THE WORK BEHIND THE ARTWORK

This section of text is mostly for fellow artists or people who have some form of interest in my methods. The majority of these illustrations are done in a colored pencil medium, with the exception of my two separate paintings on Art and Science. Most people cannot believe that I can create the realism and roundness that I do with colored pencils, but I do. Of course, I have invested in a quite extensive set of color and quality, but my success is in my application. I'm completely self taught with colored pencils, and I am now just learning how to paint, but color has always come naturally to me. I mix it with pen and ink and have created my own personalized style and mixed medium, though I'm begining to back away from the ink in more formal works.

I worked somewhat large in this concentration, because I had a lot of details to work in to my illustrations. The majority are 14"x17", and the rest are larger. That is why I spent nearly four restless months creating this concentration. The colored pencil medium is very time consuming, because you are working with such a fine tip and can only work on small areas at a time. I build up my drawings with layer upon layer of shade and color. The cool colors come first and then I gradually apply warmer tones such as yellow and red. I also work in two separate brands. My Rembrants have a higher pigment ratio whereas my Spectracolors contain more of a wax content. By combining the two, I am almost able to completely eliminate the sketchy look attributed to colored pencil. After years of experimenting with them, they are my favorite tools to work with, although I do recognize their limits. To be a true illustrator, I'm going to need to pick up watercolor sometime soon, but for now I am happy having colored pencils at my side.

raflynn@art.wustl.edu