Karen Campbell's weekly Blog.

Mixed Media Art Tutorial for Beginners: What Are Granulating Watercolors?

15/8/2022

In today's mixed media art tutorial for beginners, I'm introducing you to the world of granulating watercolors! I'll show you what the heck these even are, compare how they perform on three different kinds of watercolor paper, and will reveal how YOU can incorporate their magical effects into your own mixed media projects at home!

WANT 30 FUN Mixed Media Project Ideas with SIMPLE, tried, and true art supply combos that actually WORK WELL together? Click the button below to download my FREE Hot Dog Packet!

Each mixed media idea in The Hot Dog Packet reads like a recipe with ONLY 4 art supplies, so it's perfect for mixed media beginners!

Before we continue, super quick announcement: All product links are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I thank you for your support.

As a mixed media artist, I love ALL the art supplies! But over the last few years, I've really gotten intowatercolor (example below), painting with fountain pen inks (example above), and gouache. There are so many unique effects you can achieve as an artist with all of these products.

What Are Granulating Watercolors?

As far as watercolors go, I'm really drawn to the shades that granulate. Granulating watercolors are typically made from multiple pigments of color. As soon as your brush hits paper, granulating watercolors will begin to spread and separate into tiny granules of the individual pigments that were used to create that specific watercolor shade.

Here's a great example. Look closely at the image below. See the two pink and purple swatches by my finger?

The pink one is called Rose of Ultramarine and the one under my finger is Imperial Purple. Both are Daniel Smith granulating watercolors. If you look closely at each swatch, you don't just see a flat pink or purple. You can actually see tiny bits of purple in the pink swatch, and tiny bits of pink in the purple swatch. Cool, right?!

Visible Granulation
May Differ from Brand to Brand

If you're new to my world, I have been in LOVE with Daniel Smith watercolors for years. I have some students and close artsy friends who love Schmincke watercolors, so I picked up this Schmincke forest set of "SUPER" granulating watercolors to see how they compare to the effects I typically see from Daniel Smith granulating watercolors.

I squeezed a bit of each color into a fresh palette to get my test started. Make sure you watch the video so you can see this in action if you're new to watercolors. I'm using one of my favorite watercolor brushes by Polina Bright for today's demo. They're ALL I use now!

Below is a quick shot of an extremely granulating watercolor shade from Daniel Smith called Burnt Tiger's Eye (left). If I compare the visible granulation I see in that swatch with what I see from one of my new "SUPER Granulating" forest greens by Schmincke, I'm not seeing quite as much granulation from Schmincke as I'm used to from Daniel Smith. This isn't a bad thing- just a difference I'm observing today.

Changing Watercolor Paper
Changes the Effects of Granulating Watercolors

Never underestimate what a difference paper makes in your mixed media art projects. Paper is actually just as important as your paint and paintbrushes.

In the world of watercolor, there are three main kinds of paper: hot press, cold press and rough cut. To learn more about this- check out my recent video on the subject.

For our test today, I'll show you a quick swatch of the same Schmincke green on each of the three papers. Here's an example of how one of the greens looks on smooth, hot press watercolor paper by Fabriano. It's a bit hard to see in the photo and video, but in person, you can really see granules of black separating from green here.

The pic below is of the same shade on cold press (textured watercolor paper). Notice how tiny pools collect in the textured pockets of the paper? In some areas, little "rivers" start to form as the pigments begin to separate and get absorbed by the paper. Off to the right, you can also see bits of black separating and pooling in individual pockets of the paper. I love the way this texture changes everything!

Below, is how the same shade of granulating watercolor by Schmincke looks on rough-cut watercolor paper. This type of paper has even deeper pockets in the texture.

No one paper, watercolor shade, or brand is "better" than another here - today we're just noticing the strikingly different effects we can make depending on what supplies we adjust.

How Does Watercolor Granulation Medium Work?

After I compared watercolor papers, I decided to test how a shade of non-granulating watercolor might change after adding watercolor granulation medium by Winsor Newton.

I did get some really pretty effects from this, as you can see below. However, the tiny blooms and rivers that developed are all monochromatic. In a true granulating watercolor, you'll see multiple pigments of color begin to separate on your paper. Again, this isn't a "worse" option - just a difference in effects you can achieve.

How to Incorporate
Granulating Watercolors Into Your Own Art

Not sure how you can incorporate granulating watercolors into your own mixed media art projects?

Here's an example of how I used granulating watercolors to create a quick background for a face I colored in with copic markers and colored pencil.

Granulating watercolors are also awesome for moody skies and forests if you love to do landscapes. If you're new to my world, I'm OBSESSED with fairies and fantasy art. In fact, I have an entire art club over at Awesome Art School dedicated to this genre called The Celtic Collective.

I think granulating watercolors are AMAZING for fantasy art!

Make sure you click over to today's video to see how I used them to add colorful dimension into a simple set of dragonfly wings.

Soooo cute!

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

Wanna learn about ALL my favorite art supplies? Check out this playlist!

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How to Draw ELF EARS in PROFILE on a HOT Male Elf Warrior (#50FunFabFairies Drawing Challenge)

8/8/2022

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Wanna learn how to draw elf ears in a side profile drawing of a HOT male elf warrior? Heck yeah, ya do! In lesson seven of the #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge, you'll learn how to draw a male face in profile and just how EASY it is to turn him into an elf warrior.

Make sure you bring a blending stump to today's drawing tutorial. I've got TONS of pencil shading and blending tricks up my sleeve to help you shade pencil drawings more quickly & create COOL male fantasy art hair for your own characters!

Let's get this party started...

Want easy access to today's lesson and even MORE fairy drawing ideas? Join my FREE #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge over at Awesome Art School!

Simply click the button below to receive instant access to ALL the fairy reference images for each drawing prompt (including today's elf ears drawing reference!), plus info on supplies, cheatsheets, and more!

Wanna become a better artist? Do today's lesson (and every lesson of the challenge) five times, making a few creative alterations of your choice, and watch your skills soar as you practice fairy eyes drawing, fairy and elf ears drawing AND fairy hair drawing 50 different ways!

For today's drawing tutorial I'm working in my favorite 11x14" watercolor sketchbook by Strathmore. The cold press paper has a gorgeous texture to it. Cold press paper is perfect for watercolor and wet mixed media art projects. The texture is also excellent to draw on because it makes shading super easy!

