These are in order from newest to oldest. Last year a close friend of mine gave me a pack of watercolor pens while I was on an overseas trip. Every time I go to another country, I get inspired to create a new mode for my drawing practice. I think this is the result of a combination of an unusual amount of free time, a language barrier that protects my introverted ways and finally, a new environment and culture that offers an altered perspective.
Generally, I will combine the watercolors with black and white ink pens. I usually play with coloring within the lines, and then breaking with that structure. I'm sure you are using different parts of your brain when you go back and forth from pen & ink to watercolor. To me it reminds me of syncopation in music, or 'rocking the boat' as drummer Johnny Vidacovich would say. Breaking with the structure creates a tension.
On this trip, I had been taking pictures with my phone, trying to post daily drawings to a secret instagram account, just for myself. Traveling, having my smart phone instead of photoshop, I used an app to invert the drawings, and then bump up the contrast. When I got the watercolors as a gift, I couldn't wait to try this technique with them. I can be really exciting when you press that invert button because you never really know what the result will look like. I soon realized that it's better to plan and test the colors before investing time into the drawing. A limited palette usually works better.
I know a lot artists and illustrators who participate in Inktober, and I love keeping up with their efforts, but that's not something I'm ready commit to. Fall is possibly the busiest time of year for me, so I would either burn out or embarrass myself by posting sucky drawings everyday. Instead, I reached a compromise by doing #watercolorwednesday. I'm not strict, but I try to do it every week. I don't feel bad if I miss it.
