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Dad Doodles

Father’s Day is coming up this weekend and what better way to celebrate dad than to draw him in ridiculous ways?

Here’s some inspiration from Draw 500 Faces and Features by Cara Bean

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#illustrations #doodle #ideas #art #inspiration #dad #father's day #cara bean #drawing

If You Draw It, They Will Come

We hope you’ve been out and enjoying the beautiful weather this spring. James Hobbs has created some wonderful exercises that will help you to envision a gorgeous outdoor space in Dream, Draw, Design My Garden. Much like meditative tangling tiles, these square will help you design stones you’d like to see in your backyard.

Paving Stones

When a backyard is fully paved, you don’t have to replace all the pavers to create a fresh look. Instead, use bricks, colored tiles, mosaic, and recycled fragments to take the place of some of these slabs, and plant aromatic plants between them.

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#design #landscape art #meditative art tiles #art tiles #garden design #drawing #Illustration

Mixed-Media ZIAs

Grab your pens, pencils, paint and anything else you can find! Creating mixed-media Zentangle inspired art pieces, like these from 500 Tangled Artworks, can unleash a whole new level of creativity.

Marta Harvey

Mixed-media ZIAs are Zentangled-inspired art pieces that are created using several art mediums that are typically used alone. For example, a piece could have been created from paint, ink, and graphite on paper or a collage on canvas with ink and paint. The artist uses these combined mediums to create a unique design that draws the viewer in.

Mary Jane Holcroft

Tara Medrano

Sandra Chatelain, CZT

Valorie Cox

Alice Hendon

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#500 tangled artworks #zantangle #mixed-media #mixed-media art #mixed-media zentagle #tangle #drawing #pen and ink drawing #pencil drawing #creativity #relazation #zen

Wood Grain Surface Design

Looking to give your projects a cool faux-natural look? Try out this wood grain technique from Playing with Surface Design.

Wood-grain tool: My favorite comb for paste paper

Using the wood-graining tool is a little trickier than the triangle or square combs because you rock the tool back and forth while dragging it across the surface of the paper. The more you rock the comb, the more circular knots you’ll get. Fewer rocks will result in a longer wood grain with a more vertical pattern.

Keep a consistent motion as you pull the comb down to avoid making stopping and starting marks. Give yourself the time and patience to practice. This tool comes with a removable handle. I take out the handle and place my thumb and forefinger into the hole instead. This is more fluid for me, but experiment and see which way works best for you. Creating fauxbois prints is pretty addicting!

Wood-Grain Plaids

An easy way to transform a less-than-amazing print is by adding a second layer. I often do this with a dark layer of paint and the wood-graining tool. The end result is some- thing like a plaid the mad hatter might wear; it’s pretty awesome.

Adding a second layer of paint on top of an existing pattern follows the exact same process. Protect your existing print with a layer of clear methyl cellulose, paint a second coat with your paint and methyl-cellulose mixture, and comb in your pattern. You can also create a pattern over already-printed paper such as wall- paper, gift wrap, or scrapbook pages.

Directions

Prepare your paper in the same way for all paste paper with a clear coat of methyl cellulose. Paint a second layer with your paint-methyl mixture. Working quickly, begin at the top left of the page and drag and rock the wood-graining comb from the top to the bottom of the page in one continuous long pull. Remember, more rocks equal more knots. Move to the center of the page, and drag and rock the comb from the top to bottom. Repeat until the surface of the paper is covered. Practice this motion. You can quickly repaint the surface of this page if you absolutely hate your first try. Just remember that too much repainting and recombing can overwork the paper.

Clean your wood-graining tool every time you switch colors or if you have a lot of paint in the grooves of the tool. Sometimes a baby wipe will do the trick, but often I take the tool to the sink and clean it with water and a scrubby brush. Don’t be afraid to take a sponge or brush to the tool. If paint dries in the grooves of the tool, it won’t make marks. Thoroughly dry off your tool before printing again so you don’t introduce water into your print.

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#playing with surface design #surface design #wood grain #crafts and hobbies #printmaking #painting #mixed-media art #mixed-media crafts

Just Add Color: Carnival

It’s time for a mid-week mental break! It may be a four day week for most of us, but sometimes these short weeks can feel the longest! Give your mind a break and add some color to this beautiful design from Just Add Color: Carnival.

