Karen Campbell's weekly Blog.

I was given a glass dip pen and OMG I wish I had known?!

31/1/2023

I feel absolutely horrible...

One of my students, Stephne Nash, sent me a gorgeous glass dip pen last summer and I haven't even had time to play with it until now. First of all, THANK YOU STEPHANIE for the extremely thoughtful gift! Today's video is for YOU and ALL the fountain pen ink lovers out there!

If you're new to my world, I'm OBSESSED with fountain pen ink, have a zillion colors, and use them exactly like watercolors!

That's right, I create fountain pen ink paintings!! If you didn't know this was a thing, and love watercolor, this whole concept might just blow your mind!! If that's you, check out this Fountain Pen Ink Painting playlist to see how I do this, get tips on how I store my inks in vintage perfume bottles, plus even do a fountain pen ink painting tutorial right along with me!

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.

How to Use a Glass Dip Pen

Truth be told, I've NEVER worked with a glass dip pen before today. I KNOW!! This is another reason I felt it was important to do a video on the subject.

Whenever I'm learning something new, I LOVE to share it in case it inspires you to get creative or try something new too!

The glass dip pen I'm working with today is by Luxiv. Right out of the gate, I'm in love because not only is the pen itself gorgeous, there's a magical unicorn on the box!! It's like a sign :)

I've planned to play with my new dip pen on a sheet of Fabriano hot press watercolor paper (smooth, without texture) because I already know my non-glass dip pens work best on smooth paper like bristol.

As soon as I dip my pen into the ink and get going, I see the whole process is SUPER SIMPLE (yay for us!!). All you have to do is dip the tip of the pen into your ink, give it a tap on the side of your ink bottle to tap off the drips, and then just go to town.

As you can see in the pic above, this particular glass dip pen has all these swirlies that extend up and around from the tip. These are what hold the ink, and you're supposed to kinda turn the pen as you use it to empty out all the ink from each dip.

You've gotta see the demo today, because I was seriously shocked at HOW WELL this dip pen both held the ink from one dip, and HOW LONG it lasted!! I wrote and doodled all over a single sheet of paper from just one dip into my fountain pen ink!

Drawing with Fountain Pen Ink

After I discovered how much fun it was to write and doodle with my glass dip pen, I decided to pull out a fresh sheet of hot press watercolor paper to just play!!

I've got a new apothecary lesson I'm working on for the Celtic Collective (my fantasy art membership with Lucy Brydon over at Awesome Art School). Since I have glass bottles on my mind, I decided to doodle a few onto my page using my glass dip pen and some permanent, black ink.

After I covered the page in fun bottles, I pulled out my Polina Bright watercolor brush (the ONLY watercolor brushes I use now - learn more about why in this video; grab one for yourself and get 10% off here), and a few of my favorite fountain pen ink shades to paint liquid into each bottle illustration: Meadow by Diamine (green), Noodler's Ink Blue, Noodler's Ink Atlantic Salmon (pink), Noodler's Ink Saguaro Wine (dark pink), Noodler's Ink Purple Martin.

I seriously had SO much fun just playing today. I hope you will give this a try at home. I think you'll just love it!

Wanna TAKE AN ONLINE ART CLASS
About Fountain Pen Ink Painting?

I thought you'd never ask :)

Check out the Mixed Media Society with me over at Awesome Art School! I've got an entire classroom dedicated to fountain pen ink painting with SUPER FUN projects ready and waiting for you to create!

In the Mixed Media Society, you'll also learn about a TON of other mixed media art supplies and more importantly HOW TO USE THEM to create mixed media masterpieces you can be proud of!

We're having a blast and would love you to join us... but don't take my word for it :) Check out this beautiful piece by one of my amazing students...

Wanna Stay in the Loop?

And get notified EVERY TIME I publish a new video on YouTube? Join my Email Newsletter!

As my way of saying thanks - grab a copy of my FREE Fun Fab Swatch Sheet or my Whimsical Face Drawing Guidelines!

Need More Resources?

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my online art classes @ Awesome Art School
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON (affiliate links)
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP

Thanks for hanging out with me today!!

6 Comments

My Honest Review of Hippie Crafter Paint Pens

24/1/2023

1 Comment

I LOVE paint pens and use them ALL THE TIME in my mixed media art! So, naturally, I was thrilled when Hippie Crafter reached out to me to review their set of 25.

