| Colored Pencil 70th Anniversary Competition Winners by Karen Stanger Johnston December 2007 Issue Second Place: Dee Overly |
Although Michigan artist Dee Overly sometimes works in black and white, she chose
colored pencil for this picture. Raindrops was meant to be in color. “It’s more
dramatic, I think,” Overly explains. “Plus, I was excited about the challenge of doing
an all-green piece. I use Prismacolor pencils because they blend easily, but I think
the green family is a bit lacking. So it was quite educational experimenting to get the
shades of green that I wanted and to create that wet look on the leaf, which took 10
or more layers of color in some places.”
colored pencil for this picture. Raindrops was meant to be in color. “It’s more
dramatic, I think,” Overly explains. “Plus, I was excited about the challenge of doing
an all-green piece. I use Prismacolor pencils because they blend easily, but I think
the green family is a bit lacking. So it was quite educational experimenting to get the
shades of green that I wanted and to create that wet look on the leaf, which took 10
or more layers of color in some places.”
Raindrops
by Dee Overly,
2007, colored
pencil, 8½ x 7.
by Dee Overly,
2007, colored
pencil, 8½ x 7.
Overly works from sketches or photographs. “I love my time with my sketchbook, but
when I see something I feel can go beyond the sketches, out comes the camera,”the
artist says. “Lately I’ve been on a nature kick, examining things up close, such as
leaves, rocks, bark, and flower petals.” Overly scans her photos into her computer
and then crops them. “The image on the monitor becomes my model,” she says. “As
when I see something I feel can go beyond the sketches, out comes the camera,”the
artist says. “Lately I’ve been on a nature kick, examining things up close, such as
leaves, rocks, bark, and flower petals.” Overly scans her photos into her computer
and then crops them. “The image on the monitor becomes my model,” she says. “As
a realist, being able to enlarge that image at any given moment in order to view the details is a major
plus.” Unlike many other colored pencil artists, who initially draw their image in graphite, which later must
be erased, Overly makes her first sketch in light colored pencil and later covers that with additional
layers.
Overly is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, Detroit CPSA Chapter 104, Ann Arbor
Women Artists, and the Riverside Arts Center, in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
plus.” Unlike many other colored pencil artists, who initially draw their image in graphite, which later must
be erased, Overly makes her first sketch in light colored pencil and later covers that with additional
layers.
Overly is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, Detroit CPSA Chapter 104, Ann Arbor
Women Artists, and the Riverside Arts Center, in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Go to the American Artist Magazine to read about the other winners!
Also, voted Best of Colored Pencil in the Reader's Choice Competition
Also, voted Best of Colored Pencil in the Reader's Choice Competition