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Need a FUN zentangle art project that's step by step and EASY enough to do even if you've never tried drawing before, or are just learning how to draw? You're in the right place!
In today's drawing video, you'll get a sneak peek at one of my favorite drawing books. It's jam packed with zentangle art ideas for beginners! You'll learn a little about my creative process (I LOVE flipping through art books for inspiration!), and why I'm drawn to certain zentangle art patterns over others. Then you need to grab your favorite markers and fineliners so you can draw along with me in this CUTE and relaxing zentangle art tutorial- perfect for artists of all levels! 
If you're new to drawing and coloring with markers, make sure you grab my FREE Swatch Sheet so you can swatch your markers out before we get to the coloring portion of today's project. Simply click on the button below, and I'll send it straight to your email!
Whenever I get a new art supply with multiple colors - whether that's a new set of markers, watercolors, etc. - I ALWAYS swatch them out. That's because I learned the hard way that the color on the cap, tube or bottle often doesn't really look like what ends up on your paper. TRUST ME. Now my rule of thumb is to ALWAYS swatch. Here are a couple of the fun faces on my Swatch Sheet!
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!
Today I'm reviewing a drawing book about zentangling from my personal art book collection called Tangled Up by Penny Raile. This Walter Foster Studio book is a great example of inspiration, paired with practical how-to instruction.
If you're new to zentangle art, zentangling is basically a form of line art that plays with repeating patterns and line weights (how thick or thin a line is). It's a super chill and mindless activity to do if you're feeling stressed, need an escape, or want to get creative but not spend forever working on a project. Zentangling is also EXCELLENT for people interested in learning how to draw. In fact, it's one of the first lessons I teach to beginners in my Fun Fab Drawing Club because it's a simple way to warm you up for learning line variation (how thick or thin a line is), which segues beautifully into learning how to shade. 
If you know me, and my work - I can be impatient and don't love spending a ton of time on details. ? That's the only part of zentangling that can feel a little annoying to me (teeny, intricate patterns)!
As soon as you open Tangled Up, you'll see LARGER zentangle pattern ideas, plus a lot of really simple patterns to try, which I totally appreciate! 
The first zentangle drawing project in chapter one ONLY uses a pattern of straight lines (above). I love that! Not complicated, not too fussy- it's perfect for beginners just learning how to draw (even kids), or anyone looking for a fun warmup drawing excercise!
The idea below is another great one to try with kids- simply use a cookie cutter as the project's stencil. 
Tangled Up features some adorable zentangle pattern ideas throughout that would make fun borders around a drawing (below). There are also lots of examples with multi-line weights (line variation - showing lines in a variety of thicknesses. This is a really important introductory skill for drawing beginners.
This book also shows you step by step how to draw fun shapes from arrows to ribbons, that you can fill with zentangles! I love this- nothing is rushed here in the instruction. It's all very simple to follow, so if you're a beginner, you're in great hands.
Today, I was totally inspired by the adorable little fish above! I decided it would be fun to put him center stage inside a fish bowl with some plants or coral.
Zentangling is an amazing activity to do when you're sad, stressed, or need some kind of escape and don't want to fuss with a complicated project. It can take your mind off of whatever is bothering you, and you can choose to make the project last for a short or long time based on your mood.
Get intricate with your patterns if you want the project to last longer, or keep your zentangle patterns large and simple to finish quicker (like me!). 
When you're ready to color your drawing, make sure you swatch your markers off to the side and label each shade before you dive into coloring so you don't get any surprises.
If you didn't do it already, download my FREE Swatch Sheet of faces and print as many copies as you need. 
I used copic markers for my coloring today because I love them, and that's what I had on hand. Use whatever you've got on hand.
The art supplies don't matter, what matters is that you just draw... and have FUN while you're doing it. I hope you enjoy today's zentangle art project and completely LOVE Tangled Up if you decide to get it. Oh, and just a word of warning... zentangling is a little addictive. Once you start, it's kinda hard to stop! Thanks for hanging out with me today! ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL MY ONLINE ART CLASSES & Art Clubs ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
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8 CHEAP & EASY Mixed Media Art Ideas I Haven't Tried Yet! [Stenciling & Stamping Techniques]11/1/2022
Need NEW mixed media art ideas? Whether you're a mixed media beginner, or a seasoned mixed media artist like me, flipping through a gorgeous art book is one of THE BEST THINGS you can do for creative inspiration.
In today's art video you'll get a sneak peek at one of my favorite mixed media art books, followed by a demo of the 8 CHEAP & EASY stamping & stenciling techniques this book inspired me to try for the first time in my own mixed media sketchbook! 
If you're new to the world of mixed media art, and not sure how to layer your supplies for success - you're in the right place! Beginners are my specialty.
