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As soon as I saw her amazing drawings I hoped that she would make it available for purchase. She is selling a variety of vinyl stickers featuring her art in her own shop starting at $3.50 per sticker with shipping in the US included in the price. I bought a bunch of stickers to embellish my laptop, water bottle and notebooks.

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I hope she will start offering her art as prints and on other merchandise. It’s stunning. Which one is your favorite?

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Looking around at Wet Paint’s online shop recently, I came across a unique book: One Color a Day: A Daily Art Practice and Visual Diary by Courtney Cerruti ($16.99). Unlike a traditional sketchbook, its focus is not on drawing but on color. “Within the book’s orderly gridded layout . . . you simply paint each square a single color and add a word or phrase that reflects your current mood, an observation, or an experience.”

The book begins with an introduction to its concept and a brief how-to about using watercolor. The most appealing part about the concept is that even if we have no time or energy for creativity in our busy schedules, certainly we can all find a few minutes per day to fill a 2-inch square with color. There’s no pressure to look for something to draw or to “create” something beautiful – just put a color down in a square once a day. Then write a word or phrase that the color evokes. Soon it becomes a pleasurable habit to look forward to instead of a “must be creative” task. When the book or even a page spread is full, it’s a visual delight that encourages continuing the habit.

Made up of mostly blank weekly page spread grids (52 to last one year), the book also includes a prompt or theme for inspiration every four weeks, such as “a week of one subject” or “a week of sensations.” With a focus on sensory experiences, a color-a-day practice “is an opportunity to focus on moments that really matter to you. This is the essence of mindfulness.”

The hardbound book includes a fabric ribbon page marker.

The author shows examples using her recommended medium, watercolor, but I immediately saw potential for all coloring media – including fountain pen inks! Surely we all need more ways to use all those bottles and vials of color! (And if you use a Q-tip instead of a paint brush, the maintenance is even lower than with watercolors.)

While the paper is much heavier than typical book stock, I had doubts about how well it might hold up to wet media. I pulled out my wettest stuff – watercolor, watercolor pencil, Iroshizuku Tsutsuji fountain pen ink and juicy brush pens – to throw onto a page. Following Cerruti’s encouragement, I applied colors first, then free-associated to jot the first words that popped into my head upon seeing the colors. Fun, easy and fast!

To my surprise, the paper held up very well with little buckling. The only medium that bled is the watercolor pencil. I applied it dry to a puddle of water, so I had to scrub a bit, which degraded the paper’s surface. Even with that abuse, the reverse side is still useable.

Overall, I love this book – its concept and approach – and I’m looking forward to using it. Well, except for one major beef: The binding! As you can see from some of my photos, it will not stay open without holding it down. The author recommends using a binder clip on one side, but as I worked on a page spread, the book was always in danger of slamming shut with wet color if I didn’t hold it down. I find it nothing less than ridiculous that a sketchbook would be bound in a way that will not allow it to stay open by itself!

I’m having déjà vu: A few years ago when I reviewed the Make Art Every Day planner, I ran into the same issue. With that one, Ana gave me the idea of rebinding the book at my neighborhood office services store with a spiral binding. What a brilliant hack! I may be taking the One Color a Day sketchbook to meet the FedEx Kinko guillotine soon.

In the meantime, though, I realized that the concept and prompts could be followed in many types of books that would not have a problem staying open. The first thought that came to mind was a Col-o-ring book: No grid necessary – just flip to a new card each day. Or draw grids on Col-o-ring Oversize pages. Or use a conventional sketchbook that stays open easily, like Stillman & Birn’s softcover or wirebound books. For that matter, use a conventional grid-format monthly calendar and fill each square with color!

Now that you’re inspired to use color, please indulge me in giving a shout-out to Wet Paint in St. Paul. Whenever I visit family in the Twin Cities, I always make a stop at this beautiful art supply store (of the type that is rapidly disappearing in many cities, including Seattle), which is celebrating its 45^th anniversary. Let’s all buy our art supplies from indie shops like Wet Paint whenever we can. And if you happen to be a Blackwing pencil collector, you may want to know that Wet Paint has made a custom commemorative one that can only be had by buying the Blackwing two-step sharpener. Just sayin.’

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

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I make an exception in this case because I want to introduce you to a type of pen rather than a very specific make and model. This is a telescoping dip pen. This was a traveling dip pen that was designed to retract the nib into the barrel by way of the  ring around the barrel and the length could be extended by extending the rear finial.

