About Me

It’s really all my father’s fault. I grew up watching him draw and paint, and had nearly limitless access to all of his art supplies. Some of my favorite memories from childhood are our trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History in New York City. As a child, I’d often sit on the floor with a stack of his art books, learning as much as I could about human and animal anatomy, color theory, and how to work with various media such as pencil, ink, watercolor, acrylics, and oils. When I wasn’t at school or with friends, I worked my way through his old home-study art courses.

After decades of being self-taught, and working in medical records, I felt the need to take my love for art more seriously, and I enrolled at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. Three grueling but rewarding years later, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Illustration.

I’ve worked in various media such as ink, watercolor, and acrylic, but I’ve always loved working in pencil. I suppose it was inevitable that I’d eventually find my way to colored pencils and the incredible work that can be created with them with enough patience and determination. From there, I began drawing wildlife, horses, and pets, and the rest, as they say, is history!

About My Work

All of my portraits are hand drawn. Each one is truly a labor of love, and contains many hours of focused attention to color, shape, light, and fine details. I use only the highest quality professional-grade colored pencils such as Faber-Castell Polychromos, Derwent Lightfast, and Caran d’Ache Luminance, and every portrait is created on conservation-quality acid-free board or paper to ensure longevity.

Please see my Commissions page for details on how to book a portrait with me or message me on Facebook.

Licensed Art

Some of my art has been licensed to the wonderful companies below:

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Education

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, BFA in Illustration
Summa Cum Laude, 2015

Honors and Awards

RMCAD Gerald Ehrhart Memorial Scholarship 2015
RMCAD Honors List (2013-2015)
RMCAD Accolade – College Community and Culture (May 2015)
RMCAD Accolade – Academic Excellence (June 2015, September 2015)
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Exhibitions

RMCAD Rotunda Gallery Student Exhibition 2015

Copyright 2020. Karen Brady. All Rights Reserved