Search results

For the first time I planned my month in my bullet journal. Bullet journals finally arrived last and this week! My agenda was almost empty, so time for a new beginning. In this video I use these materials: Journal: Nuuna Micron fineliners Tombow Abt Holbein colored pencils Polychromos colored pencils Ecoline brush pens Edding 1340 Watch the entire video here: Are you already a subscriber to my channel? You can subscribe for free :). Love, Judith  

Welk kleurpotlood moet je kiezen? In deze blog noem ik de unieke eigenschappen van de wax- en oliebasis potloden die we in de shop verkopen. In twee andere blogs vergelijk ik pastel- en aquarelpotloden. Wax- en oliebasis kleurpotloden noem ik in dezelfde categorie, omdat er bij kleurpotloden ook vaak een mix wordt gemaakt van wax en olie. De potloden werken op een vergelijkbare manier. Hierin zijn wax potloden vaak wat zachter dan olie basis potloden. Een harder potlood houdt een scherpere punt, een zachtere punt heeft een makkelijkere kleurafgifte. Met wax is meestal je papier sneller verzadigd dan met potloden op een olie basis. Onze fijnste kleurpotloden op wax- of oliebasis Caran d’Ache Luminance: wax basis, medium lead, hele goede lichtbestendig en uitstekende kleurafgifte. Faber-Castell Polychromos: oliebasis(met wax), stevige lead, lichtbestendig en hoge pigmentatie. Holbein kleurpotloden: wax zachte kern, boterige textuur, unieke en rijke kleuren Derwent Coloursoft: wax based, zachte kern voor rijke kleuren. Tombow Iroijten: lichtecht met een stevige kern Caran d’ache Pablo: Geschikt voor fijne details, stevige kern. Derwent Lightfast: olie basis, zacht Caran d’Ache Luminance Dit zijn meteen de duurste kleurpotloden uit de reeks, maar de kwaliteit van deze potloden rechtvaardigt dat toch wel. De nummers van de opsomming is geen podium, maar deze staan wel op één. Geweldige potloden om lagen mee op te bouwen. De Luminance potloden hebben een uitstekende kleurafgifte en zijn heerlijk om mee te werken. Ondanks dat dit potlood een basis van wax heeft, blijft de punt redelijk lang scherp. Daarnaast is dit potlood heel goed te gebruiken voor jouw kunstwerken waarbij het belangrijk is om een hele goede lichtechtheid te hebben. Beschikbaar in 100 kleuren, met allemaal minstens een kleurechtheid van 100 jaar (onder museum omstandigheden) Misschien is het geen toegankelijke set voor een beginnend kunstenaar, maar zeker een waardevolle opstap al heb je al enige ervaring. (dit zijn ook de fijnste potloden om mee te werken om extra details op (acryl) gouache aan te brengen) Faber-Castell Polychromos Naast de Luminance is de Faber-Castell Polychromos een geweldig potlood. Deze is wel een stukje harder dan andere potloden, dat komt door het verschil in basis. De Polychromos zijn gemaakt op basis van olie (en een beetje was). De punt van je kleurpotlood blijft lekker lang scherp en dat is perfect voor precisie werk. Ook deze potloden hebben geweldige pigmenten, hebben een goede lichtechtheid en zijn beschikbaar in 120 verschillende kleuren. Als je kijkt naar de kwaliteit en het prijspunt, is dit een héle goede reeks om mee te beginnen. Deze potloden zijn geschikt om veel verschillende dingen mee te tekenen, zoals ook mandala’s, in kleurboeken, of juist heel gedetailleerd.  Caran d’ache Pablo De Caran d’Ache noem ik meteen na de Polychromos, omdat deze potloden best wel op elkaar lijken qua eigenschappen. Ook deze hebben een stevige kern op oliebasis en zijn daardoor goed geschikt voor fijne details. De Pablo reeks kan je ook mooi als aanvulling gebruiken op de Polychromos. Beide merken hebben namelijk een iets andere samenstelling qua kleurenpalet, dus het kan goed dat je deze mooi met elkaar kan aanvullen. Beschikbaar in 120 kleuren. Holbein kleurpotloden Bij de Holbein potloden werd ik verliefd door de kleurenselectie en bleef ik voor de geweldige boterige structuur. Deze potloden hebben een unieke samenstelling met een combinatie van vetten, wax en olie. Dit zorgt voor een zachte kern en een soort boterige structuur. Van de kleurpotloden heeft deze reeks het meest beschikbare kleuren, met maar liefst 150 opties. De pastel sets en luminous kleuren zijn geweldig om eens te proberen. Derwent Coloursoft De Derwent Coloursoft is wax based kleurpotlood en heeft een zachte kern. Omdat ze zacht zijn, geeft het kleurpotlood heel makkelijk kleur af. Je kan er makkelijk mee illustreren en kleuren in elkaar over laten gaan, maar ook lagen opbouwen. Een zacht potlood dus met een rijke pigmentatie.  