My Creative Haven coloring book, Dream Horses, features a horse on the cover with a colorful flowing mane. I used colored pencil, marker, and gouache for that piece. I wanted to create a similar looking portrait with the soft effects and shimmering color that’s achieved by using pastels. Pastels can be challenging because of the powder dust and delicate surface of a pastel painting. Also, the “tooth” of the substrate can affect the ultimate look of a finished artwork. I enjoy working on stretched canvas, but it's not an ideal surface for pastels. So I experimented just for fun.

I used a medium called Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels that prepares a canvas for pastels because it provides a gritty tooth that grabs and holds the pastel and chalk. I planned my Pastel Horse portrait by creating an underpainting in acrylics on canvas. After it dried I coated it with the acrylic ground, and finished it with pastels. These are the steps:

1. I added gesso to the back of my stretched 11 x 14 canvas to make it stiffer.

2. Then I created an underpainting in acrylics, using monotone blues so that I could resolve the lights and darks before adding color to the piece. Other monotone colors would work well for this step, too.

3. When the underpainting was thoroughly dry, I coated the surface with a clear Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels. I diluted it with water so it flowed evenly. https://bit.ly/3KTYnSp

4. When that was dry I found I wanted to add second coat to increase the tooth of the surface.

5. When the second coat was dry, I put a dark acrylic wash over some areas to increase the range of values of my underpainting.

6. When the wash was dry I had fun using my chalk pastels, exploring various techniques and layers of color.

7. I drew some thin marker lines here and there for emphasis.

8. Next I continued layering, blending, and adding color accents with the chalk pastels until the finish.

I didn’t spray the piece with workable or final fixative at any point along the way, although some pastel artists believe it’s essential to keep the color adhering to the surface. I will try fixative in a future piece.

I’m pleased with the vibrancy of the pastel portrait which resulted from applying the three different art materials—acrylic paints, acrylic ground, and pastels—and choosing to work on canvas, which I’m very comfortable with. One of the advantages of working on stretched canvas is that the wood frame allows it to stay secure on an easel (rather than having to work on a drawing board.) I like to be able to stand back and observe my work in progress. A second advantage is the ability to do a very washy and painterly underpainting without worrying about warping or the surface breaking down.

Stay tuned: I intend to continue exploring the possibilities of pastels on canvas.

Painting with a limited palette means selecting the fewest paint tubes possible to achieve the widest range of mixed colors on the visible spectrum. Twelve or fewer colors qualify as a limited palette. Most masterful artists, past and present, sing the praises of a limited palette.

Kindred Spirits
My series of cat paintings, Kleo Kats, are examples of limited palette paintings. Kindred Spirits, the newest addition to the series was painted with “my favorite oil color palette” listed below which consists only of eight colors. These colors created the glowing jewel tones that are characteristic of Kleo Kats.

The Benefits of Using 12 or Fewer Colors

1. It simplifies color mixing because you have fewer choices to consider for getting the results you want.

2. You’ll know how your colors will look when mixed together, giving you confidence in your choices.

3. You’ll achieve good color harmony. Fewer colors means fewer color variations, so your painting’s colors will be unified.

4. You can more easily control your values and color temperatures.

5. Fewer paint tubes are easier to store and haul around, and simpler to set up on your palette.

6. Fewer color puddles on your palette leave more room for mixing.

My Favorite Oil Color Palette
I have experimented with various color palettes and paint brands over the years, but recently curated my favorite palette so far. From the following eight tubes I find I can mix anything, from vibrant to dull, from dark to light, and across the spectrum of hues. It includes a warm and a cool version of reds and blues, a yellow, a green, and three neutrals. Notice that the Fuchsia, Ultramarine blue, and the Viridian green are transparent colors; the others are opaque.

1. Charvin Cadmium Red

2. Charvin Quinacridone Fuchsia

3. Charvin Cadmium Yellow

4. Charvin Ultramarine Blue

5. Charvin Cerulean Blue

6. Charvin Intense Viridian Green

7. Burnt Umber (any brand)

8. Bob Ross Soft Titanium White, or any brand

Tips

• Make black by mixing Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber

• It’s ok to add one to two extra colors as your artistic needs lead you. For example, if you often paint landscapes consider adding a cool lemon yellow for mixing a wide range of greens.

• It’s ok to substitute paint brands, even if their color names differ somewhat.

Additional neutral colors to consider for convenience

• Burnt Sienna (any brand)

• Yellow Ochre (any brand)

• Gamblin Portland Grays, light and deep. These are beautiful grays for toning down colors, and they look gorgeous when a bit of color is mixed into them.

• Black. I do not recommend using black out of the tube because it tends to make colors look dreary, but many artists like this convenience.

Additional intense colors for specialized needs

• Gamblin Radiant White. This is an opaque glowing white keeps the vibrancy of the colors mixed into it so pale tints don’t become grayed down. It’s a great white to use for highlights, too.

• Charvin French violet

• Pthalo Blue (any brand)

Have you had success with using a limited color palette? Share it in the comments below.

See the entire Kleo Kats Gallery here:

Shop wall art and other beautifully crafted products for Kindred Spirits here:

Do you want to dip into “My Favorite Oil Color Palette?”
I’ve set up links to two Amazon pages. At the purchase page for the Charvin paints, click the “Color” pop-up just above the product description to select each of the seven colors. Individually add each to cart.

Disclosure: These are affiliate links which do not add any additional cost should you decide to purchase. These links help support my artwork for which I offer thanks.