The model I purchased had no hallmark or branding on it and the nib said “SIGNATURE 6 Made in U.S.A.” I don’t think the nib is gold but rather is probably gold tone steel. The barrel, if it was gold was only gold plate and very thinly coated. I purchased it for about $30 on ebay via an auction (not a “Buy It Now”). The nib, which I suspected was probably bent or damaged actually writes quite well. I had planned on replacing it with a Zebra G or Nikko G but the matching SIGNATURE gold nib writes well enough for me to use for ink testing purposes for the time being.

I love the detail etching on the barrel and ring. The whole pen is very delicate and pretty. It’s about the width of a standard pencil so it’s much slimmer than most fountain pens. It is comparable to a lot of the pocket dip pens I’ve collected over the years.

I would compare the nib to a European medium nib. I tested the nib with the best vintage pen ink available — Waterman Inspired Blue (my bottle just has a weird label) on and Elia Note Tomoe River A5 notebook (totally sold out).

The slide mechanism is a little stiff so I am going to apply some silicone grease and see if that helps lubricate it a bit though the internet searches I’ve done suggest I look to other grease or oils so if any of you are experts in this area, please give me some suggestions.

I just wanted a chance to introduce you to a pen style you might not have seen or considered. It’s the kind of thing that in a flea market tray or pen show display, might look like a broken pen, weird mechanical pencil or some other freaky Victorian tool but might end up being something that with a little cleaning and a couple dollars for a dip nib could become you new favorite ink testing tool.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this item with my own money but I do reference items available from our sponsors. Help support this site by shopping with our sponsors and be sure to leave a comment in your order that you heard about them from us. Please see the About page for more details.

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King inspired the nation through his efforts during the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s and his empassioned words. Where did he compose these words?

I didn’t find any specific information on the topic of his desk and workspace but I did find photos of Dr. King in his office or at his desk. I love photos like this, no matter how staged they might be. They have little hints of the way he worked. There is no typewriter in any of the photos I found. Dr. King clearly hand wrote his notes, correspondence and speeches. Someone else (maybe Coretta?) might have typed them up later but this was not something he did.

What is evident from most photos of King’s office is that he liked to surround himself with books.

The photo above looks like it might have been taken at the same time as the last photo below. King is wearing the same shirt. One the desk is a goose-meck lamp, a glass paperweight egg, a bottle of ink and a refillable page-a-day calendar. In his hand is what appears to be a yellow pencil. Like any great thinker, his desk is buried in paper and books.

The cantilevering pile of books on the shelf on the far left of the above photo make me itchy. They look like they will fall over at any minute. I wonder for what occasion he had gotten the large trophy?

I love that there is a photo of Coretta featured prominently on the shelf behind Dr. King. There appear to be two phones behind him.

Above King is captured in front of his bookcase. There is evidence of spiritual texts as well as history books.

Above, King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, appear behind his desk. In the forefront of the photo is the same egg shaped paperweight as previous photos as well as a desk pen stand, a refillable calendar and an ashtray. Behind the couple are filing cabinets and barrister bookcases with glass fronts. I wonder what the circumstances that led to this particular photo being taken. While I am certain Mrs. King was an active part of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King’s work, this photo feels staged. It does give a good idea of the items on King’s desk.

Every photo I’ve ever seen of Martin Luther King, Jr, he always looked so serene. His belief in non-violence seemed to show in his eyes.

While many Americans may look upon today’s “bank holiday” as a bonus 3-day weekend, it’s worth remembering at how MLK, Jr lived and worked. This day should inspire us to reflect on his words, his work and the legacy he left behind.

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I wanted to draw my alphabet of favorite things but once I started it, I didn’t do them in any particular order. I also discovered that it was hard to think of anything for some letters and many things for other letters. So, my whole plan started to break down. Then, I wasn’t always happy with a drawing. So, I would redraw it. And redraw it. And redraw it. So, I got behind.

And, of course, things happened in October that made it hard to keep my focus. We lost a beloved pet. Friends lost pets. Friends lost jobs. It became important to be present for the people in my life, both two-legged and four-legged and get a couple days behind on Inktober.

As much as I wanted to share my drawings along the way, I often finished them and rolled into bed. Sometimes, the artwork was still wet and I closed the cover of my sketchbook to discover in the morning that I had smeared the drawing.

I started my Inktober with a small set of Copic markers, my trusty Platinum Carbon Desk Pen and a red drawing pencil and eraser. As the project progressed, I realized that the limited color palette was starting to bum me out.

Some of the Copics were starting to dry out. They were the same set of colors I used in my first Inktober back in 2016.

I broke completely and got out my watercolor set. The Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbook I have been using does not love watercolor like I had hoped. I look forward to going back to the Alpha (medium grain) which behaves a bit better to water.

The addition of more color definitely made the last push through a handful of drawings more enjoyable. I did discover that I use a lot of warm and cool yellow as both pans were basically empty.

