Little Artist Sketches- Patreon Newsletter May 13th (Patreon)

Hey Artnerds!I've been struggling with a Sjogren's Syndrome flare-up while juggling doctor appointments and PT/OT sessions, so I haven't been as up and about as I would like. While it takes me longer to work on things, I've still managed to do a little bit of art!

Remember that Frunsie tablet I received last year? It's been such a great little doodle pad and Krita is a great fit on a tablet like this. I know iPads are really popular with artists, and Procreate leads the charge for digital tablet art, but if you're looking for a budget option to test the water, an inexpensive Android tablet with a decent stylus and Krita make for a fun combination.

Here's some sketches for a series I'm kinda picking at- Lilliputian artists with different art supplies!

 Alcohol markers 

 Watercolor

 Acrylics

 Sumi

My sketches are kinda rough and I utilize a lot of layers (like up to 100). People have asked me about both over the years, and this is a perfect opportunity to talk about it!

My sketches are rough because I'm going to pencil and ink these, and I tend to make a lot of revisions during the penciling phase, so it doesn't have to be perfect; I just have to get what past Becca meant. Keeping things loose saves my hand wear and tear, but when I'm going straight from pencil to ink, I try to make sure my sketch is tighter.

I use a lot of layers because 1. I can't really trust my hand at this point and 2. I need to be able to erase/make adjustments/resize things easily. So long as I keep my layers organized, there's no reason NOT to use this feature! Every artist needs to find work methods that work for them. Isolating facial features onto their own layer separate from the jawline means I can adjust my faces (I tend to draw facial features too large for the face) easily. Working digitally like this allows me a lot of flexibility for correction and printing and it travels well!

These are a fun little project to pick at when I'm waiting in doctor's offices or not feeling well enough to get out of bed just yet since it's low stakes and I can do it on a little Android tablet. At some point, I'd like to clean these up and paint them, but for now, it's fun to just pick at different sketches while I'm recovering and working on other projects!

I'm working on another project that is coming along really well, and I'm very pleased with it, but I can't share it just yet!

Mother's Day:

Earlier this week, I shared a printable Mother's Day coloring sheet with yall, and if you're feeling inspired, you can follow along with the Start to Finish tutorial to sketch, ink, and paint this illustration!

Art Whale Fieldtest:

I'm excited to have wrapped up recording for my Art Whale/Superior watercolor review! I still need to edit and voice it, but I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts with yall!

Kuretake Granulating Field Test:

The same goes for Kuretake's new granulating watercolors! I've been sharing snippets as shorts, but I'm looking forward to sharing the full review!

Backer Exclusive & Early Access:

Backer Exclusive: Watercolor Iris Timelapse: https://www.patreon.com/posts/backer-exclusive-103888215

Early Access: Learn how to Draw, Ink, & Paint Roses! Start to Finish Art Tutorial: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-how-103887276

Backer Exclusive- Yellow Roses Printable Coloring Sheet: https://www.patreon.com/posts/backer-exclusive-103887443

Early Access: Meiliang Pigments Tube Watercolors Full Review: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-103887078

Backer Exclusive: Mother's Day Printable Lineart: https://www.patreon.com/posts/backer-exclusive-103833693

Early Access: Turner's Japanesque Watercolors Full Review & Fieldtests: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-103649900

How Sewing & Fibercraft Has Inspired My Art: https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-sewing-has-103376755

New to the Public:

May 1st: Sketchbooks, Brushes, & Paints: FILA's Thrilling New Art Supplies Unveiled at NAMTA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpTsTqvANkM&t=297s 

May 5th: Don't Wreck Your Hands! Comfortable Grips & Accessiblity Aids for Pencils & Brushes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nuk0kQD_lc&t=37s

May 8th: Old is New Again! What's Up with Winsor & Newton and Liquitex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1jOUBGR2v4

May 12th: Wreath of Affection: Painting a Mother's Day Gift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D1WkDPGluE