Category: Art Supply Reviews

TROPICAL WATERCOLOR SET by Prima SUPER HONEST Product Review!!

1/7/2023

So I THOUGHT the Current watercolor set by Prima was my favorite of all the little Prima palettes I've tested... until today! Today, I FINALLY feel like I found exactly what I've been looking for in these watercolor sets.

If you know me - you know I LOVE bright, punchy, even obnoxious saturated color, which for me, is tough to find in watercolor as a medium (and why I often turn to fountain pen ink painting).

The colors in Prima's Tropical watercolor set are so luscious, rich, vibrant, and TOTALLY me!! I can't wait for you to check them out!!

*All product links are affiliate and for U.S. residents only.*

Take a good look at the photo above. Does this look anything like what you'd imagine a tropical watercolor set might look like? Of course NOT! That's exactly why I tell everyone how important it is to swatch your colors BEFORE you start painting.

Case in point... the photo below shows what's hiding inside the Prima Marketing Tropical Watercolor Confections palette once you add the magic of water!

Gorgeous, right?! You would never know that unless you swatched them. Swatching totally eliminates the potential for a mixed-media mess of surprises as you're painting, and is a gift to your future self.

If you've been hanging out with me for my Prima watercolor series on YouTube, you know that I'm such a fan of swatching that I do it twice. Once on the little swatch card included with my palette, and a second time in a little watercolor swatch book I use as a backup in case I ever lose the card.

Make sure you click over to see Prima's Tropical Watercolor set in action as I paint this fairy watercolor lesson for the Celtic Collective.

I had SO much fun layering the colors from this set to create unique skin tones and hair for my fairy! But I think the bold blooms of color in the background just might have been my favorite part! I'm in love with the intensity of this palette :)

Wanna Create This Lesson Together
Step-by-Step in Real-Time?

You can find it in the Celtic Collective over at Awesome Art School! The Collective is an art membership that I co-host with my Scottish bestie, Lucy Brydon. Together, we provide super fun fantasy art lessons on everything from fairies and mermaids to castles and dragons!

We're only open for enrollment a few times a year, so make sure to add your name to the waitlist so you can get notified the next time we're taking on new members.

?Wanna see all the projects inside the Celtic Collective? Check out our Visual Index!

Wanna See MORE Prima Reviews?

I've done so many lately! I've been in love with Prima since I discovered the Complexions set back in 2019. Hopefully this playlist helps you decide which palettes might be a great addition to your art supply stash (again - none of these review videos have been sponsored, and I paid for each set reviewed with my own hard-earned money, so these are my honest opinions).

Need MORE Resources?

❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON (affiliate links)
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP

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Massive DRAWING ERASER Review!

20/3/2023

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I've been using my Vanish eraser faithfully for a decade, and think it's by far the best drawing eraser out there. I can always find them at my local Jerry's Artarama for $2 each, but I know they're not always easy to find, and can't get over how Amazon charges around $7 a pop for them!

Today I'm on the hunt for a vanish eraser alternative that produces awesome results, is more readily available worldwide, and CHEAPER.

Let's get to it!!

To get us started, I've laid some shading down on drawing paper in graphite, charcoal, black colored pencil, India ink and pastel. Lots of the erasers I've picked up for today's test claim to ERASE India ink! Who knew that was a thing?! Let's see how they do...

As you'll see in the video, I tested my Vanish eraser first. It leaves behind larger chunks of eraser shavings and no dust once used, which I find super easy to clean up.

It did a beautiful job lifting graphite (as always), and even removed a bit of the India ink and pastel - which I never would've guessed was possible!

The Prismacolor Magic Rub did fairly well, but tended to smear on all mediums tested. It also left behind a LOT of eraser shavings that either made a mess or tried to kinda work their way into the texture of the paper wherever it was used. The price point on Amazon for the Magic Rub was just right at $1-2 each, but overall, I wasn't impressed with its results.

The pentel Hi-Polymer eraser tended to smear like the Magic Rub and also left behind too many eraser bits for me. I found it on Amazon for only about $1/eraser, but felt it was only slightly better than the Prismacolor in performance.

The first one to slightly impress me was by Faber-Castell. It didn't perform drastically different from the others, but didn't smear or leave behind a huge mess, and cost less than $1 on Amazon - so at this point is a contender.

The Factis two-toned eraser by Generals was the first eraser in today's test to give me a noticeable difference from the rest. It left behind large "crumbles" after each use (which I prefer), and seemed to leave the page slightly whiter than my Vanish when erasing graphite!

The downside of this one is price point. I had a hard time finding it for less than $9 each on Amazon. It performed beautifully though, so if you see one at your local craft store for less, I highly recommend grabbing it!

The Tombow Mono sanded eraser "for ink" (below) has a sanded edge to it, which is kinda unique. I didn't know erasing india ink was a thing before today!

Out of all the erasers tested, the Mono definitely worked best at lifting India ink shading, but it was a little rough on the paper. I felt like if I'd been working on watercolor paper it would've shredded it, so handle with care if you pick one of these up.

