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Let's Get Your Creative Juices Flowing!!!
I LOVE doing mixed media collage for the faces I create on canvas or in my art journal! Typically I will do a collage background FIRST in my mixed media art projects, but today I started with a spray painted background and stencils. Then I drew in a face shape, added gesso, collage paper, and created this beauty in my classic "Hamburger" style. If you need a little inspiration or some NEW mixed media art ideas for your canvas backgrounds - I love doing this technique for mixed media backgrounds on canvas! It goes SO fast and looks amazing when you're done. Don't get creeped out by the picture below. LOL! I know it looks a little scary- but after I drew in a face shape, I filled the whole face and neck in with gesso so my next layer (collage), would really pop on top of my fun background, and not get lost. Check out just how EASY this mixed media collage technique is!! I used some beautiful collage paper and trimmed it to fit the face shape I'd sketched over my background. After the collage layer was dry, I started shading the face with acrylics. I did lots of fun layering here- using a variety of skin tone colors, more gesso, and continually re-drawing the facial features if they got covered up! Make sure you watch the video to see how this process comes together. Once I was happy with my acrylics, I sealed everything with mod podge and continued "Hamburger Style" - using pitt pens and posca pens for more shading and detail work. Not sure what my "Hamburger System" is? It's my signature mixed media layering process. Lots of people struggle with understanding their supplies and how they work best together, but it's EASY once someone shows you how! I compare layering my supplies to the way you layer toppings for the perfect burger! I've got an entire FUN YouTube series of tutorials, cheatsheets, and even wrote a mixed media art BOOK about it!! Download the FREE, one-page cheatsheet that explains it all by clicking the button below. I'll send it straight to your inbox so you can print it and keep it at your art table for reference to help you with mixed media layering. Above is nearing the end of my acrylic painting proces before I sealed her with mod podge, and below is AFTER, while adding the fun details that REALLY make her come to life. I hope you enjoy watching this timelapse version of the step by step process I LOVE using to create mixed media portraits!! 🍔 NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING or LAYERING your mixed media art supplies? I'd LOVE to help!! Check out my Hamburger System & Get all my FREE TIPS in this YouTube series!!!
❤️Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
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Today I'm spilling ALL my Mixed Media Painting SECRETS about WHY ACRYLIC PAINTS are best for layering. If you're a beginner in the world of mixed media art, or just curious about how many crazy types of acrylic paint are out there to help you make a little mixed media MAGIC - today's video is FOR YOU! One of the biggest questions/complaints I get from my students has to do with using watercolors in mixed media art. They always ask me WHERE in the Hamburger System to put their beloved watercolors, and WHY their watercolors "won't sit still" if they try to put mod podge over them. If you know me, you know I LOVE some special time with my luscious Daniel Smith watercolors, Noodler's Ink, or really ANY watersoluble product I can get my hands on (black stabilo all, anyone?!) The thing about watersoluble art supplies is... they are DESIGNED to move, not stay put - even if they're fully dry. Even something as simple as putting a layer of mod podge OVER watercolors to "seal" them...isn't gonna work. And right here is where I get most of the complaints from my watercolor lovers. I'm a watercolor lover as much as the next girl. But, when it comes to acrylic painting vs watercolor for mixed media layering, acrylic paints win hands down because they DON'T MOVE. They dry to a plastic, nonporous surface. What this means in the world of mixed media is that acrylics are AMAZING for layering (something we do a LOT of as mixed media artists)! Acrylic paints are non-watersoluble, and don't re-activate. That fact alone makes them magical to TONS of artists. My biggest advice to my watercolor lovers is to ... learn to USE (or love!) ACRYLICS whenever you intend to do lots of layering for your mixed media art!! Don't worry, there are SO many types of acrylic paint out there. I'm actually gonna show you some THIN acrylics that behave kinda like watercolors, so stay with me!! Here's a mixed media art example of a piece I created with some unique layering. AND, I did my collage later at a different point than I normally would if I were using my Hamburger System. ![]() I typically love to start my mixed media art projects with collage. In the above mixed media portrait, I started with a layer of acrylic SPRAY PAINT (super FUN process)! Then I collaged over that, did some more acrylic painting, and collaged over that AGAIN. The reason I could do that is because I was using acrylic paints! Speaking of my Hamburger System, I've got a 1 page cheatsheet of this layering system I can send to you if you like. Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your email! There are LOTS of options when it comes to the types of acrylic paints on the market. Beginners, listen up, because this will help you understand your mixed media painting supplies SOOO much! Each brand has a range of products you can try, depending on the type of effect you're in the mood for. Additionally, most brands also have a "student" grade (like Liquitex Basics, featured below), if you don't want to spend a fortune on acrylic painting supplies. I pulled together a wide variety of options to show you for today's acrylic painting demo so you have an idea of what each one does in case you're interested in trying them! ![]() If you like the look of something chunky, you might want to try knife painting, or using a "heavy bodied" acrylic paint. This type of acrylic paint keeps its form, is very thick and opaque. Most heavy body acrylics come in tubes like the ones above. HOWEVER...there are also heavy bodied paints that come in an applicator like the one below! Check out this fun 3D Liner by Sennelier! This is a fine art product (that means it's light fast, and not moving around). It goes on kina like "puffy paints" for adults!! How fun is THAT?! You've gotta see how this works! If you're interested in trying a softer bodied acrylic you might be interested in trying a line from Matisse called "Flow." It has a nice consistency to it, but if you're into knife painting, this isn't going to give you the texture you'll find in a heavy body acrylic. Not only do the consistencies of acrylic paints vary, but their sheen will as well. Take a look at these GORGEOUS iridescents by Arteza!! While you definitely can add acrylic painting mediums to your paints to get results like this, I tend to be in the kinda girl who wants to grab a bottle, know what to expect from it, and go!! This is just pure fun. I mean, look at that GREEN!! In addition to soft bodied acrylics, there are fluid or "high flow" acrylics. These are heading into the direction of a consistency similar to watercolors, and where my watercolor lovers need to listen up! If you are one of the peeps adding water to your acrylic paints to get a thinner consistency out of them, please stop :) I say this with LOVE. Adding water will alter the chemical makeup of your acrylics. For the most part, it's just going to dilute your colors so they won't be as vibrant as they would be in their natural state...right out of the tube. You may not know this, but I don't even wet my paintbrushes prior to using my acrylics. Speaking of acrylic paintbrushes, if you need help understanding what paintbrushs to use, you'll want to check out this video. There are TONS of variations out there, so this will help to set you on the right path. Golden makes a great line of fluid acrylics and even has some awesome transparent acrylics if you enjoy the look of a thinner wash. If you are interested in creating an effect similar to watercolors, but using acrylics- I recommend reaching for "high flow acrylics." If you're in the mood for something EVEN "drippier," you have to try Liquitex acrylic inks! Make sure you click over to watch this video so you can SEE the drips!!! SERIOUSLY soooo fun!! Liquitex even put their professional, artist grade ink into some GIANT markers for us to play with (see below). Who doesn't want a ginormous, hot pink marker FULL of paint?! These can help you make