Olga Babich: Drawing Home

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Olga Babich won the Drawing Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Forest. In this interview, she discusses taking her own reference photos, the perfect paper, and staying creative during difficult times.

Above image: Olga Babich at her workspace

Forest, 2024
Olga Babich
Pencil on paper, 38 x 28 cm | 14.9 x 11 in

Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background?

Olga: I’ve loved drawing since childhood and would often find myself copying illustrations. However, when it came time to choose a career, I didn’t consider becoming an artist or even a designer. I studied law and worked in the field for two years.

Everything changed while I was on maternity leave – I decided to take an online watercolour course. The lessons were high-quality and engaging, and they gave me not only a solid foundation but also something even more valuable: the confidence that it wasn’t too late to start. I was 26 at the time.

That’s how my path as an artist began. Since then, I’ve taken many more courses, workshops, and masterclasses, and spent countless hours practicing and learning on my own. Today, art is both my passion and my profession – something I truly love and am grateful to do every day.

Art materials: coloured pencils.

Josephine: What does a typical working day in the studio look like for you? Do you have any important routines or rituals?

Olga: My studio is actually at home. Once the kids are off to school and kindergarten, I take care of a few quick household tasks, then make myself a cup of tea or coffee and light an aromatic candle. That small ritual helps me feel grounded and sets a calm, focused mood for the day. Next, I choose music to match my mood – I always draw with music – and begin setting up my materials. That’s how my ideal workday begins (though of course, life doesn’t always go exactly to plan).

I usually draw for around four hours, with short breaks. After that, I shift to other tasks like managing my social media, editing photos or videos, scanning artwork, printing, or handling things around the house, depending on what needs attention that day. By 6pm, it’s time to pick up my younger son from kindergarten, so that’s when my working day as an artist officially ends.

Plein air sketch from life, 2023
Olga Babich
Coloured pencil on paper, 38 × 28 cm | 14.96 × 11.02 in

Josephine: Which materials or tools could you not live without?

Olga: If I had to name just two essentials, they would be my Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils and a Moleskine sketchbook with 165gsm paper – preferably in A3 format.

But honestly, I can’t live without sketchbooks – big, small, square, rectangular – I always have several on the go. Besides Moleskine, I use Art Creation (A4 is my favorite size), Manuscript (a Ukrainian brand – probably not widely known, but a great local find), and Leuchtturm1917.

I’m quite picky about paper: I prefer a neutral, slightly warm white – not yellowish, but not cold-white either. I like a smooth surface, but with just enough texture to catch the pencil well, since layering is a key part of my technique.

In addition to Polychromos, I also enjoy working with Derwent pencils (especially the Drawing and Lightfast series), Caran d’Ache Luminance, Koh-i-Noor, and Holbein.

And I absolutely love my Faber-Castell eraser pencil and a variety of blenders – they’re essential in my process.

Drawing in progress

Josephine: Do you work from a reference? What is your process?

Olga: I work both from reference and from life. When I do use references, they’re almost always my own photos. I don’t enjoy drawing from other people’s images, because it doesn’t feel entirely like my own work. A good photo reference is already a big part of the final result, and I believe the artist should be the one to choose the composition and frame, so they can confidently say, “Yes, this is fully mine.”

This doesn’t apply to cases where the photo is significantly reworked or transformed – that’s a different story.

That said, I won’t lie, sometimes I come across a photo I really love, and in those cases, I might ask the photographer for permission to use it.

I also often draw from life, which brings me a lot of joy. Usually it’s quick sketches, and less frequently – more developed studies or finished pieces. I love going outdoors with my sketchbook and pencils, especially when joining sketching meetups with the local community here in Lviv, where I currently live.

We have a very warm and supportive group – we share ideas, give feedback, ask for advice, or sometimes just sit and draw together in companionable silence.

Winter Forest, 2024
Olga Babich
Coloured pencil on paper, 38 × 28 cm | 14.96 × 11.02 in

Josephine: Do you regularly draw or keep a sketchbook? If so, how does this inform your work?

Olga: Yes, I draw in sketchbooks all the time. I use a large A3 sketchbook for more finished, studio work, and smaller ones – A4, A5, or similar formats – for sketching on the go, often in cafés or out on the street.

