Ultramarine, Oriental Blue, Deep Cadmium, Pimento, Juniper, Scarlet, Acid Yellow and my absolute favourite, Deep Vermilion. These were a few of the colours in my prized Derwent coloured pencils tin when I was a little girl. Despite the fact that I possessed zero artist talent (I had the ideas, just not the ability) I loved drawing and colouring in... and my parents indulged my creative, expressionist side by buying me a monumental box of Derwent colouring pencils*. Oh how I loved those pencils! Just looking at them all lined up so prettily in their tin could inspire a wave of furious sketching, drawing, colouring and shading after which the resulting masterpiece was proudly displayed on my bedroom wall for all to admire (the wonderful optimism of childhood, non?)I thought of those jewel-like coloured pencils when I photographed these girls (Agatha, above, and the lovely Hannah, below). It is so nice to see some colour in London despite the fact that the weather has turned rather depressingly dreary again. Somehow colour, even just a pop around the waist, on the feet, via a clutch or handbag or even (as with the girl at the very bottom) on the legs, makes an outfit come alive. Colour gives an instant lift- both to the wearer and the observer (and the photographer). I suspect that colour is part of the reason photographers are drawn to places like India, Bhutan, Peru, Cuba- the richness of the colours worn by the people are so stimulating and wonderful to capture on film (well, digital most of the time these days but y'all know what I mean).
Hmmmm all this talk of colour has got me thinking.. I do wonder exactly where those Derwent pencils got to... mum? any ideas? :)
Agatha:
Hannah:
*one of the many benefits of being an only child!