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Here are more of the stationary decorations I've done using Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colours and a Sakura Brush Pen on Crane & Co. Ecruwhite Letter Sheets (reviewed here):
The blue night sky on top is darker IRL (and actually looks like a night sky, heh), and has gold glittery dots that are supposed to be stars, which the camera failed to pick up. Alas.
Detail shot of the peacock on bottom; the spots on the feathers were embellished with a yellow-gold glitter gel pen so that they would shimmer and stand out--
I also did....betta fish!
Betta fish, I've found, lend themselves wonderfully to watercolor. They really do have vivd coloring that softly blends together, and it's a lot of fun to put different combinations of colors together and see how it ends up looking. No glitter here though:
And a close-up of the fishies:
My sister was making fun of these; she said the fish had really vapid looks on their faces. My response to that is, Well duh -- they're fish! What, you expect them to start quoting Shakespeare at you?
And, finally we have a panda bear rounding out the set. He is happily munching on some bamboo:
I did have two other ones I did -- an owl (which I really like) and another peacock, but my digital camera is currently elsewhere; I will photograph and post them later.
What other animals should I do? Any suggestions?
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Remember yesterday's post where I reviewed Crane & Co. stationary, and mentioned that the thick cotton paper took watercolor extremely well?
The sheets of Crane paper are blank, and although the paper is nice, I decided to spruce it up a bit using my Sakura Brush Pen -- I was going for a Far Eastern brush drawing sort of look.
Well, that ended up going out the window; I only have one brush pen, and I'm not very good with it (Inkophile is much better -- though, granted, she does have an actual brush pen with bristles, unlike mine which has a felt tip...lame). But I could control the line variation a little bit, and liked the look of the image that came from using a brush pen.
But it was still a bit too dull, just black ink against an ivory-cream background. I decided that adding watercolors would fix that, and make it more interesting. And, what do you know -- it did :^)
Done with Sakura Brush Pen and Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colours
After the watercolors had dried, I used a gold glittery gel pen to highlight the tail feathers; if you look closely, you might be able to tell that it's glittery.
I really like how it came out, especially the contrasting effect of yellow-gold tail feathers glittering against the flat watercolor image when you hold it at an angle. Plus, I had a ton of fun doing it. It was quick and easy and I wasn't going for detailed perfection -- casual coloring looked good for this image, I thought. It looked even better after adding in the glitter pen embellishments.
Which is why I proceeded to do about 5 more, all with different designs.
More to come!
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I have slowly but steadily been catching up on my mail pile (whoo!), so there will be plenty of mail art to show in the coming days. Till then, though, have a salamander:
This guy was done in watercolor. The leaves are a far more vivid red-orange in real life, which my digital camera failed to pick up :-( Boo.
It was based off of this image by Thomas Kitchin and Victoria Hurst, from my Sierra Club 2007 Engagement Calendar. I always keep old calendars to use as image references:
I was going to make it more realistic, but I was having far too much fun with the autumn leaves :-)
I did this image in maybe 3-4 hours, during a dinner party in which I retreated to my bedroom out of boredom ;)
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What do you do when you find a dead, decapitated, half-eaten pigeon in your backyard, then go out a few hours later to remove it, only to find it missing?
Why, you assume that the cat which killed it returned and carried it off, of course.
And then you draw said scene.
This was done very hurriedly. I wanted to quickly test out the O'bon Art Pencil Set before I went away for Labor Day Weekend (I'll be down in Maryland for the huge Renaissance Festival -- whoohoo!!) in anticipation of the coming review. IRL, it's slightly darker than the scanner made it out to be. I should just photograph my art...
Also, I have never owned a cat (though I have dearly wanted to), and based this drawing solely off of photos, so if the kitty is anatomically off....that's why : ]P Feel free to comment with corrections.
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Used my Sakura Micron Art Pens to ink the fishies and the anemone, then erased almost all the pencil lines -- if you look carefully, you can still see some lines I left in place (to remind me to shade there, or whatever).
Hmm...I need to try doing a picture that DOESN'T include black outlines :]P
{OBLIGATORY GEEKY ART EXPLANATION; SKIP IF DESIRED}
I was debating on line thickness in drawing this picture. I knew that I wanted to make the clownfish's outline less bold than the anemone. Usually, the subject of the picture (clownfish) is outlined slightly thicker than the background (anemone). This is a pretty subtle thing, a trick that draws the viewers' eyes towards the main subject of the piece. However, I wanted this picture to convey that the clownfish was hiding in anemone, so I made the anemone's outline thicker and the clownfish's outline thinner. Besides, clownfish are so ostentatiously colored (not to mention their natural black lines!) that the viewers' eyes are drawn towards them anyway.