I honestly can’t imagine my life without sketchbooks. They feel like home – a safe, familiar space where I can experiment freely, explore new ideas, or simply capture something that catches my eye.

Sketchbooks help me stay in shape artistically and keep growing, without requiring huge blocks of time. Sometimes even an hour is enough – and that small window can still be incredibly valuable and productive.

Sketch from life: Yellow Flowers, 2024
Olga Babich
Coloured pencil on paper, 40 × 20 cm | 15.75 × 7.87 in

Josephine: Have you ever had a period of stagnation in creativity? If so, what helped you overcome it?

Olga: Of course, many times. Creative life, like life in general, has its ups and downs. Especially now, when everything has become so much more difficult.

War (I live in Ukraine), evacuation, frequent relocations, missile attacks, various family and domestic challenges… Anxiety and fear are often constant companions. I feel happiness when I manage to completely unwind and disconnect for a few hours or even days.

During periods of intense stress, it’s incredibly hard to draw. These phases can last for days, weeks or even months. I find myself dissatisfied with my work, everything feels forced and unnatural.

When that happens, I try to lower the pressure on myself. I turn to familiar subjects – scenes and themes I know well and feel connected to. Sometimes it’s just a small sketch in a café or out on the street, or joining a sketching session with fellow artists. Anything that lets me pick up a pencil and try to “catch the wave,” even for just thirty minutes.

I try to surround myself with warmth, comfort, understanding, and support. And I always remind myself: nothing lasts forever.

Sooner or later, you’ll lie down to sleep and suddenly your head is full of ideas, and your hand itches to bring them to life. And you’ll start drawing again, and feel that familiar, joyful sense of flow – that spark of inspiration that only comes when you’re truly immersed in the creative process.

Drawing in progress

Josephine: Are there any specific artists or mentors who have inspired you?

Olga: Yes, absolutely, many! I’ve been inspired by the work of Andrew Wyeth, Bill Sienkiewicz, Andrea Serio, Jeremy Miranda, Ian Sidaway, Natalie Ratkovski, Chien Chung-Wei, Andrii Kateryniuk, Nikolas Antoniou, Joanna Concejo, and others.
Each of them speaks to a different part of me as an artist:
Andrew Wyeth for his quiet, melancholic sense of everyday romance.

Bill Sienkiewicz for his absolute freedom in combining materials, the dynamic energy in his work, and that striking sense of a “frozen frame” in motion.

Andrea Serio for the clarity, precision, and balance in his compositions, along with his distinctive linework and personal visual language.

Jeremy Miranda for his choice of subjects, refined colour sensitivity, and masterful use of nuance.
And there are so many others who continue to inspire me, each in their own unique way.

Olga Babich’s studio workspace

Josephine: What were you thinking about or exploring at the time you made Forest? What inspired it, and how did it come to be?

Olga: Forest is a drawing based on one of my own photographs, taken during a hike in the mountains. Behind the piece are my personal memories and emotions – the photo reference was simply a tool, a foundation that helped bring the work to life.

I really love nature. I enjoy noticing its rhythms, textures, and sense of movement. That’s what inspires me.

The starting point for this drawing was the stream – it holds the viewer’s gaze and leads the eye into the scene, so I built everything else around it. I tried to create an environment that would provide the strongest possible contrast in tone, colour, and texture, in order to highlight the water.

House in the Forest, 2021
Olga Babich
Coloured pencil on paper, 38 × 28 cm | 14.96 × 11.02 in

Josephine: Why did this piece feel like the right one to submit?

Olga: That’s a great question! I’ve always felt a special pull toward the landscapes of northern regions – there’s something about them that really resonates with me. Forest is a vivid example of that atmosphere and theme, and I thought it might connect with the judges, given that the competition is based in the UK.
Beyond that, I tend to evaluate my artworks in terms of technique – how well they’re executed and what their strongest qualities are. Sometimes it’s hard to judge a piece right after finishing it, but if you give yourself time to step away from the artwork and look at it again later, things become much clearer.