I'm always up for trying new art supplies so you don't have to, AND so I can continually recommend art supplies with the best value to my students. Press play to see what I think about Hippie Crafter paint pens, or just keep on scrollin'!

Hippie Craft Paint Pens Set of 25 Cost

Right off the bat, I'm in love with the packaging (SO FUN!!), and love the colors included in this set. Each paint pen comes individually wrapped, with a replaceable nib attached. Additionally, Hippie Crafter included a little package of replacement nibs, plus chisel nibs if you're in the mood to switch things up.

The barrels on these pens are a bit basic in my opinion, but when you're only paying around $1/ marker, who cares?!

Never Used Paint Markers Before?

Or unsure how to activate paint markers? No problem. Watch the video to see this process in action. It's really simple and my recommendations are the same no matter which brand of paint pens you're working with.

First of all, you need to get the acrylic ink flowing inside the marker itself before it will come out onto your paper. Shake the paint pen, then depress the nib onto a piece of scratch paper till you start getting little blobs of color out. Alternate between shaking the pen and depressing the nib until you can get a full stream of color you're able to draw with. Easy, right?!

What to Look for in Quality Paint Pens

As a mixed media artist, I typically use paint pens for highlights and outlining. Therefore, the opacity of the acrylic ink inside each pen is super important to me. It has to be able to show up boldly on top of my previous layers.

The very first green I tested from the Hippie Crafter set was pretty translucent (see above left), but as I started testing more of the other markers, the opacity was pretty good overall.

Compared to Posca Pens, Hippie Crafters are definitely not as opaque in terms of coverage. However, they're also like half the cost. So this comes down to a personal preference in terms of what is most important to you. Cost or coverage?

White Paint Markers for Mixed Media Artists

As a mixed media artist, white is kinda everything when it comes to paint markers. It's the color I use most often when I reach for my paint pens near the end of a project for highlights (see eye shine line extending from the pupils below).

Because of that, the opacity of white paint markers is super important to me. I need my white layer of highlights to be able to boldly sit on top of whatever art supply I previously created with - whether that's collage, acrylic paint, watercolor, alcohol markers, pencil, you name it!

Since white paint markers are so important to me, I'm always trying new ones to be sure I can continually recommend the best products to my students.

Check out this recent video if you want to know My FAVORITE Mixed Media White Pencils, Paint Pens & Inks for Creating Dazzling Highlights.

Final Thoughts on Hippie Crafter Paint Pens

I really love the Hippie Crafter set of 25 paint pens for beginners, kids, or anyone who wants all the colors and doesn't wanna break the bank!

But I told you I'd be honest.

I've got two drawbacks with this set. The first is the opacity and quality of the white pen. White is the most important color to me when it comes to paint markers.

That being said, you can totally buy this set and supplement it with a higher-quality white paint pen by Posca, since white is a shade available for sale individually or in sets of 3 with varying nib sizes (highly recommend!).

The second drawback on the Hippie Crafter set is how they feel on my paper. The nibs feel a bit scratchy and rugged overall. I felt like it was harder to get a fine line from them.

I hope you found this review helpful! Happy art-ing!!

Wanna Create Today's Project at Home?

If you need a simple art project for kids, or if you've got a little swatching of your own to do, you might want to try the little mixed media fish painting shown in today's video. I simply dropped blobs of watercolor in various sizes onto a sheet of watercolor paper (during last week's Mei Liang Watercolor Set Review video), and today added paint pen doodles on top to create cute little fish!

**Ready to REALLY Get Creative with Me?**

Check out the Mixed Media Society with me over at Awesome Art School! You'll learn even more about the myriad of art supplies on the market and more importantly HOW TO USE THEM to create mixed media masterpieces you can be proud of! We're having a blast and would love you to join us!!

LOVE Product Reviews?

And art supply demos? ME TOO!!! Binge this next! You'll find my two cents on everything from alcohol markers to gelatos, watercolors, paint brushes, sealers and SOOOO much more!

Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Need More Resources?

1 Comment

Alcohol Marker Face Shading Tips for Scaredy-Cats

17/1/2023

0 Comments

I recently recieved an awesome question from one of my Wonder Bundlers (member of ALL THREE art memberships) at Awesome Art School.

Her question to me was:
Can you shade a face with just ONE alcohol marker?

The short answer is YES. But... I've got a few tips for you to make this technique work EVEN BETTER for you! Watch today's video to see exactly what I mean :)

New to shading faces? Click the button below to grab my FREE Face Shading Guide! It will TOTALLY help you take your drawings to the next level, no matter what art supply you're using.

