FEATURED ARTIST - Derrick Rathgeber

  Derrick the Artist
Derrick the Artist 2

Please read what Derrick has to say and check out his beautiful work at the links above. A terrific artist!

Bio - My name is Derrick Rathgeber, and I am a Colored Pencil Artist.
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. As a child I found myself finding anything and everything to draw and doodle on. From receipts to brown grocery bags, nothing was off limits. I would lose myself into my imagination by creating characters, cool creatures, and even whole worlds for them to live in.
As I grew older I wanted to learn how to make my characters look more realistic, and make the world they live in come alive. I couldn’t afford lessons, and I didn’t have a mentor so I watched and studied cartoons, and animated movies. When kids were watching them for entertainment, I was trying to figure out how they worked. I was enamored with artwork coming to life. I wanted to do that.
In the year 2000 I got an opportunity to attend Collins College. There I had my chance to learn how to do real life animation. It was one of the greatest and most difficult times of my life. On one hand I got to learn from a legend that worked on several Don Bluth films, and on the other hand the world of traditional animation has been lost to computer animation. I graduated with my Bachelor’s Degree in 2005, and decided to move back towards family with my newly wedded wife, and our daughter.
With new experiences as a father and husband, I started to draw more pictures of things that reminded me of them like fairies, flowers, and animals. These are drawings that I don’t think I would have drawn had not for being inspired by them. Over time I found that I really found that I had a talent for capturing the colors of the world.
I am now 31 years old with four great children and art has become a large part of our lives. My wife writes great poetry and each of my kids has a knack for coloring and drawing fantastic pictures. My oldest daughter has this uncanny ability to craft objects like her mom. We enjoy creating things as a family. A lot of these crafts we will be sharing with your family down the road. But for now I will be sharing what I have learned over the years and my experiences with RoseArt colored pencils.
I choose to use them for many reasons. They overlay and blend together like no other. I am able to get new colors without losing the color I am going for. As a father to four children I can easily afford them. Honestly, regardless of the price I would still use this brand. I have used them for many years, I have had great results, and I have won many art competitions using them.
I now have the opportunity of sharing my work with you, and teach you everything I know one post at a time. I will bring you step by step lessons that will show you how to use each RoseArt color pencil in your arsenal to add color and imagination to your life.
“Let us make this world full of art and creativity together.”