#showthestudio

   My studio is part of the living and dinner room. It's small but very functional.

NEW ART MATERIAL!

   Yesterday arrived by post my new sketchbook!
   My first Stillman & Birn Sketchbook!
   I bought it on Ebay and it was cheap.

   It's from the Gamma Series, Heavyweight, 150 gsm, Ivory, Medium Grain Surface. 62 Sheets/124pages. 5 1/2 in. x 8 1/2 in.
   The ivory colour is lovely and the texture just right. I tend to choose off-whites, creams, greys colour papers. The white surfaces hurts my eyes.


Other series:
-ALPHA: Heavyweight, 150gsm, White, Medium Grain, Dry Media, Light Wash, Ink.
-BETA: Extra Heavyweight, 270 gsm, White, Cold Press, Dry & Wet Media, Watercolour, Ink
-DELTA: Extra Heavyweight, 270 gsm, Ivory, Cold Press, Dry & Wet Media, Watercolour, Ink
-EPSILON: Heavyweight, 150 gsm, White, Smooth, Pen & Ink, Dry Media, Light Wash
-ZETA: Extra Heavyweight, 270 gsm, White, Smooth, Dry & Wet Media, Watercolour, Ink


   So happy with this sketchbook.Will buy more!

DECEMBER'S SCRAWLR BOX 2015

Just in time for Christmas!!!

Featured artist: Zarina Kay

                                       
Artist website: www.zarinakay.bigcartel.com

This month's material are:
-ZIG Millennium Fineliner
-Staedtler Noris Eco Pencil HB 2
- 2 Saedtler Metallic Marker: Blue (beautiful) and Grey
-ZIG Posterman Fine: White
-Wink of Stella Brush: Glitter Silver 102
-ZIG Painty Fine: Soft Blue
- Artcoe, Frisk Sketch Book, 140 gsm, A5, 40pg, Kraft Cover

I've tried a few scribbles with the new material:

Well done Scrawlr Box! Wonderful box!

For more info about Scrawlr Box check scrawlrbox.uk

UNBOXING DECEMBER'S ART AND PARCEL

ART & PARCEL DECEMBER 2015

   Another box filled with new materials that I didn't choose!

   This month's materials are:

-Designer Gouache by Winsor & Newton, colour Sap Green

-Zen All Media Filbert Brush by Royal & Langnickel, number 6

-Fabriano Medioevalis 

-FaberCastell Pitt Artist Pen, colour Gold 250**, point 1,5

-Marc Scrap Book (from a local printer's recycled leftovers)

-Glitter Tube

-Elmer's Glue-all

   Like always, I  tested the materials that I never used before. Haven't got around to produce works with them. But quick an eye on this site and I'll tag #artandparcel when I have them.

   I enjoyed the W & N Designer's gouache. Has a good consistency and rich pigment. I've diluted with a bit of water.

   My first brush by Royal and Langnickel and I was surprised, it's really soft and produces a fine line. If it continues to behave like this only time will tell. 

   I've taped down the Fabriano Medioevalis with masking tape and it was a big mistake. It peeled off the paper. Otherwise it behave like it should. The mixture of gouache with water stayed where I put it. Which is a plus.

   It's not very original and it doesn't matter. It fulfilled it's purpose, I tried the new material!

   For more info about Art and Parcel's subscription check www.hblythco.com

YESTERDAY POST MAIL...#SCRAWLRBOX

   Yesterday I've received my first Scrawl Box!!! Hurray!!!

   The first thing that caught my eyes was the beautiful postcard art by Vexx. You can check him out at www.vexx-art.com

 This month theme is: Fire
 Another card with Fireball samples to test the colour markers. Smaller ones to try out several combinations and a larger one for the final product.

   Month challenge is Fireball.

   Now the piece of resistance...
   Chameleon Pens... How cool!!!
   They have a mixing chamber, where you let the  BrushNib touch the nib with toning medium for 15 seconds. It makes the ink change tone and go lighter so you can blend smoothly.  Working from light to dark!

