creating with ink and water

One of my favorite ways to challenge myself creatively is to limit my supplies.

My favorite type of supply for creating simple designs is using a water soluble pen. Currently I am loving the Kaküno Fountain pen from Pilot’s Ensō Collection. The pen comes in a kit with one black and one pink pen with replaceable ink cartridges and two finely crafted nibs that are perfect for drawing illustration. Paired with a brush and water, these simple materials will go a long way in sketching and are perfect when you don't have the time or space to use paint.

A line on a page is just a line...

But when you add water you can dissolve that line and pull away pigment to use for shading.

I typically start with a line drawing. I use both light, airy lines while also incorporating bold lines throughout my sketch.

Then I use my brush to dissolve those lines. I pull pigment away and then use that pigment to shade, add contrast and bring my line drawing to life.

After a little practice it becomes an easy alternative for paint!

Using the Kaküno Fountain pen I start with a simple line drawing.

What I love about using the Kaküno Fountain pen is that it has the smoothest ink flow and you are able to get stroke variation by changing the pressure and the way you are holding the pen. I used the fine nib (.44mm) and it enabled me to achieve really delicate lines and details

Then I go back into the drawing with a brush and water.

I dissolve those lines with my brush in places where I want to add shading.

The more water you add, the lighter that pigment will become.

I like to work back and forth in layers, adding more lines to the top of my shading to darken up some areas.

Using a fountain pen for drawing is new for me but I’ve got to say that the Kaküno Fountain pen has quickly become a favorite supply for this process.  The result is a really dynamic drawing created with few supplies!

Right now, Pilot is offering 20% off Kaküno Fountain pens, as well as the entire Ensō Collection, when you use code 20ARTIST on Amazon.com.

Thank you to Pilot Pen for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.

keeping a nature journal

There are so many unique ways to seek adventure and experience nature. As much I love hiking, exploring and exercise, I've discovered there is something in me that yearns to be still and present in my surroundings.  As an artist, I know all to well how profound a sketching or journaling process can be when it is incorporated into the outdoors. From taking a walk to looking up at the sky to hiking a trail or going camping, I am constantly reminded of what a beautiful, miraculous and creative world we live in. While I love a good adventure, when I take take time to sit, listen, look around and put pen to paper, something magical happens- I am instantly connected in a deeper way to the world around me. Nature journaling had changed my perspective about color, space, pattern, texture and weather. Taking my creative process outside has inspired me to slow down and open my eyes to things that I would have overlooked.

Want to start your own nature journaling process?

Put together a small sketching kit that goes with you on those adventures and outings. A sketchbook, pen and a small set of watercolors is all you need.

Use outdoor activities for creative opportunities. From landscapes and scenery to leaves, flowers and weather, always be on the look out for things that catch your eye. Take a little break from those activities to to observe and record your surroundings.

Challenge yourself to go anywhere outside for one hour and sketch in that location. Try completing one or two pages. Have fun finding a new location every couple of weeks.

Forget about the pressure to create a masterpiece. Instead, record the weather, write down your thoughts and experiences, put colors that you observe onto that page, draw the shapes, pattern or texture that you see. Sometimes it’s  just the process of observation and creativity that inspires that connection to nature

kids markers- tips and tricks for adults

Here is the deal...I LOVE kid's markers, specifically Crayola Washable Markers (and no I was not paid to say this). Even in my days before before Lucy, I would grab kid's markers instead of spending lots of money on all those fancy markers. Today I thought I would share some of my favorite tips and tricks when using kid's markers for adult mixed media projects!

Any washable or water soluble markers will work with the things that I share but I really do have a special place in my heart for Crayola Markers. They remind me of coloring as a kid, they come in a really great variety of colors and they are a super affordable way to add color to drawings and mixed media projects. The best part of using kid's markers is that I don't feel guilty when I am hard on them or treat them bad! I am notorious for loosing, ruining and and using my supplies in crazy ways so spending $3.50 on a package of markers is perfect for me.

My three year old Lucy loves to color which means we always have markers around but I also like to keep my own stash on hand. I typically will purchase a few packages at a time and I set one set aside for coloring only and then I use another set for experiments, layering and blending.

Markers and colored and colored pencils are so easy to toss into your purse and head out to create on the go!

Kid's markers are great to use for adding color to doodles and drawings. While they may not come in the color options that fancy illustration markers come in, they still have really nice classic colors that will transform any line drawing into something vibrant!

You can also layer and blend with them which makes coloring WAY more interesting!

I like to start with a light color and then I go over the top with another color (typically in the same color family).

Then I grab the lighter color and go over the top of everything- the two colors will begin to blend together.

I repeat this process over and over again until my colors are blended to my satisfaction!

I like using this blending technique when I am coloring my designs. It is a great way to add depth and layers of color.

One of my favorite things about the Crayola Washable Markers is that they are water soluble which means they will wash out of clothing but they also can be used like watercolors!

Add water to the surface and you can dissolve that pigment and blend it or even paint with it!

I LOVE using this process to transform marker drawings into something that look a little more like watercolors by softening edges and blending the color.

Remember a while back when I shared how to make a watercolor pencil travel palette? Well the cool thing about washable markers is that you can do the same thing!

Simply fill a page with marker pigment. When you are ready to paint, you can pull out your sheet of paper, add water and use the pigment for painting.

TIP: I always use a water brush when I am painting on the go. Because you fill the handle with water, it cancels out the need for a jar of water!

You can toss these pages into your pencil pouch and paint on the go without the hassle of bringing lots of supplies!

Another cool thing you can do is actually wet your paper first and then use the markers to draw onto the wet paper- you get a pretty bleed very similar to a watercolor bloom.

I like to use this technique to create real loose, watery background that I draw on over the top of.

And last, one of my favorite ways to use those markers is when they begin to dry out! I remove the ink and drop it into a small jar of water overnight. The ink will seep into the water and you are left with a liquid watercolors! I add this to spray bottles and misters and use them in my mixed media backgrounds.

TIP: You can even add the ink to rubbing alcohol to create your homemade alcohol inks!

There you go! I hope I have convinced a few of you that kid's markers are GREAT supply for adults!

a peek inside my sketchbook

strathmore black artist tiles   sakura white gelly roll pen