We finally got our version of the heat wave where I live! I know a lot of you have had it worse than we do for longer….but I’ve got no air conditioning so do I get to gripe a little about 89 degrees inside the studio? LOL! Anyhow…this week’s theme is one that will hopefully keep us all cool – WATERMELON! And we’ll start with a doodle since the drawing and doodling classes are on sale all month long. Yay!
Tutorial: How to doodle a Copic watermelon
I bet you never really thought to bring your Copics to the doodling game, did you? It’s really easy to doodle on TOP of Copic with any kind of pen – dip pens, microns, gel pens, all that works just great on the same kinds of papers you would use for Copics! This one is on Neenah – a 12″ x 18″ sheet…I found a ream of it for sale locally and broke the bank so I could have some large cardstock to work with!
Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully!
This is not a mandala.
I know some folks will worry that there’s a spiritual significance here, but honestly – it’s a doodle. It’s also not going to be ‘perfect’ which, I hope by now you realize is my jam. I do me, and I don’t worry about trying to get every line the same and every leaf shape to be identical. On a drawing like this, close enough is great for me and I celebrate it!
Do a doodle!
Whatever shape you decide to doodle on, color it first…and it doesn’t even matter if you color it nicely since detailed pen work goes on top! Then relax and add your doodles. They can radiate around a central point like this one, or just be random and fun!
If you want more step by step lessons, and to bring in all kinds of fun patterns into your world – the Whimsical Patterns class is all about white and metallic gel pens on back paper! Some of the patterns are gridlike, some circular like this watermelon, and some just freeform landscapes! Very relaxing and a lot of fun. All the Drawing and Doodling classes are on sale all month if you want to get your jam on in all kinds of media!
More watermelon please!
I’ve got tons of watermelon ideas in my head after doing this drawing – how about stamped critters ON a watermelon, or a watermelon planet in a galaxy, or a watermelon dress on a figure, or a watermelon popsicle, or…..well, you get the idea. Pop over to my instagram this week for fresh new ideas all week long! Post your own ideas and I’ll share some of the craziest ones to my Stories!
Hey there – Mother Nature heard me whining that my morning walks were still requiring jackets at 53F…..guess what? 90s this past weekend! GAH!!! I knew it was coming so did some prep last week….I bought a new fan, stocked up on beverages and popsicles and…ICE CREAM! Before the heat hit I decided this week’s theme would be ice cream, and created a ginormous set of printables for you and called it “Peace Love and Ice Cream!”
These are the colors that were out on my desk after finishing all this coloring…..and look at that sweatshirt sleeve! Yes I filmed before the heat got bad in the studio….I sat out under a tree instead all weekend!
In the zip file you’d download if you purchased this set, you’ll get nice flat versions of the colorings from today that you can keep along with the folder of images so it’s handy dandy.
The more complicated ice cream – with three flavors. You might want the version without the stippled details for things like lemon ice cream – light colors might seem a bit odd with all the black detail. But the limited detail is also a great way to learn your shading by putting it in yourself!
These, I’ll just tell ya, are too tiny! ha. I really wanted to get in more detail and couldn’t. But a tip on the soft serve with sprinkles: add them in with a gel pen or with stickles or other colored substances; coloring around tiny ones like this is too hard!
Supplies
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It’s Friday the 13th but I’m not playing the unlucky game. Instead, I’ve got another of my crazy epic works today – this one is about 12″ x19″! It was quite an epic thing, and I honestly had little faith it would work. I planned for just watercolor, and did the first wash…but once I got partway through the second pass I made some GAH errors – bleed bleed bleed! But after ALL that drawing and painting I wasn’t about to let this one get away. TWSBI pen to the rescue!!!!
Video
A bit of backstory: I was working on a project for my church that initially took me down a rabbit hole to some groovy 60’s themed graphics. We quickly departed the silliness….but then I had to get it out of my system!
I used a picture of a swanky model for the start of this, then instead of her wearing the slinky outfit she had on, I gave her a tshirt and denim shirt (because I am always seemingly cold! It’s still in the 50F range daily here! She also had to have an easel, lots of art supplies everywhere….and little tidbits hidden in the pen and ink work.
Sign up for the Peace Love & Art challenge!