Beschikbaar in 72 kleuren. Tombow Iroijten De Tombow Irojiten kleurpotloden vielen mij op door de prachtige sets die je als boekjes op de plank kan zetten. Dat is gelukkig niet de belangrijkste reden om deze potloden te kopen. Ze zijn namelijk ook gemaakt met een prachtige kwaliteit, met mooie pigmenten en goede lichtechtheid. Uniek voor de Irojiten is de kleurenselectie, want ook de subtiele kleuren zijn aanwezig in deze reeks. Deze potloden zijn goed te blenden en zijn sterk op zwart papier.  Deze potloden zijn geschikt voor zowel een beginner als ervaren kunstenaar.  Derwent Lightfast De Derwent Lightfast kleurpotloden zijn gemaakt op basis van olie, maar hebben wel een zachte kern. Deze potloden zijn ook erg goed geschikt als lichtechtheid belangrijk is in jouw werk. Ze zijn een beetje creamy en makkelijk te blenden. Ze lijken in hun eigenschappen iets op de Caran d’Ache Luminance potloden. Beschikbaar in 100 kleuren Conclusie olie en wax potloden Dat was een korte introductie van deze reeks kleurpotloden in de shop. Hopelijk maakt alle informatie je keuze wat makkelijker! Tip: Ben je er nog niet uit welke je graag wil gebruiken? Bestel eens  van elk potlood dezelfde kleur. Dan kan je ze het beste met elkaar vergelijken. Wil je liever niet zo vaak dezelfde kleur bestellen? Kies van voor verschillende kleuren, die niet in de set zitten die je in gedachten hebt. Zo kan je de potloden even goed uitproberen en daarna ook goed gebruiken als aanvulling.  Heb je nog vragen? Lees nog even verder op onze blog, of stuur ons een berichtje. Liefs, Judith

Have you looked happily at the Holbein pencils? The colors are beautiful, but they aren't cheap! Chances are that you would like to read about it before you perhaps buy the pencils. In this blog I would like to show you some more of the pencils. I compare the pencils on the following points: Visuals Composition of the pencil Colors & pigments Blending with the Holbein colored pencils VisualsThe core of the pencil is 3.8mm in a pencil of 7.8mm. The pencil is round and has a beautiful quality. The polish on the pencils matches the color of the pencil itself well, and the pencils also have a nice "cap" on the ends. In appearance, the pencils most resemble the Faber Castell Polychromos. Gold lettering shows the Holbein brand on one side of the pencil and the name of the pigment on the other. On that side of the pencil, a star indicates the lightfastness of the pencil. Composition of the Holbein colored pencilsThe core of a Holbein pencil is made from a mix of pigments, wax, oil and fats. This is a unique composition for a colored pencil. The pencils are quite "creamy", so you can draw a thin layer with the pencils to create a thick layer that splatters off the paper beautifully. A Holbein pencil is soft and in terms of hardness is in between the Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils. The color comes off the pencil easily. They are very soft, but you don't have to sharpen them every five minutes.  PigmentsThe pigment of the Holbein pencils is powerful, even with the pastel shades. 150 different colors are available. There are sets of 12, 24, 36, 50, 100 and 150. What makes the Holbein pencils extra special is the large color range of pastel shades. About 1/3 of the set consists of the most beautiful pastel shades. The pencils are made in artist quality, which means that the best quality pigments are used and that they are lightfast. The colors therefore remain bright for a long time when exposed to light. The lightfastness of the pencils is indicated per pencil in stars. Blending with the Holbein pencilsYou can blend the colors of the Holbein pencils well with each other. The pencils have a fine structure so they're able to work beautifully in layers and to mix colors with each other. Besides mixing, you can use the pencils to build up beautiful colors in layers. You can easily apply a thin layer or a very solid layer. You can see that best in the pictures. Of course, with these pencils you can also blend with white. Holbein has two types of white. White and Softwhite, the second is extra soft so that it gives off extra color when blending. Due to the unique composition of wax, oil and fats, they don't blend well with other brands. An extra option with blending is to use Meltz. This is available in a jar or a brush pen. Meltz melts the colors together so that you get a watercolor effect. Meltz can only be used with Holbein pencils. Hopefully you got a clearer picture of the pencils! Let me know if you have any questions! You can get the pencils here. Love,Judith