Make sure you download my FREE cheatsheet outlining my signature mixed media layering process calledThe Hamburger System. It tells you exactly HOW to layer your mixed media art supplies so you can make a masterpiece, instead of a hot mess! Simply click the button below and I'll send it straight to your inbox! 
When you're done with today's video, I've got an awesome YouTube series to go with this cheatsheet, so look for that link at the bottom :)
Real quick, before we continue- 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! 
Today's mixed media art book review is of 101 Mixed Media Techniques, by Walter Foster.
This book is jam packed with 128 pages of mixed media art techniques. It's an excellent addition to any art book collection and will definitely get your creative juices flowing.
What I really love in this book are the "Artist Tip" boxes that you'll find scattered throughout. I actually think these little pointers are better than most of the book content!
Each chapter of 101 Mixed Media Techniques is written by a different artist so you can really get some unique perspectives. The tip below came from a section in the book about stenciling and stamping techniques. It got me thinking out of the box, motivated me to take a little field trip around my house looking for new mixed media ideas to try, and inspired today's entire video!
I easily found eight random objects lying around my house just waiting for me to experiment with in my mixed media sketchbook.
The first item I decided to test out is actually the inside squeaker of a dog toy that was headed for the trash! How funny is that?!
Check out the whimsical polka dots I created when I ran this ball through some acrylic paint and upcycled it into a stamp! 
The next item I decided to try as a stamp was a shot glass!
Lots of mixed media artists have done videos using empty toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls to stamp circles onto their canvases or art journal pages. What I don't love about these empty rolls is they can bend, and don't make perfect cirlces. I decided to try stamping circles onto my art journal page with a shot glass. Look how great that turned out!! 
Simply grab a glass from your kitchen that you don't care about, or pick one up at a thrift shop, and turn it into a mixed media stamp for yourself!
Ages ago, I bought a spongey toilet scrubber from the dollar store and set it aside to try as a paintbrush or stamp. Today was the perfect day to bust it out! 
I dabbed the scrubber into 2 colors of acrylic paint and stamped it as hair around an old face doodle in my art journal. Look at how amazing THIS looks!! Total win!!
This next object I decided to try was a slotted spoon. I tested out a couple of ways to turn this into an upcycled mixed media stencil, and love the effect I got when swiping over the negative space with a sponge covered in acrylic paint. 
As I mentioned, I LOVE creating the look of polka dots and circles. I have a zillion of these utencil holders from Ikea (below), and the bottom of each just happens to have the perfect pattern to try as a stencil.
I like how that worked, but still might love bubble wrap even more! I'll show you that technique at the end of this demo.
While I was in my kitchen, I noticed my napkin holder could be a two for one win as a stencil, with the unique patterns on the bottom and the sides!
Check out how amazing this looks (bottom right corner) when I added two colors of acrylic paint to a sponge, and swiped that sponge through the side of my napkin holder! 
Another object I tried using was a fragment of the pouch my clementines came in. I tried it this material as both a stamp and stencil, and found I really loved the subtle effect it created as a stamp the most.
HOT TIP: Whatever you do - do it everywhere so it looks intentional.
My last stamping technique wasn't necessarily inspired from today's video because I've been doing it for years, but in case you haven't tried this before - you've GOT to save the next sheet of bubble wrap that comes through your door!
You can get the most gorgeous pattern from applying acrylic paint to the corner of some bubble wrap, and turning it into a mixed media stamp. Click over to the video to see my favorite places to stamp with bubble wrap! Thanks for hanging out with me today! Don't forget to grab my FREE HAMBURGER SYSTEM CHEATSHEET. Once you print it out, join me on YouTube for my Hamburger System Series, and I'll explain everything you need to know about mixed media art supplies, and my simple mixed media layering process! ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL MY ONLINE ART CLASSES & Art Clubs ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
This mixed media portrait tutorial was filmed BEFORE I'd even identified the steps in my signature mixed media layering process, let alone named it "The Hamburger System!"
When I watch this full-length tutorial now, I can see many of the Hamburger steps I was using, even then. This fun his and hers art journal spread was painted into an altered book art journal I upcycled from my local thrift shop. To this day that art journal is STILL one of my favorites.
If you're new to mixed media, or struggling with how to layer your art supplies so you create a MASTERPIECE instead of a mess - you need to download my FREE Cheatsheet outlining my signature mixed media layering process, called the Hamburger System.
Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox!
In many of my mixed media canvas and art journal pages, I often love to start with a collage layer, as I explain in my FREE YouTube series breaking down each layer of the Hamburger System. After this - the cheatsheet I HOPE you just downloaded, will make complete sense!!
With today's mixed media project, I felt the need to start with face drawings, instead of collage. I think I was just too excited to dig into this face drawing reference image (below), that I'd found on Pinterest.
I wish I could credit the artist here, but I couldn't find one for this image.
I felt the need to use a dramatic color scheme, so I selected teal, red, yellow and black.
