Hammond - Lifelike Drawing In Colored Pencil With Lee Hammond

Fall LeavesDrawing by Cathi Kiser Mat board 12 8 (30cm 20cm)

Realism Meets Personal Flare

My sister, Cathi, is an awesome artist, and I want the world to see a sample of her beautiful work. This drawing is a wonderful representation of realistic colored pencil.

When I was younger and experimenting with my natural urge to draw, I created some pretty wild images. I was raised in the 60s and 70s, when the trend in art was using bright, flashy colors and psychedelic impressions. It was called pop art and was fantastically fun, especially when viewed under a black light where the colors turned neon and seemed to glow. I spent hours drawing and painting fun things in the craziest designs possible. Everything in art was loud and exaggerated, much like my personality back then.

Later, however, when I entered my late teens, I felt the need to be more realistic. I abandoned my wild designs, and tried desperately to capture on paper life as I really saw it. It wasn't easy, but I discovered that my natural artistic self was that of a realist.

When studying art history in school, I fell in love with the works of sixteenth-century Europe. The awesome realism captured by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Rubens and Renoir fueled my desire to do the same. My journey had begun!To this day, I try to go to as many art galleries and museums as possible to study original masters works. I also take my students to the Nelson-Atkins Museum here in Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss the techniques and analyze the colors and brush strokes up close. Many don't know that I am an oil painter as well, and I try to replicate the beauty I see in my favorite artists artwork from the past.