There are many types and brands of colored pencils. What is the difference? As with graphite pencils, you can at least observe the hardness from the design of the pencil in HB, B or H. With colored pencils, the hardness of a pencil differs per brand. A number of brands have multiple collections of colored pencils, each with different hardness and properties. From professional brands you can purchase pencils in different sets, but often all pencils can also be purchased separately. So you can also choose to put together your own collection with your favorite colors!   What types and brands of colored pencils are there? There are many brands that make beautiful colored pencils. However, there are a number that really stand out in terms of quality. These brands have nice color selections, a specific formula for the core and so on. The more luxurious brands such as Faber-Castell, Prismacolor, Derwent, Caran d'Ache and Holbein are an example of this. Each brand has a specific formula that sets them apart from the rest. If you try different pencils, you will see that they all feel different. The colors are different, the texture is different and not every paper is equally suitable. Below I will discuss a number of formulas.   Wax pencils In general, unless otherwise stated of course, almost all pencils are wax based. These are the 'normal' colored pencils that you can buy in all kinds of stores. The core of wax pencils is made of a hard wax. It varies a bit per brand how many layers you can build up with wax pencils, but after a few layers you will notice that there is a layer of wax on your drawing. After this, no more color is picked up and you can, therefore, no longer build up. Oil-based pencils With oil pencils you can easily work and blend in multiple layers. The best known oil-based pencils are the Faber-Castell Polychromos. These pencils contain a lot of pigment, cover well and are easy to blend. The core of the Polychromos is harder than the average pencil, but not too hard. Because the point remains sharp for a long time, they also last a very long time! Watercolor pencils Watercolor pencils contain a water-soluble binder, making it easy to edit the colors with water after application. This means that watercolor pencils can be easily combined with pans or tubes of watercolor paint. You can actually use these pencils in three ways. You can draw with it just like a normal colored pencil or create a watercolor effect by adding water. You also have several options: you can dip the pencil in water and then start drawing, or you can use a brush (or aquabrush!) with water. When drawing with watercolor pencils, you don't have to worry about filling in all the areas completely. If you want lighter areas, keep them empty! You can then use the water to blend out the colors beautifully. When your layer is dry, you can apply another layer to get more depth and contrast. Do you want intense details in your work? Then dip the pencil in the water before adding the details. You will see that the color is brighter than when you use the pencil dry. This makes blending more difficult, so do this when your work is almost finished. Tip: make a color chart of your watercolor pencils, because the colors look different dry than when they are wet. Pastel pencils Pastel pencils are very soft pencils, with which you can also create soft effects. Because they are so soft, the marker can break quickly. If you mix pencils, the colors become less sparkling. It is best to use pastel pencils on paper with a grainy structure, because otherwise the pigment will not adhere well. It's fun to experiment with pastel pencils on colored paper! Because they are slightly harder than pastel chalk, pastel pencils are very suitable for adding details to a drawing you have made with pastel chalk. Make sure you work from light to dark with pastel pencils. Layering dark colors over lighter colors makes the dark shades pop. If you do it the other way around, you will get a stain and you will not be able to get the light color to cover properly. Holbein Holbein pencils actually fall into several categories mentioned above. The core of Holbein pencils is made of a mix of pigments, wax, oil and fats. This unique combination ensures that they are very nice colored pencils to work with. They are creamy, but not too soft or hard. In terms of hardness, they are between the Polychromos and Prisma pencils. Holbein has released a nice product especially for lovers of watercolor effects: the Holbein Meltz. This is a solvent that allows you to use your colored pencils as watercolors! The Meltz is available in a jar, but also in a pen.   