Since I'm working in my altered book, I need to prep my pages with a thin coat of gesso. This will knock back the opacity of the book's original illustrations and make it so I can paint or draw over them more easily. Once the gesso is dry, I started this face drawing as I do ALL of them - by sketching in my face drawing guidelines. Even if I'm doing stylized, whimsical drawing (not realism), it's still important to sketch in guidelines so the facial features look more proportional. 
Do you love drawing and shading faces too? Or maybe you're just learning how to draw faces? CLICK HERE to download my FREE whimsical face drawing guidelines. They're super easy to follow, and will help you draw a simple and proportional forward facing face.
If you're a total beginner with face drawing, you might want to check out this playlist over on my YouTube Drawing channel to practice your face drawing guidelines with me step by step before trying out today's project. The face drawing tutorials in this series are are short, sweet, and perfect for beginners. Here's one of the faces you'll learn how to draw...
Real quick, 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.
After my initial sketch for today's project is done, I pull an old flat paint brush out and add a little more gesso along the outer cheekbones and jawline to correct my proportions since I'm working with a pencil that doesn't erase.
Gesso is a bit magical like that in the world of mixed media art! It can give you a fresh start and work like an eraser to hide any little mistake you want. Be sure whenever you use gesso that you're using an old paint brush because it will totally destroy your brush. I have one that I've designated for myself to use only for gesso. I highly recommend you do the same. 
In this particular project, I added an additional thin layer of gesso over my subject's cheeks, nose, forehead and neck to knock back some of the background that was still peeking through from the book's original illustrations.
Next, I applied some acrylic craft paint in ivory as a base skin tone layer all over her face and neck. Since this piece is purely for my own enjoyment in my own personal art journal, and I'm not selling it, etc. - craft grade acrylics are fine for this application.
When I started adding red acrylic paint into the background behind my face drawings, I decided to scrape some onto my journal page for an edgier look using an old credit card! This is a really fast way to cover a lot of ground with your acrylics. 
At the time this project was created, I'd just published my How to Draw Fun Fab Fellas book, so you'll also see me working on a guy's face in this mixed media tutorial.
If you're interested in drawing male faces, one of the things you need to watch out for is to go easy on the lips. If you're not careful, these can turn feminine real quick! You also want to be sure to keep the lines in male faces very angular, except for the eyeballs- these are really the only true curves you should see in a male face drawing. 
Next, I decided to add some detail work in with my black stabilo all pencil, before I sealed both pages with clear, matte mod podge.
Usually I LOVE how water soluble the black stabilo all pencil is (even though I know it totally freaks some of my students out!!), but today, it muddied the skin tone of my female portrait because I had doodled in stabilo on top of the eyebrows. This was just too dark and dissolved everywhere once the mod podge hit it. 
If you're new to my world, you'll quickly learn how relaxed I am about "mixed media mistakes." I think everything is fixable, and encourage my students to ALWAYS keep pushing through on a project.
I ended up adding gesso, more acrylic craft paint (ceramacoat) to save her face, and blending some gelato skin tones on top to do some face shading, and tying things together with my pitt pens and posca pens- "Hamburger" style. 
If you've never used creamy gelatos to help you "paint" a variety of skin tones into your face shading, they're amazing and something you've got to try.
This chick totally gave me a run for my money, but I had a blast and am happy with the end result. Be sure you click over to the video to see her unfold in real time. Thanks for hanging out with me today! Don't forget to grab my FREE HAMBURGER SYSTEM CHEATSHEET. Once you print it out, join me on YouTube for my Hamburger System Series, and I'll explain everything you need to know about mixed media art supplies, and my simple mixed media layering process! ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL MY ONLINE ART CLASSES & Art Clubs ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
Today's water soluble markers showdown puts Ohuhu water based markers to the test! How do they compare to SEVEN other water soluble brush pens and fineliners in price, color selection and quality?
Out of the box, my Ohuhu marker set of 160 provides a gorgeous array of colors, and the price per marker can't be beat! But will they provide the watercolor painting effect I NEED from a water based marker? 
Whenever I get a new art supply with multiple colors - whether that's a new set of markers, watercolors, etc. - I ALWAYS swatch them out. That's because I learned the hard way that the color on the cap, tube or bottle often doesn't really look like what ends up on your paper. TRUST ME. Now my rule of thumb is to ALWAYS swatch.
I actually made a cute FREE swatch sheet for you to download to make your swatching a bit more fun!! Simply click the button below to grab your FREE swatchsheet and I'll send it right over.
I had so much fun making this swatch sheet, I actually turned it into a BOOK with my Facebook group!! I know!! We had a blast doing this together. Each page was created by another Awesome Artist. Here's a link to buy the finished book on Amazon if you're interested.
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!
Let's take a look at some of the water soluble products I've laid out for us as a comparison to see how my new water based Ohuhu markers stack up. 