some quick splatters with zero effort. Another fun acrylic product to try is called acrylic gouache. This is super matte when dry, and very flat. Gouache actually comes in different forms, and may be something you've tried if you're into watercolor or have done any classes with my favorite Scottish bud, Lucy Brydon. Liquitex has an awesome, artist grade acrylic gouache that is light fast and has a fun applicator tip you can play with. While you absolutely can go out and buy a collection of ALL these acrylic painting supplies, you DON'T have to, because acrylic paints have a HUGE collection of mediums that were made just for this purpose - to change the properties of acrylic paints!! How cool is that?! There are literally DOZENS of acrylic painting mediums you can try. The ones I pulled to show you are a handful of my favorites. Sometimes there is a ratio of how much medium should be added to how much acrylic paint, so be sure you read the instructions on the side of your bottle to get the best effects. If you're interested in the flat look of gouache, you might want to try Ultra Matte Medium by Liquitex. If you watch my mixed media YouTube channel, you know I use matte medium all the time as an adhesive for my collage pieces, but it can also tone down the glossiness of your acrylic paints. If you want to try thinning your acrylics, Golden makes a great airbrush medium that will thin your acrylic paints without diluting the pigment of your color! So if you're one of my friends who reaches for water to thin your paints...stop! PLEASE use this instead!! If you want your acrylics to behave more like oils, you can lengthen the drying time by adding a retarder. If you want to get drizzly with your paint while playing with textures, you can add Clear Tar Gel by Golden to your acrylics! PHEW!! That's a LOT of products!! Of course there are more, but this is a helpful foundation of acrylic painting basics and will DEFINITELY get ya started. Make sure you click over to actually WATCH this video because it helps to see what each product actually does on canvas! Are you in the mood to do some acrylic painting now?! I thougt so!! If you need a simple acrylic painting tutorial for beginners, this one is FREE, super cute and FUN! Interested in doing some acrylic painting at home, or looking for acrylic painting online classes? This one is perfect for beginners if you're ready to step up your game!!
Thanks SO much for hanging out with me today!! I hope you have a wonderful week!!! ❤️Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK HOW to DRAW EYES REALISTICALLY in Just 5 MINUTES! (#DrawingFacialFeatures with Karen Campbell)15/2/2021 Want me to teach you how to draw eyes realistically in just 5 minutes?! LET'S DO IT!! We're drawing facial features right now on my YouTube drawing channel and spending about 5 minutes drawing each reference image. If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face, have been struggling to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!! We're in week three of the 5 in 5 Drawing Facial Features series, and focusing on how to draw eyes - everyone's favorite! Make sure you download my 20-page drawing practice packet so you can draw right along with me. It's got all the drawing reference images in it and is yours FREE. Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox! Even though I'm on week three of the series, don't feel like you're behind if you are just discovering this. These drawing exercises are for YOU to do on your own time, at your own pace. There is no schedule, ok? I thought this packet might help us to "get out of our own heads" about how much time we need to set aside each week to actually DO an art project. That's one of the main reasons I'm trying to only spend about 5 minutes per eye drawing. I also know perfectionism is a big thing we all grapple with at times, especially when it comes to drawing. I'm hoping this will help! If you missed the first episode - I talked a lot about mindset shift, so make sure you check that out if it's something you struggle with. ![]() Let's get to it!! We've got five gorgeous eyes to focus on today. As we work on each eye drawing picture provided, I mainly want you to think about three things:
Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below 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 only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! We're doing all of drawing practice in pencil, so grab your favorite and make sure you have a good eraser. If you have a blending stump - get your dirtiest one ready! If you don't have one- no problem, use your finger or a q-tip to help you with blending. If you are interested in some fancier drawing tools - I'm using my favorite Blackwing pencil, vanish eraser, and Tombow Mono Eraser (that's the one that looks like a mechanical pencil, but is an eraser!). This thing is seriously magical for chiseling out teensy highlights!!! This week I also busted out my mechanical pencil because there really are some fine lines when you're drawing eyes and I feel like a thinner lead can really help with replicating that detail. ![]() I spend the bulk of my time on each eye trying to get the SHAPE right so it looks like the photo. It really helps to have a black and white image when you're drawing in pencil. And I gotta say, I really love working directly in the packet because I'm drawing right next to each reference. My goal was to spend roughly 5 minutes on drawing each reference image. This one took right around 6, so not bad - especially considering I threw an eyebrow into the drawing as well! Look ot this gorgeous second prompt! I'm trying to challenge us by using a variety of references from different ethnicities, AND I've switched things up so some of the references are the right eye, and some are the left. Aren't her lashes just stunning?? If you are interested in learning how to draw Asian eyes, I have two different tutorials you can check out from my last series that spend a little more time on this specifically. I've got one in greyscale of an Asian woman, and one of an Asian male, in color. Isn't this one pretty?! I JUST LOVE how each eye is so unique. As we move on to the third reference, you'll see her eye has a much different shape than the other two. When you're studying a reference photo, and things feel overwhelming, try to look for shapes you can copy in your drawing. For example, I always find it helps me to look at the tear duct of an eye as its own shape. In our third eye in today's worksheet, there is a very pronounced tear duct, as well as a pronounced wet line under her eye (this is where I felt the need for the mechanical pencil to jump in!). If you haven't seen me do this before, I totally help myself out and use a circle template when it comes to the iris, and sometimes even will use it for the pupil! I have no shame in using a template here, and neither should YOU!! It's just a little cheat to save time and get over that perfectionism trap we can all fall into when trying to draw a "perfect" circle. Can you spend time drawing each iris from scratch? Of COURSE you can! But that's not what this exercise is about. We're doing quick and easy practice. My circle template is a tool that helps me achieve that goal, so I encourage you to use one if it helps you too!! When it comes to the eyelashes - I LOVE adding eye makeup drama here. I know eyelashes can really be tough to draw for all of us at times, so I've got a cheatsheet with all my tips on eyelashes drawing. You can grab that here if you haven't already! Don't forget to kinda zoom out and hold your drawing out from a distance to compare it to the reference every so often. This will help you find little tweaks you can make to get your drawing to look more like the reference. When I did that with the above image, I noticed I needed a bit more shadow under the lower lid, so popped that in with my blending stump. lf you've never done drawing like this before, please don't be intimidated, and come try this with me. Beginners are ALWAYS welcome, and this is an amazing exercise to work on together. I LOVE the highlight on the iris in our 4th photo!! It's like a perfect little window!! The lashes on our last reference photo are AMAZING!! They're also downturned a smidge. Gorgeous right? Make sure you're watching the video so I can show you exactly how I sweep in with my pencil to capture what I see in these unique eyelashes. In case you need my 5 in 5 Practice Packet link one more time - here ya go - cick the button below and I'll send it straight to your inbox!! Good luck with today's eye drawing tutorial over on my YouTube drawing channel! I can't wait to see your work!! Please share it with me!
