Contest 13– Winner Interview – Paco Martin

Interviewed by - Pragati Surana https://www.instagram.com/pragatisurana.ch/

Please tell us about your journey as an artist.

My journey as an artist has been a long process of learning, observation and continuous experimentation. I began my formal artistic training at a classical academy, where I spent many years studying drawing and painting. At the same time, my academic background in engineering, mathematics and physics strongly influenced the way I observe form, light and space.

Around 2014–2015, I began to focus professionally on coloured pencil. What initially seemed to be a particular technique gradually became my main artistic language. I became increasingly interested in using layers of colour to construct light, volume, texture and the perception of different materials.

Alongside my own artistic practice, teaching has become an important part of my career. I regularly give workshops internationally and share my approach to coloured pencil through courses.

Today, my work is rooted in contemporary realism, with a particular interest in light, colour, reflections and the physical qualities of surfaces. I continue to explore how far coloured pencil can be taken as a fine-art painting medium.

What is your medium and why did you choose it?

My primary medium is coloured pencil. I mainly work with Polychromos, Pablo and Luminance pencils, building the image through numerous thin layers of colour.

I chose coloured pencil because it offers an extraordinary degree of control while still allowing for subtle and complex colour relationships. By varying pressure, transparency, temperature and saturation, I can gradually construct form and light rather than simply outlining an object and filling it with colour.

For me, coloured pencil is a way of painting with colour. I am particularly interested in optical mixing: allowing successive layers to interact so that the final colour and luminosity emerge from the combination of pigments rather than from a single pencil stroke.

This slow process suits the way I observe. I enjoy analysing why a surface appears transparent, reflective, soft or luminous, and then finding a way to recreate that perception with coloured pencil.

What was the inspiration behind this work?

The inspiration behind "Holding Light" came from my fascination with the quiet beauty of ordinary objects and the way light can transform them. I was particularly interested in the luminous quality of mandarins: their translucent skin, subtle variations of colour and the way their surfaces respond to light.

Rather than simply depicting the fruit, I wanted to explore how light could be constructed through layers of coloured pencil, and how small changes in colour, value and texture could create a convincing sense of volume and atmosphere.

The title "Holding Light" refers to this idea: the mandarins seem almost to contain the light within their skin, while their highlights and subtle colour transitions allow that light to become visible.

Any additional comments?

I see "Holding Light" as part of my ongoing exploration of light, colour and perception through coloured pencil. My aim is to continue expanding the possibilities of the medium and to contribute to its recognition as a contemporary fine-art painting technique.