I'm comparing the Ohuhus to SEVEN other water soluble markers & fineliners:
The water soluble ohuhu markers are dual nib. On one side you'll find the brush nib (above). On the opposite side, you'll find a fineliner. They come in a set of 160 for just $55, making each marker a steal, at just 34 cents each. I couldn't find my set of 160 for you on Amazon, so here is the Ohuhu Water Based Marker set of 100 for $34.
The Staedtler Marsgraphic Duo (above left), has a brush nib as well, but it's not nearly as sexy as the one from Ohuhu. This marker also has a bullet nib on the opposite end. Their largest set contains 18 markers, and only costs $12. This low cost set makes it feel like an amazing deal, but when you look at the cost per marker, the Staedtlers are actually more expensive than the Ohuhus at 66 cents each.
Lots of artists enjoy using Stabilo fineliners (above) because they are great for coloring books and getting into teeny weeny spots. You can get a set of 40 for just $28, making each marker $1.43/each.
I LOVE stabilo as a brand, and if you know me, you know one of my absolute FAVORITE art supplies is my black stabilo all pencil. But when I did this water soluble marker comparison, I was a little disappointed to see how expensive the Stabilo fineliners actually are when compared to the others. 
Tombow is another brand I totally love! I take my Tombow dual brush pens everywhere, and have completely fallen for the watercolor painting effect I can achieve with them (below). Isn't that fun?!
I was a little disappointed to realize just how much my beloved Tombows cost per brush pen. My set of 96 cost just under $200, making each marker about $2 per piece. (Sadly this set is currently listed on Amazon for $279, but there are three smaller sets for less, saved in my store for you).
Next on my list to test today is Winsor Newton Water Colour Markers. These are the only product in today's comparison that contain a fine art product inside the tube. They're lightfast and gorgeous.
The biggest set you can buy is only a set of 12, and it's about $40. That makes each marker an expensive $3.42 each. They're not cheap, because they are a fine art product. There really is no comparison when I look at the other products on the table today. In a way that's not really fair, because this is the only product from the rest that isn't a dye based craft product. But I use these all the time, so added them to the test. Here are the current Winsor Newton watercolor marker sets I could find for you on Amazon: Sky, Landscape, and Basic (don't be deterred from the "basic" set - the colors are FAR from basic!).
The Arteza Brush Pens really don't do anything for me (so no link to buy). As you can see in the above photo, the ink doesn't even really flow the way it should just to write the simple product name on my paper. These are not nearly as juicy as I think they should be for the price. And, there's nothing you can do to get the ink flowing better.
Their nib is actually bristles like a paint brush instead of a foam tip shaped like a paint brush tip. You would think this is a benefit, but I think it actually makes them harder to work with. 
On the other hand, Arteza Twimarkers are a much better value and compare more appropriately with the Ohuhu color markers (shown above). These have both a brush nib and fineliner nib in one. However, you may have seen there are a lot of negative reviews out there on the Twimarkers, because the bullet nib frays easily. It's not encased in metal like the Ohuhu marker, so this creates a problem.
The Arteza Inkonic fineliners are just a classic fineliner. They come in a beautiful set of 120, but the Ohuhus come with a brush nib too, plus 40 additional colors and are 2 cents/marker CHEAPER! I was really surprised to see this when I did the math. The Ohuhus are killing it so far in value.
After I run my watercolor brush (with plain water) over each sample, you can see how water soluble each product is. The Tombows disolve the most. If watersolubility is important to you- you might want to keep that in mind when buying a set of these markers - the Ohuhus seem to disolve too, but not nearly to the extent of the Tombows.
To get started with this particular project, I decided to flip through the reference photos for drawing I compiled in my book called The Celtic Collection. 
This is a fun book of copyright free fantasy art reference images I compiled for one of my art clubs called The Celtic Collective, that I run with one of my art besties, Lucy Brydon. If you love fairies and fantasy art, click here to learn more about The Celtic Collective.
Press play on today's video to see if I was able to achieve the watercolor painting effect I love from the water based Ohuhus. Thanks for hanging out with me today! ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL MY ONLINE ART CLASSES & Art Clubs ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP
Using photos of faces for drawing reference WILL make you a better artist. There's no question in my mind! Recently an awesome reference photo was shared in my Facebook group. Seeing this post got me thinking about how GORGEOUS the reference image was, for so many different reasons.
My teacher brain spiraled about all the things I needed to tell you! Hence... the LIVE. This video is a MUST SEE for you if ...
Here's the post that inspired today's LIVE... 
I know, right?!
I'm not watching Yellowstone right now, but clearly I should be ;)
Before we get into how amazing this image is and WHY, you need to download my FREE 4-page cheatsheet packet called the Face Drawing Cheatsheet Bundle. This will help you SO much if you're just learning how to draw a face, or if you want to improve your face drawing skills. The info inside works beautifully whether your'e drawing a man or a woman.