So, there we go. That's my geeky art explanation ;)
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This is the picture I'm working on for the upcoming O'BONanaza Color Pencil Set review. I'll post the WIP*, then showcase the finished piece in the actual review. I will most likely do another picture which utilizes the colors not being used for this one (brown and green, for instance), and on paper with a slightly different texture.
And, as to the reason I picked clownfish: Hey, why not? :)
Oh, and I'm doing this piece on a Lamali Lokta Passport Journal sketchbook. I love these things.
(*WIP=work in progress)
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While I was sick, I wasn't completely useless. I made some nice envelopes out of a Macy's catalogue and scrap paper (which I'll show in the future), and did bit of -- well, a lot of -- watercoloring. I broke in my Faber-Castell watercolor pencils as well as my Winsor & Newton watercolor tubes, and spent my sick time unwinding by painting scenes inspired by our Caribbean cruise.
NOTE: W&N watercolors are extremely thin and transparent, and while this creates a neat effect in real life, it's incredibly tricky to capture on a computer monitor. Some scanned better and some photographed better. Some I had to adjust, others I left alone. So that's why the pics seem to vary dramatically in terms of brightness and such.
First up we have a green sea turtle. We saw a LOT of them at the turtle farm/breeding center on the Grand Cayman Islands, and got to hold the baby ones :) While there, I did some sketching in my mini Rhodia pad (<3), and used the rough sketches as a reference when I painted this guy:
For some reason, the pale, washy blue in the background was almost impossible for the scanner and camera both to pick up. It's more vivid IRL.
Next up is a quintessential tropical sunset. Sorry...I had to ;)
I did the palm tree/grass with a Sakura Brush Pen.
I had a lot of colors left over after painting these two and didn't want to waste them, so I randomly painted a shell, then added a hermit crab hiding inside :)
And the final one:
I'm posting both versions, because I'm not sure which one captures the colors best (Both do a sucky job).
This depicts Dunn's River Falls, located near Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This is actually how we scaled the Falls: By holding hands in a line and weaving our way up! It made sense, since people stumbled occasionally, or lost their footing, and they had someone (or two people) to help them regain balance. Though, sometimes we needed to use both our hands to get up the rocks. This style was definitely inspired by Kate T. Williamson's A Year in Japan postcard book, which I received and blogged about yesterday (In a lot of the postcards, the paintings are rather simple and outlined in black). My mom and sister liked this one; they thought it was cute.
I had fun making these; I'm planning to do a couple more.
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Here's the latest and final of this talented correspondent's letters.
( She's really outdone herself...click to view )
Seeing as how I'll be in the Caribbean till August 1st, don't expect any new postings till then. This recent bonanza of pretty stationary art postings was me attempting to make up for that :^) I'm tentatively considering having a Snail Mail Appreciation Week when I return. It'll include such goodies as a plethora of pretty handmade envelopes, sealing wax review, quirky Japanese stationary, and some wonderful unexpected surprises that showed up in my mailbox.
Till then, take care, all!
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This woman's lovely page number illustrations know no bounds. Not to mention the gorgeous stationary she sent over. Click the link to continue.
( Seriously photo-heavy. You don't want to miss this! )
Also: I realize now that in the last post, my scans of her decorated page numbers did not do them justice. So, here they are again, full size:
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Here's something I've wanted to post for a while. One of my snail mail correspondents has a habit of decorating the page numbers on her letters with gorgeous designs. I'd never seen anything like it before!
( Click here to view :-) )
Like I said, this is the first time I've ever seen such embellished page numbers, and they inspired me to start doing the same. I love corresponding with artists!
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Who remembers that Hindu goddess stationary which had previously been sent to me? Something about seeing a cutesy Kali:
...made me want to draw my own, slightly more realistic, version.
This is just a quick sketch I did. She's standing on the headless bodies of two demons she's slain. She does that a lot :-]P Kali, the destroyer of evil! I actually folded up and included this piece in the envelope I sent back to the correspondent.
EDIT: Confirmed with my dad. Kali is a goddess that destroys demons and evil (both within and without). She has absolutely NOTHING to do with time. I have no clue where the creator of GheeHappy got that notion from.
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This has certainly been a long time coming. Blame work; trooping up and down the beach and wading around in a salt marsh with a classroom full of superexcited kids tires you out like nobody's business :]P But, here it is finally. Hooray!