   The information provided by the above card says that the Chameleon Color tones pen are a special refillable alcohol based double ended marker that can be used as a standard marker or to create stunning colour gradients and blends. The work of several pens in just one!
   They have a high quality super soft Japanese brush nib, a bullet nib and the special mixing chamber. The mixing chamber is used to fuse either of the nibs with blending solution to create stunning effects such as blending, gradations, highlighting, shading or even 3D. They are a low odour, non toxic pen that is permanent on most surfaces.
   There colours are Crimson Red RD4, Summer Sun YL2 and Bisque NU1.
   The detail pen is a double-ended detail fineline pen with two fine nibs (0.6mm and 0.4mm) containing black pigment-based ink that is permanent when dry and compatible with alcohol-based inks. Whatever you draw will not smear when combined with Chameleon Color Tones.
 

   My first go at this type of markers!  
   I've chosen  Poison Ivy played by Uma Thurman.
   I could have made more of a mess so I'm happy with it. Blending was a bit hard since I've never tried blending with markers before. Lack of practice which will be fixed soon!

I really enjoyed my Chameleon Pens and  I have my eye on the 22 pens set!
Thank you Scrawlr Box for the lovely and rich colours!!!

To subscribe to Scrawlr Box at scrawlrbox.uk

For more info about Chameleon Pens check: www.chameleonpens.com
or to buy them in the UK check http://shopuk.chameleonpens.com/color-tones/

For more info about the postcard artist Vexx check: www.vexx-art.com

UNBOXING NOVEMBER'S SCRAWLR BOX

ALMOST ON MY MAIL POST.....SO EAGER

    Today it's a range of emotions. Tired for not sleeping enough, due to the Flood Warnings in my son's school area. To relax and to take my mind of the floods, I've google sketch and art box subscriptions. I already subscribe to Art and Parcel as you all know. But I wanted another one.
   I found the Sketch Box from U.S.A. but found a bit expensive for me, being in the U.K. ($35 for the premium box + customs + $15 = more or less 40 pounds). It would be cheaper if I bought the materials myself.
   I remembered seeing something about another art box here in the U.K. on Patreon and I remembered the name Scrawlr Box. Google it and found the website. There's several subscriptions types that you can choose. And I choose the monthly subscription it only costs £15. Win! Win!
   Now I'm trying to be patience, so eager to open it up.
   I'm hooked to these boxes. I don't control what's inside of it! All I now it's ART MATERIAL and it's GOOD for sure and it will take me from my comfort zone!


Check Scrawlr Box website and subscribe: http://scrawlrbox.uk/

ON THE POST TODAY!

   Thank you Hanemϋhle at Norwich for the free trial pastel papers.

   In the trial kit I found 6 wonderful colours. The paper is made from cotton rag, 170 gsm - 80 lbs and is acid free.

   On one side the paper is very smooth and on the other offers a textured surface that you can see on the photo below.

   It's also suitable for oil pastels and charcoal.
   They're available in Pads 24x32 cm, 30x40 cm and 36x48 cm.

For more info check their website www.hahnemuehle.com

ON THE POST TODAY!

On the post today!!
The Millais's book was bought on Ebay's Revival Books Ltd store. An old library book still with stickers. How cool! Secondhand books don't have to go to waste!

ART & PARCEL NOVEMBER 2015

     Hurray! On the first week of every month feels like Christmas! I never know what's inside this little box of pleasures and wonders. One thing for sure it will bring 80% of material that I probably wouldn't buy. After art school we tend to stick to what we feel more comfortable,  know best and of course, cost/price wise. There isn't anything wrong with it but if you don't try new material how will you take your artwork to the next level. Good material has this power over your work.
    When I'm working with oils I'm inspired by their smell and feels like home to me.
    This month I got to 'discover' two new materials that I didn't know they existed: Brusho and Faber Castell Gelato. The materials I never bought are  in bold in the list of materials below.
   I've mentioned before how price influences me to buy or not to buy. This box is so cheap! It's worth it.

