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Painting My Flower Press Cover – Ink Art

Painting My Flower Press Cover – Ink Art

by | Living a Creative Life

Author: Alison Hazel   –   Published: June 2022

Inspiration

In the first week of May I discovered the YouTube channel Daily Nature Journal and I was inspired to start a nature journal. Alex showed some pressed flowers that he was using in his nature journal and I was so interested, I decided to order a flower press for myself from Amazon. I plan to keep my flower press for years and eventually hand it down to my daughters as a family heirloom.

Unboxing Flower Press

I chose a flower press from Berstuk.co.uk. This flower press is made with plywood, not compressed chip board, and brass bolts not mild steel (which will eventually rust) brass does not rust. You can get the same flower press which I purchased on this LINK.

The flower press came in a box, with instructions and included all the bolts, wing nuts and washers you need. There is a front wooden panel with a flower outline painted on and a plain back panel. You also get cardboard and blotting paper cut to size with chamfered corners.

How to Use a Flower Press

This flower press comes with cardboard and blotting paper. You make a sandwich of cardboard, blotting paper, flowers, blotting paper, cardboard and repeat. You can have multiple sandwiches in the press. I hope to start pressing flowers soon.

Ink Colors

The colored inks I’m using are from Windsor and Newton. I recently got these inks and I’m enjoying learning to work with them.

Green

The apple green is quite bright and needs to be toned down with a little yellow.

Yellow

I chose canary yellow and this is used to mellow the green for the leaves. I also used the yellow for the centre of the flowers.

Red

The red is called deep red. I thin the red down to make it more pink.

Gold

I so often use gold in my artworks that it seemed quite natural to do so here as well. Although I had not thought of doing so until the end.

Process

First, I wiped the front panel with a damp kitchen towel to remove and dust or sawdust. Starting with the green I thinned it with water three to one and added a little yellow. This makes an olive green. I painted this on one side of a few leaves.

Next, I mixed more green and yellow and the second mix is slightly different to the first mix. I continue to paint the leaves with a few green and yellow mixes. I painted the center of the flower with yellow.

For the petals I took intense red and watered it down a little differently for each petal to give the flower some depth. Finally, I added a dash of gold ink here and there for highlights.

Heirloom

I let it dry overnight. I may varnish it later. I plan to keep it in the family like a family heirloom and pass it along to my daughters for their pleasure.

Aspiring Artist Activity

When you get your flower press paint the cover as follows:

  • Mix green and yellow ink for the leaves.
  • Mix yellow for the inside of the bloom.
  • Mix a tihn pink for the flower petals.
  • Add a touch of gold to bring your flower press to life.

Share

Share your completed flower press cover with the hashtag #AHAflowerpress so we can all see what you have created.

 

Alison Hazel

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Read more about Alison’s story.

Send Alison a quick message.

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Perpetual Nature Journal – Canada Geese – Ink

Perpetual Nature Journal – Canada Geese – Ink

by | Nature Journal

This week I went to the beach where the protected waters of English Bay laps desultorily at the coast in Vancouver. 

Just behind the foreshore and promenade is a well manicured strip of parkland comprising grass and flowers to enhance the nature beauty of the area. 

It is here that the Canada geese gather or is that flock? 

How many do you need for a flock?

Field Sketchbook

I had my travel field notes sketch journal and a pencil and the. 

The plan was to draw the sea, but I did quite a few sketches of the geese. 

Here they are swimming in the sea.

I’m not very good at drawing people and animals,so I thought it would be a challenge to sketch some geese for my new perpetual nature journal. 

In ink

Here are some pencil sketches I did on location at English Bay in Vancouver. 

Studio Sketch

Next, when I got home,I looked at more free images from the web of geese. 

I sat down in my creator studio and attempted to draw the geese again.

I tried to sketch a few poses. 

After three attempts I did one in my perpetual nature journal. 

Pencil Sketch

First the pencil sketch. I’m using a 2H hard pencil and drawing lightly. 

The back feathers have a beige look with white curved edges.

I tried to replicate this with my pen.

Pen

Next I went over the outlines with a black pen. 

It is the Faber Castell Pitt Artist pen in a 0.1mm nib. 

Black Ink

Then it got out my black waterproof Indian ink from Windsor and Newton.

I painted the neck, beak and legs making sure to keep the cheeks white. The legs have knobbly knees and duck feet.

Gold Ink

As I wanted to try out my gold ink, and I do love a bit of bling on my artworks. 

With a very thin brush I painted the back feathers in with shimmer.

Yellow Ink

For the soft underbelly I wanted a light taupe beige. 

I’d decided to water down some canary yellow ink with a minuscule dash of black.  

This was very thin and created a light beige.

I painted the underside of the fowl to add some dimension to the body.

Green Ink

For the background grass I blended apple green ink with sunshine yellow and thinned it with water.

Naming the Birds

I wrote the Latin name for these birds Branta canadensis underneath and also Canada Geese.