To get us started on our male elf warrior drawing, we first need to sketch in our profile face drawing guidelines. If you know me- you know I'm a stickler for drawing in my guidelines EVERY time I draw a face. Guidelines aren't just for drawing realistic faces. Your whimsical drawings will have a more sophisticated look to them too, because the facial features will be more proportional.

If you're not sure how to do a side profile drawing, you can grab those face drawing guidelines from two of my books (How to Draw MORE Fun Fab Faces and How to Draw & Find Your Style). The book above was on my art table, so I'm using that one in today's lesson. If you've already got this book at home, turn to page 179 to follow along.

We're using a face drawing reference of Uhtred of Bebannburg (Alexander Dreymon) from The Last Kingdom because I love him and this show. Both the reference image (on the left) and my side profile drawing guidelines are in the FREE #50FunFabFairies Drawing Challenge classroom waiting for you over at Awesome Art School so you can draw along with me.

I love to start my side profile face drawings off by tracing a circle. Some people prefer to freehand this, but I figure why bother wasting time trying to recreate the perfect circle? Trace something and move on already. Am I right?!

After your circle is sketched in, it's time to mark where your eyes, nose, and mouth will sit. Make sure you click over to watch this while I do it because the placement of these lines is super important.

Not sure how to draw elf ears? Check out how EASY it is in today's step-by-step drawing tutorial. I promise you can totally do this!

As you can see in the pic above, I'm drawing with my favorite pencil. The graphite is super soft and feels similar to a 6B to work with. One Blackwing pencil will replace an entire pencil set because you can get so many different values from it while you're shading faces just by changing the pressure of your pencil as you draw.

Now before you judge my quick and dirty shading above, I already know if looks like a scribble scrabble mess at this point, but I promise you - when I start using my blending stump- it's gonna get magical.

Tons of students ask me how, or if I clean my blending stumps. The answer is I DON'T clean them ever, because "the dirtier, the better" is my rule as far as blending stumps go.

However, if you start blending and feel like you're kinda losing control or your drawing is getting too dark- you can absolutely switch to a cleaner blending stump to lighten things up. You can also knock some of the graphite back using an eraser. I love using my vanish eraser for this, but you can also use a kneaded eraser.

After I've blended in the first layer of shading throughout, I press my pencil down firmly to add some contrast wherever I see dramatic shadows and details in my face drawing reference image featuring the lovely Mr. Dreymon.

When you're ready to work on the hair, make sure you click over to watch this in action because I've got a lot of really cool tips to help you if you don't know how to draw male hair.

A great tool to try when you're drawing hairstyles is the Tombow Mono Zero eraser (pictured above). It's basically like a mechanical pencil, in eraser form. It's awesome for carving out highlights when you're shading faces too.

I hope you enjoyed today's free drawing tutorial on YouTube. If you're drawing along with me in this series, make sure you share a pic of your work in my Facebook Group with the hashtag #50FunFabFairies for a chance to win giveaway prizes on the 1st of the month :)

I can't wait to see what YOU create!

If you're OBSESSED with fairies and fantasy art like me, you might just LOVE the Celtic Collective over at Awesome Art School that I run with my Scottish bestie, Lucy Brydon. Add your name to the waitlist to be notified when it's open for enrollment.

You might ALSO enjoy our podcast 1Scot,1 Not. We talk about everything under the sun to do with Scotland - whether it's historical, fantasy, whatever. Just a quick warning - we have a blast and are totally ourselves on the podcast, which means there is some drinking and swearing.

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

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The BEST Mixed Media White Pencils, Paint Pens & Inks for Creating Dazzling Highlights!

1/8/2022

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No mixed media project of mine is complete without adding some dazzling white highlights. As a result, I've developed quite a collection of white pencils, paint pens, and inks over the years.

Today I'm pulling them ALL out to show you which ones I reach for most, and which ones are better off in the trash. Whether you're a mixed media beginner, or a seasoned artist curious about the BEST mixed media art supplies - today's video is for YOU!

Not sure WHEN to layer your white highlights, or feel like you're struggling with how to layer your mixed media art supplies so you create a MASTERPIECE instead of a hot mess?

You're in the right place! Download my FREE Hamburger System Cheatsheet and learn how to layer your supplies for mixed media success every time!

Once you've got your cheatsheet, check out my FREE YouTube series breaking down each layer of the Hamburger System in action!

Adding white highlights to my mixed media projects is one of my FAVORITE things to do when I'm creating. That's probably why I've collected just about every white art supply I can get my hands on!

To get this demo started, I've pulled eight of my favorite white pencils that are not water-soluble. I'm on the hunt for an opaque white that will really make the features in my mixed media drawings pop off the page.

Typically if I'm doing a mixed media drawing, I tend to reach for my white china markers because I'm creating something like this on tan toned paper...

I LOVE my white china marker, but have never actually tested it in a side-by-side product comparison like this, so it will be interesting to see how it performs.

Make sure you watch the video to see how each white pencil swatch compares. I was a little surprised by the results from my super soft, white Conte a Paris pastel pencil!

Next up, I tested all of the white mixed media art supplies that look like crayons or pastels. If you're familiar with my Hamburger System, you may already know how much I love using Faber Castell gelatos to shade my mixed media portraits over my acrylic paint layer.

I have tons of students who really love working with pastels, Neocolor Is (non-watersoluble) and Neocolor IIs (water-soluble) - so I included these in my white art supply product comparison as well.

To me, the brightness of the oil pastel really stands out when compared to the other supplies in this category. Watch the video to see what YOU think!

Since pastels work well on top of basically anything and don't require a sealer to stay in place, they could work perfectly for you at the end of a hamburger style project when you're ready to add highlights!

As far as white pens go, I really struggled to get anything substantial out of all the brands I tested. This comparison was a great reminder to me about WHY I typically avoid using white gel pens in my projects! From the uniball gelly roll pens and signos to a Recollections branded pen from Michaels - they all failed. I don't think any of them are worth your money. In fact, I threw a bunch of the ones I tested out while I was recording this video!

Pitt pens and paint pens by Sharpie (water-based) and Posca are ALL definitely worth it. I use my paint pens for highlights in everything from tone paper drawings to full-blown mixed media hamburger projects. Check out the video to see which one you think might be best for you.

When it comes to white ink product comparisons, I really love how both the copic opaque white and Dr. Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White look once dry. You almost can't tell them apart.

Copic opaque white comes in two different containers. One has a built-in applicator brush and works a lot like nail polish (- great for teeny tiny details). The other is a little jar that you simply dip a paintbrush into.

