Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft

Sketchbook on the go with Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencil Roll

Hi everyone, Mou here! How do you stay creative during summer break? This question particularly applies to all who get extra busy during summer as the kids stay home. I am one of you, so staying creative during summer can sometimes be a slight challenge. I try to be creative daily and sometimes that means I am sketching on the go, making use of small pockets of time. I find that creating on the go is easier with the appropriate tools and here are some of my favorites -

Faber-Castell Goldfaber Aqua watercolor pencil, pencil roll, 30 pieces (#114652)

Faber-Castell Deluxe Waterbrush (#770306)

Faber-Castell Graphite pencil Grip 2001 with eraser HB (#117200)

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen black box of 4 (S, F, M, B) (#567100)

Watercolor paper/ Sketchbook

If you are wondering about inspiration, my suggestion is to simply look around mindfully wherever you are - be it your kitchen or at the beach or when you go to your mailbox. You'll find something interesting to draw and study if you like to sketch. If sketching is not your thing, take inspiration for colors, textures, materials, etc. I sketched a pinecone that I found by my mailbox this morning when I took my daughter to the stop for the day camp bus. 

Start with a light pencil sketch of the object of your choice. I choose a pencil with an eraser attached. I also use a kneaded eraser sometimes because then I have an eraser that's clean at all times and no eraser shavings to deal with.

Trace the pencil lines with S-tip Black PITT pen. Being permanent India ink, there is no risk of ink smudging if you choose to use watercolors next.

The Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor pencils come as open stock, in boxed sets as well as this fun 30-piece roll for sketching on-the-go. I take this with me when I travel. This roll includes a sharpener and a round brush too.

You can leave the colors dry, or like I do, use a waterbrush to blend the colors. Having a waterbrush is very helpful as it rules out the risk of spilling water while you are out and about or working in tight or uneven spaces.

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!

Landscape with Oil Pastels

Hi everyone, Mou here with a landscape tutorial for you! I created this landscape with oil pastels. You need very few supplies for this. I’m listing them below.

Supplies:

Faber-Castell Creative Studio Oil crayons cardboard box of 36 (#127036)

Faber-Castell Creative Studio 6 Ct. Graphite Pencil Tin (#900010)

Faber-Castell Paper Blending Stump (#122780)

Other – paper, baby wipes

Now, let me show you the steps.

Start with a light sketch of the landscape using Goldfaber Graphite pencil. You can work from imagination or memory or from photo reference. For this piece, I worked from memory and then filled in things from imagination.

I like to start coloring from the top to avoid any unwanted smearing of colors. The day I was capturing was a dark cloudy one. I chose a light blue and warm grey for the base layer of the sky and scribbled the colors on.

I blended the colors of the sky with my fingers for a softer look. I used a baby wipe to clean my fingers. Then I started adding darker colors for the distant mountains and blended those colors with a paper blending stump.

I continued to fill in the foreground with various shades of green, blue and brown, blending the colors in and creating textures by scratching with the paper stump.

I decided to add a few grazing cows to my landscape to make it more interesting. I drew silhouettes of the cows with Goldfaber Graphite pencil to finish.

The Creative Studio Oil Pastels rekindled my love for painting landscapes with pastels. I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and would try these pastels yourself.

Landscape with Goldfaber Pencils

Hi everyone, Mou Saha here with a landscape using Faber-Castell Creative Studio Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor and Color pencils. I really enjoy sketching outdoors whenever I get a chance. Where I live in New Jersey it’s pretty cold for a large part of the year but the landscapes here are breathtaking. There are old stone buildings, horse farms that stretch for acres as well as meadows with silo clusters with mountains in the horizon. What strikes me most about these landscapes are that they are ever-changing – I have driven by on misty autumn mornings, stopped by for fresh produce in summer afternoons – and every time I’m amazed by a different kind of beauty. Even if I can’t complete a painting on the spot, I try to at least begin the sketch. I take photos for reference so I can continue to work when I get back to my studio. I carry a sketch pad or a pack of watercolor papers, my Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor and Color pencils and a couple of filled water brushes with me in a tiny backpack. Today’s drawing was a result of one such adventure when I had to stop and capture the play of light around this old stone building. I finished the drawing later filling the landscape with elements from my own imagination.