This cheatsheet shows you 6 EASY shading patterns you can copy onto your own forward-facing face drawings to make them look more realistic.

My FREE Face Shading Guide is a page directly from my very first book, How to Draw Fun Fab Faces.

Another great reference used in today's video is one of my latest art books, Skin Tone Secrets.

This book is SUPER helpful for learning how to shade semi-realistic faces with alcohol markers. It takes ALL the guesswork out of choosing which markers go well together to create beautiful skin tones, and will have you creating gorgeous faces you can be proud of in NO TIME!

What Paper is Best for Alcohol Marker Drawings?

If you're new to alcohol markers, using the right paper for your drawing projects is SUPER IMPORTANT.

HOT TIP: NEVER shade with alcohol markers on a super-absorbent surface like watercolor paper. It will totally wreck your markers! Always use bristol or something like my favorite card stock, which is a cheaper bristol alternative.

Which Skin Tone Markers Are Best for Shading Faces?

For today's dark skin tone face drawing demo, I'm using Ohuhu alcohol marker YR148 / Thin Persimmon.

If you don't have alcohol markers and want to shade the faces you draw, I recommend the Ohuhu Alcohol Markers Set of 24 or 36, it's excellent quality and super affordable!

How to Blend Alcohol Marker Streaking

Here's what my drawing looked like when I tried to shade it as I normally would, except that I only used one marker.

See how you can see EVEY streak and stroke, especially in the lightest areas? This is tough to combat if we limit ourselves to one marker.

Click over to the video to see how the Ohuhu colorless blender worked to blend the streakiness above.

For comparison's sake, I also shaded a light-skinned face. Instead of using the colorless blender, I tried blending the streaks by using a marker one shade LIGHTER than the one I originally used.

I feel like this alcohol marker blending technique worked WAY BETTER than the colorless blender (by the way- today's demo is a great example of why I NEVER use the colorless blender to blend my alcohol marker shading).

If you're NEW to shading faces with alcohol markers or a scaredy-pants about shading, here's what I recommend... USE TWO MARKERS.

1. Shade the face two complete times - once horizontally in one color and once vertically in ONE SHADE LIGHTER (this lighter marker is your "blending friend" and will help eliminate streaks).

2. Add shadows to your drawing using marker #1 to show depth.

This alcohol marker blending technique will give you a smooth and super subtle look...

❤️Watch today's video to see these alcohol marker tips in action!

❤️Ready to dive into shading faces with 3-4 alcohol markers per face? Check out my book,Skin Tone Secrets.

❤️WANT MORE alcohol marker shading tips? Check out this playlist!

Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Need More Resources?

0 Comments

My HONEST Opinion of the MeiLiang Watercolor Paint Set of 48

10/1/2023

2 Comments

Today on my mixed media YouTube channel, I'm testing out a new watercolor set by MeiLiang. If you're new to the brand, MeiLiang is a sister company of Paul Rubens, a very well-established and respected fine art brand.

I'm excited to try these out and show you what I think! Join me for the full MeiLiang watercolor review and demo on YouTube, or scroll on down to learn more.

MeiLiang Watercolor Set of 48 Cost

The MeilLiang watercolor paint set of 48 vivid colors will run you just under $30 on Amazon if you'd like to try it. To me, that's an AWESOME VALUE, because it costs me the exact same amount to get ONLY TWO shades of Daniel Smith watercolor tubes!!

What's Included by MeiLiang in the Set of 48?

Inside this set, you'll find a really cool acetate sampler of all the shades included (which is actually its own teensy travel palette in case you didn't know)!

They've also included a really nice swatch card (below) for you to use with a label pre-printed for each shade so you can swatch the set on your own as well. Super helpful!!

MeiLiang also threw a water brush in with this set of 48 colors, which is super nice if you don't already have one.

Typically I only use Pentel water brushes because I'm super picky, but I did test the MeiLiang water brush pen out. Click over to watch the video so you can see what I think.

Never Used a Waterbrush Before?

No problem. There's a first time for everything. Click over to the video because I've got a little waterbrush demo for you in real time (no timelapse, starting at 2:04). I show you exactly how to fill a water brush with water, and how to use it. You'll also see a quick comparison of the MeiLiang waterbrush vs. my favorite Pentel water brush pen.

