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Today I'm RIDICULOUSLY excited to share a super fun project that I created in my mixed media art journal using a square of tailor shape by Art Graf.
I picked this up randomly at Jerry's Artarama a while ago and finally decided to play with it today. I had NO IDEA what to expect from this product, and am SO EXCITED about the results! 
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.
So this thing is actually a chunk of solid carbon and it's completely watersoluble. You can grab one on Amazon for about $12 if you wanna play along with me at home.
It's got a few names - some call it tailor's shape, others call it tailor's "chalk." It's actually NOT CHALK, but carbon that has been formed into a rectangular disc in the shape of tailor's chalk! 
For today's demo, I decided to transfer a previous drawing (if you're not sure how to transfer a drawing, watch this video) into my Strathmore watercolor sketchbook to get this project started.
HOT TIP: Remember if you're working with ANY type of water-soluble art supplies, you need to be working on watercolor paper. 
This is the watercolor sketchbook I'm working in today. It's an 11x14 because I LOVE to work big, and hard cover, which makes it perfect for traveling.
This is typically what I work in for pretty much anything art journal related. It's filled with 140# cold press (textured) watercolor paper. It's of course amazing at accepting watercolor and all watersoluble art supplies from watercolor pencils to the ArtGraf tailor shape I'm using today. I think the paper in this sketchbook is also amazing for drawing because of the gorgeous texture. It's also hearty enough to accept full on "hamburger style" mixed media projects like the one below! 
Not familiar with my Hamburger System? It's my signature mixed media process! Grab my FREE Hamburger System cheatsheet to help you understand your mixed media art supplies and start layering them like a pro.
After you grab your cheatsheet, watch this playlist to see how I create each layer of the Hamburger System from collage to acrylic painting, finishing and sealing to create my mixed media masterpieces!
Back to TODAY's project :) So as I mentioned, I've never drawn with anything like the watersoluble tailors shape by ArtGraf before! It honestly worked pretty well tracing over the lines of my transferred drawing.
When it was time to activate my drawn lines, I was a little shocked at how water soluble this stuff was!! At the same time, I immediately felt like I was in familiar territory. 
The effects were IDENTICAL to my beloved black stabilo all pencil! So much so, that I'm seriously wondering if this stuff is what's actually inside the black stabilo!
If you're not familiar with the black stabilo all pencil, it's one of my FAVE art supplies - watch this video to learn all about it! 
While I played for today's project, I discovered there were two ways to activate the lines drawn by the ArtGraf tailor shape disc. The first way was simply to add a wet watercolor brush to the dry, drawn lines and drag the melty pigment around like watercolor.
As you can see in the video, I'm using my favorite watercolor brushes by Polina Bright. If you want to learn more about WHY I love them so much, watch this video. If you'd like to get one of Polina's brushes too, use this link to get a 10% discount on your purchase. 
The second way to activate Art Graf tailors shape is by sweeping a wet watercolor brush directly across the disc to lift some of the carbon, and then painting with it just like you would with watercolor! Cool, right?!
As you'll see in the video, I added lots of new lines and layers into the hair using this "watercolor wash technique." If you're not sure how to paint hair in a mixed media or watercolor portrait, today's video is a GREAT demo of my favorite hair painting techniques.
If you play along at home with this disc for the first time and want to activate it to shade a face, I suggest you start by activating the lines in the hair first so you can get the feel of how the product works before you move onto the face. Remember it will KEEP ACTIVATING on you too - every time you add a wet brush to previously activated lines. I LOVE that, but I know it freaks some of my students out :)
HOT TIP: If anything ever gets TOO BLACK for you when you activate your dry lines, dab it with a dry paper towel to lighten things up and lift away some of that darkness. 
Stay with me till the end of today's video to see how I tied this new journal page to the facing page to make a fun art journal spread using these AWESOME, chunky acrylic paint pens by Liquitex. They are seriously SO fun to play with!!
If you're interested in learning how to draw a 3/4 view portrait from scratch like the one in today's video, watch this playlist, or check out my book How to Draw MORE Fun Fab Faces on Amazon.
This "cartoony" or whimsical drawing style is super fun, way less intimidating than realism, but also an excellent runway INTO realism if that's something you're interested in achieving later!
Need the real-time version of today's lesson? I've dropped it for you in the Mixed Media Society. Not a member yet, but curious? Learn more and add your name to the waitlist to get notified next time I'm open for enrollment!
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How I Create SPARKLY Looking Vintage PERFUME BOTTLES on BLACK PAPER [for Mixed Media Artists!!]8/3/2023
I know just how much mixed media artists LOVE stamping, stenciling, and painting - but how many of us really take the time to work on our plain old drawing skills?
Today we're gonna do just that with a FUN & EASY black paper drawing lesson in real-time, over on my Mixed Media YouTube channel! 
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.
Supplies are minimal today! You just need a sheet of black paper (or toned paper) and some white drawing instruments. I'm using a white colored pencil, white gel pen, white sharpie, and white posca pens.
If you watched last week's video, or you've been following me for a while, you already know I'm OBSESSED with fountain pen ink painting and collecting vintage glass perfume bottles to store my inks in.
Those same gorgeous bottles inspired today's drawing practice for mix mixed media artists!
As you'll see in today's black paper drawing lesson, I'm keeping things super loose and kinda messy ON PURPOSE. It's no fun to get all stressed out about a drawing project, especially if you're just learning how to draw, or coming back to it after time away.
After my three vintage perfume bottles are sketched in with white colored pencil, I grabbed my white gel pen to start outlining and doodling in some details. To me, this feels a lot like zentangling.
It's totally chill, and very relaxing (as long as your pen works!?) 
When I'm ready to add some thicker lines in, my white poscas are awesome for some line variation and the fun designs give our perfume bottles some character.
How to Add Action Lines & Sparkles to Your Drawings
Adding highlights to the faces I draw and mixed media paintings I create is always one of my FAVORITE parts of the project.
For this particular drawing, I added thicker lines using a paint pen with a larger nib to strengthen the edges of the bottles, the ground they're sitting on, etc.
Next, grab a straight edge to help you draw a straight line wherever you want to add some sparkle. This can be a little tricky to do with paint pens because they're SUPER EASY to smudge, so be careful!!
Isn't that gorgeous?! I LOVE this part!!
Loved Today's Drawing Lesson & Need More?
Check out the Fun Fab Drawing Club over at Awesome Art School!! We are having a blast over here and would LOVE for you to join us. Learn how to draw and shade faces, figures, fashions, animals and SO MUCH MORE!! It's so much FUN and so easy, once someone shows ya how :)
Missed My Last Mixed Media Art Video?
See exactly where the inspiration for today's free drawing lesson on YouTube came from, as I demo a glass dip pen for the first time and play with my favorite fountain pen inks! I can't get over how VIRAL this video is going!! It's jumped to OVER 130K views already!!
Check it out here:
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Karen CampbellFounder of Awesome Art School. Mixed Media Artist. Author of 18 Instructional Art Books!    
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"Karen is flipping hilarious and she's very real...I like the way she teaches in a way that really gives you confidence, whether you're a beginner or advanced there's always something new to learn!"
- Elizabeth W. |
What Fans Are SayingKaren, you are absolutely fabulous! You make me feel like I can draw anything. I have recently retired and finally have the time to do some of the art that I have loved since I was in school. I am really at the beginning of my art journey and I hope to learn as much as I can. Thank you for all you do. |
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