, pencil, or paintbrush in my hands, out in the garden sketching tree bark or leaves. For many years, I took watercolour classes with many of my pieces proudly gracing the walls of our family home. In 2022, I took up coloured pencils and I’ve learned a lot since then, usually through trial and error! I thought it might be helpful to share some of my top tips for working in coloured pencil. #1 The Ugly Duckling I think this is one of the biggest things I’d say is, “Don’t give up when your drawi ..read more

The three artists featured in the April 2024 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.    The Royals by Karen O'Neill-Brown 12 x 5.5 inches Polychromos, Luminance, Pablo colored pencils on Pastelmat. Photo from Adobe Stock. The majesty of these beautiful cats drew me (forgive the pun) to this picture, and I had to add them to my collection of big cats. The lioness sits beside her mate with dignity and pride, while her handsome partner wears an almost smug expression. And why wouldn't he look so pleased with himself? After all ..read more

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 FB group links at the bottom of this post. Call for entry is posted every month in participating Facebook groups—join in the fun and your artwork could be featured, too! Kenyan Maasai Villager 1 by Andrea Drake 16x11.5 inches, colored pencil on Pastelmat My initial inspiration for attempting this drawing was the colourful handmade je ..read more

by Frederique Horton Six years ago I started my coloured pencil journey, one that has now led me to be a finalist in different competitions and being exhibited. But more on that soon! Looking At You, 12 x 18 inches Let's go back to when it started, when a chance encounter with someone - who is now a very close friend - introduced me to coloured pencils. I had no idea about this medium (other than when I used to use them in school). I had no background in art, and certainly none in coloured pencils, so how did I fall in love with this medium and want to draw animals? I would say through she ..read more

The three artists featured in the March 2024 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.  Lunch in Paris by Kimberly Karum 13.5 x 10.5 inches Prismacolor colored pencils on Stonehenge paper. Artist’s own photo. This artwork is a portrait of my mom. My mom was multi-talented. She would stay up after her six kids were in bed and sew our outfits, clean, and cook. She also joined the local elementary school PTA and became their Picture Lady. She would go from classroom to classroom sharing art with developing minds. In her senior years ..read more

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 FB group links at the bottom of this post. Call for entry is posted every month in participating Facebook groups—join in the fun and your artwork could be featured, too! George by Costas Kalamiotakis 12x15.5 inches, colored pencil on Pastelmat George, my son, has wanted me to do his portrait for ages. He is now 16 years old and is al ..read more

by Sharan Merchant On December 31, 2023, I will have officially retired from a 40-year career in IT. Over the many years, I’ve been a computer programmer/analyst, web developer & designer, graphic designer, publication and media designer, and even done some tech support. While I’ve enjoyed most of the work, especially the design part, and constantly learning new things, I’ve never been passionate about it. Memorial Portrait of Pharaoh As a girl attending school, my favorite subject, hands down, was always art. While I enjoyed other classes, there was never any comparison to the joy art ..read more

The three artists featured in the February 2024 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.  Of the Old School by Jen Urquhart 8 x 8 inches Polychromos and Luminance colored pencils on Fabriano Artistico 640gsm HP watercolor paper. Artist’s own photo. This still life drawing came about when I saw this gorgeous ceramic jug, with its warm browns and shiny surface, in a vintage shop. The raised surface has a design of grapes and leaves. It has quite an old world feeling, a bit special, which makes it perfect for my still life drawings ..read more

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 FB group links at the bottom of this post. Call for entry is posted every month in participating Facebook groups—join in the fun and your artwork could be featured, too! Portrait of a Young Boy by Kathy Curtin 9x12 inches, colored pencil on Pastelmat I was struck by this adorable little boy's messy hair and huge smile. I wanted to wo ..read more

by Lesley Martyn “I’ve joined a Saturday morning Art group for the next 4 weeks!” “What??” said my husband. “Since when are you interested in art?” This conversation was 6 years ago, almost to the day. I was feeling extremely stressed at work — we were running a large complicated Game Reserve in South Africa and I kept feeling that I needed a creative outlet where I could de-stress from the challenges of work. I had been following a local graphite artist for some time and much admired his realistic drawings. When I saw that he was advertising a Saturday morning art class, I jumped at the opp ..read more