Hasta La Ideas

Artists Amber Hsu and Katriona Chapman have launched a bi-annual artzine devoted to graphite.

The first issue of Tiny Pencil features some beautiful illustrations by 27 artists including Luke Pearson, Nick Sheehy, Jack Teagle, Kristyna Baczynski, Donya Todd, Rachel Bray, Sandra Dieckmann, Lizzy Stewart and Yoko Tanaka.

Each issue will focus on a particular theme which artists must respond to and pencil is the only medium allowed. The theme for the 64-page inaugural issue is forests and features sketches of deep dark woods, eerie creatures and sparse landscapes.

The publication was launched with a night of live drawing at London’s Gosh! Comics sponsored by Derwent Pencils. As well as producing a bi-annual anthology, Tiny Pencil will publish additional themed issues throughout the year. Chapman and Hsu have also launched a blog featuring discussions of artists’ work and creative processes.

Hsu and Chapman met at an illustration critique class, where both shared a love of pencil drawings.

“I work a lot in pencil and I’ve always loved it – it’s quite a raw material and it’s immediate. Artists can be quite free with it,” says Hsu.

Artists approached to work on the magazine have also been enthusiastic about picking up their pencils and taking a break from digital illustration.

“The artists have found it really refreshing – pencil is quite a personal medium and I think that’s another reason artists enjoy using it. There’s a strong personal element in all of the works in the current issue,” she adds.

Tiny Pencil is priced at £9 and is available at tinypencil.com and selected UK stockists.

Images (from top): cover illustrations by Nick Sheehy and Kristyna Baczynski; forest illustrations by Jamie Mills; Sigrid Rodli; Rachel Bray and Nick Sheehy.

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