Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft

A Comparison of Two Skin Tone Colored Pencil Sets By Jean Van’t Hul, The Artful Parent

 

We enjoyed exploring and testing the Faber-Castell World Colors pencils that we received to review and were interested to see how their skin tone colored pencils compared with other multicultural colored pencils out there.

So we tested two sets side by side.

Faber-Castell’s World Colors and Crayola’s Multicultural Colored Pencils

And by we, I mean Maia and Daphne.

Daphne used the Faber-Castell pencils to color and make a set of paper dolls (see my post on The Artful Parent for the free printable paper dolls).

Maia sat down and did a side by side test of all the skin tone shades in each box. We already knew that the World Colors set had a great range of natural skin colors and combinations from drawing people from around the world. There are 6 colors in the box (3 double-sided pencils), plus a lot more once you start combining and layering.

But we were surprised at how little some of the Crayola pencils looked like skin tones. Maia kept making comments about the purplish color and the reddish color and how she didn’t know anyone with skin those colors. She didn’t layer the Crayola pencils the way she did with the Faber-Castell colors so we don’t know if perhaps more realistic skin tones could be achieved that way. 

Overall, we were very impressed by how much care and effort Faber-Castell put into their set of World Colors. But then, that shouldn’t surprise us since they are a company that’s been around since 1761. They’ve stood the test of time for a reason.

This post is sponsored by Faber-Castell and I received their World Colors colored pencils for free in order to review and write about them.

 

Be Kind Note

It is always fun to spread a little kindness wherever you go! So every once in awhile I will make a few cards and hide them for people to find! :)

I used the 20 Minute Studio Watercolor for Beginners kit from Faber-Castell.

To start I added a piece of thick washi tape in the middle of the paper.

Then, I started adding some florals and leaves all around the washi like a border. You can add whatever type of design you want here.

Once I finished inking my design, I used the mini watercolor palette to add some color. I like to just add big bold strokes. (I don't worry about the color staying inside the lines).

After I made sure the watercolor was completely dry, I SLOWLY peeled off the washi tape. (If you don't let the watercolor dry all the way or you go too fast you can rip the paper).

Final touch is adding a message inside the empty space! Then you can keep it or go hide it for someone to find! :)

 

Erin is a teacher by day and a creator by night. She loves to try and inspire creativity in her students everyday! Because she’s busy during the day, the night is when her creativity gets to explode into the world through lettering and messing around with watercolors. Her biggest advice would be to not compare your art to other people’s art! Be uniquely you!

The Lettering Fern

CONGRATS DIY Card

I used the Faber Castell 20 Minute Studio Card Making for Beginners Kit for this card!

I decided to keep it simple with just black and white. I started by picking a transfer image and you need to use the popsicle stick to rub all over it so it transfers to your paper.

 

Next I picked the floral stencil and decided to fill in the whole image instead of just tracing the outline.

Finally, I added a touch of lettering (with the PITT Brush pen *not included in this kit).

 

Erin is a teacher by day and a creator by night. She loves to try and inspire creativity in her students everyday! Because she’s busy during the day, the night is when her creativity gets to explode into the world through lettering and messing around with watercolors. Her biggest advice would be to not compare your art to other people’s art! Be uniquely you!

The Lettering Fern

Just Keep Swimming

Just a little motivation to get you through the week!

Materials:

• Watercolor Art for Beginners kit

This kit is awesome! It comes with a small set of watercolors, a brush, 3 Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor pencils, stencils, some paper, and a Pitt Artist pen!

To start I picked the stencil I wanted to use. The one I picked reminded me of seaweed. To start I just quickly and lightly traced it (I like a more loose and messy look, if you want a clean line go slowly when tracing your stencil)

After the initial trace I went back over it for a more "sketched" look.

Then add your words! I played around with a mix of styles here!

ADD COLOR!!! Just use the brush to wet the paints. Like I said earlier I like the messy, loose look so I just brushed the color on all over!

Then finally I added some paint splats (that hopefully resemble bubbles...sorta) as well as a few other paint details.

 

Erin is a teacher by day and a creator by night. She loves to try and inspire creativity in her students everyday! Because she’s busy during the day, the night is when her creativity gets to explode into the world through lettering and messing around with watercolors. Her biggest advice would be to not compare your art to other people’s art! Be uniquely you!

The Lettering Fern

Introducing the Abstract Art for Beginners Kit from 20 Minute Studio

Hi everyone, Mou here today with a video introducing the newest 20 Minute Studio Kit - Abstract Art for Beginners!

A kit like this is great not only to give as gift but more importantly, it's a fun and inexpensive way to try a new kind of art. As I mentioned in the video, I'm truly a beginner when it comes to Abstract Art. I used only contents from the kit along with a cup of water and a palette. Here are all the materials I used -

Materials:

20 Minute Studio Abstract Art for Beginners (#770804)

Faber-Castell Collapsible Water Cup with water

Silicone palette (from Faber-Castell Intro to Watercolor with Gelatos Kit)

I hope you enjoy the video and have fun making your own abstract art!

Layering Colors & Adding Depth

I truly never thought I would love coloring with markers, but I do!! Pitt Artist Pens are perfect for this! The colors are rich and the markers/pens give you a lot of control.

Using the first 3 tips you can learn how to draw these simple flowers.

Then comes the fun part - coloring! Starting with the lightest color, fill in the space for a base. Then choose a slightly darker color to add in details. Choose another color that is even darker, but part of the same color story, and add in the finishing touches!

