5 Things about Color Pencil Sketching with Brina

Brina is a 16-year-old artist on Instagram and Tiktok who mainly uses color pencils and paints creating realistic traditional arts. Today we invite her to answer some questions we've always been curious about her and her color pencil sketching journey.

Hi Brina, how long ago did you start painting and what’s the story behind it?

My love for art began in the 7th-grade. In my school, we were required to take an art class every year for 7th and 8th grade. We had weekly observational sketches we had to complete, every Friday, for a grade. I never thought of art class as special before that year. While looking for things to draw online, I came across a girl wearing a sweatshirt and a cap on backwards. There wasn’t much shading; it was mostly line art. I wanted to try something easy so I went with that.

At the beginning of my art journey, I was really frustrated with how my drawings looked unrealistic and disproportionate. However, I continued art because I loved the way I would get lost in my piece. Hours felt like minutes when drawing. I am currently 16 so three years later, I can definitely say I improved a lot!

How do you sketching with color pencils?

For colored pencils, I choose ones with a waxy base because it makes it easier to blend smoothly. I first color the drawing very lightly to map out the shadows and highlights. Then I start adding more layers of colored pencils. I start to press hard and blend in circular motions until everything is blended smoothly. I learned this from watching Kirsty Partridge Art and Emmy Kline on YouTube.

What is your source of inspiration?

I don’t really have one source of inspiration, rather a whole community of artists. Ever since I joined Instagram, I’ve seen so many talented young artists. Some artists draw certain trends like lips, portraits, etc. and I ended up liking those drawings and wanted to recreate them. It was more to test my realism skills. However, I would like to create more original, meaningful art pieces in the future.

Who is your favorite artist or someone you consider your personal art guru?

My first favorite artist (when I started my art journey) was Happy D. Artist. She has these beautiful fantasy art pieces that are so ethereal. I even recreated a couple of her pieces long ago. Recently, my favorite artist has become Jenna from @rainbowmastery on Instagram. Her rainbow portraits really inspire me. I’m currently working on a rainbow self-portrait piece and she is the inspiration!

What’s the advises for beginners?

Most people aren’t magically gifted at art when they start drawing. The artists you admire had to start somewhere. They practiced a lot before they got to their skill level you see today. You should start by figuring out what type of art you like. I followed a lot of talented artists with unique styles on Instagram and tried to find what styles I liked. I practiced whenever I was free and it felt more like fun because I was doing something I loved. Try to remember that not every piece you make is going to turn out good.

We see artists on social media posting their works, but they’re posting their best pieces. Art is a journey, not a destination. Never give up! I almost quit due to frustration at the beginning of my art journey but I am so glad I didn’t! 

Shuttle Art Colored Pencil Set >> 

Colored Pencils - Set of 138