I recently bought a new pencil. I know, I know, it’s an art supply, how can that warrant excitment? Well, Leonardo Pereznieto is the artist behind it, and he worked with a German company to create this spectacular little tool. And since it had me thinking scientific voodoo was going on in how it operates – I decided to combine it with the scientific achievement of Apollo 11 and make a video! See more info in this post below after you watch it.
Note: Supplies are linked in the supply list at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used – that means if you make a purchase using my links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of my work on this blog! Read more.
Watch the video below or click HERE to see it in HD on YouTube
The eraser lives under the silver cap. I’m betting I’ll need to beg them for a new cap at some point. #klutz lol
In the supply list I’ve linked a bunch of different polaroid dies (I like the size of the EH ones because you can fit a bunch on one card nicely) – as well as a bunch of different space stamps.
The spiral sketchbook has the same paper as the Stonehenge pad I’ve been recommending for pencil work. Love the surface and texture.
Concord & 9th, meet Evelin T! You two have such fun playing together on this card. (They may already “know” each other but hey. It’s always nice to play with several brands at once, right!)
Note: Supplies are linked in the supply list at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used – that means if you make a purchase using my links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of my work on this blog! Read more.
Watch the video below or click HERE to see it in HD on YouTube.
This card follows the same ideas as Art Impressions watercolor – but with a large mailbox and larger flowers. Yes you can do the same thing with different stamps!
Ink colors used – everything is very muted except that persimmon pop!
The interactive portion of this card is just the front of the mailbox, peeking into the inside of the mailbox to see the snail. And his tiny “hello”!
This stamp is called Modern Frame – new from Avery Elle. And I right away wanted to see if I could make it look like it was made of glass crystal panels! You could try it with soft rainbow colors – but I kept it neutral to let the flowers be the thing that “sings”!
Note: Supplies are linked in the supply list at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used – that means if you make a purchase using my links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of my work on this blog! Read more.
Watch the video below or click HERE to see it in HD on YouTube.
For the sentiment – I didn’t want it centered. I tend not to like it when things are plopped in the middle, designwise. I stamped the Thank you off to the right…and drew in my own . . . . to fill in that space a little. I added an exclamation point too, which I immediately wished I hadn’t since I tucked it in weirdly. LOL!
The overall effect is so simple and elegant! I layered the panel on black cardstock, then popped it up onto a red card base. Lovely!
I’ve been asked again and again if I’d ever put together Underwater Scenes in Colored Pencil or Watercolor….and I finally made time to get both assembled! They’re the mini classes, and intermediate level – it’s recommended to take the Jumpstart class for that medium, but if you have equivalent experience, rock on!
Sorry for that title, but I named it that because I am constantly being asked for a watercolor hex chart, and wanted something to come up in Google to answer that question without having to email, thus today’s post and video! And no, a watercolor hex chart is not possible for a variety of reasons, which will be discussed in the video – but I have TONS of good info anyway even without that chart!
So today I’m showing off the new chart book I made…..after months of having misplaced my charts, I found them! Now they’re in one book and hopefully won’t get lost. Includes a discussion of hex charts and why one is not possible or even much of a help for watercolorists. Toward the latter portion, a discussion of the properties of watercolors and how to swatch in a helpful way.
Note: Supplies are linked in the supply list at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used – that means if you make a purchase using my links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of my work on this blog! Read more.
Watch the video below or click HERE to see it in HD on YouTube.
Why no watercolor hexchart?
I know it’s a disappointment – but once I’ve explained it to folks asking the question on social media, they nearly to a person say “Ok, I get it, thanks!” But if you haven’t seen that, here’s a few of the reasons:
Most printers cannot print on thick and bumpy watercolor paper. Even if yours can, the ink often flicks off due to the textured surface.
Most printer ink is not waterproof, which means the toner is going to contaminate the paint. Not helpful to see actual colors.
The way watercolor works is simply VERY different from Copic or pencil. Colors for shading aren’t chosen because of their relationship on a chart; you add neutral tint, a complementary color, or just another color from the rest of the painting to create a shadow color.
