This year I made the decision that I would add colour to my otherwise grey-scale drawings. After talking to other artists and doing some research and experimentation I came up with a (perhaps strange?) method to add colour to certain drawing projects.

I still want to focus on my pencil and have my pencil marks shine through in my paintings. So this is the process I used…

Start like usual, my graphite pencils on white Stonehenge paper. Once I completed my drawing, I sealed and covered it with a transparent ground for watercolour. (I’ve been really liking the Transparent Watercolor Ground by Daniel Smith).

After letting the ground cure for 24 hours, I then started to layer my watercolour. My pencil marks stayed in place. They did not smudge or move when I painted on top of them!

I loved coming up with my own colour combinations and using the transparent qualities of watercolours to my advantage.

This process seems to work well for me, I think it’s because I am a drawer at heart. I figure things out better when I draw.

And as you may already know, this is the painting/drawing I chose to use for my promotional material for my upcoming solo exhibition!