Enchanted Castle

 This "Enchanted Castle" is from a tutorial by Tamara Leporte for the "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales."

When I saw this castle I couldn't wait to draw it freehand with my Graphgear 1000 Pental Pencil. It's on Fabriano hot press 140 lb. watercolor paper. It was so fun drawing the building and that cute sleeping dragon!

I painted this piece using three watercolor sets: Winsor Newton, Jane Davenport and Prima. The moon is outlined with a Blackwing Pencil. The black lines are in Micron Pen and the white and highlights were done with a Uni-ball Signo Pen.

I'm looking forward to more excellent tutorials at "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales!

Challenges: 

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-97.html 

  https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/02/february-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-202602-february-anything-goes.html 

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-316.html 

Valentine Cupcake

 

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, but today is my 56th wedding anniversary! That's the special day for a very special cupcake!

Let's get back to where we were! Allie at Windswept Design Studio is offering a new watercolor club. I enjoyed her tutorials, along with the printable outlines at Christmas time. Now she is offering a couple of free Valentine inspired tutorials, also with printable outlines. This yummy "Valentine Cupcake," is one of these.

I followed Allie's instructions in my XL Canson 140 lb. watercolor book, using Jane davenport watercolors and some Holbein Artist gouache. I did make some changes to this tasty dessert, making it my own.

I enjoyed this Valentine inspired tutorial from Allie!

Challenges: 

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-97.html 

https://alessandrasangels.blogspot.com/2026/02/allys-angels-103-challenge-anything.html 

 https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/02/february-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-202602-february-anything-goes.html 

 

Winter Fairy

The "Winter Fairy," iis from a Tutorial by Lucy Brydon for Awesome Art School. I painted this piece in m Artezia Gouache Pad using Artezia and Winsor Newton gouache.

The piece took three days to do and all three days, I thought there was no hope for it. I thought it would be ripped out of my pad and tossed in the garbage. But the third evening, I took another look at the piece. I decided to go on from where I left off and watching some of Lucy's tutorial, but doing most on my own. I chose not to add any extras and changed some of what was already there. It worked! It's probably the best piece in my Artezia Pad!

Challenges:

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/02/february-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-202602-february-anything-goes.html 

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/challenge-842.html 

https://alessandrasangels.blogspot.com/2026/01/allys-angels-102-anything-goes-theme.html 

 

 

House in Graphite

 

I drew this house by watching Karen Campbell's You Tube tutorial.

I drew I drew it  on Fabriano 140 lb. hot press paper with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil. Shading was added with a Blackwing Pencil and a paper stump. I used a Gen Crafts Watercolor Brush Pen to add the additional red in the hearts.

I loved drawing and shading this piece and adding the new house to my collection. 

Challenges: 

 https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/challenge-842.html

 https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/02/february-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-202602-february-anything-goes.html 

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/classic-design-challenge-01-2026-janfeb.html 

Suzy Moon

 

"Suzy Moon," was inspired by Angela Kennedy's "Magic  Moon Paper Doll," tutorial, in the "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales," hosted Tamara Laporte. Angela's paper doll has articulated limbs held together with brads. I decided to forgo the brads in favor of Beacon 3-in-1 glue. Angela provided the traceable parts and instructed how to draw, shade and paint the face using Winsor Newton watercolors. Dots on the face were done with a Uni-Ball Signo pen.

I enlarge some parts of the doll and cut  out pieces of scrap flocked paper for her outfit. She has a gown for the fairy gala now. Her silver hair and shoes were painted in Pearlescent colors by Finetec.

Suzy is glued to a NASA red sky paper as a red carpet to the gala! 

When you go to a fairy gala you need a lovely necklace! It's from some bits and pieces I found in a drawer!

By the way, she was voted the "Princess" of the gala!

 Challenges: 

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/classic-design-challenge-01-2026-janfeb.html 

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/challenge-842.html 

 https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/02/february-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-202602-february-anything-goes.html 

Paris Pastry Shop

 I loved drawing this shop while watching Karen Campbell's You Tube tutorial. I made my own little changes and details as I watched.

I drew the building in my Ohuhu Pad with a Graphgrear 1000 Pentel Pencil and colored it with Ohuhu Markers. The black line details were done with Molotow Blackliners and the highlights were done using a Uni-Signo Pen.

I'm looking forward to more of these to come on Karen's You Tube channel!

Challenges: 

https://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/crafty-catz-706-anything-goes.html 

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/challenge-842.html 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/02/february-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/02/challenge-202602-february-anything-goes.html 

https://promarkerchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/02/week-823-add-some-red.html

 

Song of the Bumble Bee

 

This tutorial by Jenny Manno was inspired by the Spanish folk tale "The Queen of the Flowers." I found Jenny's tutorial in the Taster Sessions for "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales." I'm so glad I went back to those and looked around.

I followed Jenny's step-by-step instructions using the line drawing offered and her drawing lesson to draw my queen using a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil. I drew it in my 9x12" Strathmore Toned Tan sketch book.

I finally got to use my Prismacolor Pencils and I'm so happy with the results. For some details I used a Micron Pen and the highlights I used a white Uni-ball pen.

I'll have to go back to the Tasters and see what else I have missed. I'm looking forward to whatever Jenny Manno has planned for her regular tutorial during the year. I know it will be fun. 

Challenges: 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/01/january-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/01/challenge202601-january-anything-goes.html

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/01/challenge-96.html 

https://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/2026/01/january-2026-challenge-83-anything-goes.html