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#just add color: carnival #just add color #adult coloring book #color #coloring #design #art #sarah walsh

Beyond the Shelf: Designing Packaging for Usage

When you can make the package work with the product, the value of the product goes up. Here’s an example of a creative way to design packaging for use from Best Practices for Graphic Designers: Packaging.

To infinity. Beyond protecting and merchandising a product, what is left for a package to accomplish? In a word: everything. At every step, we challenge ourselves to consider the life of both the materials and the possible reuse of the package itself.

Butter! Better!

Project Description & Desgin Strategy:

This project came about through a genuine “a-ha” moment. The designer was enjoying a picnic lunch with friends and realized she’d forgotten to pack a knife with which to spread the butter. After laugh-worthy attempts to spread butter using the floppy foil lid, she imagined a simple remedy with a small change to the lid of the butter packet. Modernizing such a ubiquitous item ultimately enhances and changes an everyday food—bread and butter—making it simpler, smarter, and more special.

Tip:

The ultimate goal in packaging is to achieve something that is both functional and beautiful. Don’t overlook even the smallest of everyday problems, like needing a utensil to spread butter. This package is highly functional and convenient for users and solves the problem in a simple, unexpected way. This solution, particularly because it is a food item, involves all of the senses and enhances the experience of using the product.

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#packaging #Best Practices for Graphic Designers: Packaging #graphic designers #graphic design #design #graphics #packages #product #product design

Create Texture with Layering

There are many ways to create texture within a painting. Try this technique using layering from Learn to Paint in Acrylics for an old, weathered look.

Old, weathered objects, with their accumulation of dents, pits, and scratches, are fascinating subjects for painting. You can simulate this effect by layering textures in acrylic paint. For this project, you will paint an old, sun-beaten boat on a beach. You will begin with the rust-colored underpainting and layer the colors of the boat slowly, allowing the underlying rust colors to show through for a weathered patina.

Materials

White paper, canvas, or gessoed panel, #10 bristle round brush, Palette, Water, Acrylic painting medium

Color Palette

Unbleached Titanium, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Blue, Mars Black, Light Blue Permanent, Titanium White

1. Begin by toning your canvas or panel with a thin layer of Unbleached Titanium. When this layer has dried, sketch the outline of a boat in the center of the paper, canvas, or panel, using Yellow Ochre. Draw a line to indicate the horizon. If you need help with sketching the boat, use one of the transfer techniques described on pages 28–29.

2. Lay the initial layer of rust and damaged wood on the boat by scumbling a random texture using Yellow Ochre. Follow this with some more random texturing using Burnt Sienna. Use Burnt Sienna to create a warm undertone for the shadow on the sand next to the boat.

3. Begin to apply layers of drybrushed paint to the surface of the boat. Use Cobalt Blue for the rim of the boat and a mixture of Unbleached Titanium, Cobalt Blue, and Mars Black for the side of the boat. Be sure to build the color slowly and allow the initial layer of rust/ weathering to show through.

4. Add some details to the painting by applying a mixture of Light Blue Permanent and Titanium White to the strip of wood that is in the sun on top of the boat. Using Mars Black, trace the shadow under the boat, then add some details to the seats inside the boat.

5. Paint the ocean using the same technique described in project 4 (pages 42–43). Start with Light Blue Permanent along the horizon, and add Titanium White as you get closer to the beach. For the sky, use a color similar to the gray you used on the side of the boat. Paint the sand with Unbleached Titanium.

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#learn to paint in acrylics with 50 small paintings #arcylic #painting #paint #pantings #Painting Techniques #texture #tone and texture #color #art

20 Ways to Draw Sea-life

It’s finally the time of year to spend as much time as you can at the beach! While you’re there, take some time to doodle the creatures you see. Here are some examples of ocean life in doodle form from 20 Ways to Draw a Jellyfish.

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www.quartoknows.com

#BeInTheKnow #QuartoKnows #QuartoCreates #RockPaperInk #creative #art #design #books #design blogs

Color Interaction

Playing with color can be fun. Try this exercise from The Pencil Playbook to see how colors work together.

