What if we played with blue pencils?

And maybe used three to draw a Blue Jay?

Here I am, my lovely creative humans (and any kitties reading and watching along - Mouse, I am looking at you!), with your weekly wildlife sojourn, and it is a colourful one.

First, a question: Are you a swatcher?

It turns out I have always been a swatcher, before I even knew that was a thing. With the joy of new art and stationary supplies each school year (and birthdays and Chrissy and whenever I pleaded loudly and successfully enough), I would sit down and try them all out. I didn’t realise until more recently that not everyone does that! I wanted to see each colour for what they were - beautiful jewels. I still remember how much a deep maroon made me swoon (and I didn’t even mean to rhyme then). In fact, there was one texta (what we call markers now. As an aside, was texta a brand? All markers were textas to me growing up) whose barrel did not even suggest remotely that the colour inside was that deep shade of red-wine-velvet reserved for lining the most special of trinket boxes. Sigh. I digress.

My name is Natalie, and I am a proud, life-long swatcher. Very pleased to meet you!

Where is this going, you might ask.

Well, what if we played with some blue pencils? And what if we chose, say, three of them and sketched a Blue Jay? Because, why not?

Do you ever feel intimidated by using colour in your art? I know I used to - graphite is my first love, and I am very, very comfortable sketching in that grey monochrome. But I've learned that sometimes, often really, the best way to build confidence is to slow down and really get to know your tools, and just play. Make it even simpler, play with one colour at a time.

Swatching is a delightful little practice that is essentially play, but helped transformed my approach to understanding and using colour, particularly when I was in the earlier stages of learning to create wildlife art. While we rarely use a single colour on it’s own, there are layers and layers to creating, it is still really helpful to know what you are starting with. Then you have a better idea of what to combine to get the look you want!

Let’s swatch and get curious (be that little kid that got excited about new pencils!) and then think about how we can find three pencils - a light, mid, and dark tone - to describe with mark making (and wild hearts) a bold, beautiful blue jay.

Your guide to simple blue pencils swatching:

1. Gather all your blue pencils (even if you only have two or three! If you have a lot like me, maybe gather around 20 or so to start)

2. Create a simple grid on your paper, or go rogue and wing it!

3. Test each blue with light pressure, then add multiple layers on one half of the square to get a deeper pigment. Now you know what lights and darks you can get!

4. Make notes (either written, or in your mind) about what you discover

5. Notice which blues sing to you. Spoiler: There will be more than one

The magic isn't in having lots of pencils - it's in really getting to know the ones you have. Think of it like making friends. Each pencil - brand and hue - has its own personality, its own way of laying down colour, its own story to tell. You’ve got to meet them, ask them a few questions, play together a little, before you really know what they can do.

Before I forget, fun fact: Did you know that blue jays don't actually have blue pigment in their feathers? The colour we see comes from the way light interacts with the microscopic prismatic sub-structure of their feathers - refracting the shorter blue wavelengths. Nature's very own light show! Just like this fascinating fact, there's always something new to discover when we approach our art with curiosity.

Remember, like everything to do with art, understanding colour takes time to practice and learn - try to embrace beginner’s mind, embrace learning for the rest of your life (it is something I am genuinely excited about. A day where I have learned something is a good day!). Building confidence with colour is not a quick one-and-done, it is a journey, not a destination. Celebrate each small discovery about colour and what you like and how you want to use it. And then maybe use some colour in a pencil or in some paint to celebrate Blue Jay and their bold, beautiful presence.

Keep sketching, wild-hearted one - I see you and the beauty you bring into this world!

Tell me: Do you have a favourite blue pencil (or a favourite blue hue)? I'd love to hear!

What are you sketching next?