Presented by Staedtler and Marjorie Sarnat
Jan 1 – Jan 20, 2020

It’s a new year and a new you, and now’s the time to take your artistic skills to the next level. What better than to put new artist materials to use in your artwork, courtesy of Staedtler. Through its generosity, I am able to offer U.S. residents the chance to win one of three amazing prizes:*

“2020 GRAND PRIZE”

• triplus fineliners – A fibre-tip pen set of 20 fineliners makes superfine lines to let you get down to the details

• Double-ended watercolor brush pens – This 36 pen set consists of double-ended brush pens that are ideal for variable strokes and shading 

• Watercolour graphite pencils – The 3 pencil weights and brush included in this set are ideal for watercolor drawing and sketching, as well as graying down areas of color in your artwork

  #MySTAEDTLER #DesignJourney #triplusfineliner

“2020 2nd PRIZE”

• Super Soft Coloured Pencils – With this set of 24 you’re able to achieve high coverage and bright colors on both white and black paper

• Coloured Pencils – The soft lead in this set of 24 lets you achieve a wide range of dry techniques in bright colors and are also easy to blend

• Watercolour graphite pencils – The 3 pencil weights and brush included in this set are ideal for watercolor drawing and sketching, as well as graying down areas of color in your artwork

  #MySTAEDTLER #DesignJourney

“2020 3rd PRIZE”

• Super Soft Coloured Pencils – With this set of 12 you’re able to achieve high coverage and bright colors on both white and black paper

• Mars® Lumograph Premium Quality Pencils – A set of 6 break-resistant, super-bonded lead pencils for writing, drawing and sketching. (I swear by them!)

  #MySTAEDTLER #DesignJourney

CONTEST IS CLOSED, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!

The Colorists 2020 Giveaway Event

Wishing You the Happiest New Year!

Staedtler products are a welcome part of my arsenal of tools for creating artwork. I am pleased to start the new year with you to introduce you to their quality and versatility.

The image above is from my new coloring book, “Best Dressed Pets,” due to come out January 15, 2020! This Hawaiian Cat is enjoying a day in the sun. I completed the artwork using Staedtler colored pencils for shading and fineliners for detail.

My wish is for all of you and yours to have a healthy and prosperous new year. May 2020 be filled with joy, hope, and happiness.

With love and gratitude,

To learn more about Staedtler’s products visit:
www.staedtler.us

Follow Staedtler on Social Media:
www.facebook.com/staedtler.northamerica
www.instagram.com/staedtlernorthamerica
twitter.com/STAEDTLERNA

*GIVEAWAY RULES

Participants and winner(s) must be U.S. residents. No purchase necessary to enter. Contest begins on January 1, 2020 at 12:00 a.m. and ends on January 20, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Limit of one entry per person. Winner(s) will be selected at random from all eligible entries received. Winner(s) will be notified via email and must acknowledge by replying January 22 or prize will be rewarded to another eligible participant. Void where prohibited.

[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler products mentioned in this article for myself at no charge in exchange for offering this giveaway. How easy was that?]

I have a fresh coloring page for you that you won't find in any published book! Click below to start the download.

I recently offered this illustration to my Facebook group (you really should join if you haven't already), and members have created beautiful artwork from this page. The gorgeous example shown is by Nicole Ziobro. Each week we have a "color-along", and for this illustration I offered tips for coloring it. I hope this sparks some ideas for your Dreamy Unicorn.

Choose your own “dreamy” color palette to color the Unicorn artwork using any technique(s) you want. Think about what evokes fantasy or dreamlike colors to you. We often think of pale blues, violets, and other pastels to create a dreamy atmosphere. Disney used dark blue for the skies in his fairytales. Colors in rainbow sequence (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) in backgrounds or on flowers add a dreamy accent. Rainbow colors can be pale versions (pink, peach, yellow, mint, light blue, lavender). Unnatural colors, such as blue daffodils or yellow skies give a dreamy feeling. Use whatever colors feel dreamy to you. Use any art materials — colored pencils, markers, gel pens, paint, glitter pens, and more.

Many Coloring Book Projects Lined Up

I haven't made a blog post in a while, only because I've been super-busy with more coloring book projects that I hope you'll enjoy. I just delivered the finished line art for Fanciful Sea Life, which will be published in February, next year. Now I'm putting the finishing touches on the four color illustrations that will appear in the book. Right behind that are three more coloring books to be announced.

Featured Artists

I'm honored that the October 2017 issue of “Pen World” magazine features me and Johanna Basford as coloring book artists who find Staedtler products to be essential tools in our work.

I love color and texture and layering detail in my artwork. Since reviewing Staedtler pens last year, I’ve used them exclusively for a variety of techniques because they’re so versatile. You can read about how I use triplus fineliners and pigment liners in my artwork, and how Johanna depends on Staedtler products in the story, "Triple Threat."

I'll have more to share with you very soon. In the meantime, thank you for your support of my artwork.

Color your days in positive ways!

Staedtler’s Triplus Fineliner pens are among my favorite coloring products. I rely on these pens for coloring small details and for creating optical mixes by leaving white space between the marks or by multi-color marks. Now Staedtler offers a set of 48 brilliant colors in the familiar 0.3mm line width.

My previous review included the 20 Colors Set, the 6 Neon Set, the 6 Pastel Color Set, and the 6 Earth Tone Set for a total of 38 colors. Read it to learn more details about how the Fineliners perform: http://bit.ly/1QnZkQ7

The 48 Color Set combines the four sets mentioned above, plus 10 additional colors. Since the pens don’t have color names on them, I call the new colors: vibrant true red, burnt orange, light terra cotta, dark terra cotta, yellow ochre, light peach, golden yellow, kelly green, dark mint green, and spruce green. These new colors round out the existing mix to create an array of beautiful choices for any look you want to express.

The set comes in a sturdy cardboard box with 3 rows of graduated height pen holders. The pens are easy to see, use, and store.