Color interaction is complex but fun. There are lots of books and theories about the subject but the best way to understand it is to experiment with it. Make a wheel and start coloring its different areas. Notice how the colors behave when they are placed side by side or when they are opposite one another, for example.

TIP - There’s a very good book by artist Josef Albers about this subject. It’s called “Interaction of Color”. Check it out to learn about a wide range of color perception experiments.

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#color #color theory #The Pencil Playbook #pencil drawing #techniques #drawing #sketcing #color palette

My Print Set-Up: Dirk Fowler

It’s always interesting to see into another artist’s world. One of the best ways to do this is to take a look inside their studio. Paper and Ink Workshop takes you inside designer Dirk Fowler’s workspace.

To convert his former sunroom, Dirk Fowler of F2 Design added two letterpress proof presses, a wire storage rack, a few drawers of type/ad cuts, and an area for mixing ink.

“My studio is small, but I keep most everything within arms’ reach, making it amazingly efficient,” he explains. “I also use unconventional methods for letterpress, like cutting and gluing gasket rubber and other substances to an MDF base that is almost type high. I am always finding and collecting new things and wondering if I can use them for printing. I use wood type and metal monotype, ink, brayers, putty knives, lock-up furniture, craft knives, among other things to get the job done.”

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#paper and ink workshop #john foster #studio secrets #print set up #printmaking #design #art #ink #paper #dirk fowler

5 Tips for Creating Chalk-Style Drawings

Give your sketches a new look! These tips from Learn to Create Chalk Style Notes will help you create incredible chalk-style drawings.

1. Use a lead pencil and, with a light touch, draw a sketch of your drawing. See: Planning Your Drawing, page 9.

2. Use your chalk-pastel pencils to fill in any area you wish to have color. It is important that these areas are filled in before you go over them with your white gel pen. Apply a fixative. There are many different brands on the market, however I have found that aerosol hairspray works best.

3. Prepare your white gel pen for use by briefly practicing on a piece of scrap paper. This will ensure an opaque, even flow.

4. Go over your outlines with the white gel pen. Use even pressure and a steady hand.

5. Wait at least two hours for the white ink to completely dry, then lightly erase the pencil markings with a good-quality eraser.

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#Chalk #learn to create your own chalk-stye notes #chalk-style #papercrafts #calligraphy and lettering #mixed media #lettering #kits

Paper Daisies

Fresh flowers are great, but with this template from I Love Paper, you might not even be able to tell these daisies are fake!

It is possible to create both realistic-looking and more graphical flowers. In this example, I would like to show you how to create a daisy. Since the petals are rather thin and long, it is a bit brittle to work with.

It may therefore be a good idea to remember not to cut the petals too close to the middle of the flower. you will find the template on page 63.

Tools

Paper, flower tape, pencil, double-sided tape or glue, paper tape, scalpel, wax paper, steel ruler, steel pin

Daisy Step By Step

1. Trace the template on wax paper.

2. Place the template on the white paper. Fasten the wax paper with tape so that the paper does not slide. It is best if you use paper tape.

3. Cut out the contour of the flower with a scalpel.

4. Make two identical flowers so that there are twice as many petals on the daisy.

5. On a piece of yellow paper, fasten a double-sided tape about 3⁄16" (5 mm) from the edge of the paper and then cut out the strip on the other side of the tape.

6. Clip or cut out tiny little strips like bangs.

7. Place the two white flowers on top of each other, but with a small rotation so that the petals do not lie exactly on top of each other. Then cut two x’s in the middle of the flower.

8. Loosen the protective plastic from the tape on the yellow strip and roll up until you have used about 3" (8 cm) of the strip, then cut it off.

9. Fold down the tabs in the middle of the flower and place the yellow rolled-up strip in the middle.

10. Fold out the outermost layers of the yellow strips so that they are nicely spread out. You can also roll the white petals lightly. with the help of a brush handle so that their shape becomes more alive.

11. Press one steel pin in about 3⁄16" (5 mm) on the bottom in the middle of the yellow. The pin stays in place quite well wit1h2t.he help of the double-sided tape on the yellow strip.

12. Wind flower tape around the wire stem, the under side of the flower, and the white tabs that surround the yellow middle. Pull a few turns tightly before you wind the tape downwards on the stem until it is covered.