Here's my supply list -

• Faber-Castell Creative Studio Watercolor pencil Goldfaber Aqua tin of 48 (#114648)
• Faber-Castell Creative Studio Goldfaber Color Pencils – Tin of 48 (#114748)
• Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Deluxe Waterbrush (#770306)
• Faber-Castell Graphite pencil Grip 2001 with eraser HB (#117200)
• Faber-Castell Art & Graphic Graphite pencil Castell 9000 Jumbo 8B (#119308)
• Other – Strathmore 9x12 Watercolor Paper 140 lb Cold Press

Now let me walk you through the stages of my drawing.

I began with a light pencil sketch of the building and the big tree right behind it with my GRIP 2001 Graphite pencil on a 9x6 inches watercolor paper.

Next, I filled in colors using the Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor pencils.

I added details with CASTELL 9000 Graphite pencil Jumbo 8B and filled in the landscape with the watercolor pencils.

Using the Deluxe Waterbrush, I created a quick wash blending the watercolor layer.

After laying the initial color layer down, I worked on adding details, texture, depth, highlights and shadows with the Goldfaber Color pencils.

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and give landscapes a try with Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor and Color pencils.

Bringing You Some Holiday Cheer!

Hi everyone, Mou here today wishing you Happy Holidays! 

My little girl and I started playing a little holiday game of our own this year - whenever we are out and about, we count the cars driving home with Christmas trees on the roof. We have several Christmas tree farms around here which means people come from far and wide and even from New York City to get their trees. I decided to draw one such car and let me show you how I did it.

Let's start by looking at the supplies:

Faber-Castell

Watercolor pencil Goldfaber Aqua tin of 48

Deluxe Waterbrush

PITT Artist Pens S tip - BLACK

Other - Watercolor paper, pencil

And now, scroll down to see my step-by-step process.

Start with a light pencil sketch of a vintage-looking car with a Christmas tree tied to the top. Next, if you like, add a Holiday themed word below it.

Go over the pencil lines with the S-tip Black PITT Artist pen. Erase pencil lines.

Color the drawing with Goldfaber Aqua watercolor pencils as shown.

Blend the colors with the Deluxe waterbrush. Because the PITT pen is an India ink pen, it is permanent when dry and will not smudge during wet blending.

Fill the space above the car with little circles also drawn with watercolor pencil to finish.

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and will pull out your watercolor pencils and PITT pens this Holiday for some creative joy!

Feeling Grateful!

Hi everyone, Mou here today wishing all my North American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!

About 8 years ago, I started keeping a gratitude journal where I jot down at least one thing each day. Some days my entries are artful and some days they are just a list or a sentence or even a word. Sometimes, I also create simple drawings with hand-lettered words and have them in front of my eyes just as a reminder. Today, I'll show you the process behind one such drawing so you can create one too.

For this project, I used the following supplies:

Faber-Castell

Watercolor pencil Goldfaber Aqua tin of 48 (#114648) - 108,109, 115, 183, 273

Deluxe Waterbrush (#770306)

PITT Artist Pens B tip - Raw Umber, Dark Sepia

Other - Watercolor paper, pencil

Start with a light pencil sketch of a pumpkin.

Fill in with Goldfaber Aqua watercolor pencils as shown.

Blend the colors with the Deluxe waterbrush. Let dry.

Hand-letter the word grateful with Raw Umber PITT Artist pen B tip. You can write lightly with pencil first if you like.

Draw some vines and add accents to your drawing with Raw Umber and Dark Sepia Brush tip PITT pens to finish.

You can keep it in your journal, put it in a frame or just clip on to a vision board.

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and will pull out your watercolor pencils and PITT pens to create such reminders for yourself and others!

Autumn Landscape with Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils

Hi everyone, Mou here with an autumn landscape today with Goldfaber Aqua watercolor pencils!

For this, you'll need very few supplies -

Watercolor pencil Goldfaber Aqua tin of 48 (#114648)

Deluxe Waterbrush (#770306)

Other: Watercolor paper, pencil and a clipboard (to hold your paper on location)

This was a super quick and light pencil sketch of an estate in a nearby park.

The building is surrounded by evergreens and maple trees. I chose Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor pencils that matched my view closely. I started by coloring the surroundings first.