The Staedtler Mars plastic eraser did a fantastic job. It was the best at lifting pastel, and did pretty well at lifting India ink. It's got a really nice shape and feels comfortable to hold, is widely available, and only about $1-2 all over Amazon. So far, this might be my fave!!

Make sure you click over to watch the video to see the remaining erasers I tested, and to get my FINAL recommendation if I had to choose an alternative to my beloved Vanish eraser!

Wanna Learn How to Draw a Face?

Feel like you've been putting your erasers to the test trying to draw a face?! I get it!!

If you're not sure how to draw a face, or have just started drawing faces, THIS IS MY JAM!! I'd love to make face drawing easier for you with 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!

Once you print your guidelines out, check out this playlist and I'll teach ya how to use them while we draw and shade an easy face in pencil together, step-by-step.

Obsessed with Drawing?

Me toooooo! We're having THE BEST time over in my Fun Fab Drawing Club over at Awesome Art School and would LOVE for you to join us!!!

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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I'm so glad I tried ARTGRAF TAILOR SHAPE in my Mixed Media Art Journal!!

14/3/2023

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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!

Thanks for watching!!

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

31/1/2023

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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...

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My Honest Review of Hippie Crafter Paint Pens

24/1/2023

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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!

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My HONEST Opinion of the MeiLiang Watercolor Paint Set of 48

10/1/2023

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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!!

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Thanks for hanging out with me today!!

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

12/12/2022

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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

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Testing a NEW MIXED MEDIA ART Idea From My STUDENT!

22/11/2022

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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

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UNBOXING Blackwing Volume 7 Fiasco + The BEST BLACKWING PENCIL for Drawing

27/9/2022

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What's the deal with Blackwing pencils anyway?! Lots of drawing artists love them, but why? Today, I'm talking ALL things Blackwing in this product review, will show you which Blackwing pencil is best for drawing, and can't wait to share the unboxing of my FIRST Blackwing Volumes Subscription Box!

Wanna learn how to draw an easy face in pencil? Download 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 and I'll send it straight to your inbox!

Once you print your cheatsheet out, meet me here to draw and shade the face below...

I'm OBSESSED with Blackwing pencils! The one above is my absolute fave and is what I'm drawing with in all of my videos (unless I need a finer lead and the weight of my mechanical pencil).

If you're new to Blackwing - these pencils are basically the "aristocracy" of the graphite world. Some people only care about that, but I'm definitely not one of them.

What I care about is the drawing experience a pencil provides for myself and my students.

I've discovered working with one single Blackwing pencil gives me the experience of having an entire pencil set and specialty eraser - packaged into a single pencil. Most importantly - it gives me FAB results!

I often see the trio above of white, gray and black packaged together as a set on Amazon. Make sure you click over to the video if you want to learn more about the difference between the Blackwing pencils in this set and see how they write.

Each pencil from this set has a different "hardness" to the graphite inside it. The white one is called Blackwing Pearl and has the hardest lead. It creates the faintest/thinnest lines. The gray one is a Blackwing 602 with medium soft lead and creates medium bold/slightly thicker lines than the Pearl. This one has been a favorite of musicians, authors, and artists since the 1930s! Two of the 602's most passionate followers include John Steinbeck and Shamus Culhane (animator for Disney's Snow White - who asked to be BURIED with his Blackwing 602!).

The black one above has the softest lead and is my favorite. It's the Palomino Black Matte and gives me the greatest range of light to dark for shading. Depending on how much pressure I use on my paper - I feel like this one can give me anything from a low H to an 8B. ALL of those values packed into one pencil make this one extremely valuable!

Another thing that makes Blackwings unique is their eraser. The Blackwing pencil eraser has a rectangular shape that reminds me of working with my Tombow mono eraser. Even better - the erasers are totally removable and replaceable. You can flip the used side over to start using the opposite side, or slide it out completely to replace it. So cool, right?!

The cheapest way to try Blackwings out is to grab one at your local art supply shop (typically around $4/each), or to drop a box of 12 into your Amazon cart.

I know they're expensive, and the price point's not for everyone. If they're not in your budget, FINE! Pick up any old pencil you have lying around your house and draw with that. Who cares what YOU draw with! The most important thing is that YOU DRAW :)

When you're ready and have a few extra bucks - experiment with a pencil set like this from Amazon or your local craft store.

If you're in the market for MORE than a pencil set - you might just LOVE the set of drawing supplies I curated with Jerry's Artarama called The Fun Fab Illustration Set.

The pencils in this kit are by Cezanne and provide a super dark 12B - which I never even knew existed before I tried them!

If you've been following me for a while - you know I'm a busy girl and kinda love flying by the seat of my pants! If I've got somewhere to go and want to bring my sketchbook ... for me - it's SO much easier to fly out the door with one pencil (that does literally everything), instead of fumbling around with an entire set.

Make sure you click over to the video to see the great reveal of what's inside this month's Blackwing Volumes Subscription Box! It's my very first one, and happens to be Blackwing Volume 7 - a tribute to animator Chuck Jones (illustrator of Wile E. Coyote).

I have a feeling there might be some limited edition Blackwing animation pencils inside! So excited to check it out...

Come on!!

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

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

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

1/8/2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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