Why it's SO Important to Swatch Watercolors

If you've been following me for a while, you KNOW what a huge fan of swatching I am. It's super important to do whenever you get a new art supply with multiple colors - whether it's watercolors, markers, you name it.

I've been burned way too many times in the past and learned the hard way that color names, marker caps, or what a watercolor shade looks like in the pan are MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, nothing like what you will get on actual paper! Case in point...

The color called "Flash Red" in this set doesn't look red at all to me! It's more of a gray-purple, kind of like lunar violet by Daniel Smith.

If I had been doing a painting and wanted to add red, dipped into Flash Red, and put it on my paper, I would've been really upset because this is totally purple.

Swatching BEFORE you paint, will prevent this from happening to you. Trust me, your future self will thank you!

How gorgeous is that watercolor brush in the pic above? It's my absolute favorite watercolor brush by Polina Bright. Here's more about WHY I love Polina Bright watercolor brushes and work with them exclusively now. Wanna get one too? Use this link to take 10% off (thanks Polina!!).

Final Thoughts

The bang for your buck in this MeiLiang watercolor set is seriously undeniable. To get 48 gorgeous colors for less than $30 is totally worth it.

I feel like the colors in this palette are bright, cheery, and remind me of summertime! There's also a really nice sampling of shades from each color family, which I really like. MeiLiang wasn't stingy on the neutrals they included. I feel like the entire rainbow is well represented in this palette, AND you get a BONUS row of metallics on the bottom row! So fun!!

I highly recommend MeiLiang's set of 48 watercolors. It's the perfect palette - especially for beginners who want to play with a LOT of colors but not invest a million dollars into their first watercolor set!

**Ready to REALLY Get Creative with Me?**

Need MORE Art Supply Reviews?

Binge this playlist! You'll find my opinions and demos of everything from gelatos to pencils, markers, paint brushes, art books by other people and SO MUCH MORE!!

Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Need More Resources?

Thanks for hanging out with me today!!

2 Comments

How to STOP Fineliners From Smearing Once & For All!!

14/12/2022

0 Comments

I LOVE outlining my drawings in fineliners, but I HATE it when my outline starts to bleed into the shading I add with alcohol markers or watercolor.

Wanna learn WHY this happens and how YOU CAN PREVENT it from happening ever again? Join me in the studio for today's video!

Got a new set of fineliners or markers you need to swatch? I used to think swatching was boring and a big waste of time, but TRUST ME, your future drawings will thank you because marker caps and color names can be deceiving!!

To make swatching MORE FUN I've created a FREE Fun Fab Swatch Sheet for you to print out at home! Simply click the button below and I'll send it straight to your inbox.

Back to today's demo...

I don't know about you, but I've got about a zillion different black fineliners, fineliner pens, fineliner markers and fineliner sets I could choose from when it comes to outlining the faces and figures I love drawing!

How do you know which one to grab, when?!

I decided to show you 25 of them on both watercolor and bristol paper. After I give the ink a second to dry on both papers, I'll add some watercolor marker to the watercolor paper, and alcohol marker to the bristol paper to see which fineliners smear.

The results are more than a little surprising!!

Click over to the video to see which black fineliners you might want to add to your collection and WHY so you can prevent smearing once and for all.

LOVE alcohol marker art or WANNA LEARN how to draw and shade gorgeous faces in all ethnicities using alcohol markers? Check out my recent book, Skin Tone Marker Secrets on Amazon.

In this book I share ALL my best tips for shading faces in alcohol markers and tell you EXACTLY which skin tone marker combos go well together to create flawless skin tones EVERY TIME!

It's SO fun and easy - once someone shows ya how!!

My absolute FAVORITE black fineliner set to use while working with alcohol markers is by Molotow:

NEED MORE alcohol marker drawing videos to get your creative juices flowing? Check out this playlist and draw along with me!

Thanks for hanging out with me today!!

0 Comments

Art Studio Makeover 2023 + EASY Art Supply Storage at Home with Karen Campbell

14/12/2022

0 Comments

I get asked ALL the time about how I deal with art supply storage in my home studio. Typically, my studio and I are a hot mess! Lately though, I've been working hard on a huge reorganization of my space, so felt like it was the perfect time to show you my latest setup.

I love hoarding art supplies as much as the next girl, BUT what I care about MOST is making sure we all know how to USE the art supplies we already have!