Dr. Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White is about half the price of a copic opaque white (jar), plus goes on easier with better coverage than the copic. I definitely recommend giving it a try.

I recently discovered the wonders of gouache and show you a swatch of an acrylic gouache as well. If you're interested in learning more about what gouache is, and all the different kinds out there on the market today, check out this recent video.

I hope this video helps you decide which white art supplies will work best for you! Thanks so much for hanging out with me today :)

Wanna learn about ALL my favorite art supplies? Check out this playlist!

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

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Gorgeous REALISTIC FAIRY Drawing Tutorial with Watercolor Flowers [Week Six of #50FunFabFaries Challenge]

25/7/2022

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Today's REALISTIC fairy drawing tutorial with watercolor flowers is lesson six of the #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge- featuring Awesome Art School guest teacher, Bryn Nguyen.

A master of the grid drawing method, Bryn will show you step by step how to use this technique to achieve a fairy portrait that looks EXACTLY like any fairy drawing reference image you select! You'll learn how to draw fairy ears in Bryn's whimsical style and how to add colorful, loose watercolor flowers to bring your fairy to life. Enjoy!!

Want easy access to this and even MORE fairy drawing ideas? Join our FREE #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge over at Awesome Art School!

Simply click the button below to receive instant access to ALL the fairy reference images for each drawing prompt (including today's!), plus info on supplies, cheatsheets and more!

I'm excited to introduce you to today's Awesome Art School guest teacher, Bryn Nguyen. Bryn is a very accomplished artist with a distinct style (below) that my students and I have been admiring in my Facebook Group for years!

Bryn and I have known each other online for years, but finally got to meet in person for the first time this summer, on my 2022 Scotland Castle Art Retreat at Wardhill Castle with Lucy Brydon!

To get us started, Bryn demos how to trace the key lines of a drawing reference image using a sheet of trace paper and a lightboard. This helps her achieve greater accuracy, and she finds the process therapeutic.

You may be wondering why we're tracing today instead of freehand drawing. The freehand drawing part is coming up! As you'll see in the video, this is a great way to zero in on the key features of a drawing reference photo, and removes the distraction of all the shadows and highlights.

I've been asked many times over the years if "tracing is cheating" when it comes to art. I believe tracing can be a very effective tool when it's used like it is today to create an original piece of art that's all your own.
Check out this video for more of my thoughts on that subject.

Once her face outline is complete, Bryn explains how to pencil in grid lines over a tracing. She loves to get super detailed at this point and creates 1/2" x 1/2" boxes for this process. Then she transfers what she sees (this is the freehand drawing part!), box by box onto another sheet filled with 1/2" squares.

If you'd like to learn Bryn's process in even greater detail without time-lapsed (sped up) video, Bryn is a guest teacher in The Fun Fab Drawing Club with me over at Awesome Art School in my Realistic Face Drawing classroom. Add your name to the waitlist here to get notified when the Fun Fab Drawing Club is open for enrollment.

Since Bryn plans to add loose watercolor flowers to her fairy drawing, she needs watercolor paper. Today she's using a sheet of 140 lb. cold press (textured) watercolor paper by Canson. Bryn enjoys working small, so cut a sheet of this paper in half for today's project.

Make sure you watch the video to see exactly how Bryn transfers a scaled down printout of her original drawing to watercolor paper using graphite transfer paper.

I LOVE using transfer paper as well when I'm doing watercolor portraits because this process really saves my paper.

If you do a freehand drawing from scratch directly onto your watercolor paper, you risk wrecking your paper from tons of erasing. Drawing from scratch on another sheet of paper first (even plain old printer paper!) and transfering your finished drawing to watercolor paper is totally the way to go.

As you'll see in the video, Bryn uses a kneaded eraser to lift some of the bold graphite lines from her watercolor paper once her transfer is complete. This is a great tip, because if you skip this step, your watercolors can smear the graphite and turn brown.

When Bryn's finished with erasing, she uses a purple Copic multiliner (in .5) to outline portions of her drawing. This fineliner is non watersoluble so it will stay put once watercolor is added. Notice how Bryn doesn't add fineliner to each and every line of her drawing, and sometimes only outlines a piece of each line. This technique really adds a sophisticated look to her artwork.

Once the ink is totally dry, you can erase any remaining pencil lines, and get ready to add watercolor! Bryn is using "The Classics" watercolor palette by Prima today for this project, but you can use any kind of watercolor you like. I typically use Daniel Smith watercolors, and have a wide variety of my favorite shades recommended for you in my Amazon shop if you need ideas.

If you need help starting a Daniel Smith watercolor collection of your own, check this video out to learn about Daniel Smith dot cards to inexpensively discover YOUR favorite shades, and this one to start your first Daniel Smith watercolor collection.

To create loose watercolor flowers on a tiny scale, Bryn uses a #3 round watercolor brush and adds abstract doodles of color in spikes and swirls to indicate flowers. Watch this process in the video because each moment has been recorderd step by step so you can paint along from home.

After the first layer of watercolor is dry, Bryn darkens portions of the flowers to add contrast, and adds bits of yellow green throughout to suggest foilage and leaves.

For the skin tones on her fairy's face, Bryn adds in layers of pink from her existing palette. Once these layers are dry, she adds a light layer of yellow green to indicate the darkest shadows.

I LOVE this look! Just make sure your original layers are FULLY dry before doing this at home, so your colors don't turn into brown.

Next, Bryn thickens a few of the lines from her original drawing using her copic multiliner (above), and draws in a few light embellishments throughout her watercolor flowers to tie things together.

To finish her fairy, Bryn adds a little watercolor splatter paint. I LOVE this effect too!! The key to getting this just right is having a really wet brush. Watch the video to see this technique in action, and paint along with Bryn in real time!

Thanks for hanging out with us today! We hope you have fun with lesson six of the FREE #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge!

If you're OBSESSED with fairies and fantasy art like Bryn and I are, you might just LOVE the Celtic Collective art club over at Awesome Art School.

Add your name to the waitlist to be notified next time we're open for enrollment, or when there's a club member cancellation so you can join in the fun with us!

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

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WHY You Need to Try FABER CASTELL WATERCOLOR MARKERS in Your Mixed Media Art Projects!

18/7/2022

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Today I'm unboxing a brand new set of Faber Castell watercolor markers! I've been in love with watercolor markers for my mixed media art projects for years, but only recently discovered Faber Castell makes a GIANT watercolor markers set filled with 30 colors!

