Janet Balboa, Anam Cara detail, marker and colored pencil, 19″ x 24″ c. 2014
Here’s my new project. I love, love, line drawings! I always intend to complete the entire image in ink before I color…but that never happens. I grab the markers and pencils. I suppose I can’t wait for it to begin to ‘come alive’. (forgive my photography – the darkness- took it with my phone)
canson marker paper
This picture is 19 x 24 inches, one of the largest I’ve done recently. I drew it out out in pencil on marker paper. If you’ve never tried marker paper – try it. Get a small pad… Initially, I was scared to death to use it. After using Bristol for 30 years, marker paper seems incredibly thin and flimsy, but actually, it’s not. It wrinkles and loses that pristine smooth look very quickly but then begins to adapt itself to the drawing – much like working on vellum. I think the Irish Monks would have used marker paper if they could have got their hands on it. No skinning of animals necessary either. The markers hold their brightness and colored pencils float over the top making for some amazing effects. Marker paper holds up fairly well to erasing, but I usually retrace my entire drawing from an original piece of marker paper or vellum where I’ve done my initial sketches. I keep a folder full of the sketches and drawings that eventually get transferred to the final piece of paper.
solar medallion – Janet Balboa, Anam Cara detail, marker and colored pencil, 19″ x 24″ c. 2014
lunar medallion – Janet Balboa, Anam Cara detail, marker and colored pencil, 19″ x 24″ c. 2014
I got this great copper look on the solar medallion (found on the right hand side of the ink drawing above). Mainly done with prismacolor markers. The Lunar medallion(left side of larger drawing) looks more like shell; burnishing with a white pencil gave that effect. ;)
janet balboa 
WOOOOOWWWWWWW!!!! Love, Love, LOVE!!!