What Coloring With One Graphite Pencil Taught Me

I was tired after Christmas, but not tired enough to fall asleep.

Watching TV is never enough for me on its own, so I either doodle, draw, write, or...you get the idea.

But I was determined to take the day off, so as I was watching The Sopranos then The OA, I picked up one of my own coloring books and a pencil.

At first it was a bit like doodling on a newspaper or magazine, and I had no predetermined outcome on my mind. I just wanted to relax.

Then I got into it.

Picture as seen in coloring book.

Colored with one Pentel GrapGear500 0.3 2B lead

The pencil is a mechanical is a GraphGear Pentel 500 with 2B 0.3 lead. You can buy it here: Pentel GraphGear 500 Automatic Drafting Pencil Brown (PG523E) 

The book is Coloring Dreams. It is printed by CreateSpace and has 14 one sided images. You can buy here:  Coloring Dreams: 8 x 10 Version with Borders

 I learned that using just one pencil is not only enough to color, it is super relaxing. (I found it to be even more relaxing than using colors, and can be just as striking.)

I learned to appreciate the images in a coloring book as art, and how to use shadows and light to make the image stand out, and even look beautiful.

I learned that 2B lead has a huge variation in depth of color, and that I love to use softer lead.

I also learned that if the lead is thin enough you can use a softer lead in a mechanical pencil and get a big variety of results.

I am not saying to get rid of your colored pencils, but maybe to give this a chance.

I loved it.

The Top FIVE Coloring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

From COLORING DREAMS Coloring Book

We are still riding the adult coloring wave, and it does not look like it will crash anytime soon.

From cute fairies to exotic fantasies and explicit curse books, we can't get enough of our favorite new past time.

But are there certain things to avoid in the relaxing coloring world?

*DISCLAIMER* Coloring is just plain old fun. If you are doing it, having a ball, and do not want to change a thing--keep on coloring! Read on, what I write might surprise you.

Do you:

1.  Use the same pressure on every area when using colored pencils?

 Some color with a light touch and some are heavy handed. If you want an artistic look to your pictures, vary the pressure you use. Pressing very hard gives a very bright, opaque finish to the area you are coloring. If you press very hard you will burnish the area which means there will be a shine or gloss to the area you are coloring, and any tooth on the paper will be flattened. This technique is great for some areas, not for others. Don't be afraid to experiment. Pressing lightly gives the area a more translucent feel, and layering with color and even texture is possible.

2.  Color in every single space on every single picture?

Occasionally you will be stuck to figure what color to use. This might mean that you don't need any color at all, and the space should be left white. Some pictures look gorgeous with every area filled in with bright and vibrant colors--but some do not. Sometimes the negative space around the subject of the picture helps the focus to remain on the subject. Other times the negative space may be an interesting design itself. 

3.  Only color what you already like?

When we are kids, we are fearless and we learn what we like from trying practically everything, at least once. As we get older, we fall into patterns and feel we already know what we like, and do not like. I spoke to some colorists recently, and many said they didn't think they would like to draw people, or houses, or any number of things, and when they tried, they loved it! So give it a whirl. Throw yourself at some new coloring themes and see where you stick.

4.  Have the feeling that more is better?
How would it feel to have an endless supply of colored pencils or markers? Or enough gel pens to cover an entire wall? Sounds divine. Sure having a choice is nice, but having a smaller amount can be wonderful, too. When I illustrated a children's book many years ago, the only thing I used to color it was a set of 24 Conte charcoal pencils. It got published, and spent one lovely weekend featured at The Eric Carle Museum of Storybook Art. Practice blending colors. Using a blending stick or turpenoid helps too. You may surprise yourself. Also, having less pencils is a great study in color theory. You are forced to make new shades out of necessity, and the skill translates when you have even more pencils. Oh, the colors you will create! (Now that being said--I think almost everyone agrees the seemingly endless choices we have in coloring books styles is GOOD.) You can try this too: choose three or four colors and finish the entire picture using only the colors chosen. You may be in for a treat if you have not done this before. (BTW--my coloring book COLORING DREAMS is based on the children's book I illustrated.)

5.  Try to make every image perfect?
Yes, there is beauty in photo realism--to have that wonderful ability to recreate what already exists. But there is another kind of awe in creating something that has never existed before. Use your imagination--no one is stopping you. If you color, you are an artist, and you can use your creativity in any way you like. Unlike a job or a duty, coloring is YOUR thing, and you can create any world you like. If it makes YOU happy, DO IT. No one gets hurt here, and in my humble opinion, putting a smile on your own face helps you spread the joy. Even if you are not the best colorist on the earth,(there is only one and no one knows who that is) do what thrills you. Everything has cracks--that is how the sun gets in. (Leonard Cohen)

Even though I named this article The Top Five Coloring Mistakes, in reality, I truly do not think we can make mistakes when we color. We may learn what we like to color, or what pencils are our favorites, and even new techniques, but one of the truly beautiful things about coloring is that there aren't really any terrible mistakes, just things we might learn. 

Now go grab your pencils, I have wasted enough of your coloring time.

xo

You can buy COLORING DREAMS HERE.