I love love love Payne’s Grey. If I don’t have it in my palette, I will mix it myself: equal parts ultramarine and burnt sienna.  The cap on the Red Hot bottle and the ground is made from homemade Payne’s Grey. Thanks, William Payne, you little trickster!

I didn’t scan in all the pages I painted. Some were just bad. But that’s the great thing about the internet. We get to edit. But we can also be a cautionary tale.

This last piece was one that got damaged as a result of closing my sketchbook before the paint was dry. It’s probably possible to Photoshop out the mistakes but I’d just as soon repaint it. I like the concept enough to redo it. I’d also like to attempt the lettering again. I found some great vintage resources online.

Inktober is always a learning experience. I think the first week was particularly rocky for me. I haven’t done much drawing this year outside of work which is shameful. If I stick with a regular regiment of drawing, then doing Inktober won’t be as difficult next year. Having a plan, even if you diverge from it, is a good thing. As long as you don’t spend hours every day looking for reference images. Like any project, the more work you can do upfront, the better. Having reference images is not cheating. Make friends pose for you, get a mirror, take reference photos of yourself or google reference images. You have a year to come up with a plan for next year. And nobody says you have to follow the official Inktober rules or prompts.

The post My Inktober 2019 Follow-Up appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

The new Baron Fig Trace notebook features 72 pages of soft white, 90gsm pages printed with Kyle’s illustrations in a light reddish orange print. As an end-user, you get to bring them to life by tracing the linework. Think of yourself as a comic book inker. Using bolder or thinner lines, change the emphasis of the artwork.

And the artwork is weird, wonderful and whimsical. Some of it is surreal. Some of it is abstract. Some of it is straight-up trippy. But there’s probably something for everyone.

I chose to start with the pile of stones image to trace. I used a brush marker for the wider, outside lines and then used the Pentel Pointliners for the finer, more delicate inside lines. The Baron Fig paper is great with pencil so I think adding colored pencil would be an awesome addition.

When I flipped the page, there was no bleed through and very little show through. Mr. Moustache may be the next trace picture I tackle for fun. Do I like this more than the adult coloring book trend? I think I might.

DISCLAIMER: The notebook included in this review was provided free of charge by Baron Fig for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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Tesori is Italian for “treasure” which is fitting for a set of tin boxes. I imagine one of these boxes in 30 years developing a few dents and rust patina and being filled with various bits of ephemera from a lifetime of collecting and squirreling away of little treasures.

The smallest box easily holds small items like clips, ink samples, hand held pencils sharpeners and the like. I lined the bottom of the boxes with decorative paper to coordinate with the lids and help to absorb sound when items are placed inside. I would like to replace the paper with felt at some point for more sound absorption.

The medium sized box will hold average-sized fountain pens easily. Postcards or letters would also fit nicely in this box.

The largest box is perfect for regular pens, pencils and other regular, writing tools.

The boxes are made of a heavier gauge tin and the edges are rolled so they won’t scratch your desk. The enamel finish is smooth and glossy and the colors are bright but have a retro vibe with a creamy, ivory yellow that reminds me of a vintage candy box or cookie (biscuit) tin. I’ll certainly find a way to put these to good use.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Princeton Architectural Press for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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Do you know what tomorrow is? The first day of October! And for a lot of folks that means the start of Inktober the drawing challenge event of the year.

If you want to participate, there’s really not much to it:

If you want to use the prompts created, you can. Or you can make up your own.

I did it last year and I’ve decided to do it again this year.

I picked my own theme last year, I did a knitter’s alphabet and the ArtSnacks Inktober Kit Sketchbook and a selection of Copic markers and pens as my own limited palette and personal challenge.

This year, I am going to do another alphabet theme because I like to know what I’m going to draw everyday. It keeps the guessing and planning out of the equation. I can plan it out ahead of time to a certain extent. At least a couple of days in advance or at least be thinking about it. But I’m going to keep the topic a secret — at least until tomorrow.

If you decide to try it, set some parameters for yourself to help make it easier. Either set a time limit (only 20 minutes and its done no matter how not done it is), a size limitation (a small notebook, 3x5s, post-it notes, whatever) or materials (only ballpoint pens, just black and white, only sharpies, whatever) so that you don’t turn it into an epic project. In the end, my drawings never took more than an hour each day.

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(Inspired by the vinyl record buying flowchart found on Pinterest)

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Since the site I found this particular art was all in Spanish I had to rely on some iffy translation software but it looks like Catharsis Studio used over 2500 pencils to create signage for BCN Lip Language School to hang in their lobby out of pencils. I love the script “Lip” and how great it looks out of pencil eraser “dots”.

Clever and colorful but I feel sorry for whoever has to dust this!

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