Inktober 2019: Most Used Art Supplies

We’re about halfway through Inktober and I thought this would be a good time to talk about the art supplies I’ve been reaching for the most and how they’ve been delivering. I didn’t plan out a colour scheme or narrow down my tools the way I did last year, so it will be interesting to see if I use these consistently all the way to the end, or if I change things up in the next half of the challenge and opt for something different. I’m taking each piece as it comes and concentrating more on what works for that individual concept rather than worrying too much about making them all fit together. What’s interesting is that, despite this, there are patterns showing up that have created a cohesive look, and I hope I can continue that.

Here is my Prompt list for this year, in case you missed it over on my Instagram. The prompts themselves are courtesy of Juan Joltaire, but the art you see above is mine.

But I’ll be reflecting more when the challenge is over. For now, let’s take a closer look at the supplies I’ve been reaching for:

All of my sketching this year has been done with a standard 2B pencil, and I’ve used literally any eraser I’ve had to hand. I usually reach for a mechanical pencil, partly because of the convenience of not having to use a sharpener, but also because you can sketch far lighter lines that can be erased with less force, enabling your paper to stay relatively untouched. However, when I started doodling rough ideas in my sketchbook, I didn’t have one on me, and I’ve just ended up going with it.

I’m sorry I forgot to include a picture of the paper I’ve been using, but for reference it’s the Arteza 9”x12” Watercolour Paper. You can get a pack of 2, giving you 32 sheets in each which they claim you can use both sides of (I’m yet to put this to the test), and they’re fantastic value for money. I love this paper. It’s Cold Press, giving it a nice textured surface, weighted at 300 gm, and it works beautifully with watercolours, ink, gouache, markers and quite a few layers of water. It does start to buckle after a bit of wear and tear, which is pretty normal, but it does withstand a good amount of medium and I genuinely think it’s great for both beginners and more experienced artists. It’s made my Inktober a dream simply because it works so well with so many tools, so I can hop from markers to paint without needing to think it through too much.

I’m going to be painfully predictable here and mention some of the most famous and cult pens on the planet: Sakura Microns. I use the black ones, and mostly I’ve been reaching for 005, 01, 03 and 05. There isn’t much to say about these: they dry really quickly, they deliver really clean, satisfying lines, the ink lasts for quite a while (obviously this depends on how often you use them) and they mostly work well with other mediums. I’m not completely loyal to a particular brand when it comes to liners, mostly because I always want to keep trying new discoveries, but these are a favourite I know I can always rely on and come back to.

I’ve loved Jackson’s Indian Ink for years, so this was a no-brainer for me. All of the frame outlines, as well as larger areas of black are likely to be done with this ink. I’ve also diluted it down a couple of times for one or two pieces; it’s opaque, easy to work with, delivers every time and is available in different bottle sizes to suite you.

White ink can be a bit tricky; I’m still searching for a pot of it that works the way I want it to (more on that another day), but as I mostly use it for finer detailing and highlights, pens are the most convenient tool for me. I’ve used the Sakura Gelly Roll for years, and I’ve found that the larger nib sizes tend to deliver a more opaque line consistently, but overall they are good and do the job. However, this year I’ve discovered the Uni Ball Signo Broad Gel Pen, and I absolutely LOVE it! As the name would suggest, it does have a larger nib so it’s not great for really small detailing, but it’s perfect for outlines or details on a bigger scale. It’s smooth and opaque and really easy to use.

I only started getting into alcohol-based markers about a year ago, but I really do like the Winsor and Newton ProMarkers. I’m still not fantastic at blending, but they are such a fun and useful tool to have - especially for a challenge like Inktober where colours can really make the piece pop. I mostly use both skin tone sets - pretty much every single witch’s skin has been coloured with these - but the classic colours get used a lot too. They dry way faster than watercolours too, so I’ve reached for them more when I’ve been really pushed for time.

Buying the Arteza Real Brush Pens earlier this year has turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have made. I’ve used them so much for so many different things, and the colour range has made them invaluable for Inktober. I like that I can get a very precise line with the tip of the brush, but also use the whole thing to create full strokes. I’ve used them with water too, but that’s not really how I prefer to work with them - I’d rather use my watercolours, but that’s just my personal preference. I got the 48 set, but they’re available in sets both bigger and smaller.

