Category Archives: tools

Tools: Sketching Bag, the Saga Continues

Posted on August 23, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

Some of you know that I wanted to rid myself of the color of my Harbor Freight beige sketch bag, as I am not a beige-kinda-gurl, and had one failed experiment with De Atramentis Document Turquoise ink. The ink never-ever … Continue reading →

Posted in acrylic, color, tools | Tagged beige, dairylide yellow, De Atramentis Document ink, GAC, Golden Acrylic Paints, Harbor Freight toolbag, marigold yellow, sketchbag, turquoise | 18 Comments

Middle of the Night Sketch Kit

Posted on August 19, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

The last drawing in this sketchbook… Pentalic Aqua Journal, with a Pentalic 2B woodless pencil and Noodler’s pen with De Atramentis Tobacco ink. Waterbrush. ©D. Katie Powell. My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back to dkatiepowellart.

Posted in color, drawing, journal, pen & ink, pencil, sketchbook, tools, waterbrush | Tagged Ahab Flex pen, art journal, De Atramentis Tobacco ink, Goulet nib, monochromatic, Pentalic Aqua Journal, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, tools, waterbrush | 10 Comments

Tools: My Failed De Atramentis Experiment

Posted on August 4, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

I love these sketch-bags. This is what mine looked like when it was new (and I have another one as of today). I picked stitches selectively with a stitch picker (it is good to be married to a tailor-man) on … Continue reading →

Posted in tools | Tagged De Atramentis Document ink, Harbor Freight toolbag, sketchbag, turquoise | 15 Comments

Tools: Watercolors, 6, Browns and Golds

Posted on July 9, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

Each Sunday for the next few weeks I am looking at my paint “collection”, and why I have keepers and ‘meh’ colors that I probably won’t buy again. Tools: Watercolors, 1, Yellow-Orange Tools: Watercolors, 2, Red-Pink Tools: Watercolors, 3, Greens to … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, process, tools, watercolor | Tagged #WorldWatercolorMonth, brown, Daniel Smith watercolors, favorite, gold, Greenleaf & Blueberry Watercolors, Holbein, M.Graham watercolors, Mayan paints, opaque, Primatek, QoR watercolors, quinacridone gold, rust, Sennelier, transparent paint, watercolor | 5 Comments

Tools: Watercolors, 5, Violet and Purple!

Posted on July 2, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

Each Sunday this summer I am looking at my paint “collection”: Tools: Watercolors, 1, Yellow-Orange; Tools: Watercolors, 2, Red-Pink Tools: Watercolors, 3, Greens to Yellows Tools: Watercolors, 4, Blues to Greens I hated pink and purple as a girl; I was … Continue reading →

Posted in art, color, painting, process, tools, watercolor | Tagged #WorldWatercolorMonth, Daniel Smith watercolors, favorite, Greenleaf & Blueberry Watercolors, Holbein, M.Graham watercolors, Mayan paints, opaque, Primatek, QoR watercolors, Sennelier, transparent paint, watercolor | 10 Comments

TOOLS: De Atramentis Document White Ink

Posted on June 21, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

I am very excited about the new De Atramentis Document White ink (DeA hereafter). I use white inks from time to time, mostly in sketching, and have finally found good white ink sketch pens: Faber-Castell PITT artist pen WHITE 101 … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, pen & ink, tools, watercolor | Tagged De Atramentis Document ink, Pitt pens, watercolor, white ink, White Uniball Signo | 8 Comments

Tools: Watercolors, 1, Yellow-Orange

Posted on June 13, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

For the next few weeks I am looking at my paint “collection.” I know better now how to judge what paints to buy, what I might love, and what I have — but it has taken me actually studying (*shudder* … Continue reading →

Posted in color, painting, tools, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, favorite, Greenleaf & Blueberry Watercolors, Holbein, M.Graham watercolors, Mayan paints, opaque, orange, Primatek, QoR watercolors, Sennelier, transparent paint, watercolor, yellow | 8 Comments

Tools: Watercolors, 2, Red-Pink

Posted on June 5, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

Each Sunday for the next few weeks I am looking at my paint “collection.” OOPS. I HIT PUBLISH BY MISTAKE AND NO ERRORS. HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? SO THIS WEEK’S WILL BE PUBLISHED NEXT WEEK! Because of this mistake, … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, painting, process, tools, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, favorite, Greenleaf & Blueberry Watercolors, Holbein, M.Graham watercolors, Mayan paints, opaque, Primatek, QoR watercolors, Sennelier, transparent paint, watercolor | 8 Comments

