Makings and Musings Community

Hello everyone,

I have just shared my latest Art Materials Review, and this month I am working with tempera paint sticks.

I have really enjoyed revisiting these. I originally bought them for a children’s workshop, but I have found them to be such a wonderful tool for my own sketchbook work as well. They are bold, immediate, and very freeing to use, especially when I want to create without overthinking.

In the video, I show what they are, how they behave on paper, and I make a simple journaling page using them as a starting point for reflection.

You can watch it here and I have also added the video to the Library:

In this video, I am sharing a gentle introduction to acrylic paint markers and how I like to use them in my own art practice.

I am using a mix of Ohuhu Nahuku acrylic paint markers and Posca paint markers, and I am drawing a simple little avocado illustration to show how they work.

I talk through what acrylic paint markers are, why I love them so much, and how they differ from other types of pens and markers.

One of my favourite things about them is the opacity – the colours are so vibrant, they do not bleed through the paper, and you can easily layer colours on top of each other once they are dry. I also share a bit about the different types of nibs, like soft brush tips and bullet tips, and why I personally prefer a brush tip for drawing and sketching. That said, you…

In this class I take you through a relaxed and colourful still life drawing.

I work from a winter themed reference photo and I show you how I break it down into simple shapes and playful lines. I focus on enjoying the process rather than getting things perfect, so you can feel free to be a bit wobbly and expressive in your own work.

The artists I showed you art the start are:

Susanne Rose: https://www.instagram.com/susannerose_sketchbook/

Sandi Hester: https://www.instagram.com/sandihesterart/

I’ve just shared a new video underneath where I explore alcohol inks.

This is not a material we’ll be using in our community classes, so there is no need to rush out and buy anything.

I simply wanted to show you what alcohol inks are, how they behave, and what they can do. It’s very much an inspiration and curiosity video rather than a tutorial to follow along with.

If you already have some alcohol inks at home, you might enjoy giving them a little play after watching. And if you ever come across them in a shop, you’ll now have a sense of what they’re used for.

It’s all about exploring and learning together, without pressure. I hope you enjoy having a little look at this playful material with me.

I have a new art materials video for you this month.

This time I show you what liquid watercolours are and how you can use them.

I use the Ecoline paints, but the ideas work for most liquid watercolours, you can also join in using 'normal' watercolours. Liquid watercolours have that extra push effect that creates such soft shapes, and it is lovely to watch them settle.

In the video I paint a dark abstract landscape and a gentle spiral in warm reds, greens, and oranges. Both pieces show how expressive this medium can be.

If you are curious about trying liquid watercolours, I think you will enjoy this.

My fairyrale village scene with the cheecky little runaway mouse

Thank you so much Irene for your truly magical fairytale line and wash class this evening . I loved it and am very inspired to make a Christmas card using these techniques and theme you covered.

It was lovely meeting everyone and sharing our work.

Happy fairytale painting everyone

Lucy xxx🥰

Following on from the lesson on water colour pencils , I had a go at painting our visiting pheasant with pencils and a water coyr wash . We often have pheasants along the driveway and this one stayed most of the day perching on various sections of the fence 🪶. Maybe he wanted to be painted 🖌🎨😉

Let's talk about one of my favourite art materials — watercolour pencils! In the video, I explain what they are, how to recognise them, and how you can use them both dry and with water.

To show you how they work, I do a little sketch of a Highland cow in my sketchbook. It’s a loose, colourful and slightly messy drawing — just the kind of playful sketch I love when I don’t have much time but still want to make something creative.

I know quite a few of you already use watercolour pencils, so I hope you’ll enjoy this short tutorial for some extra inspiration and fun. And if you’ve not tried them yet, this might be the perfect reason to give them a go!

I’d love to see what you create — feel free to share your own watercolour pencil sketches in the group!

For September I looked at another art material to show you. This time it’s Conté Sticks.

They are a bit of a mix between charcoal and pastel sticks but harder (and therefore more precise).

Watch here:

I’m curious to hear if you know these and if you ever tried them.

Xxx irene

Hi everyone,

Staedtler is hosting an art competition this month (until the 15th October) and they have asked me to help promote it. Because of that I have some lovely art materials from Staedtler to give away in this months giveaway. There are loads of great prizes in the competition, the first prize is a trip to their headquarters in Germany and loads of art materials too.

I’ll tell you more about it on Thursday 😊

The theme is ‘Inspired by Nature’

https://www.staedtler.com/uk/en/discover/design-journey-international-creative-challenge-2025/?utm_campaign=DJ-Creative-Challenge-Social&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=instagram

Hi everyone,

I am excited to share something new with you. I have started a series of short videos where I take a closer look at different art materials. In each video, I explain what the material is, how to use it, and I share a small project so you can try it out yourself.

👉 You can watch the Masking Fluid tutorial here

The first video in this series is all about Masking Fluid. Masking fluid is a liquid that you can paint onto your paper to protect certain areas while you work with watercolour. Once it dries, you can paint freely over the top. When you remove it, you reveal the untouched white of the paper underneath. It is perfect for highlights, crisp details, and areas you want to keep bright.

This is just the beginning. In the coming months, I will also be sharing videos about: