Derwent Lightfast Pencils with Curtis Holder

Curtis Holder is a British artist especially known for his graphite and coloured pencil drawings. His work focuses on people and the human form and is celebrated for its unique and spontaneous use of line and colour. Curtis’s work explores the complexities of human emotion and how we connect with and interpret the feelings of others without the spoken word. He aims to present an individual’s unspoken truth, which he compels the viewer to search for, and in doing so, confront their own bias.

He layers coloured pencil in complex strokes to capture a sense of the subject’s movement, form and intention. Marks are rarely erased as every gesture and position is recorded. He combines larger hatching strokes with spontaneous smaller circular movements. Stronger, more fluid lines are used to anchor the subject into a final position. In 2020 Curtis won Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year

In this video Curtis explores the Derwent Lightfast Pencils which he primarily uses for his portraiture. He describes their almost buttery smoothness, the wide range of lightfast colours, and their ability to layer, mix and blend on paper.

Derwent Lightfast Pencils have been formulated to be 100% lightfast. The revolutionary core is resistant to prolonged colour change ensuring artwork will not fade for 100 years under museum conditions. If you're inspired by Curtis' incredible practice you can explore the full range here.