Currently Browsing: Art Materials 138 articles
What Are You Waiting for? Go Ahead Paint on Note Paper
“What Are You Waiting for? Go Ahead Paint on Note Paper” pretty much says it all. Here’s a spread from one of my green lined journals. You can find non-art journals in any bookstore on earth—typically with botanical sketches or pink covers that will appeal to 16 year old girls. (Well actually to […]
I Test the COLOR Ink Tombow Fudensuke Pens
In November an email blast from Jet Pens mentioned Tombow Fudenosuke pens were available in COLORS!!!! I ordered a set of 10 (which includes a black—you can see the list of colors on my test page at the right. Click on the image and you can cycle through enlargements.) I’ve done several sketches […]
Sketching Faces: When You Feel You’ve Hit A Plateau
I sketch a ton of faces. I look back over the years and see how my approach to sketching faces has changed, how it’s constantly evolving. Often students write to me about experiencing a plateau in their drawing efforts. They feel that they have achieved a level of skill at which they remain […]
Nostalgie Is A Fun Paper
I think the sketch pretty much shows how much fun I was having on this paper so I’m not going to write more except to say you can use the category list or search engine on this blog to find more Nostalgie pages. The paper is smooth, heavyweight, and a delight for all […]
Review: Clairefontaine Watercolor Sketchbook
Background on the Testing of This Sketchbook Earlier this year a Clairfontaine representative wrote and asked if I would like to test one of their new watercolor sketchbooks. Typically I buy all materials that I test and review on my website. This time, because I use many Clairfontaine notebooks and love them all I […]
What Am I Going to Get Up To Now? Trouble?
We’re months out from my cataract surgeries. At last month’s eye doctor visit we learned more. I’ll write a detailed post about what’s going on soon. I won’t kid you, it has been a frustrating time. Not a day has gone by since January 30 (when they pulled off the first eye patch) when […]
Paper Matters: Is There A Right Paper?
For artists making works on paper media selection and method of application of course both matter, but too often artists forget that paper matters too. Have you been seduced by an art supply catalog into purchasing a substandard, non-artist grade paper? I see it all the time in my student’s questions. They’ve spent money on […]
Fun with Watercolor: Sometimes It’s Best To Use as Little Water as Possible
To finish today’s sketch I used as little water as possible with my watercolors on a non-wet-media paper. This post shows you the ink sketch, the painted face, and then my decision to paint a background of color behind the face. What this post can’t really show you is how much fun I […]
Some Dog Sketches on Canson 180
What better way to test a paper than with some dog sketches on Canson 180? In the sketches today I used a Sailor Fude Fountain pen (containing Platinum Carbon Black ink) and watercolor to make quick sketches from dogs on the Sktchy App. The scans show paper buckling caused by the wet […]
Working on Canson 180
Today I look at working with watercolor on a not-wet-media paper. In May I shared with you how I started working in a Canson 180 sketchbook given to me by a friend. Because recovery from cataract surgery has been protracted I’ve been rather cooped up, unable to drive, get to life drawing, etc. One […]