Hobbit Home

 

 Working on the houses in Karen Campbell's book "Happy Hooses," from the "Whimsical Watercolor and How to Draw Series," could keep me happily busy for another month! This "Hobbit Home," turned out to be more difficult than I thought. I made errors in both the drawing and the painting, but I'm happy to say it all worked out just fine!

 I drew this house onto my Fabriano 140 lb. hot press paper and outlined the house with Molotow Blackliners.  I painted this piece using Jane Davenport watercolors and a bit of Holbein Artist's Gouache for the tiny dots on the mushrooms. In addition, I used a Prismacolor pencil to darken and smooth out some areas. I read and followed Karen's tutorial in the book, but substituted other paint sets.  

I'm so glad I kept working even when I thought I couldn't fix it! I'm sure it was Karen Campbell who said, "Don't give up, keep going!"

Challenges:

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-850.html 

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-100.html 

The Art of Play

 

This "The Art of Play," tutorial is by Angela Murray for Mastering Mixed Media 2026. 

I traced parts of Angela's pattern with a fine black Sharpie onto Fabriano hot press watercolor paper. I no longer paint in acrylics, so I changed the media in this tutorial. The black background was done in Winsor Newton gouache and the patterns were painted in using Gen Crafts Watercolor Brush Pens.The additional doodles and dots throughout the pattern piece were done using several pens including: Sharpie Creative Markers, Micron Pens and Gelly Rolls.

This was a very fun and relaxing creative way to  spend the afternoon.

Challenges: 

 https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html

https://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-277-anything-goes-woptional.html 

https://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/2026/05/going-round-in-circles.html 

King Night Owl

 

This fun "King Night Owl" is from a collage tutorial by Eulalia Mejia for Mastering Mixed Media 2026.

Back in 2020, I discovered Gelli Plate printing and I made a lot of sheet of mixed-media colored cardstock to make colorful mono-prints. I stored these prints in a cabinet for years. Now in 2026, I combined a used these  prints with pieces of printed scrapbook paper and colored cardstock to make this colorful owl.

Eulalia used acrylic paint for the background. I don't paint with acrylic paint, so I used black Stonehenge watercolor paper instead. I don't have any cardboard to use for the 3D effect, but I used Eulalia's templates to cut the paper into pieces that make up the owl and the pieces for the tree branch. I loved putting this together on the black watercolor paper and using a variety of pens to design patterns on the solid papers.

I loved working on this piece!

Challenge: 

 https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html

https://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-277-anything-goes-woptional.html 

https://morgansartworld.blogspot.com/2026/05/morgans-artworld-challenge-100.html 

Creative Soul

 

This lovely "Creative Soul," is from a tutorial by Tamara Laporte for "Mastering Mixed Media 2026," which she hosted. I enjoy doing tutorials especially those by Tamara.

Tam's tutorial calls for acrylic paint, since I try not to use that paint, I chose gouache. I painted with Winsor Newton Designers Gouache, Holbein Gouache and Jane Davenport watercolors. I drew the girl with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil on Fabriano hot press paper.

I used a few pens for details including Posca Pens, Micron Pens and a white Gelly Roll Pen.

I love that the gouache I used work so well with the watercolors!

Challenge: 

 https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html

https://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-277-anything-goes-woptional.html 

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/05/classic-design-challenge-05-2026-mayjun.html 

Permission to Play

 This lovely girl is "Permission to Play," a mixed media tutorial by Jenny Manno for "Mastering Mixed Media 2026." The tutorial calls for Toned Tan Paper, so I used my Strathmore Tone Tan Sketch Book. When I work in this book, I use dry media only. I had to work with pencils and pens I have and not the watercolors and gesso Jenny mentioned in the tutorial. This fact didn't take away from enjoying myself. This was indeed relaxing. I loved drawing this piece with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil.

I did my best with Prismacolor Pencils especially for her skin.  I used a Blackwing Pencil, Generals black charcoal pencil and a blending stump for darks and lights of shading. Highlights were done in white Gelly Roll Pen. I also used a white Sharpie Creative Marker for additional highlights and surrounding the image.

I'm very happy with the resulting finished portrait.

Challenges: 

 https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-100.html 

https://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/2026/05/crafty-catz-challenge-713.html 

Victorian Vignette

 

This "Victorian Vignette" is from a tutorial by Karen Campbell for Awesome Art School. This large draped window was a challenge to draw as well as color. A ruler and a triangle helped with that large picture window! As I drew it, following Karen Campbell, I really wasn't sure how well it would come out.

I drew this window in my Ohuhu Marker sketch book with my Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil. I did the outlines with Molotow fineliners. I continue coloring this piece it Ohuhu Markers, but I did have substitute some the colors Karen used. I used a Gelly Roll pen for highlights around the "Victorian Vignette"

I was so happy with how well this window came out!

Challenges: 

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-849.html 

 https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html

https://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-challenge-87-anything-goes.html

 

Frog Prince

 

This totally majestic "Frog Prince," is from a tutorial by Tamara Laporte for "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales." This fellow took several days and a couple of drawings to get started, but boy am I happy with this piece!

I drew this fella with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil on Canson watercolor paper. I used two sets of watercolors: Jane Davenport and Prima. It took a lot of pencils and pens too.

I learned so much working on this "Frog Prince." I just thought I would mention that I love how the sky looks. What do you think?

Challenges: 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-322.html 

https://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-276-anything-goes-woptional.html