Today….I bring you a piece of art at the intersection of math, dreams, and creativity! It’s perfect for today’s holiday: International Colour Day!
I stumbled onto something about the Fibonacci sequence online, and that led me to The Golden Ratio: The Divine Beauty of Mathematics (there are many others) – it doesn’t focus JUST on the Fibonacci sequence but does put it into context with other numerical theories. It’s quite amazing, even if a seriously difficult read!
I’m taking it a page or two at a time, and re-reading sections; it’s taking me back to what I remember as the good old days of calculus – yes I was THAT kid in high school who loved it! I enjoyed seeing how math could apply to real life!
I even found out at a job I once had that math could make me very valuable: I worked a photostat camera and had to enlarge slide photography to a large size while converting it into a halftone….and the increase was so great it had to be done in two steps. To get the halftone size dots correct, I wrote up a little calculus equation – and my coworkers and boss thought I was magic. 🙂
If you know someone who loves math, art, architecture…..this might make a lovely gift for them. They’ll know you think theyre very smart.
Tutorial: International Colour Day: Fibonacci Spiral Dream Art
A little bonus today: the pups got some cameos in the video!
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!
Supracolor pencils
These Caran d’Ache watercolor pencils are quite yummy….rich, vibrant color that waters out nicely with a wet brush. This piece had a lot of layers building it up as I kept changing colors to create the transitions between each section. The only thing that could make this more like my dream would be if it moved and all the pieces danced in the air!
The Association Internationale de la Couleur (AIC) aims are to encourage research in all aspects of colour, to disseminate the knowledge gained from this research, and to promote its application to the solution of problems in the fields of science, art, design and industry on an international basis.
I’d recommend going to your workspace today and creating something in honor of this day, and post it wherever you post things to share! Let’s celebrate color of all kinds…not just rainbows but a favorite color, a set of moody colors….whatever you’re in the mood for today!
You might have wondered just what are Inktense pencils – and you’re not alone!
I’m Sandy Allnock, so if we haven’t met – and these bloghops bring in a lot of new folks – so HI! So glad to meet you! I’m an artist who also loves to make cards, and I really really love to help others make art of all kinds. I teach on YouTube, IG, and on my own teaching site (more on that later)
This post contains both art chat (we’ll talk about the pencils and some techniques to make them work better) and craft chat, a new stamp release that you might just love.
Inktense pencils are categorized along with watercolor pencils in a lot of people’s minds, but…they’re a bit different. Even different than what Derwent tells us. (Watch the video to see the craziness happen!)
The giveaway from my blog is over–congrats to Naomi for being randomly selected as a winner!
In the first portion of the video I’ll talk answer the question, what are inktense pencils. After I create the little graphic below (including the seal in inktense blocks!), we’ll jump into the CCC release, with even more technique chatting. Are you ready?
Tutorial: What are Inktense Pencils? (with CCC release!)
The CCC release portion starts at 9:40 if you want to skip to that for a shorter video time. 🙂 You’re welcome!
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!
Look ma, a carousel.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to make carousels (sliding photos) in this blog, like, forEVer. I finally did it! Tell me in the comments if you had to tap or swipe through, I’m curious how this works on different devices!
Win this mermaid piece next month!
Join Artventure and share your own creativity, encourage others, and become a tighter community as we all grow together. This mermaid piece will be the prize in the February challenge there….sign up for free if you want a chance to join in the fun!
My full set of cards
In case the above carousel does NOT work for you…here’s that image all in one. With the walrus too. 🙂
That cute walrus
I’ve always had a thing for walruses. Walrii? Something about a chunky fella with funny teeth reminds me of being a chunky youngster badly in need of braces, maybe! But this little walrus has friends. I do too. 🙂
Crafting classes, anyone?
These bloghops bring in a lot of new folks – and you might not know I have a gajillion (ok exaggeration) coloring classes for you! SO many are perfect for cardmaking. So much so that I created a special CRAFTS page just for cardmakers to give you some suggested places to start!
Remember to enter the CCC giveaways by 1) commenting on this post, and 2) using my links below to make your purchase–you could win one stamp set or the whole release! Here’s the list of blogs participating so go get inspired by their creations too:
Are you ready for fall and pumpkin spice yet!? I’m getting there. Just a little. I took a walk looking for leaves – not fall ones, just different sizes and shapes – and found THIS sucker – holy guacamole! Bigger than my head!