Join me in my studio for a full Faber Castell watercolor markers review. We'll test these beauties against my favorite Winsor Newton watercolor markers, and compare their performance against mixed media artist brand favorites made by Ecoline and Tombow.

Got a new set of watercolor markers, colored pencils, pens or watercolors? It's SO important to SWATCH your new colors so you know what to expect when each color hits your page!

I've tried to make this process MORE FUN for you by creating a FREE Swatchsheet! Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox.

LOVE swatching, and can't get enough?! Check out the book I created with my Facebook Group called The Fun Fab Swatch Pad. This playful book will keep you swatching for days!

So WHY use watercolor markers in the first place? Control. It's a simple as that! Applying watercolors with a brush and water is a lot looser and can feel a bit dicier and unpredictable for tons of artists. Having the precision of a marker combined with the beautiful effects of watercolor is seriously magical!

I've been in LOVE with my Winsor Newton watercolor markers for years. They're a fine art product, so MUCH juicier, and more pigmented compared to other watersoluble markers on the market. They're also lightfast, which means the pigment is museum quality and the color in your mixed media art projects will stay beautiful FOREVER.

When I discovered this giant box of watercolor markers by Faber Castell, I immediately wondered how they would compare with my Winsor Newtons.

Because I've got mixed media beginners all the way to advanced students working with me over at Awesome Art School, I'm also going to test the Faber Castells against Ecoline Brush Pens and Tombow Dual Brush Pens as well because they're a little more budget friendly. Plus, LOTS of my students have at least a few watersoluble markers by one or both of these brands.

As far as a cost comparison for Faber Castell Watercolor Markers vs Winsor Newton Watercolor Markers, the Winsor Newtons are definitely more expensive, at around $6/marker - if you buy them individually. They do offer a few sets of 12 (check out my Amazon shop), but costs can vary up to $90/set!

The Faber Castell Watercolor Marker Set of 30 isn't cheap by any means, but you get 30 colors for less than $100 (current Amazon price is $94) - so you're getting a bigger bang for your buck!

As soon as I opened the Faber Castells, right away I noticed a skin tone watercolor marker! This got me SUPER excited, because I don't have one of these in my Winsor Newton Watercolor collection. I can't wait to play with that one for one of my mixed media faces!!

I also noticed I've got five gorgeous blues, five beautiful greens , and an awesome set of six grayscale shades to play with. I LOVE my Grayscale Tombow Dual Brush Pens set, so the Faber Castell version will be really fun to try out too.

The first thing I like to do when I'm comparing mixed media art supplies in any category is to see how juicy and vibrant the pigment is. How the colors look on my paper, and how much coverage I can get QUICKLY are both really important features to me.

All of them have decent coverage and the shades of blue I'm testing are all beautiful. But as soon as my Winsor Newton watercolor marker hits the page, I can immediately tell a difference. I felt a similar juiciness from the Faber Castell watercolor marker as well. Both beat out the Ecoline and Tombow brands here, hands down.

Before I tested the watersolubility factor on each of these brands, I decided to dry the page completely with my hair dryer to see how each brand activated with water when dry.

I used one of my favorite Polina Bright watercolor brushes to activate each line with water.

If you're new to Polina's watercolor brushes, you're in for a treat. They hold SO much water and are amazing. They are now the only watercolor brush I use. If you're interested in learning more about these, here is a recent product demo video and full Polina Bright watercolor brushes review.

If you'd like to pick up your own Polina Bright watercolor brush or set, Polina has offered a 10% discount to my followers, so be sure to use this link when you shop! If you do order anything here- just a quick fyi, Polina is located in Australia so shipping may take a bit more time, but I promise, it's well worth the wait!

If you're new to Polina Bright - her art is simply fantastic, so be sure to look her up to see the gorgeous faces she creates as well.

As you'll see in today's video, when I activated the Winsor Newton lines on my paper, I got such a rich effect. Plus, you'll notice I was able to fully disolve my original lines once I added water.

Both the Ecoline and Tombow activated beautifully too, but their original lines did NOT disolve as much as the Winsor & Newton and Faber-Castell lines. If this is a feature that's important to you, you might want to skip Ecolines and Tombows.

I also noticed a bit of granulation in the Faber Castells as well. Granulation is super common with watercolors becuase the pigment is typically made from minerals. This effect is something you won't see in a synthetic, dye based watercolor marker like Tombows or Ecoliners, and is something I LOVE about watercolors in general.

Here's what the brush nibs of each marker tested today look like side by side (above). I have to say they're all pretty comparable. Faber Castell has the widest nib (third from the left), while Winsor Newton's (far right) is both wide and long.

I felt the Winsor Newton nib was most flexible, and therefore felt most like a paint brush. The Faber Castell nib felt more like a felt tip or typical marker, and had zero flexibility.

When comparing the bullet nibs from each of the markers tested today, they're also quite comparable (below). I rarely use this side of my dual brush pens or markers, but if this is something you're curious about, here's what they look like (excluding the Ecoliner, because it doesn't come with a bullet nib).

I hope you found this info helpful. Make sure you click over to the video to see everything in action!

See ya back here next week with lesson six of my FREE #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge!

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

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FUN & EASY Fairy Drawing Tutorial IN SCOTLAND with Karen Campbell & Lucy Brydon [#50FunFabFairies]

8/7/2022

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Lucy Brydon and I had the BEST time filming this EASY fairy drawing tutorial in Scotland together! While our art retreat guests at Wardhill Castle had some free time, we snuck off to draw this adorable fairy couple, inspired by Pascal Moguerou.

All you need to draw along with us is a sheet of paper, a pencil and eraser. We hope you enjoy lesson 5 of the #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge as much as we enjoyed making it for you!

Never drawn a fairy before? No problem. You'll learn how to draw a fairy step by step in each lesson of the challenge. All you have to do is watch and draw along!

Wanna become a better artist? Do today's lesson (and every lesson of the challenge) five times, making a few creative alterations of your choice, and watch your skills soar as you practice fairy eyes drawing, fairy ears drawing AND fairy hair drawing 50 different ways!

Today, Lucy and I are drawing on cold press watercolor paper. If you haven't drawn on cold press paper before, it's got a lovely texture that actually makes blending for your shading SUPER easy!

We're keeping the rest of the supplies at bare minimum today with just a Blackwing pencil, mechanical pencil, blending stump and eraser. We did end up using my Tombow mono zero eraser, but you can totally do this project without it!

