My favorite Art Tools

 Welcome!

All kaleidoscopes by inkspired and KaleidoCam 

Thank you for visiting!

I recently did a blog on things that have made my creative endeavors easier. Today I thought you might like to see what tools I love to use, and perhaps you will find something new for you to try.

Disclaimer: I get no kickbacks, freebies or anything like that. This is just me sharing what I like.

Craft/Art space

As you can see, when I craft I spread out!

However there are some things I always have close to me to use frequently.

Having art supplies that work with me are part of that!

A good set of permanent ink pens is a must for Zentangle and ink & wash technique water coloring. These Sakura micron pens are my favorite.

An original Zentangle elephant by inkspired

This is a handy size chart if you forget what the numbers mean.

They also come in colors, which I have used for this Zentangle Fox:

Zentangle Fox by inkspired

For coloring after using a permanent pen outline I really enjoy the look of watercolor pencils.

I have used several different brands and truthfully right now I do not have a preference. My first set was by Kimball.

Something I invested in was this great carry-all case for pencils. Look at all the different features to fit your needs. I found mine on Amazon. This one I have filled with regular colored pencils.

It even has elastics to hold pencil sharpener and erasers.

You can have great pencils, etc. but if your paper is lousy, it won’t matter much. I have found Strathmore to be a consistent brand I look for. I like the mixed media weight paper, spiral bound for much of the zentangles I do. For a larger piece I use same brand, tape bound.

I have also used Canson.

I have many different brands of colored gel pens I use for all sorts of things like lettering on envelopes and cards and coloring stamped images. Some are great, some are ok. I look for them at Costco during the holidays when they have large assorted packs of things in the art department. Crayola also carries some nice assortments.

BUT 

For white gel pens I only buy these:

Gelly Roll white opaque. Any other brand just seems to be a waste of money.

I love to color whether it is an entire image or just accents. I cannot say enough good things about Stampin’ Up! Duo-ended water-based markers. My dh bought me a complete set some 30 years ago and many of them are still juicy! And I do ALOT of coloring. They come in a set of 10 colors, with 4 different color groups. At least mine did. They might have added a 5th set of neutrals.

These are ‘Brights’ with a softer brush tip and a thin writing tip.

Stampin’ Up! Duo water based markers

Another brand that seems to be consistent and long lasting is Tombow duo-ended markers. Here is a chart someone else made that shows the 2 sizes you get in each duo marker.

Tombow duo markers

 Next, watercolors.

For years I was quite happy with any cheap pan watercolor set, similar to these:

Then I received a set with even more colors! Used it for years; still have it!

A few years ago I was able to take some watercolor classes from a true professional. She had been painting for 40+ years and had a great reputation as both an artist and a teacher. I have learned so much from her, including different paint qualities, brushes and how important the right paper is.

These are 2 brands that I now like:

Daniel Smith extra fine watercolors

Winsor and Newton

If you are having to use a lot of pigment to get the right color shade, try buying the next more expensive paint tube in the same color, different brand. This really made a difference for me, and I ended up using less paint from the tube to get the right color I wanted.

Next I would like to share a product that has made a world of difference to me.

A power Punch tool.

I had seen punches for years of course, and found them cute but not too practical to use frequently. Until the Power Punch tool was shown to me. Super easy to use, it uses weight dynamics so that I can punch cardstock without trying to step on the punch, jump up and down on it or completely smash my hand trying to get a clean, punched image. 

Yep. Tried all of those.

Punch Bunch made the best Aid. It is discontinued now. I did find this one:

It looks flimsier than the Punch Bunch one. I would still give it a try.

Polished Stone is an inking technique with several different variations. I like to use metallic pens to get a great ‘ribbon’ of metallic ink through the paper surface. I think the best is made by Krylon:

For other metallic highlights I like these:

Be sure to use in a well-ventilated area.

Here are a few samples of Polished Stone backgrounds I have made:

My favorite ink is discontinued art pen refill inks Studio II. Try different brands to see which you like best. Not all reinkers are alike.