Whats on Your Workdesk? Wednesday

Posted on May 11, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

I don’t know if I’ll do What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday as a regular thang, but here I am on humpday wanting to post about my new space and I happen upon this weekly challenge….. When not painting *sigh* I … Continue reading →

Posted in dunno, making a living, painting, tools | Tagged workspace | 22 Comments

Tools: Watercolors

Posted on March 21, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

Last week I was asked what my favorite watercolors were over a half-dozen times. I’m thinking it is a sign, so am using it as a prompt! I have favorite brands overall (Daniel Smith — DS — and assume a … Continue reading →

Posted in color, review, tools, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, favorite, Greenleaf & Blueberry Watercolors, opaque, Primatek, QoR watercolors, Sennelier, transparent paint, watercolor | 11 Comments

Kamala Steals the Blanket

Posted on February 23, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

Just to show what it looks like when you are playing to learn a new medium and it doesn’t work. This so didn’t work! The masking fluid is tricky. It takes its own talent to use it right! Then I … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, tools, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Cat, cats, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Kamala, Platinum Carbon pen, Strathmore journal, tuxedo cat, watercolor, White Uniball Signo | 3 Comments

New Moon Cleaning

Posted on December 11, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Haven’t cleaned my paints in a long time. I’m a stickler for clean colors and tools — I really don’t double dip much. No offense to those that muddy their paints, but how can you use a brilliant yellow when … Continue reading →

Posted in tools, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, Holbein, M., QoR watercolors, Sennelier, watercolor | 2 Comments

Tools: Painting with Ink, Disasters

Posted on November 17, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve been experimenting painting with inks, waterproof inks as underlayers with watercolors (below left) and all sorts of inks on entire pieces of art with no watercolors below right). In these cases I was playing it pretty safe, and using … Continue reading →

Posted in dunno, painting, pen & ink, process, tools | Tagged Brian Goulet, De Atramentis Document ink, feathering, Noodlers ink, painting with inks, Pilot Parallel pen, Platinum Carbon pen, Super5 ink | 6 Comments

Refilling non-refillable pens!

Posted on August 22, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

This is a great video. I’ve moved on to fountain pens largely because of the waste, and now I have to say I love them — but this is a great video for the times I want one of these … Continue reading →

Posted in pen & ink, tools | 3 Comments

Sketchpack Project: Week Three

Posted on August 21, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

ABOUT SKETCHPACK: The project began in 2011. The original idea was to get folks to draw daily. The Sketchpack is a small zigzag journal with two usable sides, allowing one to sketch on both sides of 15 ‘pages’ to complete … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, challenge, drawing, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, tools, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, MPF Conservation, pincushion, Platinum Carbon pen, Sketchpack Project | 3 Comments

Gratitude Journal: Discovering New Tools and My Old Nature

Posted on August 1, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

My fascination with pen and ink goes way beyond addiction to art supplies. Not that I can’t be pulled in that direction. I have used mostly acrylics for my 30 years painting as an adult. I loved them, and love … Continue reading →

Posted in calligraphy, creativity, drawing, journal, pen & ink, review, sketchbook, tools | Tagged Faber-Castel; Pitt pens, Lamy Safari pen, Metropolitan pen, Noodlers ink, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Pilot Parallel pen, Platinum Carbon pen, Platinum Felttip pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Uniball Vision Elite, Uniball Vision Signo, white pens | 15 Comments

Jinhao: Inexpensive Pens

Posted on June 27, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I wanted to like them, I really did. They are inexpensive, they are Japanese. I thought they might be like the Platinum Preppie pens, which are inexpensive, hold a good deal of ink, and will go for MILES without clogging … Continue reading →

Posted in drawing, pen & ink, review, tools | Tagged fountain pens, Jinhao | 6 Comments

Brushes: Moving to Watercolor

Posted on November 23, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

The brushes I use with watercolor are very different from the brushes I use when painting with acrylics. When painting with acrylic, my life revolves around flats with an occasional liner or small round for detail. When I started out, … Continue reading →