Leaves step by step

1. Trace the template on wax paper.

2. Place the template on the selected paper. Fasten the wax paper with tape so that the paper does not slide. It is best if you use paper tape. Cut out with a scalpel.

3. Place the ruler in the middle of the leaf (along the dashed line) and pull with the bone folder.

4. Pull with the brush handle along the back of the leaf so that it gets a slightly rounded shape.

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#i love paper #paper art #paper flowers #papercrafts #paper folding #design #art #florals #spring

Sophisticated Glamour: The Fashion Illustrations of Luis Tinoco

Luis Tinoco, as featured in The Art of Fashion Illustration by Somer Flaherty Tejwani, creates an allure and refined charisma with his watercolor designs. It’s a lovely look that makes high-end fashion seem accessible.

Luis Tinoco always starts a sketch in pencil to create an initial impression. Then he applies color, and later retouches the piece digitally. He calls his illustration style realism and sophisticated glamour, using watercolors and paint to create a fresh and contemporary fashion style. Tinoco says the colors he uses in his work change depending on what he is creating and what the fashion color trends are each season. Although in his watercolor work, lines are often absent, with other mediums he will incorporate noticeable lines to create depth and to accentuate forms or highlight a specific area of the illustration.

Juicy Couture Here, Tinoco was inspired by 1950s summer fashion.

Luis Tinoco has been drawing since he was a child but his interest in fashion came later when he began working in advertising agencies as an art director, which has led to his work on client accounts such as Carolina Herrera, Rimmel, and United Colors of Benetton, among others. His work encompasses everything from illustrations for a cartoon series to childrens’ books to illustrations for the biggest names in beauty and fashion including Glamour Spain and Glamour Germany magazines.

Christian Louboutin This is Tinoco’s take on the fashion-forward shoes.

Inspiration

Like other contemporary illustrators, Tinoco cites the legendary master of fashion illustration René Gruau as an influence, as well as top fashion designers such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Marc Jacobs. But during his early years as an illustrator he worked to find his own style—one that would offer a different and creative point of view and set him apart from other fashion illustrators.

Kate Moss, God Save the Queen This watercolor and digital illustration that was inspired by British pop culture.

Good Advice

For Tinoco, one of the biggest challenges as a fashion illustrator is keeping abreast of all the fashion trends in an industry that changes seasonally and has new colors, fabrics, models, styles, and designers all the time. “Enjoy your work and make others enjoy it too.”

Find more information on case studies of other fashion illustrators in the book:

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#the art of fashion illustration #art #fashion #christian louboutin #kate moss #luis tinoco #spanish fashion designer #fashion week #illustration #watercolor #watercolour illustration

Exploring Ethnic Motifs

Whether you’re gaining inspiration from your travels or from places you’d love to go, incorporating ethnic influences into your designs can make them feel exotic yet somehow familiar. Try your hand at ethnic-inspired motifs with this exercise from Color + Pattern.

Ethnic motifs have been an exciting design trend for years now. They feel organic, comforting, dynamic, and somehow familiar. Perhaps this is because ethnic motifs are a part of our collective human history

The dictionary defines the word ethnic as relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in common. Thus ethnic motifs, similar to folk motifs, are designs, shapes, and colors that are representative of the cultures of groups of people. Wherever people go they take these ethnic traditions with them. A great example is the beautiful tile designs in Morocco and other parts of North Africa. They are stunning and forever linked to the people who created them and who use them as decoration in their spaces. You will, however, also find these gorgeous tile designs in parts of Spain from the time the Moors inhabited the area. The design tradition and the people are linked.

Many traditional dyeing techniques popular today, like ikat and shibori, can be re-created digitally with beautiful results.

This hamsa is by Jessica Swift.

Your Mission

Draw three sets of ethnic-inspired motifs. Then create an ethnic-inspired pattern using one of these sets of motifs. Color your ethnic-inspired pattern new by using a modern color palette to complete the print.

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#color + pattern #ethnic motifs #exploring ethnic motifs #motifs #design #ethnic-inspired #graphic arts #color theory #art

Celebrity Portraits

Capturing the human form can be one of the most difficult things, and sometimes it’s easiest to sketch what you know. Here are some amazing celebrity portraits to inspire you from 1,000 Portrait Illustrations.