The bundle includes my Face Drawing Guidelines, Shading Guide, my How to Draw Eyelashes Guide, and a Face Base / Face Drawing Template if you feel like you don't want to fuss with drawing proportions and would rather cut something out that can be traced directly into your art journal or sketchbook. Simply click on the button below and I'll send the packet right over. 
After you get your packet downloaded and are ready to practice, you can join me in this live stream video, or feel free to check out this playlist of How to Draw & Shade a Face in 5 Minutes if you feel like this LIVE is a little too advanced for you.
When you're ready, join me back on the live stream because I have some really cool face shading tips to share with you - whether you're drawing faces for beginners, or a more advanced artist!! 
Reference photo drawing is super helpful for both whimsical drawing (semi-realistic drawing) and realistic drawing. References make a HUGE impact on your work.
They actually make your job as an artist EASIER because they give your brain a little break (you don't have to think up a zillion details to include in your drawing), and they give you ALL the "answers" your brain needs to observe in order to create something amazing. To get you started on finding faces for drawing reference, you need to find an image you love! Here is a page right out of my How to Draw & Find Your Style book that talks ALL about reference photo drawing. 
While this model is gorgeous, and I totally want to draw her too - if you look closely at all the gray tones in this photo- you'll see they're all basically THE SAME! That means this image really isn't the best choice to use as a face drawing reference.
It's better to choose an image that has ALL the values in the value scale represented from the lightest light, to the darkest dark. Why? It will make the drawing easier for you to draw, and your drawing will look fantastic because you're using every shade of gray in the value scale. If you're new to value scale drawing, today's video will help you out. You can also check out this one to learn how to create your own value scale using pencils. This is also an exercise members of the Fun Fab Drawing Club and Mixed Media Society do right from the beginning. I highly encourage you to create one for yourself! 
If you're not sure if a face drawing reference image you've selected will be great for drawing, just print it in black and white with your printer. This is a super easy way to convert a color image to black and white, and it's actually better to draw with anyway! This is especially helpful if you're drawing in graphite, because it's tough to replicate what you see in color using grayscale pencils.
Sometimes, I use reference photos PURELY for the shading information. Today, I'm going to show you how you can even use the face shading information from one photo to create a totally different drawing! It's really kinda magical, and why my face shading guide in this cheatsheet packet is SO VALUABLE! Make sure you grab that download if you haven't yet :) Then click over to the video to watch how I "steal" the face shading inspiration from Yellowstone dude's photo to guide how I shade the face of a completely different drawing of a woman. 
Pretty Cool, right?!!
Thanks for hanging out with me today!! And in case you're wondering if I did actually draw Jamie from Yellowstone- I totally did, and shared him in our Facebook Group for Awesome Art School ;) 
I also turned this into a real time drawing lesson and dropped it into The Fun Fab Drawing Club "Dudes" classroom for my beloved club members like Heather!
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM
Today's charcoal portrait is inspired by my love of fantasy art and ALL things magical! If you've never worked with charcoal sticks or charcoal pencils before - it's something you HAVE to explore!
I feel like a sculptor whenever I create a charcoal drawing. I think it has something to do with the fact that I use my fingers to blend and shade, so it's like I become one with the medium. If you've been looking for new charcoal drawing ideas, love female fantasy art, or just feel like watching a relaxing drawing video without any talking - THIS VIDEO is FOR YOU! 
The angle of the face in today's drawing video is called 3/4 view. This is actually one of the hardest face drawing angles to do proportionally. If you're struggling with how to draw a three quarter portrait, be sure to download my FREE 3/4 view face drawing guidelines. Simply click on the button below and I'll send them straight over.
After you get your three quarter portrait drawing guidelines downloaded and are ready to practice, you might want to start with this playlist to practice sketching a 3/4 face. It's perfect for beginners and isn't time lapsed like today's video!
If you're new to charcoal drawing, you're might be wondering how to draw with charcoal or how to start a charcoal portrait.
I like to start a charcoal drawing by blocking out a general outline of where I want things to go using a piece of charcoal in an old sock. I KNOW, It sounds totally crazy!! But when you watch today's video, watch how I get started. You can achieve the softest, dreamiest lines with this simple charcoal drawing technique (shown below). 
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.
When I'm happy with my general outline, I use one of my graphite pencils (blackwing drawing pencil) to sketch in more firm outlines, and later darken them using a charcoal stick (below). 
Next, I look at my reference image and let my eyes follow the values I see from lightest to darkest, and allow my hand to record them onto my paper. This is where drawing has so much to do with observational skills and in a way, we're like engineers or someone doing data entry.