Thanks SO much for hanging out with me today!! I'll see you back here NEXT Monday for our next facial feature... Have a wonderful week!!! ❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK HOW to DRAW NOSES REALISTICALLY in Just 5 MINUTES! (#DrawingFacialFeatures with Karen Campbell)8/2/2021 Want me to teach you how to draw noses realistically in just 5 minutes?! LET'S DO IT!! Last week I started a new series on my drawing YouTube channel ALL about drawing facial features! Each week we're going to focus on a different facial feature, and will draw it five different times (from reference images provided), and will ONLY spend five minutes on each drawing! Sounds FUN right?! If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face or how to shade a face, have been struggling to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!! Last week I showed you how to draw lips realistically, and this week we're gonna tackle how to draw realistic noses!!! The only supplies you need are a pencil, an eraser, and my FREE 5 in 5 Practice Packet. If you haven't downloaded your packet yet, CLICK the BUTTON below and I'll send it straight to your inbox. Simply print it out, grab a pencil and click over to today's video on my YouTube Drawing Channel. If you missed last week's video on how to draw lips realistically, make sure to check that out, and draw along with me at your own pace on pages one and two of your packet. Feel free to go out of order and skip around. This is FOR YOU, and no one else. I've got 5 nose drawing references for us to work on today, so if you're drawing along with me (and I hope you do!!) flip to those two pages and let's get started! The goal is to spend about 5 minutes total on drawing exactly what you see in the reference image photo. You can draw right into your packet in the empty white space next to each photo. While we're doing these drawing exercises, I mainly want you to focus on three things:
Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below 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 only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! I'm working with my favorite Blackwing pencil again today. I love these because the graphite is SO soft. They are a luxury if you buy them individually, but around $2/each if you buy them in bulk. I feel like the lead is equivalent to a 4B, so I suggest working with that if you have it. If you don't - you can use a straight up #2 school pencil. I'm not kidding! Whatever gets the job done and has you drawing is what is most important!! As you'll see in the video, I do pull out my phone to time myself for each drawing. You totally don't have to do that!! I'm just doing this to keep myself focused because I could spend an hour working on ONE nose drawing, and that's not what this kind of drawing practice is about. What we're interested in right now is just spending time on something that is QUICK and EASY! I spend the bulk of my 5ish minutes observing my reference photo and trying to replicate what I see next to it in pencil. Once I'm happy with the gist of my nose outline drawing, I use the side of my pencil to get some graphite down and drag that around with a blending stump to add some shading. If you don't have a blending stump, don't worry about it! You can use your finger or a q-tip! If you DO have a blending stump, you WANT it to be dirty. In fact, the dirtier, the better! After I get the darkest part of my drawing done (nostrils), I pull out my Tombow Mono Eraser (I LOVE this thing)! If you haven't used one of these before, it's basically a mechanical eraser, like a mechanical pencil! It has this SUPER teeny tip that is awesome for carving out detail highlights. After you're done with your first nose drawing, make sure you hold your paper back a little to get some perspective. Compare your work to the reference to see if there are tweaks you want to make. If you're happy, move on to reference image number two! If you see something you could have done better, try to keep that in mind as you move on to the second image, and definitely don't beat yourself up about it! I'm finding as I do these drawing exercises with you that my first drawing is really a warm up, and I often get better the further into the packet I get!! The second nose has a really has a unique shape, doesn't it? That's exactly why I chose it! I really hunted around to try and find a wide variety of nose reference photos for you, so I HOPE you're drawing along with me while you watch my YouTube drawing tutorial, because this is ALL in "real time" with no timelapsing to help you make the MOST of your drawing practice! When I sit back and look at my drawing from a distance, I see that I really could have made the center highlight a bit more pronounced, so I make a few adjustments. Drawing has SO much to do with observational skills, so really take your time when studying each reference image. If you're just learning how to draw faces, or anything for that matter - your observational skills will develop and improve over time with practice. These little exercises are PERFECT to help you fine tune the way you look at images. Plus- if you watch my YouTube drawing lessons, you KNOW I'm all about pointing these little nuances out to help you along!! This third nose is super random, and not like ANY nose I've ever drawn before, but it gives me a great opportunity to teach you how to draw a nose from an angle. It's kind of an upturned nose. As you can see in the image above, really the ONLY drawing that goes into a nose is at the base, where the nostrils are. The rest is basically ALL shading and highlights!! Crazy, right?! If you've been away from drawing for a while, or get caught in a mindset of thinking you don't have enough time for drawing practice - I HEAR you!! SO many people have shared this concern with me, and it's one of the reasons I created this 5 in 5 Practice Packet! What I'm challenging each of us to do is to only carve out 5 minutes of time to work on each reference photo in the drawing packet. That can help us slowly shift our mindsets into thinking of our art practice in a different way. We don't have to set aside TONS of time for drawing practice. Just a few minutes a day is SOMETHING, and it's time you're carving out just for yourself. You're WORTH IT! Now my last nose of the day was actually my favorite of all five and I did that one the fastest! See... there's something to that whole idea of PRACTICE and not needing to spend ALL DAY on it either!! In case you need that link for the 5 in 5 Practice Packet one more time, here ya go - click the button below and I'll send it straight to your inbox! Good luck with today's fun nose drawing practice!! I hope it goes awesome for you. Make sure you click over to my drawing YouTube channel so we can do it TOGETHER!!! See ya there. Thanks SO much for hanging out with me today!! I'll see you back here NEXT Monday for our next facial feature... Have a wonderful week!!! ❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK I LOVE collaging art backgrounds for the mixed media portraits I create on canvas or in my art journal! Typically I will do a collage background FIRST in my mixed media art projects, but today I started with some gesso and acrylic painting followed by a little simple sheet music collage. I just LOVE how it turned out!! If you love to watch a timelapsed project set to music for a little mixed media inspiration, today's video is FOR YOU! Enjoy!! 🍔 NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING or LAYERING your mixed media art supplies? I'd LOVE to help!! Check out my "Hamburger" System & Get all my FREE TIPS in this YouTube series!!! 😍 LOVE Mixed Media Portraits but NOT INTO DRAWING? I've got a template & a series for that!! ✏️ WANNA LEARN HOW to DRAW a Fabulous FACE in 5 Minutes?! 