If you're new to mixed media art, or struggling with how to layer your art supplies so you create a MASTERPIECE instead of a mess - download my FREE Cheatsheet outlining my signature mixed media layering process, called the Hamburger System.

It's simple, step-by-step, tells ya exactly WHICH supplies you need, and did I mention it's SO MUCH FUN?!

Wanna see the Hamburger System step-by-step, in action for FREE on YouTube? Check out my Hamburger System series on this playlist.

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.

I loved creating my Hamburger System series on YouTube so much, I turned it into a book, and it became a huge part of my art club called The Mixed Media Society over at Awesome Art School.

Ok! Back to today's home art studio re-org!! Here's my studio...

When we moved into this house in 2013, my husband Sean told me to just go ahead and take the guest room as my studio space because in our previous house, I had completely taken over our dining room and living room with ALL my art stuff! LOL. He gently suggested I needed a door I could close because I'm basically a hot mess express?

I LOVE my giant art table. My in-laws actually made this for me years ago when I used to teach in-person classes to kids and adults. It's about 7 feet long. Since moving Awesome Art School online, the entire space on this table is all for me! It holds my camera setup for recording lessons and YouTube videos, while still giving me tons of room to work.

Today I'm laying down a new rug in the studio (above), which I shopped for, for all of ONE minute! LOL!! It was called "Watercolor" (which made me love it even more), and the colors were a perfect match with my new acoustic panels on the wall behind my desk.

Isn't it gorgeous?!

As you can see, my go-to art supply storage is simply clear, plastic bins! How easy is that?! It's also super affordable. I totally prefer bins over the original packaging for my supplies because I like to combine similar supplies into one bin, and they're easy to stack.

This system feels both flexible and accessible to me.

I store my finished drawings in little black portfolio books on this shelf so they're easy to pull out while I'm teaching. Art books, altered books, finished art journals, art journals in progress, and my favorite alcohol marker paper also "live" on this bookshelf.

Check out this antique sewing box I found thrifting one day! I use it to store all my Daniel Smith watercolors.

I store all my fountain pen inks in vintage perfume bottles on a beautiful shelf in my studio too. Check out this video if you wanna learn more about fountain pen ink painting and my storage system. Aren't these bottles exquisite?!

Another thing I'm finishing up today in my studio is alcohol marker organization! I've got a zillion of these flying around my studio in all brands, and finally decided to give a wooden marker shelf I found on Amazon a whirl.

Make sure you watch the video to see what I think, and how it all looks when I'm done!! Thanks for hanging out with me today :)

NEED MORE resources to get your creative juices flowing?

❤️ CHECK OUT MORE of my art books on AMAZON
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my online art classes @ Awesome Art School
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON (affiliate links)
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP

0 Comments

CHEAP & AWESOME Brush Tip Alcohol Markers for Shading Faces by ArtBeek

12/12/2022

0 Comments

I'm OBSESSED with using brush-tip alcohol markers to shade the faces and figures I draw! If you've never tried shading your drawings with alcohol markers, or if you've been holding out on trying them because you're worried about the cost of copics - I can't wait to introduce you to Alcohol Markers by ArtBeek in today's video!

Whenever you get a new art supply with multiple colors, PLEASE make sure you take the time to swatch your colors. It might feel like a tedious job, but it's honestly super relaxing and your future self will thank you because marker caps and color names can be deceiving!!

I've created a FREE Fun Fab Swatch Sheet for you to print out at home to make this process a bit more fun.

Simply click the button above and I'll send your FREE Swatch Sheet straight to your inbox.

If you've been thinking about starting an alcohol marker collection, but have been intimidated by the price of Copic markers, I HEAR YOU!

I've made it my mission over the last few years to test as many alcohol brands as I can, so I can recommend the BEST VALUE brands (including Copic marker alternatives) to my students over at Awesome Art School.

It's ridiculous to expect everyone can afford to spend around $10/marker to have a little fun at their art table (even if I STILL LOVE my Copics!!).

If you've been hanging out with me for a while, you know I love the Ohuhu skin tone marker set (and really anything by Ohuhu!). But I also discovered an even CHEAPER brand of alcohol markers on Amazon that I also recommend you check out by ArtBeek - especially if you're looking to save a buck.

This is a screenshot of the ArtBeek Alcohol brush markers set of 120 colors for just $60!! I know!!! Who doesn't want 120 colors?! AND, at only 50 cents/per marker ?? - you can't go wrong!!