 

   This month the materials were:
- Derwent Waterbrush
- Brusho
- Fabriano Watercolour Pad (featuring the winning cover artwork by Sammie Burstow. Congrats)
- Faber Castell Gelato
- Magic Watercolour Sponge Eraser
- Frish Mashing Fineliner

  My husband won the caramel... it's not vegan, only reason.. haha

   On the leaflet above, H. Blyth & Co informs about the material, price and how to use it.
   I followed the instructions:
-on the left side I use the Faber Castell Gelato (colour Cotton Candy). Consistency wise I thought it would feel like an oil pastel but it's softer more like a lipstick, rich colour. They suggested  to use it dry (above) or blended with water (below). The pigment is so rich that the colour didn't fade way when mixed with water.
-on the right side I use the Brusho (colour Sunburst Lemon). It's a powder. They suggested to add water (above) and to sprinkle loose (which I over did it) over a wet surface. What a beautiful yellow. Amazing.

For more info about Art & Parcel check www.hblythco.com

OCTOBER'S ART AND PARCEL

SO HAPPY...

I can't control so much excitment.... It feels just like I'm a kid and it's Christmas.
My drawing table arrived....
The cat already declared that the back it's hers!

Drawing a line... (vegan)

Of all the  new Derwent products that I bought recently only the Onyx are not vegan.
I've looked in their chart and all the doubts that I had about 3 of the Aquatone pencils were unnecessary, there are all vegan, apparently, for example ivory black and sap green are just names.

This is were I'll draw my line!
What I mean with this is I'm quite comfortable to buy products from Derwent that are not vegan. Why? Because they've made an effort to present products that are. For example the graphic pencils, the onix, natural graphite, etc are considered not vegan (they don't example why) I'm guessing it has something to do with the way the test the lightfastness with blue wool.

If 60% or more percentage of my artmaterial are vegan I quite happy and I feel that I'm making a difference!
I was feeling overwhelmed and very disappointed with myself when I had doubts with the Aquatone. I said to myself 'Enough with this type of thoughts it's impossible to be 100% vegan be proud that you are already making a difference'.

A quick resume for the products that I'm interested (some I already have, other's I'll have yet to buy)
Graphitint  Vegan all (have it)
Coloursoft Vegan all (have it)
Aquatone   Vegan all (have it)
Graphitone  Vegan all (have it)
Artbar        Vegan all
Metallic      Vegan all
Pastel pencils Vegan all
Artist        a few are not Vegan

Onyx not vegan (have it)
Drawing not vegan
Inktense not vegan
natural graphite  not vegan
XL graphite not vegan
Tinted Charcoal  not vegan


Here's a link of the Derwent Products and choose a product from the left list and check the colour chart and lighfast ratings. It's there were you find if the product is vegan or not.
http://www.pencils.co.uk/product.aspx?mid=1205

GUESS?.... POST !

Still have a pretty big list of Derwent materials that I want to buy.
But I'm quite satisfied for the time being (I'll try to...)

I was waiting for these new babies to arrive so I can do some colour charts of all the new material. As soon as possible I'll be posting them.

Meanwhile here's a photo of the new material... Love the smell of these pencils...

ANOTHER POST ...

Derwent Aquatone..my new watercolours.. Although they say all Aquatone are vegan... Well the black is Ivory black, not vegan...

ARRIVED YESTERDAY...

Tomorrow I'm playing with this new babies :D

POST RECEIVED TODAY...

Vegan material .... so cool...
Little by little replacing my art material

HOMEMADE DRY PASTELS

Check my vegan blog for a dry pastels's recipe (art material)

http://myeudaimoniautopia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/homemade-dry-pastel.html

Keep an eye on this blog I'll post more homemade recipes for art material