The suggested retail is US$86.00. With store discounts the set may be available for less. I found the pens at Michaels for US$69.99. http://bit.ly/2rpk95S With Michaels' typical 40% off coupons you can grab these at a great value.

This quality set is well worth the price because the pens endure many more colorings than most fine line pens.

[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler Fineliner Pens mentioned in this article at no charge in exchange for writing a product review.]

-------------------------

For more information about Staedtler Fineliner Pens, read my previous review >>

[Disclosure: I received the product mentioned in this article at no charge in exchange for writing a product review.]

This set of six pigment liner Sketch Pens is great for writing, sketching, and drawing and works well for accenting watercolors and acrylic wash pieces, too. The ink is a rich, dense black. The range of point sizes gives you choices between delicate, medium, and bold line weights as you work. The release of ink is consistent and flows beautifully.

• PACKAGING

The Staedtler pigment liner pens come in a durable clear plastic case that's great for traveling and storage. Another big plus is that the patented case props up like an easel, making it handy to use.

• INK

The pigment ink is opaque, providing a crisp and deeply black line with no skipping or scratchy lines. I found the pens a dream to use because their release of ink was smooth and consistent.

The ink is archival and lightfast, which means it will not fade, feather, or degrade over the years.

The ink is waterproof and smudgeproof if you let the lines dry for a few seconds before touching or moistening. The ink is marker solvent-proof too. However, on less absorbent paper I found the ink was not fully waterproof, and bled a bit on the sides of the lines. 

• PEN TIPS

The six pen tip widths are 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.8mm.

This range covers the needs of most artists who work in ink line, offering delicate thin lines for details, textures, and foundation lines to bold lines for accenting, reinforcing, and emphasis.

The long metal tips are ideal for use against rulers and templates. I find that the longer pen tips provide better flow of movement across a surface, as well.

The pen tips are more durable than most other brands I have tried.

• PRODUCT QUALITY

The pens are airplane safe because automatic pressure equalization prevents pen leakage while aboard aircraft. 

The line widths are clearly marked on the caps and also on the barrels so there's no worry about mismatching.

The pens can be left uncapped for up to 18 hours without drying up so the artist can use them spontaneously without the interruptions of capping and uncapping as he or she switches widths.

The pens are comfortable to grip with silky smooth barrels. 

• PRICE

The pens sets are usually sold for between $12.00 to $15.00. This is true value for a set of six superb quality pens. 

I highly recommend this set for any artist who uses pen line as its own statement or in mixed media works with watercolor, acrylics, ink washes, and more. 

Giveaway: Staedtler Six-Pen Set to One Lucky Winner! 

NOTE: CONTEST IS CLOSED

I have one set of pigment liner Sketch Pens to give away courtesy of Staedtler. Just fill out this entry form, and I'll randomly choose one winner. Giveaway Contest Rules: Eligible only for residents of the U.S.A. or Canada. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PDT, December 13, 2016. Winners will be drawn at random from those who comment below and notified by email promptly thereafter. If winner doesn't respond by December 16, 2016 prize will be awarded to an alternate person at my discretion. 

Note: You must use this entry form to enter the Giveaway. If you are already on the For Color Lovers email list I'll make sure you don't get double emails in the future.

©Marjorie Sarnat.  All Rights Reserved.

High Contrast Creates Drama and Commands Attention

Contrast in a composition refers to its darks and lights, regardless of its colors. For example, the color blue can be so dark it appears almost black or so light it appears almost white. In art, the degree of darkness or lightness of a color is called its value. A color can be any degree of dark to light. There are many values between the darkest dark and the lightest light.

Black and white create the highest contrast of values because they show extreme dark against extreme light (or extreme light against extreme dark.). Any dark color against any light color has high contrast, too.

Use contrast to create drama and command attention in a work of art. The eye is immediately drawn to areas of high contrast, so you can use that to your advantage by deciding what your center of interest is to be. In addition, within the cat figures, I employed high contrast in the eyes by placing the only pure white in the highlights against the black pupils.

[READERS NOTE: At the end of this post learn how you could be eligible to win a Staedtler triplus fineliner Pen Set! ]

Are You a "Night" Person? Introducing the Midnight Edition of Elegant Elephants

I created this special Elegant Elephants Midnight Edition Adult Coloring Book so that you can color the images with the extra drama of black backgrounds. The contrast of color against the black will make your colors seem to glow and pop off the page! The elephant subjects comes to life and become the focus, and the background becomes illuminated.

The illustrations are the "same" as the original "daytime" edition of Elegant Elephants but their background transformation makes them totally different in appearance and provides a distinctive coloring experience. 

Elegant Elephants Midnight Edition has 34 illustrations with finished borders on every page. The designs are printed on one side only on medium weight paper.

Staedtler triplus fineliner Giveaway

To introduce you to this dramatic "Midnight Edition" of Elegant Elephants we are offering a Giveaway of a set of 20 Staedtler's triplus fineliner Pens. I used these pens to color the "African Drum" illustration shown. The fine lines and vibrant colors are perfect for a midnight-style coloring book. Go here for an in depth review.

To be eligible to win, all you have to do is be on my "For Color Lovers" email list. If you are already on the list, there's nothing more you need to do! If you're not, simply fill out the form at the top of this page. You'll get a complimentary downloadable coloring page to boot! See rules below.

[NOTE: CONTEST IS CLOSED]

Giveaway Contest Rules: Eligible only for residents of the U.S.A. or Canada. Entrants must have registered or be on my "For Color Lovers" email list by November 26, 2016 at 11:59 p.m.. Winner will be drawn at random on November 27, 2016, and notified by email promptly thereafter. If winner doesn't respond by November 29, 2016 prize will be awarded to an alternate person at my discretion. 

[EDIT: Deadline has been extended to Nov 26 from Nov 22 to give a chance for more people to sign up.]

