Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Christelle Bilodeau and I’m a portrait artist centered in Quebec, Canada. I specialize in pencil portraits.
Why do you do what you do?
Drawing is my largest enthusiasm. It is visceral, I have to attract. I skip it when I skip a working day or two!
What inspires your art?
Mostly music, but cinema is also a big inspiration. I check out a whole lot of movies when I’m drawing – it retains me targeted for some explanation.
How and when did you get into artwork?
It all began when I was a little one. I appreciated drawing horses and I ultimately took portray classes when I was 10. I got interested in portraiture when I was 14-15, I started out by painting portraits but I ultimately traded my paint brushes for graphite pencils and I’ve been bettering ever because.
How has your follow modified above time?
I am consistently improving upon and checking out new procedures. Listed here are a couple illustrations I employed to attract on plain white printer paper, I employed to blend applying my fingers and tissues, and the day I learned stumps, my total existence altered!
What’s your favorite piece of art that you’ve made? Why?
My complete most loved will constantly be the drawing Paul McCartney autographed. I’ve enhanced a good deal considering the fact that then but this portrait retains a extremely special spot in my coronary heart. Meeting him was a monumental turning stage in my daily life.
What is the greatest piece of artwork guidance you have been offered?
Quit comparing your drawings to some others.
What is one artwork suggestion/approach you can share with us that you locate truly beneficial?
Get a suitable do the job surface area (drawing table, easel, etc.) and a good chair! You you should not require a significant artwork studio, your get the job done location can be in the corner of a area. But a committed workspace is a should if you want to be equipped to target and function for hours at a time.
Do you have any magic formula guidelines or methods you use to salvage a piece when you make a miscalculation?
Take a stage back. Hold out a working day and go back to your drawing desk – it usually will help. You can expect to see points a lot more evidently.
What is your favored Strathmore paper? Why?
Strathmore Drawing paper, 400 series medium area. The texture is ideal – not also smooth, not also tough, best for blending graphite, and considering the fact that it is not bumpy, you can simply attract straight strains. It is easy to damage paper with an eraser but this a person is pretty much not possible to tear, which is a significant furthermore.
What art supplies could you not live devoid of?
The essentials: pencils and paper! Couldn’t do just about anything without the need of them!
Who are your largest influences (or who ended up when you started executing artwork)?
I test not to examine myself to other graphite portrait artists, but 1 of my favourite visible artist is Andy Warhol. He saw elegance in every person and all the things. He appreciated the tiniest flaws in each individual particular person and that was beauty to him. Our functions are completely distinctive but we do share the same intention: we want attractiveness to be reflected in our art.
What’s the most common artwork-relevant query you get from your followers?
How long does it consider to get very good at it? Well, the reply is, I never know! It differs, exercise is key and how speedy you’ll strengthen relies upon on how lots of several hours a week you’re prepared to dedicate to your passion.
Site/social media one-way links:
www.christellebilodeau.com
www.instagram.com/christellebilodeau
www.facebook.com/christellebilodeau
www.tiktok.com/@christellebilodeau
www.youtube.com/c/christellebilodeauportraitartist
www.twitter.com/christelleart
