Something New

Throughout the past couple years, with the advent of generative AI and the innate human longing for something real, artists have been talking about working with traditional mediums again. Whether it be something fun to break the cycle of undo-redo in polished digital mediums or the fact that the picture book market loves traditional textures and looks, I was still mentally pushing back on picking up a paintbrush again after so many years.

Fear has been stopping me. Fear that it was a waste of time, that I couldn’t make art with a toddler, fear of failure. 

I’ve played with gouache throughout the years, but not enough to stay invested. I will always love the Procreate app, it will always be my convenient, familiar, multitalented go-to tool. I had convinced myself that I can easily replicate the traditional textures on my iPad, which I can - but it became something beyond that. I hit a wall and I needed something different. There were ideas in my brain that I just couldn’t get through onto a digital canvas. 

So, I picked up a paintbrush.

Then I cried. 

The art I made was bad. 

Then I waited a week and tried again, and just had fun with it. 

Then I couldn’t stop.  

Here are 5 things I learned while watercolor painting again!

1. Studies Are Fun

I used to avoid doing color studies. It felt impractical to render something just to color it again in the final illustration. Perhaps it was just my previous skill level, because now, studies and thumbnails are often even better than my final piece. It’s been so much fun to experiment and problem solve on a small scale. That fresh energy in that first thumbnail is so fresh and nice to see. 

2. Sometimes, Less is More

Often times in digital, I lean into filling the space with color or detail so that there is no empty space. But in watercolor paintings, I love leaving that negative space. It requires a level of restraint to not overburden the illustration with more and more detail to achieve “perfection.” Knowing when to stop has helped a lot. It leaves room for something untouchable, for more light.

3. Light Floods Like Water

 I’ve finally found the lighting I couldn’t replicate in digital. I love the blank space that leaves room for light, for that nostalgic childhood glow I’m always trying to reach. Just like the way watercolor floods the paper, I love the way light floods into a room. 

4. Digital and Traditional Can Work Well Together

One of the more challenging parts of working traditionally has been finding the best way to move the painting onto my computer. I tried photographing my work, but I don’t have the best camera. Thankfully, my phone camera and early morning light has been doing the trick. I’ve also bought an affordable printer/scanner ($43, on sale for Black Friday!) which has helped me print out sketches to trace over, as well as scan in my paintings.

With my paintings photographed or scanned in, I’ve been able to experiment with watercolor elements in some digital art I’m working on. I’ve also been able to digitally touch up my traditional work, while still keeping the original textures. I love being able to use both.

5. Try, Try, Try Again

Another hesitation in working traditionally has been using up materials, which can get expensive. Thankfully I kept all of my tubes of paint, pencils, and supplies throughout the years (I don’t like throwing things away until I really have to). They’re not the best paints, but they’re the best for me right now, and they’ve been doing the trick. 

One thing that has been worth going out and buying is heavier paper. Cold press or hot press, paper can make world of difference and it’s been eye-opening experimenting with different watercolor papers.

With that being said, I always think it’s worth coming back to an illustration after some time away, especially if not completely satisfied with how it looks. Coming back to it with more skill, fresh eyes, and a different mindset that asks, “how can I do this better?” can help a lot. Here is one idea that took a couple weeks and a few tries to get it where I wanted it.

I hope my ramble on creativity wasn’t too dramatic. I often write these blog posts to remind myself of my own jumbled thoughts. The art industry is a bit grim right now, but the joy of wanting to create is never lost on me, what a great feeling it is. Looking forward to making more in 2025! 

Until next time,

 Christine

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CARD ART CORNER

I’ve been playing a lot of Pokemon TCG Pocket, a new mobile TCG app! It helps me save money on buying physical packs, and it’s still so much fun to battle and pull hits. Here are some of my favorite cards in my collection so far. 

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