smart art subscription box

i really missed making art.

on a whim i decided on the smart art subscription boxes. it was one of those things i didn’t think about and ordered it before my brain could stop me. i knew if i thought about it too much i would stop myself or asshat mcassface
(my internal editor) would come up with at least 15 reasons why i shouldn’t…

it is so cool!

the box came with some pencils, markers and illustration boards with guidelines on getting started and suggestions for projects. i first made swatches and a color chart of the materials in the box.

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i used my arteza watercolor sketchbook 5.5×5.5 because of the weight and sturdiness of the paper

i tend to do the same thing over and over again. i don’t know if it is a comfort thing or something else but it is something i have done all my life. even video games, there are some games i can literally play without thinking because i know every inch of the map. maybe it is calming… but it can be seriously boring. this kit and the suggestions inside were things i didn’t normally do and forced me think outside the box i’d made for myself.

pencil sketch of mandala like/zen doodle imagery recommended for the first project.

refined image outlined with the fine-liners included in the kit

this first art box i received is markers, which i have never understood how to use… but then they threw in a new complication and made them permanent markers. ugh. but after reading up a bit on them i decided on using them like watercolors… i am most familiar with watercolor as a medium and this just makes sense to me.

since they are alcohol based markers you can use alcohol to dilute the pigment and create washes and controlled bleeding to emulate watercolor painting. i think it looks really good.

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  test of alcohol washes

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  reverse side of the page

you can see some of my notes and bad spelling… but also how nice it looks.

i tried it out on my arteza watercolor sketchbook since the paper is much thicker and could possibly handle the bleeding… (nope). but the picture looks really good and with an illustration board the bleeding won’t be an issue. i think it will turn out well. once i finish the board i will post it as well. the second project is a little more “advanced” and i do not know if i am going to just go with their example or try something else — possibly without using the markers as watercolors.