Our reference image today comes from the cover for Sketchbook by Pascal Moguerou (above). If you ever come across one of Pascal's books, we highly suggest you grab it because they are fantastic. At the moment this one's a bit pricey on Amazon, at $96. Check back later because you might find a better deal.

I love the look of Moguerou's style - especially in the branch these fairies are sitting on. It's got so much cute character! I decided to try using my non dominant hand (left) to replicate style of his scraggly tree branch and vines.

Lucy sketched in the girl fairy for us on the right side of our drawing using the Blackwing pencil. In case you haven't used a Blackwing before, it's so soft that the lines you draw with it can come out quite dark and thick. I love bold strokes like this, but if you have some finer detail to add to your drawing, you might prefer using a mechanical pencil.

The shading in our reference photo appears to come through the most in the fairy wings just at the tips and tops of the wings. It reminds me of how I often shade hair - leaving a swath in the middle as the white of the paper.

If you're not sure how to draw fairy wings, make sure to watch this video because Lucy did a beautiful job. She switched to a mechanical pencil for the fairy wings in this drawing because these lines are more delicate. It's just adorable.

The shading in this piece came together quickly with only a blending stump! Remember, the dirtier, the better with a blending stump! If you don't have one at home- simply use a q-tip, a kleenex over your pointy finger, or just your finger.

We did pull out my Tombow mono zero eraser to carve some highlights back into the shading where it got a little too dark.

If you've never tried this eraser before it's amazing at making highlights in your pencil drawings, and really not that expensive at ~$6 on Amazon. To cover larger areas with an eraser, I prefer my Vanish eraser.

For the man fairy that I drew, I mostly used my blackwing pencil and blending stump. His little belt is SO cute!!

During the filming of this fairy drawing tutorial we were outside and it started to drizzle (as it does in Scotland!), plus Lucy and I were seated closely with one another for filming, so we were working in a tight space.

If your hand drags through the graphite you've already drawn in - as mine did, don't sweat it. When you get to the end of your drawing, go back and erase out the areas you had intended to be white or whiter than they currently are.

Then sharpen your lines using a mechanical pencil.

I just love this pic above of our hands working together on the same cute drawing!! What a fun memory.

Press play on the lesson below to draw along with us in real time and see all the little tips and tricks we mentioned to you here, in action!

Plus... you'll get a sneak peek at the front door of Wardhill Castle in Scotland :)

If you're OBSESSED with fairies and fantasy art like Lucy and I are, you might just LOVE the Celtic Collective over at Awesome Art School. It's an art membership that we run together!

You might ALSO enjoy our podcast, 1Scot,1 Not. We talk about everything under the sun to do with Scotland - whether it's historical, fantasy, whatever. Just a quick warning - we have a blast and are totally ourselves on the podcast, which means there is some drinking and swearing.

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

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EASY Fairy Drawing in Alcohol Markers with Karen Campbell [Week 3 #50FunFabFaries Challenge]

14/6/2022

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Wanna create this EASY fairy drawing with me in alcohol markers? These are one of my FAVORITE art supplies to use when shading faces I draw. If you've never tried them before, stick with me - I'll guide you step by step in today's drawing tutorial as we continue with week three of the #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge!

To find ALL the info for the FREE #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge, simply click the button below to receive instant access to ALL the fairy reference images for each drawing prompt, plus info on supplies, cheatsheets and more!

Wanna become a better artist? Do today's lesson (and every lesson of the challenge) five times, making a few creative alterations of your choice, and watch your skills soar as you practice fairy eyes drawing, fairy ears drawing AND fairy hair drawing 50 different ways!

Just because we're switching up our supplies for week three of #50FunFabFairies, I don't want you to get distracted from the actual purpose of this fairy drawing challenge - which is increasing your drawing skills!

You're learning how to draw faces and where to look in reference images for face shading guidance so you know how to add depth to your drawings.

If all you have is a pencil and a piece of paper and you want to do this drawing challenge - that's perfect. You're good to go! All that matters is you draw.

If you're new to my world, my absolute favorite alcohol markers are copics, but they cost between $8-9/each, so when I teach my students how to use alcohol markers I use Ohuhus (especially for skin tones!) because they only cost $1/marker.

I was recently approached by a company called ArtBeek to try out their alcohol markers. I said I would because their cost per marker is only 40 cents and they have a brush nib on their markers -which is a must have for me. So today's project is not only our #50FunFabFairies drawing prompt number 3, it's a product test and review for ArtBeek Alcohol Brush Markers.

The fairy face drawing we're doing today is a side profile drawing in the three quarter view pose. While this is the most challenging view to draw - I think it's important for you to start practicing this right away so you don't feel intimidated.

I'm including cheatsheets on how to draw a three quarter portrait from my book How to Draw & Find Your Style in the #50FunFabFairies classroom for you over at AwesomeArtSchool.com.

I'm also referring to my book Skin Tone Secrets for a little help in locating the skin tone marker shades I want to use for this drawing. I love the rainbow vibe in our reference fairy drawing image. I see seeing a lot of yellow in the lightest areas, so immediately connected with this page from Skin Tone Secrets.

To get started, we need to sketch in the basic side profile drawing shape for a three quarter portrait AND the facial feature guidelines. If you know me - you know I NEVER draw a face without guidelines, because they're just too important!

If you're not sure how to draw fairy ears, I've got you! Simply watch the video, and I'll show you step by step.

Once I've penciled in a few swirly hair lines, it's time to get rid of our graphite as well as we can, because graphite and alcohol markers really don't mix. The brush nib of an alcohol marker can get dirty and pick up graphite super easily. This can drag all over your drawing and muddy things up, so make sure you take enough time to erase as much of the graphite as possible.

I use my vanish eraser for this. After the guidelines are gone, I actually pounce my eraser over the rest of my lines just to remove even more.

HOT TIP: If you're an outliner like me, and want to do those first, make sure you're NOT using a sharpie because these are also alcohol markers and they will naturally want to bleed and blend in with the other colors you're using.

Instead, opt for a fineliner that is water-based or pigmented, like this one from Molotow. These will NOT smear when you're working with Copics, Ohuhus, or the new markers I'm testing out today by ArtBeek.