LAMALI LOKTA PASSPORT JOURNALS
INTRO
These beautiful, hand-made Nepalese blank books were news to me. I acquired them in a trade over FPN, and am SO GLAD I did -- these are fantastic! The slightly off white paper is made from the lokta plant, "an unassuming shrub with the ability to regenerate every six years", according to the insert. In addition, the making of this paper is old custom, and "every step in the production process is done by hand: from the harvesting of the long, sturdy fibers to the careful binding of every journal. Each resulting item is a piece of art, combining elegant design with a rustic yet soft look and feel.
Lamali Lokta is made by artisan workshops committed to social responsibility, environmental conservation and maintaining traditional Nepalese culture. A portion of all proceeds goes towards rural economic development projects."
Wow. Now that is cool. Perhaps there is some exaggeration there; but in all honesty, it looks as though purchasing this item supports some really great things. Great cause, great paper...Consider me on board!
CONSTRUCTION
The covers on these notebooks are fantastically gorgeous. They are made of what seems to be thick, stiff (lokta?) cardboard: Textured, slightly wrinkled, and come in a variety of colors and patterns. Open them up...
...and this is what you see (minus the writing/doodling, of course ;P)
The three sizes that are available are as follows:
Large: 5.25" x 8.25"
Oblong: 3.5" x 7"
Small: 3.5" x 5"
The binding is sewn--
AND, it lays flat :)
All in all, it seems extremely study and flexible for its size and build. Unless you REALLY abuse it, I can't imagine this notebook getting twisted or disfigured in your briefcase or (in my case) a messy, disorganized handbag.
PAPER
Though they are referred to as notebooks, I really can't think of anybody using this as a notebook so much as a sketchpad (art notes?), due to both the construction and the paper that's in it. The blank pages feel smooth to the fingers, but definitely have tooth to them, typical of sketchpads (this paper has far subtler tooth than most sketchpads, though). It's nice and thick, good quality paper. How does it fare with fountain pens?
If you look carefully you can see areas where it looked as though the ink either feathered, or "missed a spot". Neither is true. That's simply due to the toothiness of the paper, making for uneven ink coating. This is a primary reason I wouldn't use this as an actual notepad; the inconsistency of the ink coating (as well as the drag) would bug me.
In addition there was no bleedthrough AT ALL. Even with the Sharpie there was mostly shading and less so bleedthrough. With all the other pens, there was zero shading as well as zero bleedthrough. Nice!!
HOWEVER! How does this paper fare with art materials? I am of the opinion that if it can survive water colors as well as fountain pens, it's a definite keeper and can stand up to pretty much anything else.
Done with watercolor, which I let dry and then attacked with colored pencils. Since I'm a perfectionist, and attempted to get the water shade even by diluting the watercolors with even more water and sponging it off, the poor paper suffered quite a bit of abuse under my hand. Even so, it held up amazingly well!
( Geeky art explanation here, skip if desired )
There are 40 unlined pages in each journal.
PURCHASING LAMALI LOKTA
I got my Lamali Lokta sketchbooks through a fellow Fountain Pen Networker, acquired through a trade. I....haven't actually been able to find places online where one can purchase them *embarassed*. The FPNer in question lives in Hawaii, and found them in a local arts store. Here's the web site, which is the only real info I've found about them:
www.savoirfaire.com
EDIT: Also, fabulous blog reader Okami found this source for obtaining the notebooks, through www.plazaart.com.
I know, it's a little obscure....but is it worth it? I think so.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, these mini sketchbooks are great for traveling. They're study, yet slim and reasonably flexible, and you can be sure that the paper won't rip or tear easily. No wonder that they're called "passport journals", then. I wholeheartedly recommend them, and if I can ever get a hold of that FPNer again, or find a place that has these, I will most definitely stock up. If you're an artist, or simply a notebook/journal/sketchbook junkie, give it a go!!
NOTE, however, that not all lokta paper is created equal. This particular brand using this particular paper-making process is fantastic for FPs and watercolors alike; however, I've heard very iffy things about other lokta-made products so far as FPs are concerned, and can't speak as to their quality as I personally have not tried them. If I do, I'll let you know :P
Upcoming:
Rhodia pad
Rhodia pencil (I'm curious as to this one, myself)
Diamine inks (5): Pumpkin, Majestic Blue, Onyx
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Remember that gothic WIP (work in progress) pen & ink piece that I was working on? The one with the angel on the tombstone? Well, it only took me about a MONTH, but I finally got around to finishing it XD
I used Sakura Micron art pens (click the link to see the review), but the roses were colored using Caran d'Ache Storm fountain pen ink, and I believe the blue butterflies were colored using Diamine Majestic Blue fountain pen ink (review forthcoming :) ).