If you really study your reference image for shades of black, gray and white - instead of focusing on the facial features you think your brain knows how to draw (or is intimated to draw), it makes the whole process of accurately recording what you see SO MUCH EASIER. 
After most of the face and hair shading is done, I add detail around the eyes, and some super dramatic eyelashes.
Lots of my students struggle with how to draw eyelashes. If you feel like you need some extra help with eyelash drawing, I've got ya covered with two great videos to help - one on my drawing channel, and one on my mixed media channel. CLICK HERE to download my FREE How to Draw Eyelashes Cheatsheet. 
Today's drawing was inspired by the reference image I found from darkodordevic @ DeviantArt.com.
Press play to watch today's time lapse drawing video! LOVE FANTASY ART as much as I do?! You might just LOVE the Celtic Collective!! It's an art club I run with my Scottish bestie, Lucy Brydon. We teach drawing and watercolor lessons of all things fairy, fantasy & magic!!Learn more & get notified when enrollment opens again here. Lucy and I also do a weekly podcast called 1 Scot 1 Not. We don't have an episode specifically on sirens, but this one on the Finfolk is close in case you're interested! 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
How have I NEVER tried pan pastels before in any of my mixed media portraits?! I KNOW!! I just purchased a pan pastel set of 80, and am super excited to PLAY with them for the FIRST TIME. Will my pan pastels portrait fail on yupo paper? Is layering pan pastels easy or hard? What art supplies "play nicely" with them? NO CLUE!
Today's mixed media art supply demo is all about letting go & discovering the answers on my own as I play. It is in this space of experimentation where we can truly be FREE as artists! If you're new to pan pastel art like me, need a little push to TRY something new, or curious if you should add some pan pastel colors to your own art supply stash - THIS VIDEO is FOR YOU! 
I don't about you, but I like to dive in "blind" whenever I experiment with a new art supply! I think it's fun to not know how things are gonna work, how they'll react together, and figure it all out by myself first!
Then I love to dive into research LATER if things went wrong, because for me - my experience helps me to craft my knowledge. My hope for you with today's video is that you feel empowered to try anything and everything you want to all by yourself. You can learn SO much by doing this!! 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 found an awesome face shading reference photo on DeviantArt that inspired today's project. He's a side profile drawing in 3/4 view.
If you'd like to try drawing a 3/4 portrait, and need a little help, click the button below to download my FREE 3/4 view Face Drawing Guidelines! I'll email them right over to you.
The paper I'm using today is called Yupo paper. It's 100% non-pourous, and basically plastic! When you draw on it - you'll experience a really slippery sensation, like 80x slippier than bristol!
As you'll see in the video- it doesn't matter how many times I've drawn a face, I ALWAYS go back to basics and sketch in my face drawing guidelines first. This helps me ensure the face I'm drawing will come out with facical features that are proportionate. If you need help getting the proportions of the 3/4 portrait correct, CLICK HERE to download my free cheatsheet. 
If you're interested in learning more about how to draw male faces check out my book - How to Draw Fun Fab Fellas. I don't draw guys nearly enough, honestly! And they're really fun because the angles in their faces are SO different from women.
As I was drawing this particular guy, I really felt like he was turning into a young Van Gough!
Since I'm totally doing this project from the perspective of a pan pastels beginner... and also new to working on Yupo paper- I have no idea how my first layer of pan pastels is going to stick to the paper, because it literally has zero texture and feels like a skating rink.
If you don't have any pan pastel sets yet, I recommend trying the set of 20, or the skin tones set of 7. I used one of the pan pastel Sofft tools (they came with my pan pastels set of 80), to apply some color to the background, and it was seriously done in under a minute. If you need some applicators, try this little set of 12 mini sponges, and/or this set Craft Ink Blending Brushes. 
I experimented with trying combining my pan pastels and Prismacolor colored pencils, but wasn't patient enough to work with that for a long period of time. It was great for adding some detail in the beard (above), but I needed something bolder and faster to work with.
I discovered using my Neocolor IIs by Caran d'Ache really worked well and helped me to achieve the depth I was struggling to get out of the pan pastels alone.
I had heard pan pastels are eraseable, but they didn't erase well with my beloved vanish eraser. I also tried using the eraser on my Blackwing pencil, and had much better luck. I love chiseling highlights out of the face shading I do, so enjoyed playing with this fun pan pastels technique!
If you know me and my work at all, you know I'm a HUGE FAN of outlining. And you may know that as soon as I pull out my pentel pocket brush, the project is basically over! LOL. I hope you have fun with this demo, and enjoy working with pan pastels on your own as much as I did!
Today I'm trying 5 watercolor moon painting techniques out to see which ones create THE BEST lunar effects! Check out what happens when I test naturally granulating watercolor by Daniel Smith vs adding granulating medium. Plus- how does regular table salt compare with kosher salt watercolor painting? And- how does the texture of my favorite Fabriano watercolor paper change the effects when I paint on hot press vs cold press paper? Click over to today's video to find out!
