My 37 White Pencil Drawings On Black Paper

My name is Kay Lee. I’m Malaysian. I use a white pencil to capture light and expression on black paper. I especially like to picture artwork in a “low-key” mode, contrast, and dramatic lighting effect, with lots of shadows. It gives depth, mood, feeling, and emotion, with a quiet and mysterious atmosphere. And I like accentuated forms with clean looks too, as I think it can give more substantial visual impact; illumination on a specific portion of the image with very selective use of light can help me to achieve that.

I graduated from Nanjing University of the Arts, where I majored in oil painting. Yes, I’m academically trained in traditional art. Still, I have a great interest in mixed media art ranging from drawing to painting in various kinds of mediums, even digital illustrations, public installations, etc.

More info: Instagram | saatchiart.com | Facebook

#1

I chose the crosshatching technique purposely because it can create a variety of textures. In this project, I used an oil-based pencil to draw, because it can create smooth, creamy, and delicate lines. I chose fine grain paper to draw, so textured crosshatching lines can pair with it to enhance the contrast in the overall presentation.

#2

#3

In this project, I take intense light as the main composition element. For me, I think it’s quite practical to work with the crosshatching technique because it allows me to create a full range of value with different quality of edges. At the same time, I think I’m trying to convey the relationship between light and crosshatching, experiment on various kinds of expressions, and try to give them a fresh look. In the drawing process, I make the forms slowly emerge stroke by stroke and layer by layer. Sometimes I felt that I was using a pencil to weave light, using pencil strokes as if I knit my drawing.

#4

#5

I currently have a few experimental directions. One of them is to move this drawing project further into bigger sizes and painting forms. I want to divide it into two parts. One is to use traditional painting mediums; another is to use contemporary painting mediums, still taking time in fixing the relationship between this drawing project with painting mediums mainly in both visual language and technical perspective. At the moment, I’m still feeling free to explore different kinds of subject matter. Do you like my sketches, or perhaps want to see more? Then follow me on my social media linked above. I hope you like it!