Using the Deluxe Waterbrush I blended the colors to create the surrounding.

Next, I colored the building and added the details to finish.

If you have this tin of Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils, a Deluxe Waterbrush and a little, you can sketch anywhere. The result does not have to be exact or perfect, but it will certainly give you practice and maybe become inspiration for bigger paintings in future.

These Fall Feelings: Art Journal Page

Hello everyone! Mou here with an art journal video tutorial all about the Fall!

Materials

Faber-Castell -

Gelatos – Iridescents

Gelatos – Translucents

Gel Medium

Goldfaber Aqua pencils

Collapsible Water cup

Paper Crafter Crayons – Neutral

Stampers Big Brush Pen set of 3 - RED

Hello Fall Printable Image Collection

Other – Watercolor paper, Scissors, Trimmer

You can watch the video tutorial by pressing 'play' below  or click right here.

 

I hope you enjoy!

DIY Celebration Card

Is there anything better than celebrating friends and family? Adding a personal touch, and a heartfelt note is always a good idea. 

To make this card you'll need:

• A blank card/envelope
• Faber-Castell gelatos in your choice of colors, here i have metallic mint and metallic blueberry
• Faber-Castell gelato tool kit
• A stencil
• Faber-Castell Pitt Artist pen in blue metallic 292
• Faber-Castell Pitt Artist brush pen in black

 

Start by scribbling a little bit of the gelato onto a palette (any smooth surface would work).

 

 

Pick up some of the color using the larger of the sponges from your tool kit and start coloring over top of the stencil.

 

Once you've colored in the whole picture, take your metallic pitt pen and write your greeting on the front of the card!

 

Use the Pitt Artist brush pen for the envelope. You can write their name or a congratulatory message, whatever you'd like!

 

Finish up with a nice note on the inside, and you've just made a wonderful, personal gift for your friends!

  

Chelsea has a not-so-slight obsession with all things lettering. Watching lettering videos is what got her started, and you can usually find her posting videos using every art supply she can get her hands on! From brush pens to watercolors, and everything in between!

 

 

 

 

 

Eco Mixed Media Tag

Hi everyone, Mou Saha here with an eco mixed media tag made from upcycled chipboard and cardboard! In this tutorial, you'll see how easy it is to transform discarded things with just a few mediums and supplies. So, let me list the supplies I used and break my process down into steps.

SUPPLIES:

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Textural Accents - Gel Medium, Gesso, Whipped Spackle

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Mixed Media Paper Stencils - Mandala, 201 Collection

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gelatos® - IRIDESCENTS (Nebula, Satellite); STEAMPUNK (Iced Chai, Iced Coffee)

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Essential PITT Artist Pens BLACK

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Tools - Palette knife, Silicone Spatula

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Collapsible Water Cup

Other - Chipboard, cardboard, thread, hole punch, cardstock, scissors, background stamp

Cut open a cereal box with scissors. Cut it into an 8" long x 4" wide rectangle. Snip the top corners at about 45 degree angles. Punch a hole near the top center to make the tag.

Lay the Mandala stencil on the tag as shown and apply a coat of Whipped Spackle with palette knife. Let dry.

Cut a piece of a cardboard box. Peel off the top layer to expose the corrugated surface. Tear a small piece. Attach it to the tag with Gel Medium using the silicone spatula.

Apply a coat of gesso over the dry layers.

Color the tag with Gelatos colors. Blend them with water using paint brush from the Iridescents set.

Did you know that you can stamp with Gelatos colors? 'Ink up' a background stamp with Gelatos color Iced Coffee. Spritz a little water on the stamp. Stamp randomly around the tag.

Drip some Gelatos color down the tag to add another layer of interest.

Trace the above stencil from the 201 collection on cardstock with PITT pen. Color it with Gelatos colors and cut around it to create a focal point piece.

Cut some thread with scissors and mush it up in your hands. attach it to the tag with gel medium. Attach the focal point piece overlapping the thread.

Cut a small strip of cardstock and snip one end to look like a banner. Write 'Be Cool' on it with PITT pen. Attach to the tag to finish.

Hope this tutorial inspires you to take a second look at discarded objects and to give them a new life!