🔥 LOVE Mixed Media on Canvas, but wanna save $$$ ? Use the trick in today's video! Upcycle an old record cover & throw a little gesso on top!! BOOM! You've got a super cute sqaure canvas ready and waiting for YOUR masterpiece!! ❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM Want me to teach you how to draw lips realistically in just 5 minutes?! LET'S DO IT!! Over the next few weeks on my YouTube drawing channel, we're going to be drawing facial features and spending 5 minutes on each reference image. If you've always wanted to learn how to draw a face, have been struggling to work drawing practice into your daily life, or need to add MORE FUN into your art practice, THIS SERIES IS FOR YOU!! TONS of people tell me about how they really struggle with not having enough time in their day to get a little art practice in. I get it!! Outside of my art - I'm a mom, I've gotta walk my Maggie a zillion times a day, figure out dinner every stupid day (LOL!). I'm with ya. We all have stuff!! But, if art is something YOU LOVE, and making the time to practice feels overwhelming because you feel like you need to dedicate a super long session of time to it - let's reframe that mindset. You don't need to have super long periods of time set aside to art. You can actually spend a few minutes a day on it if you want to, STILL have fun, and STILL grow as an artist! If you're hoping to get a more regular art practice started, one of my recommendations for that is to actually PUT IT IN YOUR CALENDAR. I know!! Sounds SO easy, right? But if you schedule some time for yourself - just as you would for something like a doctor's appointment - it's WAY more likely to happen. YOU'VE GOT THIS!! AND to help you have something TO DO for each of these little mini practice sessions, I've got a FREE surprise for ya!! I've created a fun (and FREE!!!) Drawing Practice Packet for us to do together! We're gonna spend the next few weeks drawing and shading lips, noses, eyes, face shapes, hairstyles and last but not least...ears!! All in pencil!!! Each week we're gonna study 5 reference photos of the same facial feature. For each reference photo - we're going to ONLY spend 5 minutes or less drawing what we see right next to each facial feature we're studying. You can do all of your drawing practice right inside this packet!! Why only spend only 1 - 5 MINUTES per drawing prompt?! Because another thing a lot of my students struggle with is perfectionism!! YOU know who you are... LOL! All you're gonna need to practice with me is a pencil with an eraser. If you're new to me or my YouTube drawing channel, I'm all about using what you have, and not buying stuff just to buy it (which your wallet is gonna LOVE). Don't get me wrong- my shelves are FULL of fun products to use. But if I share info about a fine art product I enjoy - please don't feel obligated to use it. On the other hand, if you're interested in taking your art to the next level - fine art supplies DO make a difference in your art, so I try to show you my favorite supplies as I discover them to save you both time and money. That way you don't keep collecting a variety of cheap to middle of the road products and overspending on stuff that isn't going to give you the quality you're hoping to find. With that being said -every single one of these drawing exercises can be done in a good old fashioned #2 school pencil if that's all ya got!! And if that's all you've got, you're STILL going to grow as an artist. PROMISE. Ready to download and print your own Practice Packet so we can get started? Simple click the button below and I'll have it sent STRAIGHT to your inbox!! Then meet me over on today's how to draw lips YouTube video and I'll teach you exactly how to draw lips realistically step by step!! Before we continue, super quick announcement! All product links noted below 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 only reccommend products I actually use and love. Thank you for your support! Ok! Let's get started... My favorite drawing pencils are by Blackwing. They're stupid expensive if you buy them individually, but are closer to $2/each if you buy them in a pack of 12. To me the splurge is worth it - they are silky smooth and draw like butter!!! They also have this cool eraser on the end of them that is a tiny rectangle (and replaceable!!), which makes it so easy to carve in little highights or to erase angluar mistakes!! If you're in the market for new erasers, I've got two favorites: the vanish eraser (takes care of the bigger mistakes / adjustments) and my Tombow Mono Eraser. THIS is the coolest. It's kind of like a mechanical pencil, but it's a mechanical eraser!! Here you can see the teensy tip of it (below, right) - it's amazing for carving out itty bitty highlights! Additionally, you might want to have a blending stump or two to help you shade a little quicker, and a bit more delicately. Again, you don't have to have these at all - you can totally use your finger without spending a dime!! A q-tip works well for this too! Because we're doing these exercises in pencil, it helps tremendously if the face drawing reference photos are ALSO in black and white instead of color. That's why I chose black and white reference photos! It makes a big difference when you're focusing on face shading techniques or just learning how to shade a face. For each of the drawings we work on together in the Practice Packet, I want you to be thinking of three things:
As you can see, I'm doing my sketching and shading directly in my Practice Packet, so no fancy paper is needed either! I hope you're drawing with me right now!! Make sure you click over to the video because this is all being done in REAL TIME, step by step over in my YouTube drawing tutorial so you can draw right along with me. These drawing exercises are SUPER EASY and beginners are totally welcome, so don't worry about it if you've never done this before. There's a first time for everything!! After I get through the first two lip drawing images, I discover I'm spending about 1 minute to get the lips outline drawing in place, then about 3-4 minutes putting some graphite down to shade and blend, plus adding a few more pencil lines or highlights for detail. I'm seriously trying not to care so much (which is HARD, I know)! Just keep telling yourself, this drawing exercise isn't about hyper realism - it's just about showing you how YOU CAN give yourself just a few minutes here or there each day to accomplish something, call it "good enough," and create a little drawing habit for yourself! You can TOTALLY make time for this practice, and it doesn't have to be at home. If you've got a doctor's appointment coming up and you know you're gonna be stuck in the waiting room for a bit - throw this packet and a pencil in your purse and go. It will distract you while you're sitting there, and if drawing makes you happy, it will also help to decrease your stress level. Just a little note for my Fun Fab Drawing Club members - if you're hanging out with me for this facial features drawing series, a lot of the face drawing reference photos I'm using for this series are in your 2021 UPDATED Membership Guide!!! So check the digital eBook version out right here in the classroom, or order yourself a copy over on Amazon if you prefer a physical copy! This guide has GROWN so much from last year and is now a fat 259 pages in its second edition!! NOT a Fun Fab Drawing Club member but interested in learning more? CLICK HERE. NOT a Fun Fab Drawing Club member but WANT to BE?! CLICK HERE to join the waitlist. (Membership enrollment opens twice a year- in the fall and in the spring). If you're interested in grabbing ALL my cheatsheets at once- go ahead and hop over to Awesome Art School, and you'll find them in my YouTube & Cheatsheet Library. So for this last practice image, I did go a little over the "time limit," but that's ok. Go easy on