Hmm. What do you think? Should I have left it b&w? Do the colors detract from the image or make it richer? Should only the roses be colored? Only the butterflies? Discuss.
EDIT: My one friend said that the colors seem to detract. Anyone else? Feedback would be appreciated...
Upcoming:
Lamali Lokta sketchbooks
Rhodia pad
Rhodia pencil
Diamine ink series (5): Pumpkin, Majestic Blue
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This is a post that is grossly overdue. Remember the sailor stationary that one of my most creative snail mail correspondents sent? Here's what she sent me in response to the Indian stationary I sent her:
FRONT
More gothic goodness ^__^
BACK
"Black Mail"...how clever is that? Extremely clever (I'm a big fan of wordplay). I love it! The [reflective] skull sticker that held the top flap of the letter closed tickled me.
Interestingly enough, this was a letter and envelope in one. Once I undid the stickers, the flaps opened to reveal the inside of the "envelope" -- a letter!
Isn't that cool?
Now, after receiving her sailor stationary, I had seafaring on the brain, so I'd already started the stationary for her next letter...and it was pirate-themed.
The envelope:
Open the envelope to find two neatly folded notes inside:
 and 
I really, really like how the first note came out :D Open it up....
I stained normal blank paper with used coffee grounds/paper filters, and crumpled it up after writing on it and decorating it to give it that old-treasure-map-looking effect. The "anachronistic" (ish) spellings was me attempting to be clever. I'll let you judge how successful I was on that ;P
The second note was just regular Red n' Black (I think....or was it Clairefontaine?) notebook paper, with a fancy shmancy message-in-a-bottle design on the outside to make up for it. Hehe. Apparently Ilona liked it lots, which made me happy. I was pretty late in responding (or so I thought), so I did my best to make it worth the wait for her.
Another snail mail correspondent, who is very much into Eastern mysticism, got this design on his envelope:
He liked it, too :^) Hooray!
Upcoming:
Ilona's response (and man, is it awesome)
Lamali Lokta
Rhodia pad
Rhodia pencil
Diamine ink series (5)
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Contest entry for the Big May Copic Giveaway on The Pen Addict.
Why would I want the Copic goodies listed on the above site? To expand my artistic horizons, to make art, to express myself in interesting new ways I haven't tried before. I believe that what an artist produces is a reflection of their soul. Let me find myself, with help from a fresh new angle, a new and different medium.
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I told ya I'd be back :-)
Art Supply Review: Sakura Micron Art Pens
INTRO
Portable, reliable, permanent. Chances are, if you're someone who's constantly on the go and looking for art pens, those are the three top factors which appeal to you. Sakura Micron pens are an excellent alternative to the messier (though somewhat more professional) dip pens, and far more travel-friendly. These are great for beginners to the pen & ink medium as well as professionals who don't want to bother with the hassle of cleaning and taking care of dip pens. Just uncap, post, and off you go :-) Though I love the old-fashioned feel of dip pens, Sakura Micron art pens are, for me, the next best thing.
CONSTRUCTION
Sakura Micron art pens come in a variety of sizes (in terms of line width; the pen bodies themselves are pretty much the same size). This is incredibly convenient; all you have to do is pick a couple of sizes, and you're good to go! No need to bother switching nibs mid-drawing to vary your line thickness.
The caps have firm, springy clips which seem very reliable, and the caps themselves are designed to post. Because the pens are so lightweight, balance is not really an issue. Speaking of size and balance, these pens are very slim, and pretty small. I have small hands and thin wrists, so for me that's great, but those of you with larger hands might want to skip over these.
How big is it really? Comparison with a cube of Post-it notes.
It's hard to tell because the tips are so small, but I think that the smallest width (.005) is a rollerball while the larger ones are felt tips.
The .005 pen tip.
The .08 felt tip.
In order: The .005 tip; the .05 tip; the .08 tip; and the brush pen, all on standard American wide-ruled paper.
INK AND PERFORMANCE
The patented ink contained in these acid-free pens is both waterproof and archival. Translation: Whatever you write or draw with these pens will last a very, VERY long time. Sweet.
The fact that these pens are waterproof is a beautiful thing; it makes them perfect for use with watercolor drawings, especially if you aim to get that "washy" anime look:
Ok, so it could definitely be "washier" (I tend to paint rather thickly), but that's besides the point. I sketched the drawing out in pencil, outlined it with the Sakura Micron pens, and then watercolored over it. Though they do sell waterproof drawing ink, these pens are fantastic if you're traveling or have very limited space, since they don't require as much room as a bottle of ink, several pen bodies, and a scattering of nibs that you can lose/knock into the trash (I lost one of my favorite dipping nibs :( so this sounds pretty nice to me).
