A lot of the fine white line detail in this drawing was done by taking an old biro (which I suppose I should really call a ballpoint pen) that has run out of ink, and using its point to making lines that cut down into the paper so that when coloured pencil is applied over the top it doesn’t get right down into the grooves, which remain white. Brilliant! OK, but what if you press harder with the pencil? Well, I guess you might get some of the pencil colour down into parts of the grooves, but only parts of them. OK, so I’ll press really, really hard and the grooves will be totally gone! Ha! Go right ahead if you must – you’ll be breaking your leads and your pencils won’t last long. (Some folks, eh?)

Details: Coloured pencil; 2015; 30 cm x 21 cm. Original sold; unframed print £30.

Included in the gallery Trees 1