Learn coloured pencil realism — without pressure, overwhelm, or "fluff"

Meet Me, Carol Leather

If you’re coming back to art after years away and quietly wondering whether you’ve “still got it” — you’re in the right place. Pencil Topics is built for calm, steady progress and realistic results you’ll feel proud to show.

My love of drawing started by watching my mum sketch horses — quick, confident marks on whatever paper was nearby. Sadly, many of those beautiful little drawings were done on envelopes and cheap pads, and they’ve yellowed and crumbled with time. That stuck with me.

So yes, we’ll talk about skills here — but we’ll also make sure your work lasts. Even casual sketching deserves decent, acid-free paper and lightfast pencils, so the hours you put in don’t fade away later.

Who this site is for

You want realistic, polished results, not childish projects
You’d like guidance that’s clear and respectful, without art-world jargon
You want this hobby to feel like a sanctuary, not another performance metric

How I help you improve (the calm way)

My swans tutorial featured in Color magazine

Over 15+ years working in coloured pencil, I’ve tested brands, papers, and methods — and turned what works into a repeatable process you can follow.

Here’s what you’ll find here:

Fundamentals that create realism: value (light/dark), form, and edges — the stuff that stops drawings looking flat
Layering and blending explained properly: not “just blend,” but what to do, in what order, and why
Permission to use artist tools: photo references and accurate outline transfer methods aren’t cheating — they’re standard tools
Progress without pressure: practical steps you can pick up and put down without losing momentum
Less wasted spending: what’s worth buying, what can wait, and what to skip.

Proof and recognition

A few highlights that matter because they reflect both my skill and teaching ability:

Interviewed by Carrie Lewis for Colour Pencil Magic, where I also created an exclusive tutorial of a lapwing.
Highly Commended in the Nature section of the UK Coloured Pencil Society 19th Annual Open Exhibition (my barn owl piece)
Selected as one of 100 featured artists in Volume 7 of Color Pencil Treasures by Ann Kullberg
Created a swans-on-the-nest tutorial for Color magazine (August 2021)

What that means for you: you’re not just getting inspiration — you’re getting a tested workflow that helps you build smooth layers, clean blends, and believable texture without overwhelm.

A quick note on the site’s roots

In 2020, Peter Weatherill asked me to take over his 10-year-old “baby,” Pencil Topics.

He’d done huge work helping coloured pencil be taken seriously as a fine art medium in the United Kingdom, including serving as Chairman of the UK Coloured Pencil Society and teaching for years at Knuston Hall.

I’m proud to build on that foundation with a gentle, modern “you always know what to do next” approach.

Start Here

If you’re returning after years and want a safe first win, go to Get Started and do the pressure-control exercise first — it’s designed to rebuild confidence quickly.

Then move on to Fundamentals and Core Techniques when you’re ready.

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