yourself. There's no pressure here. The point of me trying to throw a timer into this exercise for myself, is just to remind me NOT to spend 45 minutes working on that one gorgeous mouth, and getting SO fussy about it that I'm trying to make it perfect. We're doing quick and dirty, and 6 minutes is still quick in my book!! How adorable is this last mouth? The top lip totally has a heart shape to it!! I LOVE it and that's why this mouth made the practice packet! LOL! I'm gonna say it again...you BETTER be drawing with me, and you NEED to click over to this drawing video on YouTube so you can do this with me in real time. Did you download your Drawing Practice Packet yet??? Here's that button if you need it again... Now go check your inbox and come on over to YouTube so we can get started together!! I hope you LOVE doing this as much as I do!! Thanks SO much for hanging out with me for today's lip drawing tutorial!! I'll see you back here NEXT Monday for our next facial feature... Have a wonderful week!!! ❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK Gesso vs Absorbent ground? Which one would you reach for if you're in the mood to do a little watercoloring in your mixed media art journal and feel the need to prep the surface first? Today I'm doing a little experiment in my own art journal so you don't have to! We'll compare how watercolor on gesso looks vs. how watercolor looks on a page prepped with golden absorbent ground! Before we continue, super quick announcement: If you're in the market for new art supplies, or curious what I'm using, supply links are included below. 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 love Liquitex gesso for my mixed media work, so that is what I'll be using for today's little experiment. Because gesso is specifically MADE for acrylic paints, it preps any surface you want to work on for acrylic paints. I also love to use white gesso as a replacement for white acrylic paint when I'm creating my mixed media portraits because it's more transparent than your typical white acrylic paint, and I love the way that looks when I'm doing mixed media art - especially if there is a collage in the background! For the purpose of today's demo, I'm testing how gesso works with watercolor so you don't have to!! I've decided to start these art journal pages off with a bit of simple collage in the background. Colorful, patterned napkins are one of my go-tos for collage art. I find they're easier to work with if you pull the layers apart so you're only working with one ply. If you're curious about how to do wrinkle free mixed media collage backgrounds with paper napkins, I recently did a YouTube tutorial on that- so be sure to check it out if you missed it and simply hate those wrinkles!! ![]() I almost always use matte medium as my collage adhesive whether I'm working in my mixed media art journal or on canvas. If you'd like to know more about WHY matte medium is typically what I reach for, check out this mixed media art tutorial on my YouTube channel for the side by side comparison of matte medium vs mod podge. Today I'm working in one of my Strathmore watercolor art journal because I absolutely LOVE this for mixed media art journaling. I also love to work big, so I buy the 11" x 14" version. It's filled with 140 pound cold press (cold press paper has texture to it - it's not smooth) watercolor paper. If you're art-ing along with me (and I hope you do!!!)- be sure to take care when selecting your paper, journals, or whatever substrate you choose to work on. It's EQUALLY important as the art supplies you are using. I felt like these collage pages needed some bright color so added some hot pink washi tape then got right to it - covering the middle of my left side journal page with gesso, and the right side with absorbent ground. I feel like a lot of mixed media artists skip over absorbent ground all together, so I want to make sure you know what it does and how to use it if you enjoy watersoluble art supplies. Golden's absorbent ground has basically the same consistency as Liquitex Gesso, and has the same level of transparency to it - which I love, because I enjoy a little collage art peaking through the face of whatever mixed media girl I'm painting into the foreground of my art journal pages! Just so you know, absorbent ground can be added to basically ANY surface that normally wouldn't "play nicely" with watersoluble supplies (even wood!). It's especially awesome if you like to upcycle old books into altered book art journals and enjoy watercoloring! Typically I will do two coats of absorbent ground to keep the coverage fairly light and transparent. When I'm using gesso, I typically do one coat for the same reason. Acrylic paint dries itself into a plastic so it doesn't need heavy priming. Watercolors need a little more baby-ing. I hit both pages with my hair dryer to dry them. Once dry, I can feel right away with my hands how much smoother the right side page of my paper is because of the Absorbent Ground. The gesso on the left side really kind of preserves the original texture of my cold press paper, while the absorbent ground minimizes the texture and makes it feel more like hot press watercolor paper. I sketched a simple face on both pages in pencil, and doodled on top of that with my watercolor markers. When I start brushing some water onto the gesso side of my paper to activate the watercolor marker lines (see below - it's the side in blue), I can still see some of the texture from the paper poking through underneath it. Both the paint and any water I add stay very much on the surface due to the gesso. It blocks the paper from absorbing the color or the water, so the paint just pools on top. My brush can move the pools around, but the paper can't absorb it, which isn't a desirable effect to me. It's not "wrong" in any way- it's just not how I prefer to work with these supplies, so let's test out the absorbent ground page to see how things go over there... On the absorbent ground side (in green, below), when I activate my lines with water, there is definitely less pooling of paint and water. You can see this for sure when I attempt to soften a "hard edge" by reactivating a line that had started to dry. The surface feels a bit more predictable to work on with watercolor and is much easier to blend on - both of which, I really like and prefer. These effects may not matter to you, but if you are someone who likes to go back in and blend lines out, touch things up, etc., absorbent ground is really gonna be your friend. It allows watersoluble mediums (any art supply you can activate with water) to really behave as they typically would on watercolor paper. It's funny - I posted a sneak peek of this project early over on Instagram and a ton of followers - even my professional artist friends - actually asked me about the markers I was using! In case you're interested too - they're watercolor markers by Faber Castell, and I just love them! They are a bit more expensive because they are a fine art product, but they're worth it in my book, and they won't fade over time because they're light fast. These two are in what I lovingly refer to as "the ugly phase" (above!), which means they're about half way done, and not looking nearly as beautiful as they will if I keep on layering my supplies and pushing through till the end! After a few more layers with the watercolor markers, I decide to go in and doodle on top of my girls with pen because I LOVE the way pen looks on top of watercolor! Make sure you actually watch the video for today's demo to see for yourself what I experienced. I'm a big fan of learning about how an art supply behaves and using it in that way so I don't just make a mess! If you've never started an art journal on your own before (GASP!!!) You're missing out on SO MUCH FUN!! Don't worry, you're NOT alone here. SO many