Once your flowers are colored, you can outline your drawing to make it pop... add highlights and shadows to create depth... and add stippling in the shading to add interest!

You could choose to stop at any point. Some people will choose a simple drawing in step number 3, while some others might want to go through all 9 steps!

On the bottom I’ve shown the Pitt artist pens I used to create these florals. Interested in trying this out? Be sure to tag Faber-Castell USA and I so we can see!

I've also included a fun printable! You can download it here!

Enjoy! Keep Creating!

Christmas Countdown - Draw Your Own Ornaments Challenge!

Hi everyone!

I'm so excited to announce the arrival of our Christmas Countdown Challenge!

To start counting down to Christmas, create 15 ornaments, and each day, decorate them! The ornaments can be simple or ornate... big or small - it's up to you!

Personally, I'm going to challenge myself to use multiple mediums for this one! One day will be pitt artist pens, and the next could be colored pencils! I'm so excited to get started and experiment! The end result will be stunning, and I cannot wait for you to share your fabulous work with Faber-Castell USA & I!

If you decide to post, be sure to tag me at @plansthatblossom and Faber-Castell at @fabercastellusa and use the hashtag: #fcornamentchallenge so we can enjoy your beautiful creations!

Fun tip - looking for an advent calendar for the kids? This challenge is perfect for that! It's a fun family activity that keeps everyone creative and festive!

If you're not into drawing your own ornaments, but would still like to decorate them - you're in luck! I have a printable for you! )You know I love a good printable!) It can be trimmed to A5 size which is a great fit for the typical bullet journal. Check it out printable and enjoy!

Thanks, and Happy Holidays!!

Faber-Castell White Pens & Whimsical Leaves

Leaves are beginning to fall in our neighborhood, and that has me ready for all things Fall. One of my favorite creative activities is to paint watercolor leaves. However, when I came across the new Faber-Castell white pens I had an idea for some fun hand-drawn leaves. 

First I gathered up my supplies - different color cardstock (I went with traditional Fall colors, but this would be fun with any variety of colors), Pitt pens, a pencil, and scissors.

Next, using a pencil I sketched out simple leaf shapes. Don't worry about lots of detailed edges, just draw a variety of shapes and sizes. 

Then using my Pitt pens I drew the stem of the leaf and began adding fun details. I chose to draw whimsical details with circles, lines, and flourishes.

Lastly I cut out my leaves (trimming off my pencil sketch of the leaf outline) giving me a pretty collection of leaves perfect for scrapbooking, adding to a mixed media project, or even stringing up as a garland.

I hope you enjoy experimenting with the new Faber-Castell white pens!

Artist and illustrator Lindsay Hopkins has been drawing and creating since childhood. She has a love for color and hopes to encourage and inspire others through her creativity. In 2012, Lindsay opened Pen & Paint and began selling her artwork and stationery online. Pen & Paint licenses artwork through Jewel Branding and is privileged to work with many global brands.

 

Bible Journaling

Hi everyone, Mou here with a Bible Journaling tutorial using the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Bible Journaling Kit. 

SUPPLIES:

 

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Bible Journaling Kit

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Textural Accents & Tools - Gel Medium, Glaze, Gesso, Whipped Spackle, Gelatos Tool Kit

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Collapsible Water Cup

Silicone Spatula (from Honey Medium Starter kit - you can use a brush instead)

Scissors

Watercolor paper (I used 140 lb cold press by Canson, cut to 9x9 inches)

The Bible I have does not have a wide margin, so I make color copies of the verses, trim around with scissors and attach to a wider piece of watercolor paper with Gel Medium. You may not need to do this step if your Bible is designed for journaling.

Apply Gesso around the verse and even layer on parts of the verse that you don't plan to focus on. Let dry.

Add some color to the page using the highlighter Gelatos from the kit. Blend with water.

Lay the stencil Trust His Path on the page and apply Whipped Spackle with a palette knife.

Doodle a frame around your chosen verse with a PITT pen.

Cut out a phrase from the kit with scissors to attach to the page. Add a diecut or sticker to decorate.

Rub some more Gelatos colors on and blend it with a coat of glaze over the whole page. Let dry completely.

Doodle some feathers around the verse with PITT pen.

Handletter the verse near the framed verse and doodle a frame around it with the Metallic Gold PITT pen. Make marks and add more touches of gold all around the page to finish.

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and will find the Bible Journaling Kit very useful in your own art practice!

Quick Art with Watercolor for Beginners Kit

Hi everyone, Mou here with a tutorial for a quick piece of art using Watercolor for Beginners Kit!

To create this, I used the Watercolor for Beginners Kit, Collapsible water cup and some watercolor paper. You can also use the papers included in the kit.

Plan a composition for your piece. Lay the floral and leaf and vine stencils to trace the shapes with the PITT pen.

Dip the paint brush in water and pick up some pigment from the little cake watercolor tray. Apply it to the same elements on the entire piece.

For color variation or if you are not too comfortable with using paint brushes especially in the smaller areas, you can also use the watercolor pencils from the kit.

Create variations in the foliage using blues, greens and yellows.

Start coloring the flowers using orange first or choose any other color, but work with one color at a time.

Continue coloring the flowers with pink and red.

You don't have to limit yourself to solid colors. Feel free to experiment with shading and gradations.

If any of the details got lost while coloring, go back in with the stencils and PITT pen to add them after the paints dry.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Be sure to check out the Watercolor for Beginners Kit which makes it super easy to create elaborate compositions in just a few steps.