Color fastness Color fastness is important for good colored pencils. Pencils with a high color fastness contain a lot of pigment that can withstand light well. This is important because you want your work to remain beautiful for a long time and not to fade due to (sun)light falling on it. With colored pencils that are not lightfast, the color will fade or even disappear completely after a while. Blending with colored pencils By blending your colored pencils you can create beautiful unique colors and give your work that little bit extra. Colored pencils that blend well are the Faber-Castell Polychromos and the Holbein pencils. Do you want to start blending with your colored pencils? Of course you can do this with, for example, some kitchen paper or a feather duster, but there are other different techniques, each of which gives a different result. Blending with a solvent You can blend colored pencils nicely with a solvent such as turpentine. The colors become more intense, you see less of the pencil marks and the colors blend nicely into each other. Colorless blender Some brands have a colorless blender in their range, such as the Meltz from Holbein. When you apply multiple colors, you can use the blender to fade the colors nicely and blend them into each other. Polishing When you polish, you layer colored pencils by applying a lot of pressure to the pencil. The colors merge, as it were, and become more intense, while you smooth the surface. With a white pencil With a white or other light colored pencil you can add highlights while also polishing. Working in layers You can work very nicely in layers with colored pencils. Not all pencils are suitable for (extensive) layering. You can use layering to get beautiful vibrant colors, to give depth to your work and to create highlights. By blending you can make multiple layers blend nicely into each other.   What material do you use the pencils on? In general, you will use colored pencils most often on paper. The paper you use depends on the type of colored pencil you use. Watercolor pencils are best used on watercolor paper. This is thicker paper and is suitable for using water. Use hot pressed, then you have a nice smooth surface. For wax pencils and Holbein pencils, Stonehenge paper and Bristol paper are recommended.   What should you pay attention to when purchasing colored pencils? If you are going to purchase new colored pencils, there are a number of things you can pay attention to. There are a number of points on which you can recognize good quality pencils. One of the most important of these is the color. Professional pencils give off a lot of color and often have very vibrant colors to choose from, because they contain a lot of pigment in the core. Another important factor is how well the pencil glides across the paper. Good pencils glide very easily over your paper. They are also easier to blend!   Don't forget to purchase a good sharp pencil sharpener with your colored pencils. A good pencil sharpener will ensure that your pencil lasts longer and of course you want that if you have bought nice pencils! Conclusion When it comes to choosing colored pencils it all depends on what you are looking for. Hopefully I have given you some more insight into what types of colored pencils there are and what you can do with them! What are your favorite colored pencils? You can shop all colored pencils here . Love, Judith  

In the meantime, the book Paint, Paper & Going Places by Merel Djamila Hoekstra has been online for a while. Maybe you know Merel from her beautiful travel journals that she shares on Instagram? I was able to interview Merel for you and ask her all the questions that came to mind!   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Merel Djamila (@mereljournals) Can you briefly introduce yourself? Who are you, what do you make and are you a fulltime illustrator? My name is Merel Djamila. I am 26 years old and I live in the city of Groningen. At the moment I work partly as a content marketer and as a freelance illustrator. As a freelancer I make illustrations for educational institutions in the form of maps and postcards. I also give creative workshops (think painting, journaling or making collages) at, for example, municipalities and museums. On my Instagram account I share my colorful gouache paintings with 122K+ followers and I also work together with companies. Think of city marketing organizations or hotels. Then I make content for a Reel and a number of Insta Stories that I then share online. How would you describe your style and how has it developed? My style is colorful and inspired by Art Nouveau, with a preference for busy, chaotic compositions and a touch of retro. I used to experiment with color cards from the hardware store as a base, but now I use a mixed media journal, which I find perfect for capturing memories during travels. In recent years I have drawn a lot of inspiration from my surroundings, where I like to capture facades and nature, but also details of places, such as Portuguese azulejos. Can you take us through your creative process? Where do you start, and how do you work from idea to finished work? I first choose a location to draw. I work with photos as well as on location. When I work on location, I make sure I have the right materials with me, but also don't carry too much. Think of a good pencil and/or a black fine-liner, eraser, sketchbook, a sturdy base such as cardboard and a paper clip. Sometimes I start with a sketch on location and then work out a drawing in another place. For example, I choose a café, terrace or my own studio. Here I also use paint (mainly gouache), brushes and colored pencils.