HOT TIP: There are lots of fun swirlies in our fairy drawing image for jewelry, I love using a STENCIL to do this! It takes the pressure off trying to copy something exactly and looks SO precise in your drawing. I highly recommend you do this as well :)

Since I'm using a new to me set of alcohol markers, I do need to swatch them out prior to coloring today. As I do this, I'm loving the soft brush tip of the ArtBeek markers. There aren't a lot of skin tones (even in the large set of 120), but I do feel like they're even softer to work with than the Ohuhus, which kinda surprises me!

In the video, you'll really see how I look to my reference fairy drawing image to "inform" my face shading. If you're scared to change marker shades as you get into shading the face - that's ok. Just use the same shade you were working with for layer one and darken your drawing with a second coat of that same color to start creating subtle shadows (above). It's totally fine to do this in baby steps until you're comfortable.

Typically I recommend using three shades of a color to do face shading in alcohol markers. As you can see in the photo above, each time you add a layer of shading that is slightly darker than the one you did previously, leave that a bit of that previous color exposed to really add depth to your drawing. In the photo above, you can see all four skin tone marker shades I used in the shadow on her face, next to her ear.

The hair on this fairy is wild and SO much fun! I am in love with the rainbow and the fact that it gives me the opportunity to use so many colors from this fun new marker set by ArtBeek.

After my fairy is done, it's time for me to pull out my secret weapon for drawing killer eyelashes! I LOVE my pentel pocket brush. It's also water-based so works just as beautifully with alcohol markers as it does over china markers and my mixed media paintings!

I hope you enjoyed today's fairy drawing lesson. Remember, if you haven't signed up for the FREE #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge - you can still do that whenever you want to. It's not too late to join, and there is no "behind" with the challenge. Everything is draw at your own pace on your own time!

I've stocked the FREE classroom at AwesomeArtSchool.com for you with PDFs of our fairy reference images for each lesson, plus drawing cheatsheets to help you along, info on supplies and SO much more!

Have so much fun and I'll see ya in the classroom, or if you're posting your progress in the Facebook group!

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WHAT IS GOUACHE?! How to Use it in Mixed Media Art + Gouache Alternatives for Matte Finish Lovers!

8/6/2022

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What is GOUACHE anyway?! I get asked about the meaning of gouache all the time by my mixed media beginners. In today's mixed media art supply demo, I'll show you WHAT gouache is, explain WHY mixed media artists might want to use it, plus give you a demo of my favorite brands and gouache alternatives for EVERY budget.

If you've been searching for a gouache definition, info on gouache vs acrylic, gouache vs watercolor, or simply want to know about ALL the supplies - today's video is FOR YOU!

Are you new to mixed media art, or just wanna learn more about mixed media art supplies so you can create mixed media masterpieces instead of a hot mess?! You're in the RIGHT PLACE!

Simply click the button below to grab my FREE Supplies Guide!

Need a video of me explaining the Supplies Guide in Action, after you print it out? I've got you!!

Everything I know about gouache, I've learned from my Scottish bestie, artist, Lucy Brydon (top right - that's us just a few short weeks ago, moments before we opened the doors to Wardhill Castle for our 2022 Castle Art Retreat!).

Lucy is truly a gouache artist! She loves painting portraits, animals and doing goache flower painting in the backgrounds of her work. Take a look at this recent piece she did of her dog, Miso! Isn't this gorgeous?!

If you look closely at Lucy's piece above, you'll notice there's no sheen to her paint, and it's very opaque. You might even guess that the painting was done in acrylics, but it wasn't, it's gouache.

Time for a quick gouache definition... Gouache is a watercolor that is totally opaque, and very, very matte. Take a closer look at the red background on my gouache portrait painting on the left, or the blue hair and skin tones in my girl on the right. This is the look gouache can help you achieve in your mixed media art projects.

Lots of students wonder about gouache vs acrylic paint. If you like a matte look, and that's really all you're after, why not just paint with acrylics?

Gouache doesn't behave like acrylics. Because it's actually watercolor, it's highly water reactive, it will keep reacting when water is added. This is really important to understand, because if you're working in layers, whenever you add a new layer of gouache on top of a previous layer, you can easily reactivate your bottom layer. Lots of artists love playing with these effects, but in case that's not YOU, stay with me, because I've got gouache alternatives to share with you today!

Before I get to today's demo, there are two other things you need to know about gouache...

1. Gouache works beautifully on ANY surface from cheap watercolor paper to wood or canvas (yup, I've tried them all!)

2. You DON'T need a a special gouache brush to work with this medium. In fact, I use my cheapies, because gouache texture is a thicker consistency than watercolor, but not quite as thick as acrylics. Choose a brush that is kind of inbetween a soft watercolor brush and a stiff acrylic paint brush. I recently found this brush set on Amazon for $7, and they're perfect for gouache!

Let's get to the demo. First I'm swatching a square of of red guache by Turner Design. I found this brand at my local Jerry's Artarama for about $15/tube.

In general gouache can get expensive, so if you're chasing that gorgeous matte look, stay with me to see how you can achieve that from a number of cheaper gouache alternatives.

The next product I'm testing today is an acrylic gouache by Liquitex. Since this is an acrylic paint, it's NOT water reactive, which some artists prefer. If this is you, you might want to consider trying a bottle (also around $15/color).

If you're in the mood to play with a watercolor gouache and don't want to spend a ton of money, check out Himi gouache. These are super interesting gouache "jelly cups." I purchased a set of 50 shades, for about $50. This type of gouache is very thick in consistency.

In case you DON'T want water solubility, Golden just came out with a line of "flat" acrylics. They're pretty pricey at $20 for a tiny jar, but if you compare it to the other brands of gouache and gouache alternatives I tested today, it's amazing quality for a matte finish, and I can't see any of my brush strokes like I can in the rest of today's swatches.

Another great "cheat" you can try if you're after that look of a super matte finish, is mixing your acrylic paint with matte medium. Now, if you're in my world, you know I use matte medium ALL THE TIME in my mixed media art projects as a type of glue for my collage because it's got great adhesive properties and is made to work with acrylic paint (which I typically use OVER my collage layers).

I recently discovered this "ultra matte" version of matte medium by Liquitex, and decided to test this out today mixed with a little acrylic paint to see how it compares to our other options.

In terms of opacity for the variations I tested today, Golden's So Flat line is definitely a notch above the rest. I can't see a single brush stroke line, so if this is the look you're after, and you can pay around $20/tube for it- I highly suggest choosing this one.

The Mattise Matte Acrylic is a runner up for me in terms of opacity, but still fairly expensive at $15 - 20 /tube.