SplitCoastStampersCommunityFunBoard; Pinterest

Let’s talk Acrylic Paint Pens.

Paint pens have been a game-changer for me in my painted rock endeavors. 

My first set was by Artistro and they remain my favorite. I have tried many other brands. Some good. Some okay. Zeyar is a good brand.  I do lots of detail work and miniatures so the ultra-fine tip is my favorite.

The last product I want to mention is Glitter Glue.

If you are not using Stickles then you don’t know what you’re missing!

Purchasing any other brand glitter glue, for me, is a waste of money.

Made by Ranger, it has the most glitter-per-drop and best variety of color choices available. You might think that larger $1.50 bottle of sale glitter glue is a better deal? It’s not!

I sincerely hope you find a new-to-you product that you fall in love with. Missed my blog on fave tools? Go back a few blogs and you can catch up.

Being creative, no matter the medium, is such an essential part of being human I believe. You were created in the image of an incredibly creative God. So go ahead and explore some new avenues of creativity to discover more about

You!

‘Til next time,

inkspired

You can find me on Pinterest: K.Kloberdans

I love feedback.

I love to see what others are creating.

Summer Swimwear Paper Dolls

 

Welcome!

Summer weather is here.

The kids are out of school, and there’s nothing to do.

Let’s print and play with paper dolls.

Not just any, but ones with fanciful swimsuits.

dilhermando de Assis, Pinterest

These sets are fairly modern.

Here’s one that is very simplistic:

Supercoloring.com, personal use only

Paper dolls remain a favorite of mine. I still remember the ones I had when I was 4 years old. Those early ones had punch out clothes so my hands didn’t have to deal with precise scissor cutting.

Trina Robbins, Pinterest

Black and white color-your-own paper dolls are great for kids to improve their fine motor skills. Choosing your own colors encourages creativity and self-expression also.

Next is a reproduction of a July 1918 paper doll drawn by R. Lane Herron.

Love the bloomers!

Katy Keene was a comic book character. 

Katy Keene by Bill Woggon 

She had her own newspaper strip, and even her own tv show at one time. Bill Woggon was the artist. He relied heavily on readers’ submissions for costume ideas.

And what a plethora of ideas!

Katy Keene has appeared in Archie Comics since 1945. The publisher markets her as a singer/model/actress. She has also been known as “America’s Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashion”.

One thing I love about the Katy Keene paper dolls are all the different poses Bill Woggon draws her in. She is not always the standard straight on, arms down doll.

Readers were encouraged to send in their sketches and ideas not only for Katy’s fashions but also for cars, homes, rockets, boats and much more!

I have tried to tweak the images to be the clearest and brightest possible. As these are comic book prints, the quality can leave much to be desired.

She is also 80 some years old!

As part of the Archie comic series there are companion paper dolls to Katy. Here is one named “Bertha”.

Occasionally there were special editions. This next one celebrates 50 years of Katy Keene in the form of a fantasy Swimsuit Illustrated paper doll edition.

As you can see, swimsuit styles have always been very popular!

Vintage photo

Aren’t we glad styles and fabrics have changed since then?!

To get the most playtime with print yourself paper dolls, first print the doll out onto card stock. Next print the clothes out onto glossy paper if you have it. If not, a heavier typing/copy paper will work.

After cutting out the doll decide what kind of stand you want. Then trace around the doll onto the back of a cereal box. The cardboard is perfect to back paper dolls! Before cutting out, draw in your stand, then cut out. Use extra cereal box pieces as needed. Glue the doll onto the cereal cardboard. Cut slots as needed in the stand.

Here is one more Katy Keene set:

This next one is drawn by Sandy Vanderpool. I found it on Pinterest.

By Sandy Vanderpool

I hope you have some fun printing, cutting and playing with these ‘hot’ paper dolls. Have you tried drawing your own outfits for them yet?

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Kaleidoscope by KaleidoCam and inkspired