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Merel Djamila (@mereljournals) How do you choose colors and compositions? What is your secret for a beautiful color palette? When I started creative journaling, I mainly made collages. I cut out all kinds of photos from magazines and made a composition with them. I quickly realized that you create unity by using colors that reinforce each other. Then it doesn't really matter how busy a collage is. With painting I try to get close to the reality of colors and also show the atmosphere of a place well. Lisbon, for example, is often sunny and is characterized for me by the cheerful Portuguese tiles, yellow trams, beautiful light facades and delicacies such as pastel de nata. If I want to combine all these images in a spread, I would adjust the color palette accordingly. Furthermore, I love earth tones such as umber brown, sienna, olive green and ochre yellow, preferably in combination with a light pink shade.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Merel Djamila (@mereljournals) Your book Paint, Paper & Going Places has just been published; who is it for, and what do you hope readers will get out of it? My book is for the traveler who wants to learn to observe better and capture memories on paper, but doesn't really know where to start. There are many choices to make in advance. For example, do you take a blank notebook or one with lines and do you only take a pen and colored pencils or do you go all out with brushes and a paint set? These choices can be quite overwhelming, especially if you are not often creative at home. You can see my book as a guide that helps you through this and ultimately teaches you how to design your own creative travel diary. By the way, you don't necessarily have to go on holiday or travel for it: you can also get started at home with the tips, prompts and case studies from the book! What are the essential materials you recommend for someone getting started with your book? I even dedicated a special chapter to this, called: What you may (not) need. The title says it all: these are my recommendations, but you are completely free in what you do and do not want to take with you. What works well for one person, does not work at all for another! If you plan to draw very little, but mainly want to decorate your journal a bit more creatively, I would recommend taking a (small) pair of scissors, glue, a nice writing pen, pencil and an eraser. Then you can stick on everything you come across and also write down what you experience. Tip: I also sometimes take my Canon Zoemini with me, this is a portable printer with which you can easily print out small photos from your phone and then stick them on as a sticker. If you are creative and want more of a challenge, I recommend that you bring a paint set. I prefer to use gouache and bring both my favorite paint tubes in a pencil case and a separate palette in which I can put the paint. Also bring a few fine brushes, a water spray, a cloth and possibly a container in which you can put water (and otherwise you can find paper cups almost everywhere). Bring a few colored pencils to add details. Can you take us back to the moment when you decided this book had to happen? The inspiration for my book was a 3.5 month Interrail trip I made in 2023. I started in Portugal and traveled via Spain to Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. I always wanted to do this and I thought it would be fun to take my travel journal with me. In the end I took two: one to write in and keep receipts and tickets in and one to paint in. It then started to itch to share my experiences in book form. When I was back home in the Netherlands, I went looking for a publisher who also liked this idea. And so it happened! Is there a moment or place from the book that is extra personal or emotional for you? The best thing about this book is that it not only shows the journey I made in 2023, but also a journey of me as a beginning artist. (Some photos were taken years ago, such as a number of