Vancouver Nature Map

On a separate piece of paper I drew the map of Vancouver and the surrounding 10km where I live. 

The plan is to add a little icon of each Natur Journal sketch on the map in the place where I drew the image.

This will grow in the future as I really get into nature journaling.

Finished Artwork

I really enjoyed creating this nature drawing in ink in my Perpetual Nature Journal.

I’ve only started nature journaling earlier this month and so far I’m loving it.

Alison Hazel

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Read more about Alison’s story.

Get her newsletter.

Artzlife Newsletter

Artzlife Newsletter

Author: Alison Hazel   -   Published: December 2024 Artzlife Newsletter Creative art journal inspiration for hobby artists Welcome to a Place for Passionate Hobby Artists Are you a hobby artist seeking inspiration, connection and gentle guidance on your creative...

Perpetual Nature Journal 🌱 Setup and Cover Page

Perpetual Nature Journal 🌱 Setup and Cover Page

by | Art as Self-care

Inspiration

The idea of having a Perpetual Nature Journal which is different to a normal nature journal is that rather than starting at the front and working towards the back, depending on where I went and what I saw, I will be focusing on one or two nature features each month.

Then I can revisit the month next year at the same time.

You can start a Perpetual Nature Journal at any time of the year.

I’m starting mine in May 2022 and therefore my first entries will be in the May spread.

I won’t be filling the whole page I’ll just add one or two items in this month’s spread and then move on to June, July and August.

Later, when May comes around next year, I can come back to the May spreads and add something else.

Monthly Divisions

I decided to create a Perpetual nature journal which is one that goes on and on year after year.

I happened to have this sketchbook on my shelf which I had not used.

It is Fabriano with forty-eight pages which gives us twenty-four spreads well actually twenty-three whole spreads and two half spreads, with one half spread at the front, and one at the end.

I decided to give each month of the year, from January to November two spreads and December has one and a half spreads.

A spread is an open two pages.

I counted through and put little tabs out where each new month begins.

Philosophy

I chose to work this way for two reasons.

The first is because I watched the artist Minnie Small where she says in her sketchbooks she doesn’t start at the beginning and work to the end, instead she opens the journal at a random page and does a sketch in it there and then.

In this way when you do flip through the actual sketchbook there’s not this concentrated development of your style.

Instead, each drawing is randomly nestled in amongst everything else you’ve ever done.

In this way it’s a more a cohesive look at the type of work you’re creating as an artist.

Secondly, I took inspiration from Alex Boon of The Daily Nature Journal who has a beautiful nature journal, sourcing content from his local area, which I wanted to try for myself.

After I divided the journal the way I wanted it, with spreads for each month, I then turned my attention to the inside cover page.

Cover Page Design

I spent many days working out:

  • Whether I wanted to try nature journaling in the first place, and if so, how was I going to set up a journal?
  • Did I need to get another journal or not?
  • I didn’t want to buy anymore art supplies, so I dug around and found a Fabriano sketchbook which had not been used.

Naming the Journal

I thought that I wanted to call it “Nature Journal” (with the vanishing point on the word nature.)

To start with I did a sketch on my iPad with Procreate to lay out what I was thinking of as many ideas were percolating in my head.

I created this quick design just using a pencil brush in Procreate.

This is what I’m going to use as the guide for my Perpetual nature journal inside cover page.

Pencil Sketch

In my nature journal I drew some guidelines and wrote out the words “Nature” and “Journal” first lightly with a 2H pencil.

Then I went over with an ink pen which I think is the Faber Castell Artist Pitt pen 0.5mm, but you can use what you have at hand.

Pencil Crayon

I use Faber Castell Polychromas colored pencils.

I chose to color the two greens, because it’s nature.

The word “Nature” is a green called Olive Green Yellowish, and the word “Journal” is Juniper Green.

I did think afterwards I could have used markers, which would have made it a more vibrant cover page, and I may develop it into richer colors later.

Border

Then I turned to the border and decided to draw a 10mm, or half an inch, border around the page.

I just did this freehand and then I colored that in as well in the darker green.

It’s at this point I realized I hadn’t got the word “Perpetual” in, so I drew a couple of light guidelines and wrote the word “Perpetual” at the top.

Now it reads “Perpetual Nature Journal.”

On a side note, I lined up the word “Perpetual” to start in line with the left of the word “Nature” and its top to the “e” at the end of “Nature.”

In this way I believe it’s balanced within the page and aesthetically appealing.

I then went over the word “Perpetual” with a pen as well and finally erased all the pencil lines.

Completed

This is where my cover page is now.

I do envisage adding bits and pieces as I draw more stuff during the month.

I will add more to the front page, but at this point I just wanted to get it sorted out, so I could begin to use my Perpetual Nature Journal.

Reflection

I’ve never had a nature journal before and I think it’s going to be interesting book to work on.