A couple of weeks ago I did the above face chart inspired drawing tutorial and used a ton of my ArtBeeks alongside a variety of more expensive alcohol marker brands from Copic to Winsor Newton, and felt the ArtBeeks performed beautifully.

The brush nibs on the ArtBeeks are just right- not too firm or too soft. The ink is perfectly juicy!! I've used mine for everything from shading faces to creating Christmas cards (full-length lesson for the card below & MORE in The Fun Fab Drawing Club over at Awesome Art School).

My only little complaint about this ArtBeek set is that they really should've included more PURPLES in this set (you only get 3). But, they do redeem themselves a bit with the giant collection of skin tone markers included (I think there are 24) - making the set of 120 perfect for anyone just starting an alcohol marker collection to shade faces.

I highly recommend dropping them in your cart for yourself or as a gift for an artsy friend for the holidays. Check out today's video to see them in action!

And remember, if you've got a TON of new colors to swatch, use my FREE Fun Fab Swatch Sheet, or pick up a copy of my Fun Fab Swatch Pad over on Amazon.

I created this book with my beloved Facebook Group a couple of years ago and still use it ALL THE TIME (as you can see in today's video!).

Thanks for hanging out with me today!!

After today's video, make sure you watch this one because it gives you MY BEST skin tone marker secrets for shading faces with alcohol markers! ENJOY!!

NEED MORE resources to get your creative juices flowing?

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my online art classes @ Awesome Art School
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON (affiliate links)
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP

0 Comments

SNEAK PEEK Inside Our NEW Fantasy Art Book: How to Draw and Paint Magical Mythical Creatures!

9/12/2022

0 Comments

My latest art book, Magical Mythical Creatures, is finally available, and I couldn't be more thrilled! This is book number 35 for me, and is the first book I've CO-AUTHORED with a friend - my Scottish bestie, who is an absolutely gorgeous watercolor and gouache artist, Lucy Brydon.

Lucy and I met online in 2015 and our friendship just exploded over the next few years. We've art-ed together as students and teachers, co-hosted art retreats, started a podcast, and created a fantasy art club with online art lessons together called The Celtic Collective.

This year we had a blast trying something new and co-authoring a fantasy art book together!

Click the button above to buy your own copy on Amazon, or scroll down to watch a flip-through video and see every single page of Magical Mythical Creatures!

Each project in the book provides a simple art supply list, followed by easy-to-follow art instruction to help you have FUN and create something you can be proud of.

If you've been following me for a while or have purchased one of my art books in the past, you know I'm a stickler for taking my time to explain each step.

As an art book hoarder myself, I feel like there's nothing worse than grabbing an art book by an author who skips multiple steps and just expects you to fill in the blanks on your own!

InHow to Draw & Paint Magical Mythical Creatures, you'll find a wide variety of fantasy art projects from fairies and dragons, to kelpies, unicorns, and selkies. Each project gives you the opportunity to try playing with a number of different mediums from toned paper to watercolor, acrylics, gouache and more.

Even if one or some of the art supplies used in this book are new to you as an artist, or if you've never tried mixed media art before (GASP!) - we hope you'll give it a try because it's SO MUCH FUN once someone shows you how to do it!!

Many of the projects in this book also feature faces, so you'll find the appropriate face drawing guidelines within those lessons to help you make the facial features in your own drawings more proportional.

Thanks SO much for hanging out with me today!

Make sure you watch today's video so you can see each and every page of Magical Mythical Creatures!

0 Comments

Why Cheap Alcohol Markers are AWESOME PLUS 11 HOT Marker TIPS! (FaceChart Inspired Art No. 4)

30/11/2022

2 Comments

When it comes to alcohol markers, I keep noticing there is such a HUGE range in price points. WHY is THAT?! For example, I bought a 5-pack Copic Sketch Marker set in grayscale that comes with a fine liner, for $38 (~$6.33/marker) on Amazon. Recently I also grabbed a 6-pack grayscale set of alcohol markers FOR $5 at my local Five & Below shop. You can't really beat the price at less than $1/marker.

But...will they perform? Let's find out!!

I seriously HOPE you are drawing along with me today! Face charts make amazing face drawing references!!

But before you even attempt drawing the fun makeup in today's reference, you NEED to make sure your facial features are proportional! How do you do that?! With my FREE whimsical face drawing guidelines! Click the button below and I'll send them straight to your inbox!

