Soaring Scene

Kaylee Washington takes risks in her art. She experiments with unusual angles and offbeat compositions to get her viewers’ attention. “I love to see how my work makes the viewer feel, even if it’s a negative reaction,” says Kaylee, 14, a freshman at Klein Collins High School in Houston, Texas. Kaylee’s dream is to be a fashion designer someday.

How did you create your drawing?

I put a grid on the original photograph. Using the grid, I transferred the image onto newsprint. I rubbed graphite on the back of the newsprint paper and placed the graphite side down onto pastel paper. I traced out the image on the newsprint and the outlines transferred onto the pastel paper. I used colored pencils and pastels to build up the color. I made the sky darker at the top and worked gradually to a lighter blue at the bottom. This gave depth to the picture. After I was done coloring, I polished the edges so they looked clean.

How did you foreshorten the figure’s legs?

I focused on the wrinkles in the jeans. By capturing the way the shadows moved on the pants, I was able to foreshorten the legs. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists like yourself?

Focus on your strengths. If you spend too much time worrying about your weaknesses, you won’t be free to create your best work.

Kaylee won a Gold Key for her drawing in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

To find out more about this program, visit artandwriting.org.