Also, contrary to the narrative out there in the world, you do NOT need to get splits (half pans) of every color out there. Really. I mean it. I use my main palette almost all the time even though I own a lot more colors – it makes me REALLY get to know those colors and how they work together and I learn from them. Once every year or year and a half I swap something out, or as discussed in the video, I can have an alternate palette with some other toys to play with. But I don’t ever think “hey I want to paint a tree but this tree isn’t ANY of these greens, I should get out a new one.” Instead I look for what I can mix with the greens I have to create what I need.
By purchasing a ton of half pans you’re also causing yourself not only a storage nightmare – some of you are buying a bunch of palettes to hold it all – but it’s also overwhelming to have so many colors. Then you’re stumped as to WHICH red to use to paint a rose. Or WHICH blue is best for a sky. I recommend getting a big dot card (there’s a 66 dot and a 238 dot card set, see discussion later in this post) and swatch things so you know what red or sky blue that YOU like best, and just buy a tube or a split of that one.
I know we’re collectors, but – you could literally just have a warm and cool red yellow and blue and be able to paint tons of things! I even painted this one from THREE COLORS – Quin Rose, Nickel Azo, and Iridescent Electric Blue. You don’t need #allthecolors – shhhh don’t tell any manuufacturers or retailers that I said that! lol!
About all those charts
A specific purchasing note: if you bought a hex chart here on this blog, here is where the purchase remains – I didn’t move them to your account on my teaching site. However I’m hoping to get all the purchases to be made over there from now on, so if you buy it there, it’ll be in your account over there.
Copic Hex Chart
The Copic Hex Chart was the first chart I made – basically for the reason that I’m lazy and don’t like to stop coloring to reink a pen, and would rather find a similar color! ha! It’s been around a long while and since they haven’t added new colors, this is the original one and hasn’t been updated. I print mine on all the papers I’ll color on, like on Desert Storm shown here – that way I can see how colors will look on my project before starting the coloring. (I don’t do the 2nd page of greys on all colors unless I think I need it.) There’s also a free Human Rainbow chart for Copics.
Colored Pencil Hex Charts
I added Colored Pencil Hex Charts for Prismacolor, Luminance, and Polychromos as well, and I make charts on the colors I’ll use for these mediums as well. Including black – to make that, print (or photocopy) the chart on to black paper and you can look at an angle to color in the hex shapes – then print it on acetate and overlay it. Then the numbers can be seen.
Watercolor swatches
My book contains pocket page swatch sheets for my 1.5 inch square swatches. I know there are stamps you can get for swatching now, but…well, I’m all about gettin ‘er done faster, and stamping just takes too long. LOL! I have multiples of SOME colors – so I can have a whole page of JUST my main 2019 palette:
The rest of my swatch pages are kept in roughly color-order. When doing it like this I can move swatches around, put other brands in, see their info next to each other. Lots of options! (You see notes on the backs of some of these swatches – it’s whatever words or data that didn’t fit on the front. You can also make notes on things you learn about that color – like what colors it plays nicely with!)
If you’re using the big DS Dot Charts to do your swatching, they’re mostly in the color order you’d need, so that’s a huge help in creating something like this. You can get the full 238 Colors chart – but honestly if you have swatches for the 66 Colors you really WILL be just fine.
I have some watercolor blending tips to share with you today – along with a comparison of different blues and yellows in my palette. And a sweet little stamp set from Neat and Tangled! And yes – GASP – there’s glitter on this card! EEEP! lol!
Note: Supplies are linked in the supply list at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used – that means if you make a purchase using my links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of my work on this blog! Read more.
Watch the video below or click HERE to see it in HD on YouTube.
To make a full background like this, I started with glossy accents on the stars – that will act as a resist, and also add shine to the stars. Let it dry completely before painting.
I wet the entire area first, and once it was evenly wet, I began to add Indanthrone in the area around the moon. Then added the Paynes Blue Gray toward the outer edges. Paint and water “collect” at the edges of a painting, but if you leave the paper cut larger than needed (in this case as a 1/4 sheet it’s 6 x 4.5) then the edges get cut off anyway. Dry outward from the center to keep drying as even as possible.
The Nickel Azo, New Gamboge, and Aussie Red Gold create a moon with different hues in it; the Aussie is more orangey when used in a thicker way. Yellow Ochre is a nice color for simple skin tones.
Last tidbit: I used some really old glitter on the wings, so couldn’t link it – I don’t use it enough to finish a jar before its no longer sold. Ha!
