Colleen from the United States

Blog: www.distinctivetouches.com

 

How long have you been colouring & how did you start?
I think I started coloring even before I was writing! As a child, I had a love affair with coloring books and big, fat crayons. I was always a stickler for staying in the lines – even at an early age!

What area of the house do you colour in? Describe it to us.
When I was young, I could color anywhere… most often, spread out on the living room floor in front of the TV. Now, I need a clean, quite area to create. I’m lucky (spoiled) in that I have my very own craft studio in the basement. I’ve got two work stations (one specifically for coloring) with fabulous lighting and all of my markers and inks within easy reach.

What is your favourite colouring medium?
Ummmm, yeah, that would be Copic Markers! (Is there anything else?) LOL

Have you experimented with other mediums? If so what are they?
Actually, I’m always experimenting. BC (Before Copics), I used watercolor crayons, colored pencils, and paints.

Have you tried colouring anything other than paper?
Oh yeah! My motto… if it stands still long enough, color it! I’ve colored wood, windows, mirrors, the walls in our home (long story), fabric, metal, skin…

What is your favourite colour combination?
Depends on my mood… but I’m a blue and green girl… and purple. The only color I really don’t do is pink.

Do you select your papers and embellishments before colouring your images?

That would probably be the smart thing to do… but no, I color up my images and then search frantically for papers and embellishments that will match.

Other than Make it Crafty images of course, what are your favourite images to colour?

I tend to like cute, so some of my other favorites include Tiddly Inks and Whipper Snapper.

What inspires you?
Great artists. Whether they are classically trained or not, I love to watch people who think outside the box, create with unusual elements and push the boundaries of their mediums.

Do you have someone/s you aspire to colour like? If so, who or whom?
This one’s tough for me because I try very hard not to compare myself to others, but I’m always inspired by the coloring of Debbie Olson, Suzanne Dean and and Zoe McGrath. I’m always learning new things from them and applying them to my own work.

Share your favourite tip for your fellow colourers.

Practice, Practice, Practice! So many people pick up a marker or a crayon and expect to color like an angel right from the start. It’s like any other skill… it takes time, practice and persistence. Keep coloring and keep trying new things!

 

 

 

and check out this speed colouring video of Colleen colouring the Mushroom House!