Trying out the Studio Light Brush Markers

Hello lovelies,

It's important for an artist to grow. While I mostly paint with acrylics and gouache, every now and then I step outside my comfort zone and try a different medium. If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll know about my love/hate relationship with watercolors!

But I actually want to feel at ease with them. The other day I came across a relatively new product from Studio Light. I think I've mentioned this Dutch company on my blog before. I have a couple of stamps and stencils which I enjoy using, as they have a unique design. 

Recently, they have expanded their product range to include water-based brush markers, called Aqua Markers. These markers come in sets of six in pre-made color schemes. The four sets I have are Disco, Sunset, Foliage and Sea & Sky, which I have swatched in my journal. Alltogether there are 14 sets available, however, I chose the above as these colors are ones I would likely use for my flower sketches, stamped images and background washes. All of the sets can be mixed and matched allowing for a customized color palette.

I stamped a flower image in my journal on 200 gsm hot-pressed watercolor paper. The markers are designed for drawing, coloring and hand lettering. They have two brush tips, one regular and one large to create varying widths. The larger tip is more flexible than the smaller one, in my opinion. The application is smooth and darks layer fairly well on the lights. I used a size 4 round brush to create the typical watercolor look, but I found it's best to use a brush with stiffer bristles, perhaps a watertank brush. Since these markers are water-based, they are odorless - an important issue for me.

These markers are quite "juicy", especially the green and blue ones. Another way to apply color, is to add pigment to a palette, spray lightly with water and either pick up the paint with a brush or place the substrate directly on the wet paint to create an expressive background, like I did here. The colors mix on the paper which gives interesting effects.

I am going to continue to experiment with them a bit more. My verdict: These brush markers come in a wide color range and are an affordable option for coloring stamped images or using them in coloring books. As mentioned, it's best to use a stiffer brush to pull out color to create the desired watercolor effect. They are best stored laying flat in their original box. I may yet warm up to watercolor painting after all :)

This is not a sponsored post. I simply like and frequently use different products from Studio Light in my mixed media artwork.

Thank you for reading along. Have a beautiful day!

Modern Abstracts

Hi everyone!

Every so often I feel this creative urge to paint wildly abstract. Abstract art has always been the style that I'm most drawn to, even as a teenager! You wouldn't have found any posters of TV stars on my bedroom walls at that time - instead I hung pictures with bold, abstracted images! I like that modern abstracts leave room for imagination and evoke an emotional response. When I paint abstract I try to capture a feeling and use color to tell a story. 

Below I'm sharing my recent practice pieces I painted in my journal. This is a useful exercise for when I decide to go large. This artwork was inspired by both nature and urban environments.

 

I've already heard some interesting interpretations of my artwork from people on another platform. I would love to know what you see when observing these paintings. Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely day!

Monday Moodboard

Hello lovelies,

Who else loves journaling? I've kept a journal or notebook my entire life! Back in the day they were pretty standard, usually lined, and I remember giving mine an upgrade with stickers. Nowadays the choices are endless. Plus there's a whole array of journal essentials, such as washi tapes, sticker sheets, binder clips and writing tools. I've curated some lovely picks in my journal-themed board below. Have a great week!

Click on links below for more info.

1 -- 2 -- 3 -- 4

p.s. this might be my last "mood board", as lately these posts get flagged. I remember times when small businesses used to thank me for a spot on one of my boards, as it's free promotion. I guess that's no longer the case!