people think about trying something like art journaling and never follow through with it. A lot of them get intimidated by that big empty white page, or ALL the empty white pages in a journal. If you're one of these people - this is so common. I can help you to get over that hurdle so you can start having FUN with art!! Click the button below to get my FREE pdf to give you the KICK IN THE PANTS you need to start art journaling ;) It's filled with tons of tips and advice from not only me, but one of my artsy idols - Bob Ross! We'll have you "breaking the blank page" and creating in no time!!! I hope you enjoyed today's demo! Thanks for watching!! ❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK HOW to DRAW & SHADE a WHIMSICAL BABY'S Face in Copic Markers & Colored Pencil (Whimsical Women #15)25/1/2021 I LOVE teaching how to draw a whimsical face, and have enjoyed creating the whimsical face drawing tutorials in this series SOOO much!! I can't believe this is the LAST ONE in this series!! Today's art reference photo features the challenge of drawing a baby face because this lesson has been requested AT LEAST a million times by my beloved students!! The proportions are totally different when drawing a baby - so watch closely, and don't worry - I'll talk you through ALL my tips & tricks!! Believe it or not ... this is the FIRST time I've ever taught how to draw a baby's face!! We start this out in a similar way to the other whimsical faces in this series, but as you'll see when you watch the video... the proportions of a baby's face are very different from those of an adult. They are much rounder and wider. The face shape is also more of a circle than an oval. However, because this girlie has her mouth open, the circular face shape does end up morphing into more of an oval. While I was measuring out some of the initial proportions, I noticed that this particular reference seems to follow almost the exact same dimensions as the wrinkled Burmese woman from last week! Isn't that crazy?! If at any point in today's free face drawing lesson, things feel too advanced, you're not alone and this is totally normal. THIS is an advanced drawing project, and really all of the lessons in the Whimsical Women series are. If you're just learning to draw or have never tried drawing a face with pencil before, check this series out for beginners. It's SUPER simple and only takes 5 minutes! Even better- I keep it light and FUN, because I truly believe that the more FUN you're having with your art, the more you're gonna want to do - and the more you do, the better you become!! Back to drawing this baby.... Initially, while I was studying the reference photo, other observations I saw in her facial features were how large and open her cute little eyes were, and how short her nose is compared to the whimsical face drawing guidelines we typically follow when I'm teaching you how to draw a female face. HOT TIP: When you're ready to start shading, make sure you erase all of your guidelines, and even pounce on the lines of your drawing that you DO love - just to remove a smidge of that graphite. I've found this helps to save my lighter skin tone markers from getting muddy, and it helps to keep my markers from dragging graphite around the page. It's pretty crazy how reactive the graphite is if your marker accidentally touches it! Throughout this series, I've been shading all of my projects with alcohol markers, and teaching you along the way how to work through potential issues like blending, streaking, and whatever else might arise if you happen to be using copic markers like me! I recently created a Skin Tone Markers Guide that is basically a 12-page eBook just FULL of alcohol marker swatches from three different brands (of varying price points, because I KNOW full well how expensive copics are, and how LONG it's taken me to build my collection!!). In this free PDF, I walk you through some great examples of alcohol marker shades that go well together to shade light, medium, and dark complexions - across all THREE marker brands (Copic, Ohuhu, and Arteza), so you're sure to be set up for shading success! I feel like a really good copic marker alternative is Ohuhu, followed by Arteza and Parkoo (Parkoo markers aren't in my Skin Tone Markers Guide, but this brand is a SUPER cheap copic marker alternative worth checking out if you're on a tight budget. I did a review of these markers here). I love the Ohuhu brush markers because they have a brush nib like Copics. That nib makes me feel like I'm painting when I'm coloring! If you'd like a copy of my Skin Tone Markers Guide, simply click the button below, and I'll send that cheatsheet straight to your inbox to help you save some time AND money!! Something I've found SUPER interesting throughout this series, is watching all the different art supplies people are choosing to do these projects in! Of course some are working with alcohol based markers and enjoying this medium along with me - but tons are doing the prompts in watercolor, pastels, acrylics, or mixed media - and I just love seeing everyone's individual style and creativity with their preferences! If you're not aware, I'm actually creating a book from the entire Whimsical Women of the World series, and I'll be featuring student artwork as well (4 drawings per prompt, to be exact)! If you've been drawing along with me and are interested in submitting your work for publication, please read through the submission requirements and send along photos of your interpretation of the projects. I can't wait to see them!! All submissions are due on January 31, 2021. QUICK TIP for COLORING with COPIC MARKERS! If you're having trouble with the skin tones you're working with looking too yellow (like mine was getting in this particular drawing), all you have to do to even that out, is select a shade across from it on the color wheel. In my case, since I felt like the skin tone of my girlie was getting too yellow, I worked in some very light lilac to even things out. If you haven't played with this copic blending technique before, you might want to do it on a scrap piece of paper off to the side of your drawing until you come up with a look that you like. When you're happy, try it out on your drawing! Today's little model is also presenting us with the drawing challenge of how to draw a tongue!! LOL! I actually spent quite a bit of time shading this little lady's tongue, and am happy with how it turned out- once my colored pencil layering was added. I feel like my own drawing skills, and really my COLORING SKILLS, have totally improved as a result of doing the proejcts in this series. So if you HAVEN'T been drawing along with me, and are looking for a good drawing challenge - the Whimsical Women Series is PACKED with juicy lessons to help you grow as an artist. I encourage you to really take more time replicating the shadows and highlights you're seeing around the nose and mouth of this face, and ANY face you draw, because the nuances you observe here and render in your own drawing - bring that person to life, and add a realistic quality to your work - even if you're working in a whimsical style like me! I ended up adding more shading with my white colored pencil and sharpie, and I'm really happy with the results. If you'd like to draw and shade along with me in "real time," I've got this lesson and each one from the series ready and waiting for you in the Whimsical Women of the World classroom over at Awesome Art School, where we take everything step by step -from drawing to shading and everything in-between!! Thanks for hanging out with me today. Enjoy the tutorial, and I'll see ya back here next week with something FUN & NEW!! If you need any new drawing supplies, here are links to all of my favorite supplies that were used in this project! 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!