Whenever I get new markers, I've gotta swatch 'em to see what I've got! I compared the Five & Below cheapies with my neutral grayscale set of copic sketch markers (see how they compare below). The top line is the cheapies (that set came with one additional marker, so score!), and the bottom line is my copics.

I love the gradation and the value scale range included in both sets, but I gotta say - whenever you can get MORE colors - I tend to gravitate toward that option, so way to go Five & Below!

However, I also REALLY love how Copic included one of their black fineliners in this set. The fineliner they included retails for about $12 on its own - so adding this to their grayscale pack is really pretty generous.

Whoever manufactured the cheapies from Five & Below DID cut some corners by producing their alcohol markers without labels. Kinda hilarious. At least the opposite sides of these caps have labels so I don't have to swatch again every time I grab a marker!!

In terms of quality- the nibs in this set are great, and the ink is nice and juicy, so these were definitely worth picking up. I have no idea how readily available this specific pack of alcohol markers are, but I guess my general advice is not to shy away from grabbing a set of cheapie alcohol markers when you find them at your local dollar or craft store.

Pretty much every set I've picked up, I've been happily surprised by in terms of quality. Now let's see how they PERFORM in an actual project!

Make sure you click over to see today's face chart inspired drawing tutorial so you can DRAW ALONG with me!! Don't just sit back and watch - go grab your markers and come draw with me!

Need today's face drawing reference? Grab today's along with the last 3 in this series right here in my YouTube & Cheatsheet Library.

Definitely check out today's YouTube drawing tutorial because I give you TONS of hot tips for shading faces with alcohol markers that will help you tremendously - whether you're new to alcohol markers as a medium or not!

Shockingly, as soon as I started today's face shading with my cheapie alcohol markers, I was surprised to discover they felt identical to my copics. I KNOW!! This is a big deal, because if you've been following me for a while you KNOW how much I love my copics and ohuhus!!

Today's project has once again solidified my opinion that copic marker alternatives are WORTH trying! And really, price point doesn't seem to matter as much as you might think as far as this medium is concerned.

I've shared TONS of copic marker alternative product reviews for you here on YouTube, but hope YOU have confidence to try out whatever you find, especially if you're on a budget. You DON'T have to stop drawing, even when money is tight.

If you've never tried shading a face in alcohol markers, maybe you're addicted to shading faces in pencil - TRY today's free face drawing lesson. It's filled with tips to help you along.

If you're nervous to try shading faces with alcohol markers, especially when it comes to layering in darker shades, you REALLY CAN go at it slowly by adding multiple layers of the SAME shade over and over again. Your piece WILL get darker wherever you've added additional layers, and there's very little risk if you're afraid of screwing up :)

Plus- if you're hanging out with me on YouTube (or in one of my online art classes or clubs at Awesome Art School) you're NEVER alone, I'm right there by your side doing the project with you from start to finish!

Thanks for hanging out with me today! If you drew along with me, make sure to share your work so we can give you some love over in my Facebook Group!!

LOVING the whole face chart inspired drawing tutorial thing?
Here's a playlist with MORE of them for ya!!

NEED MORE resources to get your creative juices flowing?

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my online art classes @ Awesome Art School
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON (affiliate links)
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP

2 Comments

Testing a NEW MIXED MEDIA ART Idea From My STUDENT!

22/11/2022

0 Comments

Recently, one of my super-talented students suggested a mixed media art idea I can't wait to try!!

I LOVE creating alcohol marker drawings of faces. Over the years I've discovered quick layers in alternating directions will help me avoid streaks, and colored pencil over alcohol markers can soften transitions between marker shades.

My ROCKSTAR student shared an alternative alcohol marker blending technique: pan pastels over alcohol markers. I'm SO intrigued!! Join me in the studio as teacher becomes student, and I discover if THIS is the job my pan pastel set has been waiting for!

New to mixed media art, feeling intimidated to try it, or overwhelmed by the supplies? I've got 30 FUN Mixed Media Art Ideas with SIMPLE, tried, and true art supply combos like Pan Pastels over Alcohol Markers! Click the button below to download my FREE "Hot Dog Packet! "

Each mixed media example in The Hot Dog Packet reads like a recipe with ONLY 4 art supplies, so it's perfect for mixed media beginners and anyone on the lookout for NEW mixed media art ideas that won't make a hot mess!!

Today's AWESOME mixed media art technique comes straight from one of my AMAZING students over at Awesome Art School, Darlene Hanna.