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've drawn 5 moon circles on each page of Fabriano watercolor paper. On the left, I've got 140# hot press (smooth) watercolor paper, and on the right- I have a sheet of 140# cold press (textured) watercolor paper.
I love granulating watercolor (this means the color separates a bit and you can see tiny particles in it, like in the pic above). The first granulating shade I chose to work with is lunar violet by Daniel Smith.
I coated this entire circle with plain water first, then applied the color.This technique is called wet on wet watercolor. 
For fun I decided to add a few droplets of rubbing alcohol using a pipette to see if this would give me the look of moon craters. Above is how it looked on the textured, cold press watercolor paper.
As you can see, wherever the alcohol droplets were added, the watercolor dispersed. Click over to the video to see how the wet on wet watercolor technique looks on the hot press watercolor paper.
I tried the same alcohol watercolor technique to see how this looked on the hot press watercolor paper, and so far I'm loving how this looks.
For the next "moon," I used the same wet on wet technique with rose of ultramarine by daniel smith. While it was still wet, I sprinkled some table salt over this one because salt watercolor painting can give you some gorgeous effects!
Isn't that beautiful?!
The next color I'm testing out is shadow violet. This time I used the wet on dry watercolor technique, and tried adding a few extra droplets of plain water to see what happened. At first I kinda hated how this looked- but after it dried, it started to look a bit more "planetary." For my fourth watercolor moon, I decided to use cascade green (also by Daniel Smith). I mixed this off to the side with about 50% granulating medium because I really want to see how this separates the colors of this gorgeous blue green. 
I just love the way the colors immediately separate in my palette, but it doesn't transfer to the paper in the same way like I expected it to, so that's a little disappointing.
The final color I wanted to test out today is imperial purple (another granulating watercolor by Daniel Smith). It separates into pinks and purples and reminds me a lot of the effects I love getting from activating my elegant writer! It's so pretty (bottom right corner, below)!
For this one, I tried adding one more medium - an irridescent medium, and just becuase I love salt watercolor painting effects, tried sprinkling kosher salt on top.
Once dry, the irridescent medium doesn't do very much to create that shimmery look I was hoping for, so again - I'm feeling a little disappointed in this medium.
Today's test has definitely shown me that the mediums I tried aren't really worth it, and we're better off just getting a set of irridescent, metallic or granulating watercolors if these are effects we enjoy. Thanks for hanging out with me today! Make sure you click over to the video to see each technique in action and decide which one YOU like best!
The Tombow mono zero eraser is an ESSENTIAL drawing supply in my studio. If you've never used it before - the mono eraser is built like a mechanical pencil, but filled with a long, skinny eraser instead of graphite.
In today's drawing supply demo, I'll show you why the Tombow mono eraser is a MUST HAVE in my studio + the QUICK & EASY ways I use it to add dimension when I'm shading faces in graphite. If you're just learning how to draw faces, or curious about what the mono zero eraser can do for you - today's video is a MUST SEE!! 
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.
The mono eraser is one of my MOST FAVORITE drawing tools on the planet! As you can see, the mono eraser (right) is WAY smaller (less than half the size!) of the eraser on my pentel mechanical pencil.
The mono's tiny eraser nib enables me to chisel highlights into my drawings after I've already done some shading.
I've nearly finished a Fairy Witch graphite drawing project for The Celtic Collective, and just need to add in some highlights. I thought you might like to watch how I do this using the mono eraser. Interested in learning MORE about the Celtic Collective? Add your name to the waitlist here to be notified the next time we're open for enrollment! 
The crystal necklace around this girl's neck is definitely an area where I need to add some thin reflections. I use my mono eraser in a similar way to my drawing pencils and tend to just "draw in" highlights wherever I want them to go.
It's literally like sculpting - I carve the highlights OUT of previously shaded sections to remove some of the graphite and add dimension by revealing newly "drawn" white highlights. 
Another way I like to use the mono eraser is for cleaning up my edges. In the photo above, I ran the tiny eraser nib along the darker outlines of this piece of jewelry to remove sketchy lines, smudges, etc.
I LOVE adding drama to the center of the upper eyelids when I'm shading faces. My Tombow mono zero eraser is perfect for blending out highlights here to help the eye look more bulbous and realistic.
Do you love drawing and shading faces too? Or maybe you're just learning how to draw faces? You NEED my FREE whimsical face drawing guidelines. They're super easy to follow, and will help you draw proportional facial features every time. Simply click the button below to request your free guidelines cheatsheet, and I'll email it right over!
If you're just getting starting with learning how to draw faces, I've got a quick playlist of face drawing tutorials for you to practice with, that is perfect for beginners! It's FREE on YouTube, and is the perfect way for you to start playing with the whimsical face drawing guidelines.
