Friday, June 10, 2016

The JOY of patters & colors

One of the things I love to do when warming up in the studio each morning is flipping through a favorite home catalogue, picking out a fun pattern and implementing it into an illustration. Today, I chose, The Company Store magazine. As you can see above, I picked out some towels and once my characters were drawn out, I use the colorful designs within their clothes. Simply yet wonderfully effective. Some of my other favorite magazines to sift through for colors and design ideas are Pier 1, Crate & Barrel, and Country Door

For the children above, I worked with my fabulous dual-tipped Tombow Brushes that work like a paintbrush, allowing for easy blending/shading. They've been a great addition to my supplies and are easily transportable. My favorite part about them is how the end results truly provide a quality watercolor look/feel. I'll certainly have these in my bag for our upcoming plane ride next month!

With that said, keep an eye out for a future post diving into the Tombow Brushes a little more!
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19 comments

  1. So adorable! Great idea looking at designs in catalogues! You're art always makes me happy! Big Hugs!

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  2. Thanks for the tips, love this piece!

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  3. Your characters are so adorable! I love the patterns and designs too. Your Tombow Brushes sound interesting.

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    1. Thank you, Lisa. I hope to share a video soon on the Tombow brushes. I love them as they're like painting. Way different than what most would think of as "markers".

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  4. Two delightful children, their clothing looks so bright and cheerful.
    Yvonne

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  5. Your girl and boy look so cute in their designer duds. I must try this sometime.
    Happy PPF xx

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    1. awww hee hee Love the "designer duds". Thank you! :)

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  6. Oh that is an excellent idea for inspiration on pattern and colors!

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  7. what type of paper do you recommend using with the brushes? I just got a set but haven't used them yet

    basing the patterns for your drawings on patterns in magazine, keeps the clothes more modern :)

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    1. Jennifer, I really like to use Strathemore ready cut watercolor sheets in which you can find here:

      http://www.dickblick.com/products/strathmore-ready-cut-watercolor-sheets/

      I also LOVE LOVE the Fluid watercolor cold press blocks. You can find those here:

      http://www.jerrysartarama.com/global-arts-fluid-100-watercolor-paper-blocks-and-pochettes

      Enjoy! :)

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    2. Jennifer,

      I use a few different kinds of paper with the brushes. Here are links to those:

      Nujabi Handmade Watercolor Journal:
      https://www.amazon.com/Nujabi-Handmade-Watercolor-Journal-4x10-1/dp/B008YOBLPW/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1465872666&sr=8-10&keywords=watercolor+journals

      Barnes & Noble Mini sketchpad
      http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/home-gift-silver-metallic-mini-sketch-book-45x675/12604021?ean=9780641685880&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Home+Gift_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP808&k_clickid=3x808

      Hope this helps. :)

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    3. ohh thanks :) lots of paper to find and try :D

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  8. The idea is fantastic! And I love the dress and the shirt so much! Many thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks so much, Stefanie. I love her dress, too! :)

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  9. Great idea, one of the reasons i started painting falling ladies years ago was just so i could paint the patterns in their dresses!

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