[You can read my privacy policy here]

Congratulations to Colleen Kayser! She participated in the "Extended License" Survey in Marjorie's last blog post and won the Staedtler triplus fineliner pen set!

Although It wasn’t originally announced as part of the Giveaway, we awarded a second prize and third prize, too. A copy of Marjorie Sarnat’s Owls goes to Susan Butler, and Marjorie Sarnat’s Dazzling Dogs goes to Kathy Ferrone. Congratulations and thanks to all for entering.

Preliminary Survey Observations

I’m collating the survey results on behalf of Marjorie. She received hundreds of responses and so many very thoughtful comments from people all over the world. Thank you to all who participated and took the time to write. It’s not possible to respond to each comment, but Marjorie and I have read and treasure them all.

We don’t have a tabulation yet. In the meantime, here are some representative comments about the survey questions only. There were countless kind words about how much Marjorie’s art means to you, and how her art is a deeply important part of so many people’s daily lives. It’s truly humbling, so a big thank you to all of you. 

Noteworthy Comments [edited for space and clarity]

“It takes a lot of time to draw and produce a coloring book. Selling your book in stores and to others (on line) is one thing but no one but you should profit from it.”

“I think it'd be a nice idea for you to publish such a coloring book. Some of the people who complete these pages are very "crafty" in thinking of different ways to use them and they'd probably really appreciate being able to legally use your artwork for different projects they can sell. Good way to boost the economy you know?”

“I love coloring I've literally done it my entire life (I'm 44 now). But the idea of selling what I've colored seems unfair to the artist who created the picture I colored as well as to myself. ”

“I color pictures that "speak to me" simply for fun and creative expression. When I was a child I went through coloring books Crayolas and Venus Paradise color by number kits like mad in the winter. Creating something for sale would suck the joy right out for me. :-) ”

“…It would be extremely easy for people to omit crediting the original creator intentionally or unintentionally. I'm an extremely strong believer in an artist writer creator of anything actually receiving the proper artistic and monetary credit for their work. ”

“I think this is a wonderful idea… if I found a design I really loved and coloured it well I'd like to be able to have that option... I'd like to do some fundraising for Prostate Cancer Research…”

“I think it will be an amazing thing as I have had a couple people that loved my colouring of my roosters and a few others and wanted to buy them and said I couldn't sell them but I just ended up sending them as a suprise to them instead but if I could be that we can either sell or give as gifts I would def being more gift than selling.”

Last But Not Least

I included this comment because it’s exactly how I respond when I get my hands on a new coloring book by Marjorie:

“My favorite part of a brand new Marjorie Sarnat coloring book is starting from page one and looking at each of her art works one at a time. The humor in her artwork is so funny! I love it. It lifts my spirits.”

Marjorie will make a decision whether or not to develop a book with an extended license in the future. In the meantime, we are working on three new coloring books, one that will be available soon, and two that will be available in 2017. More information to come in the very near future.

Thanks again for participating and supporting Marjorie's artwork!

All the best, Marty

Do you recognize the styling of the cat adorned with patterns and surrounded by swirls and flowers? I produced this original creative cat illustration exclusively for Staedtler to advertise their triplus fineliner pens. It appears in an ad in the Fall 2016 issue of “The Coloring Studio” magazine.  This quarterly pub is filled with pages of artwork to color drawn by various artists and offers “simple ways to use your colored pages.” The projects you create with the artwork, such as journal covers, greeting cards, wall art, etc, are for personal use only. Being restricted from using coloring book artwork for commercial purposes is pretty much a standard practice, and, of course, I fully support protecting artists’s copyrights.  

Is there a way to legally sell your colored pages?

Yes, if you obtain an explicit grant of license by an artist or owner of the copyright. I’ve been developing an idea for a coloring book, and you can help me decide whether or not to go ahead with it by completing the survey at the end of this blog post. Essentially, it asks if you would, as a colorist or crafter, want me to publish a coloring book that gives you an “extended license,” so that you can offer your completed projects for sale if you choose to do so. 

Using triplus fineliners

I enjoy my relationship with Staedtler. They offer me a place to share my fancy felines and other animal art. In exchange for receiving the pens, I wrote an honest review in a previous blog post here. After continuing to use the fineliners, they have become my favorite fine-tipped pens.

Giveaway: Enter to Win a Set of 20 Staedtler triplus fineliner Pens

Submit the Survey below by October 10 to be entered to win a set of 20 Staedtler triplus fineliners with a really cool denim carrying pouch, courtesy of Staedtler!

Survey for an “Extended License” Coloring Book
[SURVEY IS CLOSED]

Colorists! Your input can help me create a future coloring book. For taking the time to answer this short survey, you’ll be entered to win the Staedtler Giveaway — a set of triplus fineliner pens in a cool denim carrying pouch. Deadline is October 10. See rules below.

Thank you as always for supporting my artwork. It's colorists like you that inspire me to create new books!

Giveaway Contest Rules: Eligible only for residents of the U.S.A. or Canada. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PDT, October 10, 2016. Winners will be drawn at random from Survey entries on October 11, 2016, and notified by email promptly thereafter. If winner(s) don’t respond by October 14, 2016 prizes will be awarded to alternate persons at my discretion. 

[You can read my privacy policy here]

One of the popular drawings from my coloring book, Pampered Pets, is the piggy in a bathtup. (What better way to pamper a pig?). I've seen many different color renditions of the page, and I've received lots of requests asking what is the best way to color a bubble? There isn't one perfect way, but I offer one approach that works well.

How to color a bubble

TIP: Keep your strokes curved with the contours of the circle

After you've learned to color a bubble, reward yourself with a relaxing bubble bath!

