Bet Borgeson Interview

I'm in the middle of drawing a step-by-step colored pencil rose tutorial (to replace this brief example (which, I just realized, is so awfully bad I shouldn't even link to it. It seems the critical eye develops along with one's skills - just as well!). Hopefully my new scanner will show the colors a little better, too. I'm a bit rusty and had to start afresh after quite a bit of drawing. I'd started laying down dark color directly on the paper - but of course the fibers really grab the pigment, and make it hard to blend. So I started again, this time laying down a light coat of red so that the darks will blend more smoothly over them.

Some time ago, I reviewed master artist and teacher Bet Borgeson's book, Colored Pencil for the Serious Beginner. I was struck by the way Bet's passion for the medium came through in her writing and was keen to find out more, so I approached her for an interview, and she graciously agreed. Bet shares her enthusiasm for the humble colored pencil in this exclusive interview.

Colored pencil is often thought of as 'kid's stuff'. We get in the habit of using colored pencil for lightweight, vague coloring-in, the way we did as children. But by approaching colored pencil as a serious art medium, and looking to exploit its possibilities, we discover a medium with an enormous range of tone and depth, great control and luminous color. Bet Borgeson's thoughtful, methodical approach to exploring the medium and desire to pass on her skills is a boon to anyone interested in discovering this accessible medium.

Some examples of the methods Bet mentions in the interview are shown in my lesson Colored Pencil Basic Strokes. Check out the linkbox in the interview for more Bet Borgeson links.

More on Colored Pencil:
Draw Shiny Metal in Colored Pencil
Colored Pencil Tips
Draw a Dragon's Eyes in Colored Pencil Draw a Candle in Colored Pencil