I drew a narrow waterway framed by vibrant green foliage, aiming to convey the calm stillness of the water and the beautiful reflections. I created this piece using Derwent Inktense pencils (Bright Blue 1000, Mallard Green 1230, Apple Green 1400, Tan 1720, and Antique White 2300) on a pale yellow sheet of Canson Mi-Teintes paper from an assorted colours pack. The warm yellow tone of the paper shows through the layers as natural highlights in the trees.

I began by applying the pencils dry, then activated the pigments with a paintbrush to release their rich intensity. I repeated this process several times to deepen the colours and build layers of texture and light. To finish, I used the pencils dry again to define shapes and strengthen contrasts, enhancing both the depth of the foliage and the reflections on the water’s surface.

The second image shows a progress montage of four panels. The underlying paper was much more yellow in real life.