* * *

If you haven't already signed up for my "For Color Lovers" email list, please fill out the form at the top of this page. When you join, you'll be directed to download a complimentary coloring page for your personal use.

[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler 48 Colored Pencils Set mentioned in this article at no charge in exchange for writing a product review.]

I found Staedtler Colored Pencils to be a superb value. Here’s a basic set of colored pencils in a beautiful array of colors. These pencils are durable enough to last through many art projects and offer another big plus: the triangular barrels are so comfortable to grip I felt no pressure on my fingers.

The sets are in a lower price range similar to student level sets, yet they perform to the expectations of pricier artist quality sets. The 48 color set sells for between $9.68 and $16.98 online (Product No. 1270 C48A6). The pencils come in a flat cardboard box with two plastic grooved trays that hold 24 pencils each.

Great Performance and Versatility

1. Wood barrels with 02.9 mm color core
2. Ergonomic triangular shaped barrels feel great in the hand. They’re easy to grip, your fingers won't cramp, and the pencils don’t roll away
3. The colors have consistently rich pigmentation, unlike many student sets that have faint or uneven pigmentation
4. The brilliant colors are soft and blendable. They color smoothly, layer nicely, and burnish well
5. The pencils are easy to sharpen. There is no lead “fall out,” chipping, or flaking. The leads hold a sharp tip and are durable enough to use for fine lines and details
6. The colors are vivid and clear and provide good coverage on a variety of surfaces, including smooth, medium, and rough toothed papers
7. Because they layer well, the range of colors can be broadened through visual mixes

Colors

The 48 color set includes a full range of light to dark primaries and secondary colors: reds, yellows, blues, oranges, greens, and purples. There are also some pastel hues and several warm and cool neutrals.

I found that occasionally the color of a barrel does not match the color of its lead. In a few cases the color of a lead is so much like the color of another lead in the set that it’s difficult to see the difference — even though the barrel colors differ. The barrels have no color names or numbers on them. I wrapped tape around the barrels and wrote names on the tape to help me identify colors. This is a small "drawback" though.

The Staedtler 48 Colored Pencils set proves to be fine value for the price. I would recommend this set to any beginning or experienced artist.

A Staedtler Giveaway and More [CONTEST IS CLOSED]

Staedtler has kindly offered to give a 48 Colored Pencils Set to one lucky winner! To enter, simply sign up on the "For Color Lovers" email list. If you are already on the list there's nothing more you need to do — you are entered automatically!

To sweeten the Giveaway, I’ve created 3 levels of prizes. In addition to the colored pencils set, the first place winner will also receive a Textile Designs Coloring Book, and a Creative Cats Sticker Book. Second and third place winners each will receive a Textile Designs Coloring Book and Creative Cats Sticker Book, too. Please see Giveaway Contest Rules below. Thanks for participating and good luck.!

Giveaway Contest Rules: Eligible only for residents of the U.S.A. or Canada. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PDT, July 17, 2016. Winners will be drawn at random from my email list on July 18, 2016, and notified by email promptly thereafter. If winner(s) don’t respond by July 24 prizes will be awarded to alternate persons at my discretion. [CONTEST IS CLOSED]

For you cat lovers out there, here's something for you. If you're in the Los Angeles area, plan on seeing this circus show at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood — The Amazing Acro Cats!. The one hour performance features over a dozen felines, all former orphans, rescues, and strays, walking tightropes, pushing carts, skateboarding, jumping through hoops, playing in a band, and more. Performances are April 28, 29, 30, and Sunday, May 1. Get more details here and strut over to their website at circuscats.com

Why I'm Excited About It

On Sunday, May 1, at the conclusion of the last Acro Cats performance, you are invited to my Artist’s Reception from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The gallery inside the El Portal Theatre will feature my mixed media work, my cat paintings, including “Kleo Kats” which were the forerunners of “Creative Cats” Coloring Book and, for the first time, large gicleés on canvas of my Creative Cat illustrations.

The exhibit also features gorgeous artwork by my friend Maryann Thomas, a former Disney background painter whose credits include Lilo & Stitch II, Mulan, Atlantis, and more. You’ll see her landscapes and cityscapes done in watercolor, chalk, and oils.

I will be there, and I’d love to meet any and many of you. You don’t need to see the Acro Cat show to come to the reception. No R.S.V.P. necessary — just come! Details here.

The Judith Kaufman Gallery
at the Historic El Portal Theatre
5269 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

New Titles

My Amazon author page grew in size this month. My latest adult coloring books are Pampered Pets, Fanciful Fashions (2nd ed.), and Textile Designs. In May, Dazzling Dogs will be released. Another title, Fanciful Foxes, is available for pre-order and will be published in December. I wish it could be released sooner, but the publisher, Dover / Creative Haven, controls the scheduling.

Appreciation goes out to all who have made the effort to purchase and write reviews of my books, and a special thank you to Shelly Durham and Jackie Cooper, whose reviews are comprehensive and show colorists a ‘look inside’ they cannot get anywhere else. See Adult Coloring Book Reviews by Shelly on Facebook.

Thanks, as always, for your support!

Products Reviewed

• 20 Colors Set
• 6 Neon Colors Set
• 6 Pastel Colors Set
• 6 Earth Tone Colors Set

[CONTEST IS CLOSED!]
Staedtler has generously offered the 20 Colors Set and Neon Colors Set to one lucky winner.

[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler Fineliner Pens mentioned in this article at no charge in exchange for writing a product review.]

Staedtler triplus Fineliner Pens come in a sturdy clear plastic case that flips back to become an easel. The easel sets up and down easily, and does not tip over when you reach for a pen.

I found Fineliner Pens to be a superior quality product and a reliable pleasure to use. They're surprisingly versatile, too.

