new gouache palette...

I’ve been sick now for what feels like forever and a day. I am not good at resting but in this case, I am forced to. I saw a really cool paint palette on YouTube the other day. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I remembered this really cool cigar tin my friend had gifted me. She put some watercolor pans in it, but I never got around to filling them, This morning I sat in my studio and went for it.

I started by pulling all the paint colors I wanted for this petite tray. I mixed a few custom colors too. I then took wood glue and placed all the pans into the tin, incorporating a fun little arrangement not typically found in artist palettes. I then filled the pans and added two little strips of foam to the sides of the palette. My thinking with that was that gouache tends to dry out and crack. I’m going to try spraying these down with water when I’m done painting to keep it humid inside. Will report back if this works!

daily sketchbook

I committed to this practice of working in my sketchbook each morning and have really enjoyed it! I did it for a few reasons, but mostly to break out of drawing the same types of things over and over—and to experiment with different techniques. Lately I am working primarily in gouache and colored pencils, but other days I just sketch in graphite or play in watercolor. I force myself to try new subject matter so that I can become more skilled in creating more complex scenes; drawing from different points of view and angles. I highly recommend this practice to any illustrator. It is such a peaceful way to start the day. :)

morning routine

I’ve been working in my sketchbooks a lot lately. After making coffee, I sit down and write whatever ideas pop into my head. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the type of book I’d like to do next. I have a lot of ideas but it isn’t until I start sketching and loosely painting in gouache that characters form and I begin to go a different direction. I think scribbling concepts, bits of dialogue and notes lays the groundwork but the illustrations always seem to guide where I want to go. Trying not to put pressure on myself…writing takes time—and even though some ideas sound fun, if they don’t flow, it’s time to shelve for now and switch gears.