Sketchbook Update 99 (Patreon)

Hi all! I hope you're having a good winter so far <3. I made a way-too-big diary section here, but I hope you enjoy!

Thank you for all the birthday wishes last SB update, I had an amazing day! Pictured is my present haul heehee. Also it snowed out of the blue, and settled despite all odds! A birthday miracle >:).

I dragged my partner out in a small blizzard so I could see the snow laid on the fields and trees ;P.

As is becoming tradition, once the snow melted I climbed many miles up the highest hill in the vicinity so I could see (and paint) it before it fully disappeared! I'm very passionate about snow...we don't get much here, and it doesn't last long.

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Some ink and pen thoughts ahead!

I wanted some green inks, and I am super happy with these! Both of the troublemaker inks I have now are just magical tbh. It really looks like seaglass!

I was Very excited to get the TWSBI Eco pen for my birthday (used above), I've seen a bunch of artists really talk big about it, and it's very pretty and you can see your ink etc! However! I don't really like it! It feels a lot...glidier in a bad way, and my lines sometimes taper and skip- I think this is maybe bc of the coated rhodia paper I use, but...the lamys work fine on it, and it's cheap, so I think I'll stick with my reliable favs!

The other ink is just a really nice deep green, very 70's ;P. Perhaps slightly influenced by a certain disco priest.

Because it was my birthday, I got myself presents too ;P. I don't have many people left that get me gifts (I'm down to two) so I feel somewhat entitled to it haha! I wanted to buy myself an ink that reflected the foggy grey landscapes of winter, and I couldn't decide between these two- so I bought the cheaper (permanent) R&K thea, and then a mini mini bottle of the more expensive FWP one, to try out! I honestly really love them both, the leadcast letters is almost exactly the colour I was hoping, but also the thea is lovely- I've missed having a permanent ink in a pen, for painting over!

Similar to the twsbi, people have been talking up the kakimori dip pen especially on youtube, it's a dip pen that allows for a lot of line variation. I was very tempted, but the price (plus the nib holder price!) stressed me out tbh- what if I didn't like it! I enjoyed this guys review, and what changed my mind was that you have to hold it almost straight up to get the very fine lines, which. eh... sounds annoying.

Instead, I got myself a 40 degree fude de mannen pen, which was a fraction of the price and honestly I really love it. It has a pretty natural angle to make the normal line, and if you tilt it you can get some excellent chisel like thick strokes!
I like this guys demo of it! link

Those two videos influenced me to draw some more of the farm vehicles, there's something very mecha about them vs more streamlined cars, and the angle part of the pen was so fun for filling in blacks!

Too cold for gouache, so I'm back to my mini watercolour set! I love when trees get lit like that in winter, just the very tops illuminated as the sun dips under the horizon, ough.

Messing around with the fude pen again! I wish I could re-do the colours, I preferred it without them I think. The second one had two cats peering at me from the barn, I was praying that the one lounging in the sunbeam would stay still.

Thank you farm cat for sitting so nicely for my drawing :')!

I didn't manage much indoor painting this month, but I did pick up my neocolour ii's again and did a couple of portraits. I love this character a lot- he's from conclave- and he's just so sweet looking.

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A regretful purchase... I've been trying to get away from my phone and I wanted a fountain pen friendly planner, and listen, everyone talks about hobonichi so positively I honestly didn't think about testing if the box dimensions would work for me. OOPS. Me and my big ass writing and 10 item to do lists are not getting in that teeny daily box. I have sent it to a friend, so at least it isn't wasted!
Simultanously I got a notebook from them too- and after spending Multiple evenings researching on my phone considering spending Even More Money on a cover so I could have a pen loop/elastic/ribbons, I was like. Shopping isn't a hobby, do it yourself.

I am lucky to have a leather punch and eyelets from trying to make doll shoes. And Boy I was vindicated for keeping that random bit of thick elastic that I was sure I would have no use for >:) Ha.

Using this as a diary to try and to move away from my phone notes app, and maybe regain a sense of time/what I did with my time... I'd like to get my brain back from social media rot tbh.

I looked back at a diary I kept briefly as a teen, and honestly it was really nice to read, so even if I only do it for a short while, I hope it's nice for future me to read.

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We got our tree up early this year, and Josie is very happy- she likes to sit under the conifer outside, so I suppose she's like 'yes, indoor tree, good'.

Speaking of christmas decorating LOL:

As is becoming yearly tradition my partners mum pulls out her growing collection of expensive lemax figurines and we all work far too hard to make it pretty. This year she bought a ski lift and yes it does work XD.

It is really nice seeing it all together, we always pull it off in the end despite the stress (this took like two 10 hour days, and a long evening after work too). It kinda brings back the childhood magic of Christmas (for a small fee of £??????? hahaha)

I went to a village wreath making workshop and I'm really pleased to have something so pretty this year, sadly I had to take the oranges off...it rains every day so they went mouldy haha! Also pictured is Poeske who I catsitted for, I love her.

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Christmas aside, something about the bleakness of winter is really beautiful to me. I think living in the countryside has a lot to do with it, I see a dramatic stand of trees and think of wind in the willows, and the wild woods. [watch on youtube!] I love the crispness, and the fog and frost, and the bright pale skies and the smell of smoke from peoples fires.

I hope you all have a good holiday period!