👉Hammermill Cover Cardstock 100lb 8.5" x 11" (fave to use with markers and best value at 4-8 cents per sheet and 250 sheets!!) 👉This Arteza pencil set is a new find and a GOOD one!! 👉Pentel GraphGear Mechanical Pencil Set (only ones I use) 👉Ohuhu Markers 24 piece skin tone set (Around $1/marker and with the brush nib, the best alternative to Copics in my opinion!) 👉Copic Skin Tone Pack of 6 ($33) 👉Copic B Set (my fave which has the most skin tones) (72 Set for $330) 👉Arteza Everblend Skin Pack of 36 ($36 - insane value!!!) 👉Arteza EverBlend Alcohol Markers (60 Set for $112 - also insane value!!) ❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK HOW to DRAW & SHADE a WHIMSICAL Padaung Woman's Face with Wrinkles in Copics (Whimsical Women #15)18/1/2021 I LOVE teaching how to draw a whimsical face, and have been enjoying creating the whimsical face drawing tutorials in this series SO much! Today's art reference photo features a request I get all the time- how to draw wrinkles. When I saw this beautiful Padaung woman and began to study her features, I felt a deep connection with her and knew she needed to be a part of this series. I hope you enjoy today's whimsical face drawing tutorial! If you've been hanging out with me for the Whimsical Women of the World portrait drawing series on YouTube, you know how we start out each and every face we draw! No matter the ethnicity or gender - our human faces all follow the same basic face drawing guidelines. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, you NEED to download my Whimsical Face Drawing Guidelines for your art table! These guidelines are EVERYTHING, and will help your face drawings look more proportional! Click the button below and I'll send the cheatsheet directly to your inbox! The woman in today's reference photo presents us with quite a few unique drawing challenges! If you're drawing along with me (AND I HOPE YOU ARE!!!!), you'll notice this woman's head is tilted slightly and her nose is actually quite short, so it will feel like her facial features are a bit off from our face drawing guidelines. It's ok! Sketch in your guidelines like we always do, then study the reference photo and adjust accordingly. As you'll see in the video, I had to do a lot of checking, rechecking and erasing to get things the way I wanted them. AND full transparency - I had ZERO idea how to draw the brass rings around her neck! So while I sketched in her facial features, I tried to do a little problem solving in my mind about how I would attack that area of the drawing, and later - how I might want to approach the coloring portion of the project. In case you're wondering where this particular model is from - she's from the Padaung tribe in Burma- where the cultural tradition for Padaung women of wearing brass rings around the neck is still practiced by some today. Some say this is rooted in religion, some say it was and still is a defense against tiger attacks (which apparantly happen at the throat). Others have said the rings ward off men from other tribes because it makes these women "unattractive" and less appealing to kidnap and turn into slaves. Girls typically begin wearing the rings around age five. These women have been called "giraffe women," because of their stretched necks, but their necks actually haven't been stretched at all. It's an illusion. The pressure and weight of the rings press down on their collarbones and actually shift the rib cage's position so this area of the body becomes deformed, giving the appearnace of an elongated neck. OUCH, that sounds painful!! I can't even imagine... If this is drawing project is feeling too advanced for you - hang in there. She's tough. If you need something simpler, start at the beginning of the series and work up to this one. If you're completely new to face drawing- this short playlist will be more your speed and will teach you how to draw and shade a very simple whimsical face in pencil. One of the main facial features that attracted me to this reference photo is based on a drawing lesson request I get all the time - how to draw wrinkles, or an older mature face... The trick to drawing wrinkles is to just DRAW THEM! That's it. They're kind of like their own independent facial feature that you have to observe and try replicating on your paper. Study your reference photo to look for the extra lines, and draw what you see. What can make drawing wrinkles extra challenging, is that every wrinkle has a highlight AND a shadow that goes with it! So the tricky part is not only getting them drawn in - but shading them realistically as well! This is an excellent example of where drawing becomes an art of observation. If you feel like you want a copy or the real time lesson for this or any of the projects in the Whimsical Women of the World series, the stand alone classroom is available at Awesome Art School. If you'd just like the reference photo and do not need the real time drawing lesson, you can find them in my YouTube & Cheatsheet Library. Feel free to use MY drawing here and in the video as your reference as well. I know this project, and many of the drawing projects in this series feel much more realistic and not how I typically define my "whimsical style." But I kept the word in this series on purpose because it serves as a reminder that each and every drawing project doesn't have to be perfect! It removes some of the pressure that drawing realistically can impose on us. You don't have to be a perfectionist, you can approximate things and take artistic liberties if you call your piece "whimsical" versus "realistic." EMBRACE the freedom of NOT being perfect. Try your best to replicate what you see, but don't get into a tizzy if it doesn't work out. Do your best, HAVE FUN with it, and move on. As I mentioned, every wrinkle has it's own highlight and shadow going on. If you're trying to add more realism to your shading, you really need to pay attention to where the shadows lie. Are they on the right or left side of the wrinkles you're observing? That's where your darker shading needs to go- in every intricate crease. These details will give your work more depth. If you're new to shading with alcohol markers, I know there are SO many skin tones and SO many brands out there, it can really be overwhelming when you're first getting started, and/or have a limited budget to spend on art supplies. Personally, I love shading with copic markers because of their juicy, brush nib. It feels like a paintbrush to me! But at around $9/marker, they're totally out of reach for most of us. I've been collecting them little by little for a LONG TIME! A really great copic marker alternative brand is Ohuhu. Their markers are surprisingly juicy for the cost and have a brush nib very similar to the one I'm in love with from my Copics. If you'd like some tips about what skin tone markers go well together, I've recently created a HUGE cheatsheet to help you out!! I say "cheatsheet," but it's really a little book, because this PDF is 12 pages of detailed color swatching!!! Click the button below and I'll sent that straight to your inbox! You'll find recommendations as to which skin tone markers work well for light, medium, and dark complexions across three different alcohol marker brands (Copic, Ohuhu, and Arteza). It's really quite comprehensive, so even if you're not a total newbie to working with alcohol markers - there are still some gems in here for you that you may not have thought of before! As you'll see in the video, there are so many layers of shading happening in the face with my alcohol markers. For these projects, my shading is about 95% alcohol markers, with a bit of colored pencil and white paint pen on top to help bring each drawing to life. HOT TIP: I found a really sharp tip to be helpful for wrinkle definition when I got to the colored pencil portion of this project. Make sure you watch the video to really get a feel for where both the shadows and highlights go to help the wrinkles pop. I don't know about you, but sometimes I can get inside my own head with a project too much. For this one, there were some shadow shapes that weren't making sense to me and I had to just tell myself to quiet these thoughts and JUST DRAW. It doesn't have to make sense. Just draw what you see and turn that critical side of your brain off for a bit. This can be a really powerful mindset shift, and it will show in your work. Even when I started shading the brass rings, I still had no idea how I was going to capture them because I've never drawn anything like this in my whole life. I had no idea how the piece was all going to come together, but I just started shading, and kept pushing forward- trying to quiet the doubts in my mind while I tried a variety of techniques to help me replicate what I was seeing in the reference. Don't think just because I'm a teacher, I always have a plan and know what I'm doing. I don't! I'm always learning, always trying new things, and doing a series like this pushes me to try even more! I hope it pushes you too!! If you need any new drawing supplies, here are links to all of my favorite supplies that were used in this project! 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!