The least opaque variation I tested today were the Himi gouache cups. These are also the cheapest option, and we all know you kinda get what you pay for. However, if you just want to experiment with gouache and love lots of color options for $1-2 / color - gouache jelly paint is your best bet.

If you're looking for a higher quality gouache, pretty much all the higher fine art brands carry them.I love this one (not tested today, but I often use this Winsor Newton Permanent White Gouache to add highlights on top of my watercolor pieces).

If opacity is what you're after, and you don't care about activating your matte layer with water, I highly suggest you consider one of the gouache alternatives I tested today - either the Liquitex acrylic gouache or Matisse Matte acylic. I think you'll be super happy with those!

Or, for even LESS of an investment, you can pick up a bottle of Liquitex Ultra Matte Medium for around $22. It will last you forever, and you can experiment with adding it any shade of acrylic paint or craft paint you already have on hand!

Make sure you click over to the video to see each of these gouache and acrylic alternative options side by side to see which one YOU might love most!

Do you LOVE fairies and fantasy art? I'm currently running a FREE drawing challenge called #50FunFabFairies over on my YouTube drawing channel.

Literally thousands of other artists - from beginners to advanced, are playing along. I set up a FREE classroom for the participants over at Awesome Art School. Come join in the fun!!

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

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The BEST Mixed Media Paper for Your Art Projects!

3/6/2022

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Mixed media paper is something I get asked about ALL THE TIME by my students! As mixed media artists, we need super strong paper that isn't gonna buckle no matter how many wet, messy mixed media art supplies we throw at it. If you're a mixed media beginner or a seasoned artist looking for answers that won't break the bank, today's video is for you!

Mixed media art supplies can get overwhelming FAST because there are so many to choose from. I've created a FREE 9-page Supplies Guide to explain which mixed media art supplies I love most AND how they perform so you know what to expect right from the start.

Simply click the button below, and I'll send it right over.

Once you understand your supplies a bit better, mixed media art will become SO much more FUN! If you need help with layering check out my signature Hamburger System. When you're in the mood to work with fewer supplies, check out the Hot Dog System!

When it comes to mixed media projects you want to complete on paper, my advice is to simply use watercolor paper EVERY time.

Are you surprised by my answer?!

People usually are. I know there are a zillion papers sold by amazing brands labeled "Mixed Media Paper," but trust me. I've tried them all, and nothing holds water soluble products, watercolors, fountain pen inks, acrylic paints, mod podge, and even collage- like watercolor paper!

Take a look...

See the vintage postcard collage materials above? I glued these all down with matte medium in my Strathmore Watercolor Journal, and did a full on, 7 layer mixed media project on top of it - "Hamburger Style" (see below). This page was FULL of matte medium, gesso, mod podge and acrylic paint!

If you're new to me and my work, I do mixed media art projects on anything and everything. Typically if I'm not working on canvas, I'll do projects in my Strathmore Watercolor Art Journal (above), or on loose sheets of watercolor paper.

To keep things simple, I'm teaching you about 3 main kinds of watercolor paper today:

Hot Press (super smooth like Bristol - it can't handle quite as much water as cold press or rough watercolor paper)

Cold Press (textured paper - holds MORE water than hot press watercolor paper)

Rough Cut (just like it sounds - very textured, chunky, often with untrimmed or torn looking edges). This watercolor paper is SO absorbant, it's almost like a sponge.

While rough cut watercolor paper can be super fun, keep in mind, your watercolors aren't going to work exactly the same as they would on cold or hot press paper. It's just different. Here's one of my rough cut watercolor art journals:

What about cost? You'll notice when you visit your favorite craft store that there's super cheap watercolor paper and crazy expensive watercolor paper.

What's the difference?!

When it comes to the cost of watercolor paper, the biggest factor connected with expensive watercolor paper is the percentage of cotton used to create the paper. The higher the percentage, the higher the price.

Arches is one of the most expensive watercolor papers because it's made up of 100% pure cotton. You can find the cotton percentage of paper on the cover (yellow arrow above). This type of paper typically comes in "blocks," so the paper stays nice and firm, and does not buckle.

If you find a watercolor paper without the cotton percentage noted, you're likely in the right place, and your cost will be significantly cheaper. I love using Canson watercolor paper for doing practice work. It's much more reasonable than Arches.

The second cost factor to watch for when you're buying watercolor paper for mixed media projects is the paper's weight.

At a minimum, I recommend using 140lb. paper, especially if you're doing mixed media work on top and not just watercoloring. Don't use the 90lb. paper because it's just not gonna hold up.

The watercolor paper I typically use now is by Fabriano. It's 25% cotton (and 75% cheaper than the Arches brand!), plus it comes in either hot press (smooth) or cold press (textured). This is a very high quality paper. You can work on this and it will be museum quality, is great if you want to sell or gift your work.

HOT TIP: You DON'T have to put gesso on top of watercolor paper to prime it for acrylic paints - just start painting!

Gesso is well-known in the world of mixed media art as a primer for acrylics, but when you're working on watercolor paper for mixed media projects, it's not needed, so save your money and skip the gesso!

I hope you found this info helpful! Be sure to click over to the video, so you know what to look for next time you head to the craft store on the hunt for mixed media paper for your own masterpieces!

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

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EASY Fairy Drawing in Watercolor Pencil with Karen Campbell [Week 2 #50FunFabFaries Challenge]

31/5/2022

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Wanna create this EASY fairy drawing with me? If you've never worked with watercolor pencils, you're in for a treat! Adding a touch of water to the lines you draw will create magical face shading and turn your beautiful fairy drawing into a painting!

Never drawn a face before? This fairy drawing tutorial is EASY enough for beginners! Don't have a watercolor pencil? No problem! I'll show you a variety of common water soluble pens, pencils and markers you may already have lying around at home!

Click the button below to join me in my FREE 10-lesson, 20-week fairy drawing challenge for artists of ALL levels. The amazing classroom I have waiting for you at Awesome Art School includes expanded information and resources with full-length fairy drawing lessons not available on YouTube!

Wanna become a better artist? Do today's lesson (and every lesson of the challenge) five times, making a few creative alterations of your choice, and watch your skills soar as you practice fairy eyes drawing, fairy ears drawing AND fairy hair drawing 50 different ways!

Before we get into today's project, I want to reiterate how FEW art supplies are needed to participate in the #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge (and in basically any tutorial I share)!