Click HERE for my website and see my additional coloring books.

Join my newsletter HERE for coloring tips, once a month free pages, giveaways, and educational and product videos.

Join my Facebook COLORING GALLERY to post your coloring pages and receive motivation, tips, and a great coloring family HERE.

18 Holiday Coloring and Craft Gifts!

It's the most wonderful time of the year and I have a nice list of terrific gifts for your favorite coloring Vixen (or Dasher)!

From frugal to fabulous, you'll find 18 gifts you will love to give or get for the holidays.

1.  Craft and Coloring Supplies Organizers -- we love to color and we have a LOT of stuff! Here are a few ways to organize and carry your supplies conveniently. 

                       13 Compartment Craft and Coloring Organizer and Tote $9.99 A wonderful tote to store all your coloring supplies.

         Everything Mary Deluxe Papercraft Organizer $18.95 Big and beautiful and ready to travel, whether from the kitchen to the dining room or to a friend's, this bag has room for it all

                   Blick Art Tote $24.19 A bit more space and a few more compartments, this white canvas bag will hold everything from markers to brushes, and everything in between.

2.  Nice Big Pen Sets -- Pens glorious pens! We can't enough enough. Here are some gels, watercolors, and fine tip markers for details.

           120 LOLLIZ Gel Pens No Duplicates $21.99 So many pens for so little money! Gels pens are all the rage for coloring, shading, and just jotting down notes. This set lets you color in EVERY shade.

                       97 Set Tombow Watercolor Markers $145.07 A lovely set of watercolor markers for coloring or calligraphy.

                             36 Staedtler Fine Tip Markers $23.89 36 fine liner shades, including six neon, for details and corners. For the coloring perfectionist.

3.  Colored Pencils--for the dedicated beginner to the elegantly advanced. 

                                   48 Set of Marco Raffine $17.99 Creamy and bright, these pencils are a lovely way to start coloring.

                              72 Set Prismacolor $35.00 Everyone has heard of Prismas! Buttery and smooth and super pigmented, a favorite of many.

         120 Faber-Castell Polychromos $186.75 Oh to have a full set of Polychromos pencils! On the wish list of many indeed!

4. Fancy Extras -- a few things you may not have thought of, but actually need, for expert coloring.

Weber's Turpenoid $4.59 to $51 Use this to blend your colored pencils. Makes colores brighter and images seem smoother.

                    Pretty Flower Clipboard $9.99 Such a pretty clipboard for those of us that either cut out the images from our books, or buy individual images from Etsy.

                          Pilot Frixion Erasable Markers 12 Set $14.60 Oh look! Markers you can erase!

Fakus Pencil Holders $30.00 Are your eyes deceiving you? These pencil holders are actually flat!

Vintage Sharp O Matic Panasonic Sharpener $30.00 In my humble opinion, the best colored pencil sharpener around! You might have to search on Ebay or Etsy--worth the search!

Mono Eraser $4.87 A fine point mechanical eraser--gets those hard to reach places, and looks pretty slick too.

Fold Away Coloring and Craft Corner Table $199.99 Even if you don't have too much room, now you can have a coloring corner of your own. Folds away to a cabinet with a chalkboard front when not in use.

                     Gorgeous Garland Coloring Book by Me Color, cut, and create your own garland. Perfect family fun for the holidays.

ALSO! Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a chance to win one Gorgeous Garland Coloring Book and a set of 70 Lolliz Gel Pens. Good luck and Merry Merry to you! Hope you found something wonderful here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gorgeous Garland Coloring Book and Gel Pen Giveaway!

Hi everybody!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I am celebrating by giving away my Gorgeous Garland Coloring book. It has 56 pages to color (14 image with three copies each), enough garland for a six foot Christmas tree.

Just color, cut, and create your own garland.

Watch the video and sign up below! Follow guidelines to qualify.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck!

Style from the Forest

Although I am over 50, I still have a penchant for certain styles. As an artist, muted colors, animals, and flowers still make my heart flutter when I see them incorporated into fashion. (And when I say animals I do NOT mean fur!)

I can't get away with the same things the twenty somethings can. Plus when you are young, people assume you are experimenting, learning, and are willing to put yourself a bit more out there when it comes to fashion.

But today I found shoes that I may not be able to resist.

These grey flats (already two checks in my BUY THEM box for color and heel height), with a very faint stitched and sleeping bunny, complete with ears on the instep, make me happy just looking at them. They are fairy tales for the feet!

To make us smile even harder, the same company, ModCloth, (click HERE for their website to buy) sells Tiffany blue flats (two checks), with a wide eyed cat on the front that is reminiscent of the Totoro cartoon. Who is the genius that designed these! Love them.

Okay, okay, maybe the Totoro skips are a bit too youthful for me, but the Furry Up, We're Dreaming bunny shoes might be just subtle enough for me to get away with.

And ya know what, if something makes you THAT happy, go for it--opinions be damned.

xo

And for those of you that have not seen Totoro yet, please see the trailer above, then rent it for the kids. It is one of the most beautifully animated shows you will ever see. 

Enjoy!

Should We Give Our Kids Christmas Presents?

