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Super FUN Draw Along of a Castle Ruin in Elegant Writer!

24/5/2023

Hey there!! Are you ready for a creative adventure? Today we're delving into the world of water-soluble drawing supplies and are gonna have a blast creating our very own craggy castle ruins!

I'm going to be using an elegant writer (felt tip calligraphy pen), but you can use any kind of water-soluble marker or pen you have lying around at home. Not sure if you've got any water-soluble art supplies at home? Keep reading, because I'm gonna help ya find one!!

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.

In less than one hour, I'm going to go over NINE key concepts
in this FREE mixed media art lesson including:

What IS water-solubility?
How do you tell if your writing instrument or art supply IS water-soluble?
What is the Elegant Writer and how does it work?
What can I use if I DON'T have an Elegant Writer??
What paper should I use for this?
How do I do this project if all I have is a pencil?
How to draw a castle ruin and rocks!
How to depict realistic shading (and light sources)...
How to strategically use water to create the look of depth and dimension when using water-soluble art supplies.

Let's set the mood for a relaxed and enjoyable experience, shall we?

Forget about perfection and masterpieces – today, it's all about having fun and exploring the amazing properties of water-soluble materials. We're gonna let our inner second-grader shine through, embracing the joy of creating without any pressure.

Not sure if you have any water soluble drawing supplies lying around the house? How about a felt tip pen? Most of us have one of those hiding in a drawer somewhere, and guess what?

They're water soluble! Yep, just draw a line and add water to it with a paintbrush – it will melt like magic!

Now, let's talk about the materials that can take our creativity to the next level. If you happen to be an artsy, fartsy person with a collection of art supplies (lucky you!), there are some fantastic options to consider.

One of my personal favorites is the Elegant Writer (above, which I'll be using today) – a watersoluble calligraphy pen. It does come in a variety of colors, but trust me, I've played with them all, and the only one well worth your time is BLACK.

Mixed media art supply lovers may also have Fineliners, Tombow markers, Neo Color IIs, watercolor pencils, watercolor markers, or a Stabilo all black pencil (if you've been hanging with me for a while - you definitely have one of these!!). Any of these supplies are an excellent choice for today's castle ruin project.

Don't have any fancy art supplies? You can still have a TON of fun using any regular old pencil!

When it comes to paper, anytime you're doing a mixed media project that involves water, I suggest you work on watercolor paper because it can take way more layering than mixed media paper and holds up beautifully.

As far as watercolor paper goes, you've got choices. Cold press watercolor paper or hot press watercolor paper would both work beautifully for this activity. Cold press offers more texture and holds more water, so I'd go with this option if you plan to do multiple layers. Hot press doesn't really have any texture to it, and is super smooth.

What you choose today is entirely up to you, and your artistic preference!

To learn more about watercolor paper and see each type of paper in action, check out this recent video.

Alright, let's dive into the techniques we'll be using to bring our craggy castle ruins to life. No rulers or erasers allowed – we want those wonky lines, uneven shapes, and rustic charm. Embrace the imperfections!

Make sure you watch today's video so you can draw along with me in real-time. Then, get ready for the magic – we're gonna activate the elegant writer ink by applying water selectively to just one side of our drawing using a watercolor brush!!

You're gonna LOVE watching the ink melt into stunning shadows, adding depth and sophistication to your work!

As you can see in the above pic, I'm using my FAVORITE watercolor brushes by Polina Bright. Learn more about why I'm obsessed with them here, or get a set for yourself at 10% off here when you enter my name (KarenCampbell) as the coupon code at checkout.

For all you pencil lovers out there, fear not! A blending stump, cuetip, or your finger does an amazing job of adding dimension to your drawing when you're ready to start shading.

Remember, the journey is just as important as the destination. Embrace the process, enjoy the unpredictability of your water soluble marker if you've got one, and let your creativity guide you.

There's no right or wrong way to approach this – it's all about exploring, playing with your supplies, and adding your personal touch to those craggy castle ruins.

Once you've completed your masterpiece, don't keep it to yourself! I'd LOVE to see your work!!

?www.facebook.com/groups/awesomeartschoolPost a pic of your craggy castle ruins in my Facebook group

?Or tag me on Instagram @KarenCampbellartist

I'm genuinely excited to see what you create!!

Want Another FREE Elegant Writer Project?

