Going BIG: Creating My Largest Colored Pencil Illustration Yet

Every month I sit down with a blank sheet of paper and the challenge of creating a new image for my postcard series. Sometimes the idea comes quickly, while other times it takes a bit of searching before the right concept appears. For my May postcard, the idea came from watching my “21 year old” son pop up from behind the table in an effort to scare me. After initially being startled, I realized his pose was intriguing. I asked him to duplicate the pose and hold it. A lightbulb went off and the idea was born. As I sketched out the composition I began to imagine what other fun elements would bring interest to the overall picture?

  The answer was a healthy dose of whimsy! I began to       place small toys all over the tabletop. I went through quite a few until I settled on a little turtle, a small stuffed animal (which I later learned was a Domo-Kun toy—a box-shaped monster that serves as the official mascot of Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK), and an old-school Super Nintendo controller. All of these playful elements made no sense individually, but I think staged together gives the viewer an opportunity to appreciate the whimsical chaos. If you look closely, you’ll notice the small toys’ eyes are fixed on the hand coming down to smush the can. Makes me think the small toys are asking the question, “are we next to be crushed?”

While the toys and playful details helped shape the personality of the illustration, the real challenge emerged when I began working on the piece itself.  What made this project especially challenging for me was its size. At 18” x 24”,  this became the largest colored pencil rendering I have ever completed, and I didn’t even put in a background! Working at such a large scale felt different from the very beginning. There was room to develop details that might have been impossible to see with a smaller canvas. Colors had more opportunity to blend and build. Freckles became visible, and even individual arm and beard hairs were noticeable at this larger scale. The larger surface also encouraged me to not only physically see better, but it helped me to slow down my drawing process and be intentional about the colors I chose and the manner in which I applied color. By the time I was halfway through the drawing, I realized how much I liked working with this bigger panel and began thinking about making larger illustrations a regular part of my future work.  

Of course, working larger created a new concern. While the original artwork measured 18” x 24”, the finished piece would ultimately be reduced to fit my 6” x 9” postcard format. As the details accumulated, I started to wonder if all those hours of careful work would disappear once the image was condensed. Colored pencil illustrations often rely on subtle details and gradual transitions, and I worried that much of that effort would be lost in the reduction. I’ll let you decide if the smaller size showcases the details or not.

From start to finish, this drawing took nearly 30 days to complete. That timeline meant I was racing against my monthly postcard deadline almost from the moment I started. As the end of the month approached, I could feel the pressure building. There were moments when I wanted to speed things up just to get the piece finished, but I also knew that rushing could affect the quality of the work. I made a conscious effort to stay patient and continue focusing on the details, even when the calendar suggested otherwise.

Looking back, this illustration taught me several things. It reminded me that bigger projects require better planning and time management, but it also showed me how much I enjoy creating artwork on a larger scale. The extra room to work, the ability to develop finer details, and the overall experience of seeing a larger image come to life made this one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve completed. While future postcard deadlines will always keep me on my toes, this drawing convinced me that large-format illustrations are something I want to explore much more in the future.

Postcard subscribers I hope you enjoy the picture? Want to see the illustration as a larger size? I am happy to announce this illustration is being offered for sale as a print on my website. This print will be available in four sizes so you can own a genuine cre8tivebubbles original. Access it here: Whimsical Eyes