EASY Tutorial: Getting art inspiration from nature / Leaves in watercolor pencil
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!
Watercolor pencil leaf
The tea strainer is such a handy little tool isn’t it! It grates that powder to be able to create such great textures.
Addictive practice
Once I got started making these, I have to say – they became quickly addictive! I wanted to try all the leaves in my ginormous pile….thus all the other versions that will happen all week! (Read on for info)
Happenings at Artventure
To encourage you to step out and try out my new community at Artventure…..I’ll be posting daily videos over there! You can view it all on the web without an app, OR go download Mighty Networks to add to your phone or tablet. And it’s all free for now! The leaf videos will be in a free “class” you’ll need to sign up for but that’s just to keep them all together.
I hope you enjoyed today’s little leaf project – and that it’ll get you stoked to do more as fall nears where you live. Make cards, bookmarks, journal pages, or frameable art….so many possibilities!
Anita Jeram has new stamps with Colorado Craft Company – and I’m here for it! I still just love her stamps; there’s a lot of the stamping industry that is just the same ol’ same ol’, but Anita never lets us down!
NOTE: GIVEAWAY AND SALE ARE OVER.
I’ve got a bunch of watercolor pencil scenes to share today – it would have made the video too long to show all the coloring but see the notes above each of the cards below for ideas to use regular colored pencil techniques along with watercolor pencil techniques to add extra interest to them!
Supplies for this project are linked at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.
The card demonstrated in the video is based loosely on a watercolor pencil technique in the Autumn scenes watarecolor pencil class – with some tips based on homework I’ve seen from students. It’s hard not to make quick little blobs look like a tree and not just a series of polkadots….so try seeing if my theory of saying to connect every third leaf makes sense to you?
The other stamp in this set is so sweet, looks just like my little G, staring at birds! ha!
Snowbunnies! Oh my goodness what cuteness. For this scene, I used powdered pigment in the background and then sketched the trees on top and applied water to them, not to the sky. Worked out great!
The trees in this next card are from the Storybook Scenes Colored Pencil class – just adding water onto the trees instead of leafing them dry. Leafing. Get it? ha!
Who doesn’t love a conga line in the rain? I feel like I’d like to gather up the neighbors to do this once our rain comes back. It’s been sooo dry here! For the background on this card, I turned to the Rainy Days Colored Pencil class; the distant background was left with just that technique but I did add some baby wipe and water on a brush to the foreground to differentiate them from each other.e
Kitties in love! I immediately thought of mistletoe when I saw this stamp and turned it into a Christmas card! I did have to draw mistletoe, but just put a bow on some leafy greens and people will know just what it is supposed to be.
Last but not least – one more slimline card! This time with another storybook inspired background from the COPIC Winter Storybook class. Just had to translate the technique to change it up a little and it worked out great!
I have 27 tutorials assembled for your viewing pleasure!
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
The sweet folks over at Picket Fence Studios sent me a little care package – and when I saw this Bird of Paradise I knew I had to color it up! I found a pic on google with a bokeh background, and that was my inspiration.
I wasn’t sure this was going to turn out as well as it did but man – I was so thrilled! A few weeks ago I shared a video talking about being “in the zone” – and this card was surely one of those moments.
I liked this so much I nearly didn’t even put it on a card! Watch for me to paint some bird of paradise flowers in World Watercolor Month on my fine art instagram account….that might happen!
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
What’s the difference between Hot Press, Cold Press, and Rough watercolor papers? Let’s try them out and see with a new stamp by Anita Jeram!
Supplies for this project are linked at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.
I chose to stick with one brand of paper – Arches – but others do carry papers in these same textures …though not all papers are equal and should be tested! The Rough is the bumpiest texture, Cold Press is easier for more folks too work with, and the Hot Press is very flat – helpful for stampers getting a crisp line, but the color performs very differently than the textured papers. See how!
Arches Rough is one of my favorite for both watercolor pencil and watercolor itself. I love the edges that I can create with it – the big texture lends itself to it well.
Arches Cold Press is likely the most popular of all the types of Arches – it’s got a texture but not SO much, so is especially easier for those just learning to handle the paper surface.
Arches Hot Press is the flattest, it feels practically like cardstock, except it doesn’t pill up with water. For a smooth look it can certainly achieve it but the color doesn’t come across very strong. Choose darker colors when working with this paper if you want bigger contrast.
Have you tested a variety of papers? I’d be curious to know what paper you’ve decided works best for you!
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