I bought a set of around 12 Winsor and Newton Inks a few years ago at a WHSmith’s outlet, and these are the three remaining survivors! I couldn’t find the exact set I had, but the closest to it is their Henry Collection, which has 8 colours. This is a great way to try them out, and I’m so impressed that these have lasted as long as they have. I’ve used them in multiple illustrations so far this month, usually by diluting them down a little, or just applying them with a brush, and they’ve been a really fun asset. I also use them a lot in my sketchbook with my dip pen, and once this month is over I’m going to try to do more pieces like that because I find the process so relaxing.

Another purchase I’m super smug about making is the 6 Piece set of Metallic Inks that Liquitex do. It’s fantastic value for money and you get 4 metallic colours, a black and a white which, for me, makes up the perfect set. The bottles are really cool too - they each have a pipette that is super fun and convenient to use. Any gold, silver or bronze detailing or colours you can see are done with these and a brush - unless I’ve opted for a gel pen when I’ve had a tight deadline. These can be diluted for a magical wash of glitter, or built up to be really opaque and beautiful - I’m excited to do so much more with these!
BUT if you’d rather just by the colour you want on it’s own, you can get a look at all the shades here!

Pipettes are inexpensive and super handy, not just with wet mediums but also for random things, like watering a small cactus (don’t ask me how I know that). I’m putting together a post about the stranger tools I use day-to-day with my art, so if you’re interested in that - OR have any recommendations of your own to give me - make sure you leave me a comment below! I bought a multi-pack from Amazon ages ago and they’re still going strong. They’re great for wetting paints and brushes, diluting inks and, when used in reverse, siphoning excess water from an area.

My WHSmith Watercolour Tubes are still pretty new, and I’m still working out how to get the right amounf out without overdoing it, but they’ve been great for larger washes so far this month. I’ve always used palettes before now, so I’m still getting used to these, but I really love how pigmented these paints are, and they give such a beautiful finish to my illustrations.

I wish I could remember where my 12 Pan Watercolour Set is from - I’ve had it for so long that I can’t even remember how I got it! What I do know is that I adore it, and I’m sure you can tell that I’ve used it to death. The colours are still pigmented, easy to blend and work well together. This is usually my go-to for a lot of pieces, mostly because it’s familiar, but also because it has a great selection of colours. I’d really recommend something like this if you’re starting out with the medium, or just need something convenient to travel with. The most similar one I could find, based on images and reviews, is the Winsor and Newton Cotman Sketchers Pocket Box.

Another extremely convenient travel palette is this little beauty from Sennelier. It’s their Aqua Mini French Watercolour Set, and it contains 8 half pans with the shades:

• (574) Primary Yellow

• (675) French Vermillion

• (344) Cinerous Blue

• (314) French Ultramarine Blue

• (805) Phthalo Light Green

• (819) Sap Green

• (202) Burnt Umber

• (703) Payne's Gray

This palette is beautiful, and the quality of the paints is amazing. I love playing with this, and I’ve used it for a lot of my most favourite pieces. I’ve used it for a lot of the earthy tones this Inktober, and it’s delivered every time. My only wish is that the lid was clear on the other side so that there’s space within the palette to mix the colours. You can use the lid (and I do) but I’m never exactly sure about what the colour really looks like.

Inktober 2019, Day 3: Bog Witch

And so concludes the list of my most used supplies for Inktober so far! I hope you enjoyed it - I’ll be following up at the end of the month to see if I added anything new, or changed my mind about any of these along the way.

What are your go-to art supplies? Which tools have you been reaching for this Inktober? I’d love to know - let’s have a conversation in the comments!

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Puddles of Experiments

So far, 2019 has been the year of getting really, really messy for me, and I’ve been loving every second of it. If you couldn’t tell from the name ‘Puddles of Ink’, my artistic process usually involves me getting various splotches all over my hands, and it’s been nice to embrace it as opposed to try and steer clear of it because of time constraints or work commitments - I can’t really show up to meetings and look put together with ink all over me!

I’ve completed a couple of pieces this year, but more than any other time in my life all I’ve really been wanting to do is try out different materials and techniques, pair different tools together, read a bunch of different arty books and watch different artists create things outside of my own bubble. It’s been so eye-opening and liberating; it’s been amazing to get back in touch with the kind of art you’d do as a kid - drawing inspiration from everywhere and letting go of what you’d established as your routine in favour of the unknown. It’s taught me quite a bit already, and whilst I wanted to share it with you I also wanted a record for myself so that if I ever feel creatively stuck in the future I’ll have this to look back on.