Darlene has been a part of my world FOREVER, and I'm SO grateful for her ever-supportive presence in my Facebook Group. I LOVE it when she posts what she's working on because everything she does is sheer magic. Just take a look...

Out of this world, right?! There's nothing she can't do!!

Darlene recently shared an alcohol marker blending technique with me that I've never tried before using pan pastels. I really don't know much about pan pastels and have only used them a couple of times. I never dreamed of trying them on top of my alcohol marker drawings.

Typically I only use colored pencils over alcohol markers, as you can see above (along with my white poscas and pentel pocket brush pen). I'm excited to try Darlene's technique AND to finally have a purpose for my ginormous pan pastels set!!

Last week's face chart-inspired alcohol marker drawing is perfect for today's experiment. My only concern is the paper used for this drawing - it's a super smooth Bristol. I *think* panpastels need a little texture in the paper in order to stick? Fingers crossed this paper isn't too slick!!

If you look closely at my drawing above, you'll see there are definitely some transition areas that could benefit from a little more blending.

I looked back at my face chart reference photo from last week also to see what else I might want to adjust. I love super dramatic shading and makeup in the faces I draw, so I started out by dabbing a little orange pan pastel around the corners of each eye to kick the makeup in my drawing up a notch.

My first thought as my pan pastel applicator hits the paper is, "WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN DOING THIS MY WHOLE LIFE?!"

I'm thrilled with the results!! The orange panpastel deepens my shading AND softens the transitions around each eye as soon as I start to apply it. Excited by how this is going, I reach for another shade and move on to the lips! Just look at these results...

The pan pastels are totally like a "corrector method" for alcohol markers!! The next question is if I can use my white posca pens for highlights and my secret weapon for creating gorgeous eyelashes OVER the pan pastel layering?

Watch the video to meet me in the studio and find out!!

Make sure you grab my FREE Hot Dog Packet for more FUN & EASY mixed media project ideas like the one we tried today. If YOU discover another art supply combo YOU love, there are even blank sheets in the packet where you can jot them down!

Thanks for hanging out with me today! And another HUGE shout out to my ROCKSTAR student, Darlene Hanna, for sharing her life-changing alcohol marker blending technique ??

WANNA DRAW the face-chart inspired alcohol marker drawing featured in today's video? Here's the FREE drawing tutorial:

NEED the FACE DRAWING REFERENCE from last week's drawing tutorial? Grab it here!

NEED MORE resources to get your creative juices flowing?

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my online art classes @ Awesome Art School
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON (affiliate links)
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP

0 Comments

<<Previous

blog

How to Use a Glass Dip Pen

Drawing with Fountain Pen Ink

Wanna TAKE AN ONLINE ART CLASS About Fountain Pen Ink Painting?

​Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Need More Resources?

Hippie Craft Paint Pens Set of 25 Cost

Never Used Paint Markers Before?

What to Look for in Quality Paint Pens

White Paint Markers for Mixed Media Artists

​Final Thoughts on Hippie Crafter Paint Pens

Wanna Create Today's Project at Home?

​Ready to REALLY Get Creative with Me?

LOVE Product Reviews?

​Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Need More Resources?​​

​What Paper is Best for Alcohol Marker Drawings?

​Which Skin Tone Markers Are Best for Shading Faces?

​How to Blend Alcohol Marker Streaking

​Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Need More Resources?​​

MeiLiang Watercolor Set of 48 Cost

What's Included by MeiLiang in the Set of 48?

Never Used a Waterbrush Before?​

Why it's SO Important to Swatch Watercolors

Final Thoughts

​Ready to REALLY Get Creative with Me?

Need MORE Art Supply Reviews?

Wanna Stay in the Loop?

​Need More Resources?

Karen Campbell

Archives

Categories

What Fans Are Saying

Contact Us

Wanna TAKE AN ONLINE ART CLASS
About Fountain Pen Ink Painting?

Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Final Thoughts on Hippie Crafter Paint Pens

**Ready to REALLY Get Creative with Me?**

Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Need More Resources?

What Paper is Best for Alcohol Marker Drawings?

Which Skin Tone Markers Are Best for Shading Faces?

How to Blend Alcohol Marker Streaking

Wanna Stay in the Loop?

Need More Resources?

Never Used a Waterbrush Before?

**Ready to REALLY Get Creative with Me?**

Need More Resources?