Rusalka of the River

 

This lovely image is from a tutorial by Karen Campbell for "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales." Her name is Rusalka and she is a dangerous, female water spirit in Russian folklore, who often lures humans to their deaths. Once a victim gets close the spirit drags them underwater.

I drew this dangerous spirit following Karen's instructions and used her traceable for a reference, using a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil. The piece is on Fabriano hot press watercolor paper. I used a Prima Currents watercolor palette. I used a Blackwing pencil and a paper blending stump for shading used in her eyes and a Micron Pen for her eye makeup. I also a white Gelly Roll Pen for the highlights.

It was fun to choose the greens and blues for this image! I'm really happy with how the image came out.

Challenges: 

 https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-202609-anything-goes-w.html 

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2026/07/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge_01035597380.html 

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-858.html 

Magical Potions

 

This piece is from a tutorial by Andrea Gomull for "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales."

Using a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil, I drew the image following Andrea's direction, onto my Arches watercolor block. I used a Micron Pen for outlining work and painted with Jane davenport Watercolors. I used Holbein  Artists' white gouache for dots and highlights. I enhanced the piece with Prismacolor Pencils.

This was a fun piece to work on!

Challenges: 

 https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-202609-anything-goes-w.html 

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2026/07/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge_01035597380.html 

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/classic-design-challenge-09-2026-sepoct.html 

Lighthouse Dream

 

I've been doing art tutorials for a number of years, the last three years at Karen Campbell's online Awesome Art School. There are also many art tutorials online, given freely. I have taken advantage of many. I can honestly say my skills have improved thru the years and I've learned so many wonderful techniques!

I have found that saving digital files on Etsy in the themes I'm interested in and using them as references has helped me to create my own original art. I enjoy drawing my own version of digital images. I have been offered templates freely to use in my work. Sometimes I  can combine both kinds of references in the process and arrive at original art work. This is how I got the "Lighthouse Dream."

I used a lighthouse digital image from  Plum Loved Art  (Wonky Walls and Titled Tops #29) on Etsy and part of a scenic template from Artsydee.com to draw this scene in my Canson Watercolor Book, using a Graphgear 1000 Pencil . I outlined the picture with a Micron Pen and painted it with Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors. I used Prismacolor Pencils and a blending stump for shading and white Holbein Artist's Gouache for highlights.

This picture represents a new level of my artistic journey. I couldn't be happier with this piece.

Challenges:  

 https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-202609-anything-goes-w.html 

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-104.html 

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2026/07/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge_01035597380.html 

Lady of the Greenwood

  

 This mixed media piece was inspired from a tutorial by Effy Wild for "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales."

I followed Effy's  instruction until I didn't. I went on my own art journey. Effy did say "...Art it's not about the supplies." So I used what was in my stash and made it work for me.

 I began this piece drawing the image with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil on Fabriano hot press watercolor paper. I outlined and patterned the piece with a  Micron Pen and painted it using Jane Davenport Watercolors. From there I drew and filled the spaces with numerous pens including Posca, Staedtler, Faber Castell Pitt and Gen Crafts Watercolor Markers. I enhanced the piece with Prismacolor Pencils and a Gelly Roll pen.

I loved working on this piece and how it is a bit like Effy's, but a lot like my own piece! So fun!

Challenges: 

   https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-202609-anything-goes-w.html 

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-329.html 

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2026/07/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge_01035597380.html 

Wing Things Pages 5 and 6

 

These adorable characters are from Karen Campbell's book "Whimsical Watercolor and How to Draw Series Wee Wing Things." These are my fifth and sixth pages, I worked on in Karen's book. They are the last ones. I'm done, I did all 18 of these characters!

The images were drawn on Fabriano hot press watercolor paper, using a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil. Shadow was added with a Blackwing-Matte Pencil and a blending Stump. I painted them with Jane Davenport watercolors. I used Micron pens for outlines and some of the details. Some touches of color was done using Master's Touch Fineliner Markers. Highlights were done using a Gelly Roll Pen.

I followed Karen's detailed directions for each image. The characters names on page 5 are: Bewildered Beetle Bob, Thee Wee Flea and Sweet Seagull Sally. The ones on page 6 are: Dedicated Dennis! Croonin Clyde! and Crickie Candlewickie!

It was a fun book of characters to work on. I can't wait to see the next book Karen Campbell puts out....drawing storefronts!

Challenges: 

  https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-202609-anything-goes-w.html 

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2026/07/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge_01035597380.html 

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/08/classic-design-challenge-08-2026-augsep.html 

Wing Things Pages 3 and 4

 

 

These fun characters are from Karen Campbell's book "Whimsical Watercolor and How to Draw Series Wee Wing Things." These are my third and fourth pages, each with characters I worked on from Karen's book.

The images were drawn on Fabriano hot press watercolor paper, using a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil. Shadow was added with a Blackwing-Matte Pencil and a blending Stump. I painted them with an assortment of palettes from Prima and Jane Davenport. I used Micron pens for outlines and some of the details. Some touches of color was done using Master's Touch Fineliner Markers. Highlights were done using a Gelly Roll Pen.

I followed Karen's step by step details for each image. The characters names on page 3 are: Tippie Twinkletoes, Flowery Flutterer and Flippity Fly. The ones on page 4 are: Had Enough, Fluff, Happily Hoppity and Squawkin Steven. 

They were fun to work on. I'll be back with more fun images from this book.

Challenges:

 https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-202609-anything-goes-w.html 

 https://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-challenge-91-anything.html

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/08/challenge-327.html 

 

Puppy Love

 

This "Puppy Love," loose watercolor painting is from a tutorial by Karen Campbell for Awesome Art School. I used my Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil to draw the image on Fabriano hot press watercolor paper. I outlined the image with a Micron Pen and added the random colors with Jane Davenport Watercolors.

This really was a fun loose watercolor painting!

Challenges: 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-202609-anything-goes-w.html 

https://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-2026-challenge-91-anything.html 

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/08/challenge-327.html