There’s a lot of studio news for January 2025, so let’s get started.
Studio News for January 2025
CP Magic! News
The February issue of CP Magic! is a celebration of five years of publication, so it’s special.
Rather than have one featured artist, I invited every featured artist from January 2020 through January 2025 to share their best tips, suggestions, comments, and advice on a variety of topics from basic tips for using colored pencils to going professional.
I also invited them to share their artwork.
Many of them did and this stellar issue is the result. Not only is it filled with great information on six topics of great importance to most colored pencil artist, but it contains a collection of nearly 30 top-notch colored pencil pieces to entertain and inspire you.
Read more or buy your copy here.
Other CP Magic! News
I will also be publishing the third annual CP Magic! Colored Pencil Art Showcase later in February. The showcase highlights the best colored pencil artwork of 2024 from artists all around the world. Look for this special issue around February 15, 2025. I know you won’t want to miss it, so watch this blog and my newsletters for the announcement.
One note to magazine subscribers. This is a special publication.
The May issue is our landscape issue. If you have a question you’d like to ask landscape artists, let me know. We’re already collecting information, so you’re questions are welcome.
Other Publishing News
In the studio news for December 2024, I mentioned my intention of publishing tutorials in 2025.
I’m delighted to report that the first of those published in mid-January with the launch of the Pasture Patriarch Tutorial. Not only did I publish the new tutorial, but I published it in two versions.
The first version, shown here, is the basic version. It’s written for artists who want a basic step-by-step tutorial without all the behind-the-scenes stuff.
The second version is the Artist’s Journal version. It is also a step-by-step tutorial, but it covers my entire drawing process from selecting and processing the reference photo through transferring the line drawing and an in-depth look at my review of the finished drawing and the adjustments I made.
It also includes larger images, lots of commentary on the drawing process, and the decisions I made and why I made them. It’s almost double the content of the basic version.
Both are available here.
Finished Artwork
I didn’t finish any “large” works (4″ x 6″ or larger), but I did complete quite a few ACEOs. If I include the handful of ACEOs I made as shading and layering practice, I ended January with a total of 15 ACEOs.
That’s too many to show here, so I’m including only my favorites in the following collection.
I’ve been experimenting a lot with one or two colors on black papers lately, so it won’t surprise you that my favorite ACEOs reflect those experiments. I did do others that were full color or at least used more colors, but they couldn’t hold a candle to these studies in black.
In addition, I have to tell you that while I found Fabriano Black Black totally unacceptable for more polished pieces, it’s great for ACEO studies like those above. I was thinking about giving away my pad of Fabriano Black Black paper. Now I think I’ll cut it up into smaller pieces and do more studies.
Maybe even some larger, more finished studies.
Current Works in Progress
Horse Portrait
Despite everything else going on in January (tax preparation and filing, etc.), I made good progress on the horse portrait in January. Most notably, the client approved the finished umber underdrawing, shown here.
I subsequently finished the first round of color glazes, completed entirely with Verithin pencils. I wasn’t able to get as much finish on that as I’d hoped because of the limited color selection, but it still turned out well.
After a brief cooling off period, I started the second round of color glazing with Faber-Castell Polychromos. I started with the eye and got very good results with that. Now if I can get the rest of the horse to measure up!
This is what it looked like at the end of January.
Drawing Time for the Month
The goal for drawing time in January was 23 hours. Despite not picking up a pencil at all the first week of January, I reached 23 hours and 47 minutes. That’s a solid start for the year.
Looking to the Future
As I write these words at the end of January several things are taking up space in the back of my mind. Of course, there is planning for and working on future issues of the magazine, including the landscape issue I mentioned above. I’m also putting the finishing touches on the Showcase issue.
But I’m also thinking about new tutorials. I haven’t started work on the next one, yet, but I think I know what it will be about.
In the far reaches of my awareness are thoughts about an email class of some sort. I enjoyed doing the ZOOM classes for Ann Kullberg, but I know there are a lot of people who prefer lessons by email. That has worked in the past, so I’m once again considering it. All I need to do is find a topic and make some basic decisions about paper and pencils.
Do you have any ideas? I’d be delighted to hear them.
I’ve also been missing my home stomping grounds in Michigan the last few weeks, so I’ve been going through old photograph albums. Along with fond memories, I’m finding excellent subjects for future drawings. Tutorial or class subjects? It could be.
On a Personal Note
By the grace and mercy of God, the February issue of the magazine has been so well received by the artists who participated and by readers that I have to share a great, big “Thank you!” to everyone. No issue of the magazine would be the same without the artists who contribute in so many ways and the readers who continue to subscribe, purchase single issues, and share ideas. None of what I do would be possible without your support and encouragement. This community is absolutely the best colored pencil community I know of!
THANK YOU!!!
That’s the Studio News for January 2025
It seems like the year just got started and here we are with January already in the rear view mirror. I hope your January was a good one.
I also hope you’ll join me as often as you can here on the blog, via the newsletter and magazine.
In the meantime, keep drawing!
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