Why I still Layer Colour After 30 Years of Drawing

Studio Conversations | June 2025

There is a particular kind of beauty that only emerges through time — through slow, deliberate attention.That’s what first drew me to coloured pencils, and it’s why I’ve stayed with them for over three decades.

We live in a world that prizes quick results. But in coloured pencil work — real, layered work — speed will betray you. Depth comes from patience. It comes from the way colours breathe through each other, from the way form and texture are built stroke by stroke.

When collectors look at my finished drawings, they often say: “It looks so different up close — there’s a lightness to it, but also this incredible weight to the work.” That’s the power of layering.

The Slow Building of Form

I don’t think of layering as a technical trick. For me, it’s an act of seeing — and of trusting the process.

Every large drawing I create begins with a base layer that carries the breath of the final image. If I’m working on warm skin tones, I’ll begin with yellows and muted blues — colours that will hum beneath the surface long after they’ve been covered.It’s like building the memory of the drawing inside the paper.

As I work, pressure shifts. My pencil sharpens. My hand moves closer to the core. What begins as an open gesture becomes precise — not because I’m seeking control, but because the drawing is asking for more. Openness becomes detail and looseness becomes precision.The surface teaches you what it needs if you listen I call it having a “conversation” with the paper.

Blending as Conversation

I am often asked what blending tools I use. The honest answer is: mostly, I blend with colour itself.

For me, layering colour into colour — with patience — creates incredible vibrancy. I do use blending pencils or solvents very sparingly, in targeted ways. But most of the depth in my portraits comes from the tension between layered transparency and opacity.

A lighter pencil over darker layers isn’t just a technique — it’s a way of pulling light back through the form. It allows the subject to breathe.

Why I Still Choose This Medium

It would be easier to paint. Faster to work digitally. But I still choose coloured pencils because they force me to be present with the work.

The deliberate nature of the medium mirrors the deliberate attention I want to give to each subject. Whether I’m drawing a portrait from On the Table or a self-portrait for Mortal Coil, the act of layering becomes an act of honouring the person, the story, the experience.

There is no shortcut to depth — in art, or in life.

One Last Thought

If you work with coloured pencils — or if you’ve ever considered trying — I would encourage you to embrace the slowness. Let the medium teach you what patience can reveal.

For me, after 30 years, I’m still learning how colour breathes through form. That’s what keeps me drawing.

Until next time — and thank you for being part of this space.