There are many things in this world that are green, but I wanted to sketch and paint something not normally green.  It wasn’t cool for me to sketch the things I suggested, especially since I wanted to be a little more outside the box! My feeling is I missed the mark on this one, because the more I tried to think of something, the fewer ideas I came up with.  It was starting to feel more  like a chore, and less like the fun it’s supposed to be!

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Today my sketch was of our cat Kramer.  A rough sketch I must admit.  After I sketched him on paper , I used acrylic ink on him for his “Green with Envy” color!  Here’s what I have learned over the weeks since I’ve been sketching regularly.   I mix media, literally!   I’m always working with different kinds of materials.  Sometimes fabric, sometimes acrylic, watercolor, pencil, charcoal, and yes even metal!  The sky is the limit for me.  I always purchase mixed media journals, and finally I realized that’s not cutting it!  I really need to purchase watercolor journals, and here is why….

If I use anything wet, such as acrylic, or watercolor, even glue, the paper buckles and looses its integrity, sometimes even tearing.  I guess I’m rougher on my materials than I realized!  Watercolor paper is much hardier, and will take the beating I give it!  I just started a new “Mixed Media” journal  and it dawned on me,  there are a hundred pages, and I am not liking the paper.  Now, that in itself isn’t the problem.  I could give it away to one of the grandkids.

Prior to ever using a journal, I decorate the cover and make it look “artisie fartsie!” (This is a technical term I use often.)  So now I’ve spent time embellishing the cover just the way I wanted it, and I really don’t like the paper inside the journal….What to do?   I could coat each piece with medium before I sketch.   Does anyone have any suggestions, because I really don’t think I have an answer?

Do any of you decorate your visual journals, if so send me a picture, I’d love to see what the rest of you do.

Tomorrow I’m going to do a charcoal sketch, maybe even use watercolor crayons for shading instead of charcoal.  Join in on the fun, I’d love to see what inspires you.  remember to post on FaceBook, or email the pictures to me at Karensamenow@me.com

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