I’ve created pieces on Strathmore toned black paper a few times. Each time I do, I remember again how much I enjoy it and why.

As an artist, you’re faced with not a blank page, but a black page - it’s one big shadow, one big uncertainty. The moment you put any medium to the page, it’s as though you’re striking a match in the darkness. From there, you’re bringing the piece to light one stroke at a time. It’s almost as if you’re pulling the piece from the dark shadows of your subconscious into the world around you.

“Psyche” Colored pencil on Strathmore toned black paper.

Above is one of my first completed pieces of 2021, “Psyche.”

In a very small way, working on this paper reminds me of how Michelangelo described his sculpting process: he saw the statue within and he was just carving toward it.

Let me just say that my one foray into the world of sculpture was awful! I took a ceramics class as an art student and struggled horribly through the whole thing. But I do like to think that drawing on this paper is my version of sculpting - it’s like sculpting with light.

“One Perfect Moment” Colored pencil on Strathmore toned black paper.

“Eyeris” Colored pencil on Strathmore toned black paper.