I’ve been having the most fun using up and re-discovering a lot of my old supplies that I hadn’t reached for in a while, alongside buying some newer ones that I know I’ll use. I think it’s easy to get in the habit of using the same tools to create the kind of art you know, and it’s also easy to get distracted by shiny, new toys. I think I’ve struck a balance by working with my almost-finished-but-not-quite-there supplies for less refined, sketchbook bits, and learning what I’d like to work with more and what I don’t use very often. I’ve also been discovering which tools I like for different things; watercolours tend to be my go-to, but I prefer markers for faces and character work. Recently, I’ve started using different supplies in my technical practice, making learning anatomy or colour theory more interactive. One piece I’m working on at the moment features a skull from lots of different angles, and I’ve used watercolours, inks, brush pens and liners to put it together. It’s been fun to let the watercolours do their own thing, add in some blocks of precision with the inks, and spend time focussing on making sure my skulls are as accurate as they can be for this style of illustration. Whilst I actually really enjoy studying anatomy, this was a great way to break up labelled diagrams with technical terms!

Digital art has been so much fun to experiment with, and I’ve especially loved working with colours and different effects to create illustrations. Colour theory is something I need to work on, and this has forced me to think more about how I choose colours for pieces and how I can change the entire look and feel of something just by altering them. I’ve also used it for simple sketching and character work, and I find that it’s had a knock-on effect with my traditional art, because I want to see if I can create the same kind of looks with watercolours or pencils on paper. One way I’ve been working on this in particular is timing my warm-up sketches and choosing different brushes and tools to use so that I get a feel for how they work and interact with each other. Rebelle 3, the software I’m using at the moment, has an incredible watercolour tool that is so real and interactive, and using it for these quicker pieces has helped me learn how I like to use it.

I still have a long way to go with my 2019 goals, which you can read about more here, but I’ve been more in the mood to just go with my gut when it comes to putting pieces together. I plan on talking more about the supplies I’ve been working with and the books I’ve been reading in future posts - if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see then let me know in the comments :) What sorts of things do you do to keep your art fresh or to spring yourself out of art block?

2018 Art Round Up and 2019 Goals

For the first time in a long time I’ve been looking forward to writing my yearly round-up, and I think that is because 2018 has been one of the best creative years I’ve ever had. It’s been inspiring, and I think I’ve grown a lot as an artist and gained some direction. For those of you who would rather have a quick summary, 2018 was a real mixture of old and new:

• I branched out and tried so many new mediums, materials and techniques, and I’ve also learned how to use my old favourites in better ways to get different results.

• I started learning how to balance work with my art, as well as how to split my time between experimenting and working on my skills with starting and completing proper finished pieces.

• I began to work on recognising when to healthily push myself and when to take a step back. I also adopted an attitude of just getting pieces done - I always have ideas floating around in my head and from the start of the year I really pushed myself to get them down on paper.

For those of you who’d like to hear more about my artistic journey this year, or just want to see some more pretty pictures, keep reading :)

Tools/Supplies:

I won’t bore you with a long list of all the supplies I’ve re-used or been introduced to this year. Instead, I’ll just list the main ones that have been the most notable over the year in my work:

1. Derwent Water Brushes - Not every artist likes water brushes, but these have revolutionised my appreciation for watercolours because it’s enabled me to work on the go so easily. Admittedly, I tend to use them for pieces with a simple colour palette so that I don’t have to refill them so often, but they have been amazing for sketchbook art and some larger pieces. I’d recommend them to anyone, particularly if you work more than one job or travel a lot because they’re super convenient. They also come in a range of sizes, letting you do flat washes across large areas as well as smaller detailing.

2. Atelier Watercolour Palette - This was such a thoughtful gift that changed my art for the better. This palette is the perfect travel size, and these watercolours are beautiful; they are pigmented and blend beautifully together, making working with them so easy and effortless.

3. Alcohol-Based Markers - These were a real game changer, as before 2018 I’d never used markers before. I love being able to use them in the most basic way to get flat, bold colours with intricate linework, or to really work on blending colours together and creating depth and texture. I would highly recommend the Ohuhu markers for anyone looking to get into the medium, as you get a lot for your money (if you enjoy them you can branch into the other brands that have a higher price point) and they come in a really diverse range of colours.

