With World Mental Health Day coming up, I’ve been thinking about the little things we can do to look after ourselves and, of course, for me, drawing is one of them. Not because picking up your coloured pencils magically makes everything better, but because sometimes drawing can give your mind somewhere else to go for […]

If there’s one thing I wish every coloured pencil artist would concentrate on a little more, it’s tonal values. I’d actually go as far as saying that values are probably the most important part of creating a realistic coloured pencil drawing. More important than all those lovely little hairs. More important than getting every tiny […]

Colour theory can sound far more complicated than it needs to be. You might picture colour wheels, rules to remember and lots of technical terminology, but when it comes to coloured pencil drawing, even a basic understanding of how colours work together can make a huge difference. It can help you create richer shadows, more […]

Have you ever looked at a gorgeous coloured pencil pet portrait and thought… I’d love to be able to do that. Maybe you’d love to draw your own pet, create something special for somebody you love, or even take on pet portrait commissions one day. Drawing pets is where so many artists start, and I […]

I recently had my Polychromos colour swatches framed, and I absolutely LOVE how they’ve turned out! I don’t normally go for coloured frames, but this purple picks up the Quinacridone Magenta beautifully and makes the whole piece feel fun and a little bit different. And it reminded me just how much the right frame can […]

Have you ever caught yourself thinking… I need to practise more.I need to understand colour better.I need to be more confident. Then I’ll feel like a proper artist. I’ve been thinking about the word “enough” lately, particularly when it comes to creativity. Because so many of us seem to be waiting for that imaginary moment […]

What started with one gorgeous rescue dog and an idea to raise some money for a local charity turned into something I don’t think any of us could have imagined. In September, thousands of you joined me to draw Trixy and support The Yorkshire Rescue. Together, we learned lots, filled social media with gorgeous Trixys […]

Choosing a reference photo might sound like the easiest part of starting a coloured pencil drawing. If you’re working on a commission, it can be fairly straightforward. Your client may send you a handful of photographs, have a favourite already, or one image might naturally stand out because it has the best composition. But what […]

Cream-coloured fur can be one of the trickiest things you’ll ever draw. At first glance it looks simple enough, but when you really start looking, you realise it’s anything but! Is it yellow? Beige? Pink? Grey? Sometimes it feels like it’s all of those colours at once. It’s one of the questions I’m asked most […]

When Faber-Castell announced 20 brand new Polychromos coloured pencils, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. Like many coloured pencil artists, I already have my trusted favourites, so I was curious to see whether these new additions would genuinely fill gaps in the range or simply look nice in the tin. After swatching […]