Nude

Colored Pencil on Strathmore

7" x 8"
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In previous works, I had begun pushing my palette towards more vibrant hues. As I ventured into the new medium of colored pencils, I made an effort to push my palette even farther. Knowing that my next work was going to be a nude from life, I searched for a different way to represent skin tones and the contours of the body.

I had artist’s block awhile before stumbling across a picture on Instagram. The post featured a woman’s body through the lens of a thermal scope. After seeing the highlights and shadows of the figure being depicted with bold, unusual colors, I was inspired.

I was turned off by the palette of reds, greens, and blues that are staple of the thermal scope. Instead, I worked with a palette of blue-violets and yellows. At first I was going to have the colors inverted, but I wanted to make the contours of the body seem like they were glowing.