4. Masking Fluid - I started using masking fluid last year, but I really started working with it properly this year. There is nothing as satisfying as peeling off an entire layer in one go, and it makes working with watercolours so easy. Be careful of spilling it onto your clothes though…it is not easy to get out of material! My favourite so far has been from Jacksons, but I’m looking to try other brands to see how they compare.

I put these tools to good use by taking advantage of challenges and opportunities over 2018. This is something I used to do a lot, but this year I really had to learn how to juggle this with my work life and the desire to want to expand my techniques as an artist.

• 3 Marker Challenges - I’ve done quite a few of these this year, and I can’t wait to do more in a similar vein because I think they are amazing for getting you to think about colours and concepts with limited resources. Sometimes I use additional tools like a white or metallic pen, and sometimes I limit myself to just the 3 markers to see what I can come up with, and this has been a practice that, above everything else, has gotten me to draw a lot more.

• Mermay - Mermay was a bit of an impromptu decision for me - I don’t really like mermaids as far as my fascination with mythological creatures go. But this was one of the best things I could have done this year to not only keep me inspired and focused on producing art, but also in terms of working on anatomy and with new tools and materials. I also made more of an effort with my social media, and I really did enjoy the entire month. If you’d like to see all of the designs you can click here, and if you’d like to buy prints or stickers, feel free to check out my Redbubble shop!

• Lambeth Heritage Festival - Every September I find myself wanting to get involved in some way with the Lambeth Heritage Festival, and this year I managed to fulfil that goal by producing an illustration for every district in the borough. I had to work to a brief and an extremely tight deadline, and whilst I was exhausted by the end of it I really enjoyed doing the Art Drops all over London and getting involved with the local community. It also gave me an opportunity to draw more buildings and landscapes - something I would like to explore more in 2019.

• Illustrated Poetry Week - Illustrated Poetry Week on Puddles of Ink is a project I first started in 2017, and I aim to do it at least once a year. I choose 7 poems and illustrate them, uploading one each day of a week I’ve blocked out. I’m inspired by words more than anything else, and this gave me an opportunity to play with materials and scenarios I usually wouldn’t. It also gives me a chance to read a load of poetry! Check out all of the pieces from both years here!

• Draw this in your style - When We Are All Corrupted asked his followers to draw one of his illustrations in his style, I couldn’t resist. He is one of my favourite artists and I couldn’t wait to start inking. I loved thinking in different ways about the features I wanted to include and how to incorporate my style into the composition so that it would feel like a new piece, but I also really enjoyed looking through everyone else’s pieces and seeing how other artists interpreted the stimulus. This is definitely something I will do more of next year.

• Inktober - And, finally, Inktober. If you’d like to hear more about my inspiration, plan and process for this year then have a read of the blog post, but I will say here that I really learned a lot from this year’s challenge. It was fun, difficult and eye-opening - for someone who puts a lot of pressure on herself, it was a necessary lesson in what happens when you take a step back and go at a slightly slower pace: the world doesn’t end.

So all in all, it’s been a really good artistic year for Puddles of Ink, but there are so many things I want to explore and improve on next year. I don’t have specific goals like last year, but I have an ammendable list of things I would like to make sure I work on in 2019:

1. Work on my anatomy - and, as an extension of this, the fluidity of my figures.

2. Have a better understanding of colour theory and tonal values - even if I do pieces in one colour or with a very limited palette.

3. To get better at drawing both animals and human portraits - I don’t need to be amazing at this, but I definitely haven’t had enough practice and I don’t feel as confident as I would like to at the moment.

4. To do more Artist Studies - I haven’t done this in well over a year, and I’d like to do at least one every 2 months or so.

5. To get better at digital art as a whole - with my Xp-Pen Artist 12 tablet, I’ve been having a lot of fun with Rebelle 3 recently, and I’m excited to experiment more.

Let me know what your art goals for 2019 are, and which goals you accomplished in 2018.

Remember, until the 5th of January, EVERYTHING in my shop right now is £3!! I’ve picked my 10 favourite pieces from the year, and you can choose the size and format you’d like to receive them in, so click here to pick your favourite :)