© Henriette Harmse
I am a colour pencil artist, who enjoys drawing moments, events, and journeys of everyday life.
My art journey
My interest in art started as a child in primary school. I have, if memory serves me, at least got 3rd prize for a landscape with zebras in pastels and honourable mention for drawing my classmate in coloured pencils. I continued drawing until my early twenties with graphite and soft pastels being my main mediums. But then career and life in general moved on and my art was forgotten.
Then in 2020 with Covid I, as many others, found myself with time on my hands. My wife and I decided to amuse ourselves with colouring books and coloured pencils. I very soon felt limited by the colouring book and started to draw my own pictures, initially with graphite, but it was soon followed by coloured pencils.
I chose coloured pencils for 2 reasons. Firstly I like that they are clean and compact compared to other mediums. This allows me to draw even if I only have a few minutes to spare because it requires so little setup beforehand and clean-up afterwards. Their compactness means I can take my pencils with me when we go on holiday. Secondly, coloured pencils allow one to create very detailed drawings. I tend to be detail-oriented and therefore thought that coloured pencils is likely to be a good match for me.
In my initial investigation into coloured pencils I read that it is a slow medium. This I thought (rather ignorantly) is obvious given the small surface area a pencil stroke can cover at most and the need for multiple layers. What I did not realize is that 20 – 40 layers are often required to blend colours well and to cover the page smoothly rather than the 5-10 layers I expected to be required. Hence, when I did my first A4 drawing, I was surprised and disappointed that it took at least 40 hours to complete.
As my skill in doing coloured pencil drawings improve, I expect that I will be able to complete drawings faster. However, the increase in speed is unlikely to be substantial. It is a bit like wanting to travel from point A to B and thinking that a faster horse will do the trick.
So why then still stick to coloured pencils? It fits well into my current lifestyle and available space. But more importantly, the focus on making small controlled marks creates a meditative state for me that I find almost addictive. I simply love it!
Awards/Exhibitions
For You Too - Accepted at UKCPS Annual Open 2025 exhibition