Well Designed with the Artist in Mind

1. Ergonomic triangular barrels feel great in the hand
2. Superfine tip gets into intricate areas without bleeding
3. The caps match the colors
4. The pens glide smoothly and release color in an even flow
5. Water-based inks give opaque coverage, yet you can create watercolor effects by applying a moist brush over colored areas
6. Colors can be layered over each other. I especially liked using light gray for shading over bright colors
7. The fine tips are great to use for cross hatching, stippling, and other textures
8. Fill larger areas by placing lines next to each other
9. They resist bleeding through paper.
10. They layer well over and under most colored pencil types.
11. They have enough ink to last longer than many other pens of this type
12. The pen caps snap closed and won't fall off.
13. Dry Safe: The pens can be left uncapped for days without drying up
14. Easel storage case is easy to use

Colors 

Staedtler triplus Fineliners don’t indicate color names on the pens or packaging, so the names I use below are my own.

• The 20 Pen Set includes a complete range of colors: primary, secondary, and tertiary colors along with two earth tones, two grays, and black. The brighter colors in the set are vivid and intense and the dark colors are distinctive
• The Neon colors are vibrant and slightly pale, which is great because they're not overwhelming as are many other brands. The colors are blue, hot pink, pale orange, yellow, green, and red-orange. My only issue is that the blue cap is a different blue from the aqua color the pen actually is
• The Earth Tone colors are deep and rich. The colors are dark red, dark mauve, purple, dark green, brown, and dark gray
• The Pastel colors are pink, lavender, peach, lime, gray, and blue. The colors are soft and mellow enough to be sophisticated without losing the fresh, sweet look of a pastel palette
• The colors are different in each set, so if you buy the entire array you will not be duplicating colors.

After experimenting with Staedtler triplus Fineliners I found them versatile and satisfying, and now they are part of my repertoire for coloring my work. These are my go-to pens for fine detail. 

The 20 pen set is listed on Amazon and Dick Blick for approximately US$27.00. They are priced right and well worth the money because of their superior performance and how long they last.

Learn more at Staedtler's website.

There's plenty of excitement around the studio these days. Marjorie is busy putting the finishing touches on two delightful adult coloring books due to be released in April. She signed an agreement to develop new titles under the Racehorse imprint which is part of Skyhorse Publishing, one of the fastest growing publishers in the world. This is a perfect fit for Marjorie and will be a great benefit to colorists looking for high quality books and who love Marjorie’s artistic style.

Working with the same editorial director who helped bring Creative Cats and Owls to market last year, Marjorie is confident that colorists will find there’s real value in Racehorse books. Bright white paper will be nice and thick. All pages will be printed one side only. Each book will have 49 drawings on perforated paper. And no more waiting very long before the books are published after Marjorie delivers her art.

What’s Coming?

The first is a surprise… it’s a second edition of her stylish fashion coloring book, now called Marjorie Sarnat’s Fanciful Fashions. In it will be 14 entirely new illustrations along with the original 35. People who have asked for thicker, perforated paper will get their wish. What does this mean for the current edition of Fanciful Fashions? It is being phased out of the Amazon stores immediately, but will probably be available through third-party sellers for a while. Meanwhile the new edition will be out very soon.

The second is titled, Marjorie Sarnat's Pampered Pets. Right away you can imagine what Marjorie’s mind will produce. It will have her whimsical and endearing images of popular pets in imaginative settings that have become a favorite of so many colorists around the world.

We’re anxious to show you more, but for now feast on the covers and we’ll update you when we can. And, of course, you can put in your pre-orders now.

I Swear You’ll Like This

I thought it was rather ironic that just about the time I released my own book, Expressions, earlier in January, that many books incorporating swear words shot up in the Amazon rankings. My book is just the opposite. It’s meant to be encouraging, loving, and inspirational. Phrases like “Scatter Kindness,” “Love One Another,” and “Friends Are the Family We Choose” are more my style. If the swearing trend is not your thing, take the path not taken, and check out Expressions.

January has seen a lot of new signups and Marjorie and I would like to welcome you to the “For Color Lovers” list. You wouldn’t believe the output of the studio right now, and it’s the main reason you may have seen less of us lately in the Facebook groups or on the blog. But we hope to make it up to you with these new titles, some premium giveaways, and more complimentary coloring pages. Stay tuned!

Happy new year to all!

Warm regards,
Marty Safir and Marjorie Sarnat

I love using colored pencils, but after rummaging through boxes looking for a certain color, having cardboard holders flop over, and grabbing at pencils steamrolling off my table, I knew there had to be a better way.

Quick and Easy

So in less time than it took me to locate sky blue, I made a revolving caddy to organize my colored pencils. Read on to learn how I made it and to discover why this one might be just the right thing for you as well.

In addition to the materials below, you’ll need a scissors, a ruler, and a pencil or Sharpie-like pen.

Materials

• A minimum 10 to 12 in. diameter utility turntable, such as Rubbermaid’s, from Target, Amazon, or Walmart for about $15.00.
• 16 or 17 same-size plastic drinking cups, approx. 5-1/2 inches tall. Make sure they stack. I bought five to a package at the Dollar Store.* 
• E6000 or Goop type glue. (Elmer’s type white glue doesn’t adhere well to plastic.)
• The cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels, or two tubes from a couple of rolls of toilet paper.

Total Cost: Under $20. depending on brands

Instructions

1. Arrange approximately seven plastic drinking cups in a circle around the edges of the turntable and place one cup in the center. Sizes may vary; make sure they all fit right up to the lip of the turntable. Color of the cups is unimportant.

2. Glue the bottoms of the cups onto the turntable using a generous amount of glue. Let dry thoroughly; it may take several hours.  NOTE: If your cups have a hollowed out bottom. Make sure you put enough glue around the edges that touch the surface of the turntable so the cups adhere well.