flatlays for which I used the floor of my parents' wooden garden shed because I always loved the light there. The garden shed is gone now, my father has passed away and my mother has moved, but for a moment the moment is back because it is now immortalized in the book.) I see 'Paint, Paper & Going Places' as a crowning achievement of everything I have made in recent years. By now bundling it in a book, being able to browse through it at any time and knowing that other people buy it and put it on their bookshelves, makes me very proud! What place is at the top of your list to visit and paint someday? I would like to see more places in England, such as the Lake District National Park and the beautiful coast of southern England. Scotland also seems beautiful to me! Outside of Europe, Mexico also seems very special to me, especially because of the colorful facades, the artistic character of Mexico City, the beautiful beaches and the general culture, including the food and music.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Merel Djamila (@mereljournals) What has been your favorite destination to paint and why? I am currently working on a zine about North Yorkshire. I went there last summer. You can do beautiful coastal walks between picturesque villages, eat fish & chips and scones (preferably not at the same time) and visit the beautiful North York Moors National Park. I would definitely recommend it! I also love Archipelago islands, such as the island of Hönö on the Swedish west coast. Are there any cultures or art forms that have unexpectedly inspired you during your travels? I have not yet been outside Europe (except England), so many cultures and art forms were known to me until now. I find Art Nouveau – opulent forms, soft colours and graceful ornaments one of the most beautiful art movements to encounter on the road, whether on a famous facade in Barcelona or in a doorway in my own city. What tips do you have for someone who wants to creatively capture their travels? Start with the basics and don't bring too many materials. Less = more. For example, during my last trip I forgot glue and solved this by using paint to stick something on in my journal. Make it easy on yourself. Start by drawing for five or ten minutes every day. At the campsite, you can do this by sketching campers, the caravan or the toilet block. No desire or space to lug your creative stuff around? Or little time to get started on the road? Then take a few photos on the road and use them when you get home to draw or print them out. You can put them in your travel journal. Then you also have a bit of after-fun! What item (paint, paper, something else) could you never do without when traveling? I would definitely go for gouache paint, I really like using it and without it my trip would not be complete!   Merel's Favorites Gouache paint - https://splendith.nl/collections/talens-gouache I love the Royal Talens and Winsor & Newton gouache. My favorite colors to take are the primary colors + white and black. I also always take olive green, pine green, lilac, yellow ochre, naples yellow red, burnt umber and burnt sienna (these colors are all from Royal Talens). Colored pencils - https://splendith.nl/products/faber-castell-polychromos-set-12 I like to use colored pencils over my (dried) paint. I do this to add some details, accents and shadows. I have the basic set of 12 pencils and in addition I bought some loose pencils, such as olive green, raw umber and brown ochre. Mixed media sketchbook – Etchr, Stillman&Birn and Clairefontaine Paint On I have several favorites for different purposes when it comes to sketchbooks. Mixed media sketchbooks are my favorite because they can often handle a lot when it comes to materials. Glue, water, markers: it's all possible. Favorite 1: Hot pressed sketchbook Etchr   I really like the hot pressed paper in this sketchbook. It is of a nice quality and I like to make detailed sketches in this book with a mechanical pencil from Tombow. Favorite 2: Watercolor sketchbooks by Hahnemühle For watercolors I really like the Hahnemühle booklets. Favorite 3: Delta sketchbooks by Stillman & Birn I really like the ivory white paper of the Stillman & Birn Delta mixed media sketchbooks! The paper thickness is good and it comes in many different sizes + both soft and hardcover. Favorite 4: Clairefontainte PaintOn I find the Clairefontaine PaintOn mixed media sketchbooks with sand-colored paper and a slightly rough grain very nice to use for lighter accents that would normally disappear on white paper. That's this paper. Are you now also excited to book a plane ticket and start travel journaling yourself? Check out the book here ! Love, Judith