Starting with paper, I basically only ever work on three types of paper: white cardstock (or Bristol if you prefer - I just love the Hammermill cardstock because it's cheaper and feels the same as Bristol to me!), tan toned paper (or grey- whatever floats your boat!), and watercolor paper (or a watercolor journal).

Why watercolor paper for my YouTube drawing channel? Because I LOVE drawing with water soluble pens, pencils and markers!

In case you're new to my world, or the term water soluble... if something is water soluble, it simply means it "melts" when you add water to it. Stay with me for the demo I'm about to share so you can see this in action!

Today I'm working with a water soluble pencil (Derwent watercolor pencil) for week two of the #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge.

To get started, especially if you're just learning how to draw faces, I recommend using a plain old pencil so you can erase whenever you want. In the interest of time, I'm diving right in on my hot press watercolor paper (that means the paper has a smooth texture), with my watercolor pencil and hoping for the best, LOL!

Even though I'm drawing with watercolor pencil and I can't erase, my face drawing guielines are my go to for step one, no matter what kind of face I'm drawing. Even if you've never drawn a face before, you can TOTALLY participate in this fairy drawing challenge because everything is step by step and the FREE #50FunFabFairies classroom over at Awesome Art School is stacked with cheatsheets and resources to help you along!

Once you've got your fairy face outlined, it's time to think about face shading. If you're new to my world, and don't know how to shade a face, I've got a cheatsheet for that too, so don't sweat it!

Looking at a face drawing reference for shading guidance can be intimidating for beginners just learning how to draw. This is why my face shading guide is so helpful! It cuts down on the "visual clutter" in a reference image so all your brain just needs to focus on is choosing a face shading pattern from my cheatsheet, and copying the pattern you've selected onto your own paper.

When I'm shading a face, I'm not using much pressure at all to start, (especially if I'm using a water soluble pencil), because as you'll see - the shading will REALLY pop and darken, as soon as I add water.

After you've finished shading your fairy face, it's time to add a little water. You can either use a water brush, or a watercolor brush. It's totally up to you!

When I'm traveling, I tend to bring a water brush because it's simple to pack and carry on the go. When I'm at home in my studio, I prefer to use my favorite watercolor brushes by Polina Bright. If you haven't tried these before- they're stunning, and now the only thing I use. (Side note: If you want to order one for yourself, Polina has extended a special discount code to my followers! Just enter my name in all caps KARENCAMPBELL at checkout on her website to receive 10% off your order).

If you've never activated watercolor pencils or a water soluble marker before, be aware that the more water you use, the more your drawn lines will run.

I prefer using a "damp" brush, because then wherever I add water, the effects won't be so shocking.

I typically get my brush super wet and tap it on a paper towel so it's just damp. Then I run my damp brush along the lines I want to smear and run in my drawing.

HOT TIP! Did you add a shadow where there shouldn't be one? Simply blot that spot right away with a paper towel to lift the color.

Be sure to watch the video to see this trick in action!

Once I've activated my watercolor pencil lines the way I want them, I use a hair dryer to make sure my paper is completely dry, so I can add a second layer of watercolor pencil to intensify the face shading.

See how the features pop even more once I add that second layer of pencil on top of the activated layer? I LOVE how that looks!

I'm purposefully not activating my second layer of watercolor pencil, because I love that contrast between the activated and non activated layers. In my second layer of shading, I darken the lines that feel most important in my drawing to add greater depth.

When I'm happy with my second layer of shading, it's time to glam this fairy up by drawing eyelashes with my secret weapon, the pentel pocket brush!

Once I've carried some soft black lines throughout my fairy with the pentel pocket brush to tie the drawing together, it's time to add her headpiece.

Click over to the video to see this in action. And by all means, PLEASE join me in this FREE fairy drawing challenge! We are having a blast sharing and commenting on each other's fairies over in the Facebook group.

Make sure you join us over at Awesome Art School for the full blow FREE classroom with all the reference images, full length drawing lessons and more to help you enjoy the #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge to the fullest!

If you're OBSESSED with fairies and fantasy art like me, you might just LOVE the Celtic Collective over at Awesome Art School. It's an art membership my Scottish bestie, Lucy Brydon, and I run together!

You might ALSO enjoy our podcast, 1Scot,1 Not. We talk about everything under the sun to do with Scotland - whether it's historical, fantasy, whatever. Just a quick warning - we have a blast and are totally ourselves on the podcast, which means there is some drinking and swearing.

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

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Mixed Media Art Tutorial for Beginners: What Are Granulating Watercolors?

What Are Granulating Watercolors?

Visible Granulation
May Differ from Brand to Brand

Changing Watercolor Paper
Changes the Effects of Granulating Watercolors

How Does Watercolor Granulation Medium Work?

How to Incorporate
Granulating Watercolors Into Your Own Art

How to Draw ELF EARS in PROFILE on a HOT Male Elf Warrior (#50FunFabFairies Drawing Challenge)

The BEST Mixed Media White Pencils, Paint Pens & Inks for Creating Dazzling Highlights!

Gorgeous REALISTIC FAIRY Drawing Tutorial with Watercolor Flowers [Week Six of #50FunFabFaries Challenge]

WHY You Need to Try FABER CASTELL WATERCOLOR MARKERS in Your Mixed Media Art Projects!

FUN & EASY Fairy Drawing Tutorial IN SCOTLAND with Karen Campbell & Lucy Brydon [#50FunFabFairies]

EASY Fairy Drawing in Alcohol Markers with Karen Campbell [Week 3 #50FunFabFaries Challenge]

WHAT IS GOUACHE?! How to Use it in Mixed Media Art + Gouache Alternatives for Matte Finish Lovers!

The BEST Mixed Media Paper for Your Art Projects!

EASY Fairy Drawing in Watercolor Pencil with Karen Campbell [Week 2 #50FunFabFaries Challenge]

Karen Campbell

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blog

​What Are Granulating Watercolors?

Visible ​Granulation ​May Differ from Brand to Brand

Changing Watercolor Paper Changes the Effects of Granulating Watercolors

​How Does Watercolor Granulation Medium Work?

​How to Incorporate Granulating Watercolors Into Your Own Art​

Karen Campbell

Archives

Categories

What Fans Are Saying

Contact Us

What Are Granulating Watercolors?

Visible Granulation
May Differ from Brand to Brand

Changing Watercolor Paper
Changes the Effects of Granulating Watercolors

How Does Watercolor Granulation Medium Work?

How to Incorporate
Granulating Watercolors Into Your Own Art