*Sigh*

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but somehow (removing all religion from the equation, that is a whole new blog post) the gift-giving part has been diminished. Stampedes in Walmart, 2:00 am mall shopping, and the stress of advertised but unavailable tech toys blows the circuits of our Christmas sparkle.

That being said,there is something magical about decorating the tree with lights and ornaments with our loved ones. Making or purchasing presents for our near and dear and placing them under the tree is a lovely tradition. Giving a token of our feelings can bring us closer.

The wise men, or Magi, (okay, so I am touching on the religious side of it after all) brought presents to the manger. Signs of devotion and love. 

Doing charity work during the holidays and getting your kids involved is a wonderful and important idea. It helps them to know how lucky they are, and how to help those that are in need. It also lets them them know that Christmas in not only about getting, but giving, too. My son helps with a small drive for St. Jude's hospital every year. We also collect canned goods and donate books, food, and Thanksgiving baskets to local charities. I recently read an article by a woman who wrote that she was not going to give her kids any gifts for Christmas this year. Instead they were going to do charity work. Another said they were giving their children the gift of experiences in lieu of toys, because they simply had too much stuff around the house.

I love my family and friends more than words can say, and on this one day a year this is how I choose to show them I love them.

Do they know I love them?

Of course. I spend time with them throughout the year doing things they like to do. I help them if they need me and they do the same in return--and not only during the holidays. 

In my humble opinion, a gift of love at Christmastime is a wonderful thing. Try not to get hung up in the commercialism of the times, and choose and give with love and cheer. I will continue to give gifts as long as I am able because it is just one of the ways that I am able to tell people I love them.

xo

Happy December! Our Favorite Christmas Movies

Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year!

The decorations right after Halloween were a bit too much for me, but now I am ready.

I was thinking of my favorite Christmas movies, and ELF is at the top of the list. Yep--the protagonist has his share of issues: being bigger than all the other Christmas elves, trying to find his real father, not quite fitting in, and being eternally and almost annoyingly optimistic--but though it all we are laughing and rooting for him. We do not have to sit through 85 minutes of depression to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel--or in this case at the top of the tree.

(Click above video for background music ;) )I also love A Charlie Brown Christmas. Believe it or not, that cartoon is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. I love the quiet of the Peanuts cartoons, and the problems they have. Charlie Brown knew the gang was going to give him a hard time about the tree--but he got it anyway. One of the best parts of the show is the gang dancing to Schroeder's piano playing before the rehearsal. Oh! The wild abandon. Plus, I think everyone in the world has mimicked at least one of those dances. And I think we can safely say that the music, written by Vince Guaraldi, may be one of the best scores EVER. For a cartoon, TV show, movie. Anything. 

I also love How the Grinch Stole Christmas--the original cartoon version by Dr. Seuss. I am not a big fan of preachy or lessony stories--but this one is close to perfect. When the Grinch's heart grows three times I feel like mine does too. Plus, his little dog/ reindeer sidekick is one of the cutest pets depicted in a show.

I am happy December is here even though my son is almost 19. I will still be watching my favorite shows, cartoons included.

xo

P.S. Maybe I am the only one on the earth--but I do not like It's a Wonderful Life. Please don't hate me.

November Haiku as We Wait for Christmas

This has been a glorious November. 

For the first time in many years it feels like we are having a fall. The leaves stayed green and on the trees for a bit longer than usual, and we were able to hold on to summer for a while.

But the wind came through the other night, and I thought I heard some freezing rain.

My yearly winter denial has once again been crushed, and Christmas is right around the corner.

I love the holidays, but there is still that tiny part of me that will be crossing my fingers for an early spring and looking forward to that first warm ray of sunshine.

Stay bundled up and cozy.

xo

My website.

Spicy Cinnamon Corn Art

Everyone loves pumpkin picking and the smell of fresh cinnamon cider in the fall.

Here is a fun craft for the kids--they get to show off their amazing artistic skills and make the picture smell delicious!

What you'll need:

A set of watercolor paints

6 Q-tips

1 paintbrush

Elmer's or other white glue

1 sheet of thick white paper

Your choice of spices (I used cinnamon and nutmeg)

First dip a Q-tip in water and yellow paint. Using dots, draw the shape of an ear of corn, then fill in the individual kernels with some yellow spots here and there, leaving room for the autumn colors of corn--orange, red, brown and black.

Use the next Q-tip dipped in orange, and make some more kernels, again, leaving room for the next color. I did red next, then brown, and lastly, black.

Then take your paintbrush and draw the corn husk around the ear in fall colors like brown, rust, gold or yellow, and a little bit of green since it is the end of harvest season. You can paint the sky and a bit of the cornfield if you like--or just leave it as is.

When the paint dries, take another Q-tip and dip it in glue. Touch the darker kernels with the glue. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle your spices on the glue and tap them around the paper until all the glue is covered.

Tap the excess into the trash.

Voila! You have a beautiful piece of harvest corn that smells like cinnamon cider.

I hope you have fun with this craft. Please send me any pics your kids make--I'd love to post them here and in the Out Of This World art group. Click for ART GROUP. 

Enjoy!! xo