3. While the cups are drying, measure 1-inch marks on the paper tube(s).

4. Cut the tube into 1-inch segments, flattening out the tube as you go to cut it more easily. Reshape the segments into “rings” again.

5. When the glue is dry, drop the cardboard rings into the cups that are glued onto the turntable. The rings should sit edge-on at the bottom.

6. Insert a second cup into each glued-on cup. I stacked three in the center for easier access.

7. Fill the cups with colored pencils, and you’re done!

Handy Access

The key to this colored pencil caddy is its ease of use. When you're looking for a colored pencil, especially a shorter one, simply lift out the cup to find it. Replace when finished. The cardboard rings prevent the top cup from sticking to the bottom one. 

* The plastic cups I bought have DEHP in them that make them unsafe to drink from. DEHP can leach from the plastic when exposed to liquids. I am using the cups with no intention to drink from them. If you have any kind of aversion to this, use a different set of cups that you’re more comfortable with.

*

Organizing Colored Pencils

Here's a system that keeps your colors visible and close at hand.

Hard and Waxy Pencils

I combine both hard (such as Verithin) and soft lead pencils (such as Prismacolor) in my caddy sections. I group both together because it's the color that matters most to me, and I use both pencil types on every piece I do. The hard lead works for small details and the waxy lead is good for filling large areas and for layering over the hard lead areas.

I do not keep watercolor and pastel pencils in this caddy because I use them separately with other materials.

Group Colors into Families

It's easier to find colors when you keep color families in rainbow order, such as reds/oranges, pinks, purples, blues, greens, yellows, and browns around the edge, and cool neutrals in the center.

1. Reds/Oranges – include colors such as vermillion, coral, orange, dark magenta, crimson, burgundy, and other red-based tones.
2. Pinks – Although pink is light red, I separate pinks from the red family because there are so many shades. Include colors such as light magenta, pale pink, bright pink, mauve, and peachy colors.
3. Purples – include colors such as dark purple, lavender, orchid, blue-purple, and violet tones.
4. Blues – include colors such as pale blue, turquoise blue, lavender-blue, bright blue, cobalt, indigo, ultramarine, and other blue tones.
5. Greens – include colors such as olive, pale green, bright green, dark green, grass green, aqua, turquoise-green, and yellow-green.
6. Yellows – include colors such as ochre, pale yellow, bright yellow, golden yellow, yellow-orange, and cream colors.
7. Browns – Browns are warm neutrals. Include colors such as sienna, umber, beige, tan, taupe, terra cotta, khaki, and warm earth tones.
8. Cool Neutrals – Put this group in the center section. Include colors such as black, white, all shades of gray, and blender pencils.

Half & Half Colors 

There are colors that could fit in either of two groups, such as yellow-green. Is it more yellow? Or more green? Life is short; pick one and move on.

Metallic Colors

If you work with metallic colors, consider putting gold and bronze in the brown group because they're warm neutrals. Group silver and pearl white with cool neutrals. 

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Is this the pencil caddy you’ve been waiting for? Or, do you have a better way of organizing your pencils? Let me know your thoughts. Start a discussion in the comments.

First is a new coloring book coming out next year called, "Textile Designs." Showing above is her artwork from the book.  The book is due for release on April 20, 2016.

Next is "Dazzling Dogs," another Dover title. Featuring dogs of all kinds, this one is sure to delight lovers of "Creative Cats" and "Owls" with its whimsical details and themes. It's due to be released June 15, 2016. 

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"Interview with Adult Coloring Book Author Marjorie Sarnat"

Good questions always make for a good interview and this is a great one because of its thoughtful questions. Visit Color Over Stress and read the interview with Marjorie. This is a new site and blog and they're sure to do great things. 

"…I definitely think coloring can be a “gateway” art form. It introduces you to art materials, color harmonies, and bolsters confidence. It also familiarizes you with drawing styles. I have friends who began with coloring books and are now painting beautiful original works."

Read the full interview at coloroverstress.com.

Have you ever faced a clean new coloring page and wondered where to begin?

Some colorists just plunge in and let their intuition be their guide. If you're that colorist, it works just fine. Some of us feel less secure and need some guidelines. Here's a formula you can rely on when you're not sure how to begin. Keep in mind that formulas are only beginnings so let yourself bend the rules as you go.

Whether you feel you need guidelines or not, it's fun to see what color can do.

Warm-Cool Color Harmony

Decide whether your page will be mostly warm or mostly cool and try one of the following two equations:

• ¾ warm colors and ¼ cool colors
• ¾ cool colors and ¼ warm colors

 Proportions are approximate; don't worry about being exact.

Warm colors are the colors of the sun: reds, oranges, yellows.
They tend to produce moods of energy, passion, and optimism.
Cool colors are the colors of water: blues, greens, purples.
They tend to produce moods of calm, contemplation, and peacefulness.

The smaller proportion will attract visual attention. Playing warm against cool (or cool against warm) creates visual contrast and helps all your colors come alive. For example, if you are coloring a cat on a couch, you might consider a yellow cat against a blue couch. The blue couch could be against a blue-green wall.

Or a blue-gray cat against a coral couch. The coral couch could be against a peachy wall.
In either case, the cat will stand out. 

What's amazing is that the warm-cool concept usually follows our natural color sense. Many great masters used this system, either intentionally or intuitively. Look at Shelly Durham's coloring at the top of this post for an example. And refer to the examples below.

Best Advice

Whether following a formula or not, be true to your personal expression. That's what being an artist is about.

Coloring books are all over the news these days, including my own Creative Cats and Owls, which I illustrated for Dover Publications’ imprint, Creative Haven. The experience of relaxation and stress reduction while coloring is confirmed by what so many colorists express and in the opinion of many professionals. But how does coloring relate to the creative process?