The nib sizes range from .005 to 0.5 -- I have .005, .02, and .08 (which is the second thickest next to 0.5). The fact that these pens come come in ultra-thin widths makes them fantastic for detail work, and in this regard they outdo the dip pens in terms of reliability and control.
Not that you have to choose between dip pens and markers! By all means, combine the two; you can get some amazing results by combining mediums, which I wholeheartedly encourage. Here's a pen and ink I did using dip pens for the thick to medium lines, and markers for the finer details.
The goth picture I'm currently working on consists almost entirely of Sakura Micron pens.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, if you are a pen & ink artist, you NEED to own these pens. Kidding, kidding. But I do recommend them, both for those who are starting out with pen & ink drawings and want to experiment before investing in dip pens/drawing ink, or professionals who would like the ease and comfort of just switching pens to vary line thickness instead of switching nibs (which, you have to admit, can get really annoying). Also you don't have to worry about having ink drops fall onto the paper while you're drawing, which ALWAYS happens to me. I tend to be a bit messy D:
Now, they are a tad expensive, being more than a $2 each. But if you are serious about the visual arts, it's a great investment :-)
PURCHASING SAKURA MICRON PENS
You can buy these pens at most art stores, and if there isn't an art store by where you live, never fear! That's what the internet is for.
www.jetpens.com stock them up, and if you buy $25 or more, you get free shipping. Shiny.
www.dickblick.com also has them, for slightly cheaper prices (and they discount if you buy in bulk, though I think this is more for art teachers). I'm not sure about shipping costs, though, as I've never purchased from them.
Upcoming:
Staples Bagasse paper review
Staples Bagasse paper giveaway
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Remember I said I was working on more (goth)art? This one depicts a tombstone embellished with a mourning angel, crumbling from age. A rose vine began growing nearby, winding its way up the stone carving and binding the angel to the tombstone. Here's the work in progress --
I personally love seeing the WIPs of artists. I love seeing how they sketch, what they start shading first, color combinations, etc. I feel as though it gives insight into how they perceive art and the world around them.
Pen & ink, done not with dip pens this time but Sakura Micron art markers. Those things are great. The patented ink is waterproof, so you can outline a figure and then paint over it with watercolors to get that neat "washy" anime look. They're a great alternative to dipping pens when traveling. I'll do a review of the markers sometime soon :-)
Upcoming:
Apica notebook review
Noodler's Van Gogh Starry Night Blue review (it's been a long time coming :P)
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Look! An update! And it's NOT an ink review! (Though, admittedly, it involves pens)
As is typical of antidepressants and such mood-balancing medication, my art muse has gone on vacation and only makes occasional, erratic visits (Once, while shifting dosages, I found a sudden inspiration to start writing music, which I'd never in my life done before o_O Another time, I started churning out poetry. Huhwha?)
So anyway. Whenever my muse decides to swing by, I desperately grab the opportunity to produce...uh...well, I was going to say "art", but now that musie is on meds, who knows what the heck I'll come up with. Surprise! :P
This time, though, it was an art piece. It's very dark and death-themed, but I was actually in an ok mood when I thought it up. I was listening to Evanescence at the time (which should explain everything). I think it might have been the song "Whisper" from Fallen. So, I suddenly got this image in my head, and went for it. In my mind I knew that the best medium for it would be pen and ink (I prefer using dip pens/Higgins drawing ink for this, even though I have Sakura marker pens...I tend to be a traditionalist), and although I wanted it to be more sketchy/jagged (think Tim Burtonesque) and not anywhere close to realistic, my inclinations toward realism snuck in and now we have this piece of work. Old habits die hard. Kicking and screaming, no less. I'm not too fond of the style, not at all. It seems like a very odd mix between psuedo-realism and Edward Gorey (though maybe that's giving me too much credit). All I know is, I was aiming for an Edward Gorey/Tim Burton type of style, my own style crept due to sheer habit, and now we have this confused bastard child of the two ;-P
Oh well. I still like it.
Also, a quick explanation. In this picture, Death/Grim Reaper is interestedly observing a girl mourning at the tomb of someone recently deceased. Note how close he is to her -- just barely an inch away -- but not touching her. He's peering at her, as close as he can possibly be, without actually killing her. The girl is supposed to be a blond.
Click to view it.
And what was I listening to while working on this? Why, the soundtrack to Repo!, of course! ^_^ I've been on a massive Repo kick lately...don't ask me why. And if you haven't seen the movie, you SHOULD :D
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