👉Hammermill Cover Cardstock 100lb 8.5" x 11" (fave to use with markers and best value at 4-8 cents per sheet and 250 sheets!!) 👉This Arteza pencil set is a new find and a GOOD one!! 👉Pentel GraphGear Mechanical Pencil Set (only ones I use) 👉Ohuhu Markers 24 piece skin tone set (Around $1/marker and with the brush nib, the best alternative to Copics in my opinion!) 👉Copic Skin Tone Pack of 6 ($33) 👉Copic B Set (my fave which has the most skin tones) (72 Set for $330) 👉Arteza Everblend Skin Pack of 36 ($36 - insane value!!!) 👉Arteza EverBlend Alcohol Markers (60 Set for $112 - also insane value!!) ❤️ Want FREE, immediate access to my Fun Fab Drawing Club and/or Mixed Media Society plus discounts on all my art books, sneak peek at YouTube videos and new book content, behind-the-scenes fun and MORE? Join me over on Patreon today and get HUGE PERKS in return for a small monthly donation. ❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON (available in both Kindle and Paperback) ❤️ SIGNED COPIES of my art books on ETSY ❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON ❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM ❤️ FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK The thrift shop is AMAZING if you need mixed media art journaling ideas! Join me on a little field trip to one of my favorite shops in Durham called The Scrap Exchange. I'll show you EXACTLY what I look for when I'm on the hunt for old books to upcycle into mixed media art journals and altered book art journals! It's SO much fun, and you won't believe HOW CHEAP!! I might have spent a whopping 8 bucks!! And, yes... before you EVEN THINK IT... this is pre-covid, hence the NO MASK routine- when things were "normal." Sigh... Before we even walk into the store, here are the TOP 3 THINGS I'm always looking for when I'm on the hunt for an old book to upcycle into an altered book art journal for my mixed media masterpieces!! 1. Matte pages that are super flat - not glossy 2. Threaded binding 3. Thin books (12 - 30 pages usually feels good to me because I like to FILL my art journals completely!!) QUICK THRIFT TRIP TIPS: Head to the children's section & sheet music book section and you're sure to score!! Grabbing an old book like the one pictured above is AWESOME to keep around when you're in the mood for collage! I love these types of books because the pages are usually really thin and distressed looking already (another LOVE IT for me). Additionally the pages are usually very pourous and soak up whatever adhesives and primers I throw at them from matte medium to gesso! Lots of people have asked if I feel bad taking these old books home to use for art. I'll tell ya what- I don't. Not one bit!! That's because I specifically look for the books that are super beat up and completely on their last legs anyway- with missing pages, no cover, etc. I take the ones that no one else wants. THESE are my treasures! I also REALLY love picking up books that have a variety of font sizes and typefaces in them. It just makes things more interesting to look at if you mix these elements up in your collage art. Magazines like the one above are GORGEOUS, but I really shy away from them because they are typically super glossy, and I know working on a matte surface is going to yield better results, so as much as this glamour shot is calling my name - back she goes onto the shelf for someone else. The pages of the children's encyclopedia above are PERFECT and exactly what I'm looking for, but there are SO many pages in this book, it's a little overwhelming. If I can't find something, I may come back to this one, because it's possible to systematically score and remove pages to thin the book out without compromising it's integrity if it has threaded binding (see below). I don't know if I'm in the mood for that much effort though, and with SO many options in this thrift shop - I keep digging! As you'll see in the video, we ended up with quite a few awesome finds! I found an old fashioned giant coloring book of "Alice in Wonderland" that felt just perfect to me. Mandi grabbed an old book of paper dolls, some sheet music, and a board book. Board books like the one she found (below) can be great as altered books! They're super sturdy and this one has a particularly fun shape! Just a word of warning - board books often have a sheen or gloss to them, which can make art-ing on top of them tricky. A great work around is to literally spray them with paint primer, or to sand the gloss right off the page! Once you've decided which book you want to turn into an art journal, it's super easy to get started. I often begin with shoring up the pages using some pretty duct tape down the center to reinforce the binding. This typically sets the stage for my entire color scheme for a piece! If getting started feels hard (TRUST ME, YOU'RE NOT ALONE!!), I've got a Bob Ross inspired "Kick in the Pants" PDF for you to help you start art journaling so you can get over the fear of the blank page, and just start HAVING FUN already!! CLICK the button below and I'll send that fun art journaling cheatsheet straight to your inbox!! After you grab your art journaling cheatsheet, be sure to binge this entire series on YouTube about art journaling. I promise it will help you get OVER the HURDLE and just start creating. Here is one of the funny, no stress projects we do! Aren't these emus hilarious?! If you're in the mood to try addding human faces to your art journal, but kinda hate drawing or feel intimidated by it - I've got an entire NO DRAW series of art journaling prompts to help you try this as well. It's SO much fun!! You can download my FREE face shape template, and I teach you EXACTLY how to use her so you can play around with adding gorgeous faces in your art journal - without the stress of having to learn how to draw! The children's book I bought on this thrift shop field trip turned out to be so much fun to work in. Here's one of my favorite pieces I created inside. She's actually a mixed media art tutorial as well. That tear wasn't meant to be there, believe it or not. Find out HOW it came to be by clicking HERE. If hope you have just as much fun on your own thrift shop adventure and creating your own mixed media art journal as I did!! See ya back here next week!! |
Karen CampbellFounder of Awesome Art School. Mixed Media Artist. Author of 15 Instructional Art Books! Archives
April 2021
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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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