Is Coloring Creative?

Educators often frown upon coloring books for kids as thwarting creative development (1). And lately there have been blog posts asserting the limitations of coloring books for adults (2).  I believe coloring books have very much to offer. Here are my thoughts:

• The activity of coloring is calming and promotes focused thought. While this benefit is not a creative thought process per se, focus is essential for bringing ideas to fruition. A child may spout imaginative ideas, but in order to put an idea into expression through an art form, invention, story, or song, requires a calm focus to see it through. When kids can turn ideas into an accomplishment, their confidence soars, and they’re more likely to become involved in additional creative activities.
• The activity of coloring helps develop fine motor skills. Excellent motor skills support hands-on creative endeavors.
• Coloring in a coloring book is not creating fully “original art,” but it can be a way to appreciate art, or advance into the arts. Viewing paintings in an art museum is not the same experience as actually painting, but masterful artworks provide insight and inspiration for painting. A reviewer of Creative Cats Coloring Book said it this way:

“I am using it [Creative Cats] for rewards in my elementary classroom. Coloring encourages decision-making, neatness, pride in work, and attention to detail. I am an ARTIST today because my parents encouraged me to color. I don't think of it as “play” because it takes skill and creativity. The mind remembers shapes and lines, so carried into the future, coloring creates artists.”

– Faith Page, Amazon Review, July 26, 2015

Learning from Experience

Coloring books that are imaginative and well done are masterful in their own right and can elevate colorists' understanding of drawing and design. Artists can use that enrichment to bring to their original works. Colorists learn about color itself through consistently making color choices and applying that knowledge in their daily lives. Home decor, clothes shopping, photography, and teaching are only a few examples.

As a child I was crazy about paper dolls. I collected them and observed the way the clothes were designed and the way the figures were painted. I learned a lot from professional paper doll artists and applied that knowledge to the original paper doll sets I would make to give as birthday gifts.

As an adult, I continue to learn from the works of accomplished professionals, both commercial and fine artists, and apply my knowledge in my own work. Recently I illustrated a new coloring book, Fanciful Fashions, which, in part, grew out of my experiences with paper dolls.

Creative Exercises

Because kids and grownups love coloring books, together they can use them as a springboard for creative exercises. Here are some ways:

1. Try new coloring techniques, such as dotting, striping, swirling, etc. within the outlines. What new techniques can you or your child invent? Perhaps it's ideal to draw your own pictures first before exploring, but sometimes we just need a quick and easy way to test new ideas and materials. In this way, coloring books support creativity.
2. Use unexpected colors. For example, make the sky yellow, the cat blue, and foliage red and white. Surreal effects will emerge.
3. Try new materials for coloring, such as gel pens or watercolors. Try combining techniques and materials, too.  I love layering colored pencil over marker color. How about filling the outlines with rubber stamp designs, stenciled designs, or gluing torn paper within the outlines?
4. Color outside the lines. Challenge yourself or your child to try it! It's fun to see how the final pieces turn out. They often have an expressionistic, contemporary feel.
5. Make collages. I have a friend who colors the pages, then cuts them into geometric shapes and collages the pieces onto heavy paper. If she had to draw pictures first, she might never have time to finish a collage. Not every artist loves to draw.
6. Limit the palette. Exercise fluency and stretch visual awareness by using at least eight shades of any given color.  This works especially well with paints that can be mixed, but pencils can be layered to create new shades of a color, too.
7. Try various color schemes, such as using autumn colors for one page, or birthday cake colors for another, or analogous colors (next to each other on the color wheel) for the next one.
8. Color me twice. Make a copy of a page and challenge yourself or your child to color the same design two different ways. Then notice the differences between the two. What colors look good together? Why do some colors pop off the page and others don’t? What do the color looks remind you of? This is a good exercise for critical thinking (observing and explaining) as well as creative thinking (finding new ways.)

Coloring books are not a substitute for making fully original art, but they can play an important role for supporting many aspects of creativity. 

What are your experiences with coloring and creativity?

Marjorie Sarnat has taught art on the elementary, high school, and adult level. She has maintained a lifelong passion about creative thinking and the creative process. Marjorie received her Certificate of Training for “Putting Ideas into Action” from the International Center for Studies in Creativity from Buffalo State University, N.Y. and has written two books on creativity, including the acclaimed, Creative Genius: How to Grow the Seeds of Creativity Within Every Child. and Creativity Unhinged: 120 Games for Kids to Spark Creative Thinking.

(1) Susan Striker author page on Amazon
(2) Innercanvas blog post

I’m excited to announce the release of my latest coloring book, Fanciful Fashions. As of this writing, I'm at the last stages of final proofing and adding my special touches and refinements. 

As a new publisher of coloring books I took a leap of faith and am offering a free BONUS PDF of all 35 of the illustrations! Purchasers of the book will get a special link to download the file with all the coloring pages. You can print them out to explore multiple color schemes and try new coloring tools—all to your heart's content. View the gallery of Fanciful Fashions illustrations and see for yourself how fun it can be! 

But there's even more in (the App) store

If you haven't already tried it, there's a new way to color, and it's on your iPad or Android tablet! We have made a special arrangement with the folks who make the smash hit coloring App, Colorfy: Coloring Book for Adults to include twenty coloring pages from Fanciful Fashions in the App! I have tried Colorfy and it's truly the best app of its kind. This is clear by the amazingly positive reviews that it gets. Our pages for Colorfy have been specially formatted with care and attention to provide the best possible experience and the most fun. This is about to be released in an update as an in-app purchase. We'll let you know when it ships. 

Colorfy is available for both iOS and Android:

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]]>New Release! Fanciful Fashions Coloring Book