If you know me and my work at all, you KNOW I'm not a huge fan of detail work. LOL! But the Tombow mono zero eraser has helped me add another layer of dimension to my work and I kinda love doing it!!
Whenever I'm drawing hairstyles in pencil, I also love using my mono zero eraser to create the illusion of individual strands of hair within my drawing. CLICK OVER to the video to see this technique in action.
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
Today's CREEPY skull watercolor project for Halloween was a special request from my students over at Awesome Art School! If you're not sure how to draw a skull, don't worry - I guide you through the skull drawing step by step. Then we'll bring it to life with one of my favorite art supplies that works JUST like watercolor - Noodler's Ink!
If you're curious how I paint with fountain pen ink, complete this project with so few art supplies, or if you're just in the mood for a spooky mixed media Halloween art project, hop over to YouTube because today's Halloween watercolor video is FOR YOU. 
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 created today's tutorial project in my Strathmore Watercolor Journal. It's filled with cold press (textured), 140# paper. If you're new to art-ing with me - I LOVE using this watercolor journal for my mixed media work because the paper is so hearty. It can really take a beating from whatever layers and art supplies I want to throw at it, and has become one of my go-tos over the years.
If you're new to mixed media art, looking for mixed media examples, or clear instructions on how to layer your mixed media art supplies so you can make a masterpiece instead of a mess, look no further! I've been teaching my 7-step "Hamburger System" for almost 2 years now and it's been a game changer for SO many students. 
While the Hamburger System is my main mixed media layering process I use when creating full blown mixed media portraits (like the one above), sometimes I enjoy lightening up on the art supplies and layering.
I'm calling this condensed layering process "The Hot Dog System," and it's perfect for mixed media beginners!
There are just four simple layers in my Hot Dog System:
I've put together a ginormous 32-page PDF (you're welcome!), giving you examples of 4-art supply layer combos- HOT DOG STYLE- not just from me, but from TWENTY of my artsy friends to inspire you! Click the button below to download this FREE 32-page stack of cheatsheets just filled with Hot Dog System inspiration!
A copy of today's skull drawing reference is included in the above cheatsheet packet, so be sure to click that button and get a copy so you can create along with me!
If you're not sure how to draw a skull, don't worry- I take the skull drawing step by step in this tutorial. 
Drawing a skull is like drawing anything - we just break it down and take it shape by shape, starting from the top.
I saw a large circle at the top of the skull and basically decided to warm myself up by sketching a few light circles until I got the shape I wanted and saw in my reference image.
Once I got a bit further down the face of my skull drawing, I started cracking myself up, because my drawing looked like I'm actually drawing Darth Vader! LOL! I swear I'm NOT - he just looked this way before I started drawing the mouth.
When I sketched in the lower jaw and blocked off the area for the teeth, I was seriously reminded of the smiling Italian woman from my Whimsical Women of the World series on my drawing channel last year! She was another student request (how to draw a smiling mouth with teeth), that I created a lesson around just for my students (see below).
For me, drawing teeth is a laborious process (hence why MOST of my whimsical faces and mixed media portraits have closed mouths!).
In all seriousness though, I think the biggest mistake people make when drawing teeth is drawing them all straight, perfect and the SAME. Check out how each tooth below has an individual, unique (and wonktastic) shape. It might look crazy - but I'm just drawing in the shapes I see in my reference photo. 
As soon as the upper teeth were sketched in, I headed into that bottom row to knock them out so we could move on with the drawing and get to my favorite part - shading!
In today's tutorial, I shaded with one of my favorite mixed media art supplies - fountain pen inks. Most people use these for writing or even drawing, but I use them exactly like I do my watercolors, and PAINT with them! If you're new to painting with fountain pen inks, check out this playlist. It's got your name all over it! If you love watercolor - this is definitely something you HAVE to try. 
I layered a variety of ink shades (Hot Dog Layer #2: Noodler's Ink) carefully on top of the previous layer (once the previous layer was dry), and worked from light to dark to shade my drawing to look like the skull drawing reference image (Click here if you want to grab a download of the drawing reference and all my HOT DOG SYSTEM layering tips with inspo from 20 of my artsy friends!!).
When I was happy with my "watercoloring," I moved on to incorporate colored pencils to smooth my transitions and work in some highlights (Hot Dog Layer #3).
Once those were in a good place, I pulled the tape off my journal page and started doodling in my 4th layer with my pentel pocket brush (Hot Dog Layer #4), and...DONE! I hope you enjoyed today's project and take some time to go through the helpful PDF I've put together for you!! I think you'll love seeing the mixed media inspiration from not only me, but from TWENTY of my artsy friends who also enjoy creating mixed media art journal pages and canvases with fewer supplies!! 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 |
Karen CampbellFounder of Awesome Art School. Mixed Media Artist. Author of 15 Instructional Art Books!    
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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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