So in the end, my decision came down to those two things – emotional connection and confidence in its technical execution.

Snow, 2024
Olga Babich
Coloured pencil on paper, 38 × 28 cm | 14.96 × 11.02 in

Josephine: How did it feel to realise you had won the Drawing Award?

Olga: It was an incredible joy and a deeply rewarding experience to have my work recognized on such a high, public level. That kind of recognition brings a real sense of uplift and motivation – it strengthens your belief in your own abilities and gives you confidence that you’re on the right path. You feel seen, acknowledged, and your work is highly valued, and that means a lot.

Over the City, 2024
Olga Babich,
Coloured pencil on paper, 36 × 28 cm | 14.17 × 11.02 in

Josephine: The marks in Forest convey so much energy and movement – it feels like it came together quickly, yet every stroke seems intentional. How long did this piece take you, and how do you balance intuition with more deliberate mark-making?

Olga: Thank you! A drawing like this usually takes me around 6 to 8 hours. Sometimes I’m just drawing, sometimes I pause to evaluate the possibilities for what comes next in the process. I’m always happy when I manage to capture that sense of movement and energy on paper.

As for balance – I usually start with a clear plan: a composition idea, a tonal structure, and areas of focus. Within that framework, I allow myself freedom and spontaneity – even chaos – but always within certain boundaries (which are often sketched out with energetic hand movements too). I believe you can do almost anything as long as the overall tonal relationships stay intact.

Within each shape or tonal area, I might work very expressively – building texture or blocking in tone with fast, sweeping pencil strokes. That’s my kind of zen, my form of meditation. But if the relationships between these areas don’t come together well, I slow down and work more deliberately to connect them. For me, expression should never take center stage, it’s only a tool to support the idea behind the drawing.

Drawing in progress

Josephine: In Forest, your palette blends earthy realism with flashes of otherworldly purples and blues. Do you plan your colours in advance, or do they emerge intuitively as you draw?

Olga: It depends… I usually have a general plan in mind, but I try not to stick to it too rigidly. Sometimes a small accident leads the drawing in an unexpectedly good direction. As I work, I choose pencil colours in response to what’s already on the paper – I check whether the colour matches my inner sense of how it should feel and look.

As for the purples and blues, they’re my way of offsetting the earthy palette and enhancing its overall impact. That kind of colour decision usually comes from intuition – a feeling of where to place those tones to support and deepen the effect of the natural greens and browns. It’s really important to me that the colour never feels overly sweet and polished, no matter what palette I’m working with.

I’m especially grateful to one of my teachers, Valerii Zalishchuk, whose lessons helped me discover this kind of sensitivity to colour and showed me what’s possible when you approach it thoughtfully.

Plein air work: Pine Trees, 2024
Olga Babich
Coloured pencil on paper, 38 × 28 cm | 14.96 × 11.02 in

Josephine: Are there any new materials or ideas you’re excited to explore using your prize?

Olga: Yes! Alongside the pencils, I chose a set of watercolour markers – I’m hoping they’ll help simplify and speed up my sketching process. Building up tonal areas with pencils takes time, and even though my hand is trained for speed, I still sometimes wish it could go faster!

But I love pencils too much to replace them – the goal is not to switch mediums, but to expand my possibilities and enhance what I already do. I want to explore how these tools can complement each other and open up new ways of working without stepping away from the core of my practice.

A book with an illustration by Olga Babich on the cover alongside the original drawing

Josephine: What’s coming up next for you?

Olga: Right now, my main goal is to collaborate with great publishers – I’d love to illustrate book covers, especially for fiction and poetry, or anything with a touch of melancholy or a connection to travel and exploration. I’m also very interested in designing record covers, and I hope to connect with clients who are drawn to that aesthetic. So I’m actively working in that direction, while continuing to refine my technique and expand my creative boundaries.

I’m also on the lookout for interesting exhibitions and competitions where I can share my work.

For over a year now, I’ve been running my Patreon, where I publish monthly pencil drawing lessons. Beyond being an additional source of income, I truly enjoy sharing my passion with people who are just as enthusiastic about drawing. And, as it often happens, teaching others helps me grow and discover new things in my own practice too.

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