Makings and Musings Community

Recording in the Library

Last night in my community art class we spent the evening drawing a sweet little otter in coloured pencils, inspired by the feeling of signs of spring. It was such a gentle and joyful session, and I loved seeing everyone slowly bring their otters to life on the page.

In this class I guide you step by step through my coloured pencil process. I work a little differently than many people expect. I do not start with a graphite sketch or use an eraser. Instead, I begin with very light coloured pencil lines and slowly build the drawing through layers. By the end, the original sketch lines become part of the finished artwork.

I show you how to start with simple shapes to find the form of the otter. Rather than trying to draw a perfect outline, we search for the shapes first — soft spirals and circles that gradually turn into the body, head, and little paws of the otter floating in the water.

From there we build colour slowly. I demonstrate how to layer colours very lightly, sometimes 50 to 100 layers, beginning with cool blues and greens for shadow and depth. Then we add warmth with yellows and oranges, which create that beautiful rich brown of otter fur. The colours mix directly on the paper as we layer them.

Along the way I share some of my favourite coloured pencil techniques, including:

• layering colour gradually with light pressure

• creating soft fur texture with directional pencil strokes

• using a limited colour palette to keep the drawing harmonious

• burnishing with a white pencil to blend and smooth the layers

• adding highlights and sparkle with a white gel pen

I also share practical tips, such as working on smooth paper, keeping your pencils sharp, and holding your pencil a little further from the tip for softer, looser marks.

This class is very much about enjoying the process. Animal drawings can feel intimidating at first, but once you break them down into simple shapes and gentle layers of colour, they become surprisingly approachable and very relaxing to draw.

It was such a lovely evening of drawing together, chatting, and watching our otters slowly appear on the page.

Next week we will move into a mixed media landscape, and after that we will explore floral designs using oil or soft pastels. I would love to have you join me.