I’m hosting an art challenge! I hope to inspire you & me, and to have lots of fun giveaways and projects to get the summer creativity rolling. First email will go out on Weds 5/18! Know that there’s no crazy to-do list – you don’t have to do all the activities or anything. Just do what you can, that’s what this is all about.
Download the Artventure app for ios or android; register an account, and take a free class or sign up for the Tiny Tutorials class where free content will be added. If your phone can’t deal with opening one more app, once you create your account there and sign up for the class through the app store, you can log in online to see content on your computer here.
Download the printable image of this artist character right here! Color her up and post her on social media to let your friends know you’re participating in Peace Love & Art! Use #peaceloveandart for the hashtag.
ICYMI
In case you missed any of the doodling this week – here ya go!
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. If you choose to shop using my EH (Ellen Hutson) links, please accept cookies on that site in order to retain the link to my blog, or that compensation does not happen for me. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
It’s Earth Day week…so I’ll be playing with things that grow all week long here and on social media! Be sure to follow along for some crazy ideas.
Before we start….there’s a new class and digi stamps!
It’s spring….let’s do some coloring of flowers! I just launched a brand new Realistic Flowers Class — in colored pencil this time (last month was the Copic class with different flowers). If you only need the images and not the class, check out the Flower printables to color! (Should you accidentally buy the images then decide to take the class, just email and I’ll refund the digistamps fee.)
The simplest – two color tulips, two color greens!
The colors:
Wreath #2
I used Polychromos pencils for this one….
Colors used:
Wreath #3
A little more expressive and loose! Colors are listed in the supply list below.
Inspiration collections of flowers
These pages each have dozens of ideas for florals – if you’re in need of inspiration, have at it!
Supplies
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. If you choose to shop using my EH (Ellen Hutson) links, please accept cookies on that site in order to retain the link to my blog, or that compensation does not happen for me. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
It’s a busy Monday – but hopefully I kept the video tight enough to cover it all without taking up your day! There are three parts –
How to draw a sunflower, using a compass
Free downloadable sunflowers if you’d rather only color
A new Copic flowers class
Video
Watch the video below or click here to see it on YouTube.
This sunflower is hopefully easier than you had imagined! The steps, short form:
Draw a circle for the full flower. Divide that circle in half so you can draw a second circle for the disk full of ray florets (oooh fancy word) in the middle.
Draw a horizontal and vertical line through the middle, then criss cross, then one between each of those – that will give you 16 petals evenly spaced.
Begin to create petals, rotating between different shapes – some small, some curled, some normal.
Add veins with darker (harder pressure) on the inside where it attaches to the disk.
Draw spiral lines and create scribbles around them.
Shade the inside of the concave center, and add a little shading to the outer edge of the disk.
Be proud of your drawing!
Free Printable Sunflowers
Click on any photo to go to the site offering these free images – and send them a thank you by email, or even better on their social media….and maybe buy something else while you’re on their site!
It’s getting to be spring, and we’re in need of some sunshine, aren’t we!? I’m so tired of rain and snow and ready to move on. So let’s do it in art even if Mother Nature isn’t cooperating yet.
This is a level 2 class – and each of these printable flowers can be bought without the class, or if you get the class it’s included. (If you buy them then change your mind and want the class, let me know and I’ll refund the digital image purchase.) The lessons in this class are in realtime, though I don’t talk through every second – there’s not much to say when it’s repeating the same steps over and over.
Supplies
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. If you choose to shop using my EH (Ellen Hutson) links, please accept cookies on that site in order to retain the link to my blog, or that compensation does not happen for me. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
Aside from “why are reds so hard to blend without bleeding!?”, the color I get asked most to show is black objects – often asked in terms of coloring hair, but dogs as well. So….today’s the day!
The download is freeeee! I have been putting all my downloadables in the shop over at art-classes.com not just to be annoying (lol) – but because once you put it in your cart, you only have one place to go to re-find it when you lost the original. So go add this to your downloads in your account, then try coloring a black object in a new-to-you combo!
ICYMI from last week!
On Friday’s posts I’ve been doing a list of everything on social – and since this is skintones to go with the hair from this week….here you go!
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. If you choose to shop using my EH (Ellen Hutson) links, please accept cookies on that site in order to retain the link to my blog, or that compensation does not happen for me. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