I thought you'd never ask... here ya go!!

Loved This Castle Project & Want MORE?

You might just LOVE my Celtic Collective art club with Lucy Brydon over at Awesome Art School. EVERY project in this club is inspired by castle ruins like today's piece, fairies, mythical creatures and fantasy!

?Check out The Celtic Collective & add your name to the waitlist to be notified next time we're taking on new members!

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

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EASY Martini Glass Drawing Lesson on YouTube

16/5/2023

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While I was creating a lesson for the Fun Fab Drawing Club the other day, I was having so much fun, I decided to do a similar lesson as a Draw Along party in my Facebook Group!

In case you missed that, or aren't on Facebook, I'm dropping the video on my YouTube Drawing channel as well :)

Today's FREE martini glass drawing lesson has a little twist to give us a teensy challenge...

1. No drawing in pencil
2. No drawing freehand

Sound fun?! Let's get started!!

Drawing Supplies for Today

Since we're not drawing in pencil, you might want to grab a few fineliners in different nibs (thicknesses). My favorite fineliner set is by Molotow, below.

Since I plan to use alcohol markers to color in my martini glass drawing, I'm working on a super smooth sheet of cardstock that is similar to Bristol (but waaaaay cheaper).

Next, you're gonna want a straight edge. You can easily use the edge of a book, or whatever you have lying around. Try NOT to reach for a ruler, because I don't want you to start measuring stuff :) I'm using a triangle for my straight edge and NOT measuring on purpose to keep the vibe FUN and wonky!

I've also got my ellipse and circle templates nearby. I use BOTH of these constantly when drawing faces.

The ellipses are perfect for dropping in facial feature placeholders when I'm sketching in my face drawing guidelines at the beginning of a project. I love using the circle template whenever I'm drawing eyes to help me draw quick irises and pupils (because who wants to spend forever trying to draw a perfect circle?! NOT ME!!).

If you don't have templates like this, it's totally fine! Use whatever you have lying around in the shape of a circle that you can trace.

My last "supply" for today is seriously just a bunch of cocktail drawing reference images to provide me with a little inspiration and get my creative juices flowing.

After you've grabbed your supplies, make sure to click over to the video because everything in today's FREE drawing tutorial is step-by-step, and in real-time so you can draw along with me from home :)

How to Make Your Line Drawing Even COOLER!

Once you've got your basic martini glass drawing done, it's time to take your drawing from simple and plain... to awesome! We do that by varying LINE WEIGHT throughout the drawing.

Line variation is super easy to achieve. You can either use fineliners in a variety of nibs (thicknesses), or you can add some wonky lines with a straight edge like I'm doing in today's video, and then color them in! You're definitely gonna wanna see this in action!

Once you've got some line variation going on in your drawing, you can add even more interest with the addition of a few action lines. Action lines are common in cartoons and anime drawings to indicate movement or energy. I like to use a thinner fineliner for these, like a 0.4.

HOT TIP: Make sure you wipe your straight edge off BEFORE adding action lines around the martini glass because we don't want any excess ink smearing onto your drawing once your template hits the page again.

Once the action lines are in place, it's time for some fruity embellishments, because who doesn't love a little fruit inside a sassy drink?!

Let's Add Color

The first rule of thumb for coloring ANYTHING is to swatch! You can use a piece of scrap paper off to the side of your drawing, or download my FREE Fun Fab Swatch Sheet to make things even more interesting!

I used to hate swatching and think it was boring, but trust me, there's nothing worse than grabbing a marker or tube of paint based on the cap, only to find a completely unexpected color popping onto your page! I've learned this the hard way time and again!

Your future self will thank you for swatching!!

If you don't have any alcohol markers at home, don't sweat it. Use whatever art supply you have from colored pencils to watercolor!

Wanna Learn MORE About Alcohol Markers?

In case you don't know this about me yet, I'm OBSESSED with alcohol marker art!! I love using my Copics and Ohuhus for shading faces, fairies, art deco fashions, and everything in between!!

Over the years, I've tried just about every alcohol marker brand from dollar store cheapies to my beloved Copics, and have learned a ton along the way. Check out this playlist to watch my BEST ALCOHOL MARKER COLORING TIPS in action, learn about blending, mixing alcohol markers with other media, and SO MUCH MORE!!