It’s another sketchbook in my growing shelf of sketchbooks, as I’ve come to realize that one sketchbook is not the answer, because you do benefit from having multiple sketchbooks, and I’ll be doing a video about that soon.

I love the idea of the Perpetual-ness of this type of sketch book.

Let me know, in the comments below, if you have a Perpetual Nature Journal and how you lay it out or even whether you keep a Perpetual Journal or a Nature Journal or a Perpetual Anything journal.

I’d love to hear.

Love,

Alison

Aspiring Artist Activity – Create Your Perpetual Nature Journal 🌱

Create your own Perpetual Nature Journal which in time, will become a treasured family keepsake that you can share with your children and grandchildren.

  • Find a blank sketchbook with at least 12 spreads (one for each month of the year.)
  • Label each month lightly in pencil or with a Post-it note.
  • Create some inner cover art with the words, “Perpetual Nature Journal.”
  • Find the current month and draw something found from nature in your garden or local area. This could be flowers, leaves, berries, birds or insects.
  • Continue each month to add a small sketch or painting to your Perpetual Nature Journal.
Writing Retreats for Hobby Artists

Writing Retreats for Hobby Artists

by |

Author: Alison Hazel   -   Updated: July 2025 Planning a Writing Retreat for Artists Introduction I have been working as a hobby artist for about three years now. And along with being a hobby artist, I post some things on social media, not so much to be honest, but I...

Sketchbook African Violet Ink Wash

Sketchbook African Violet Ink Wash

by | Art as Self-care

Sketching

This weekend I had planned to go to the beach. It’s a short bus ride from my home and very pleasant to spend time there on one of my precious days off. Unfortunately, it continued to rain which seemed to be set in for the whole day. My original idea was to go to the coast and do some sketching of the shore, the seaside, and seascapes. I’m particularly interested in the pebbles and what is brought up on the beach by the high tide. Objects such as shells and seaweed are always interesting things to draw. However, I decided to stay at home because of the incessant downpour.

African Violet

I have a little African Violet plant that I received around Christmas when it was first in bloom. I’ve managed to keep this plant alive and even though the first flowers faded and went.  Now five months later in May I finally have the second bloom of glorious violet flowers. The houseplant is quite a bit bigger now and the petals are larger and more prolific. I decided that this little plant would be my nature sketch for today which I will do at home in my creator studio. Not being able to visit the beach to do some sketching this weekend home sketching is the compromise.

Border

In my Leuchtturm A5 sketchbook, I start with a border on my page, even if I don’t stick to it, because it does help to align the image.

Pencil Sketch

Using a 2H pencil I sketched lightly to layout the subject and ensure that the main petals were slightly off center in my composition.

I added a few of the leaves for balance and drew some of them over the border which I thought would be an interesting thing to do.

Black Pen

I went over the sketch with a Faber Castell Artist Pitt 0.3mm pen in black and firmed up the shapes and main details of the plant.

Although the petals are smooth and don’t have much texture the leaves themselves are quite deeply veined.

Upon close inspection I realized how the curves were happening on these leaves even though they are quite furry leaves, they are still somewhat raised and pillow-like where the veins run.

I drew many of the veins on the leaves with the pen.

I could have drawn more leaves, but it seemed overwhelming and as there are plenty of leaves on the plant than there are flowers.

I didn’t want the greenery to overshadow the lovely purple blooms which are the main reason for the drawing in the first place.

Ink Wash

I had recently been watching a YouTube channel by Alex at The Daily Nature Journal about using botanical inks in his drawings and this inspired me to dig out some of my inks.

Not that I have botanical inks (not yet), I have normal inks, but I did have one bottle of Purple Mojo ink from Private Reserve ink company which I’ve had for years.

I dug out this old inkpot, shook it up and got out my palette.

I took a regular paint brush and dipped it in water first and put some water on my palette just a few drops because I was going to dilute the ink down.

It was serendipitous that I happened to have purple ink and I was drawing an African Violet. How convenient is that?

With a wet paintbrush I dipped into the ink and strained quite a bit of it off against the top of the bottle and then ran the ink into the water pool on my palette.

I mixed up the water and ink which dissolves immediately. The water thinned the ink down which is what I was going for.

Ink is not like paint where you must work the pigment, inks dilute rapidly.

To dry paper, I washed the purple ink onto my violet petals. I did end up with quite a few hard edges and thought that I perhaps could have wet the paper beforehand, but I kept going.

I painted a first light coat on all the petals and let it dry a little bit.

I applied a second coat of the same consistency of ink wash over the petals as well.

I let the second coat dry.

Finally, I came back with some stronger ink, straight out of the inkpot, and added a few dimensional shadows to the petals for interest.

I let the ink thoroughly dry before I moved on, but I have to say that with working with ink gets on all your fingers. It stains everywhere and I had to stop and do some washing up of my hands and the palette and brush before I went any further.

Markers

Ideally, I would have done the leaves in green ink, if I had any, but I didn’t, so I turned to my Faber Castell Pitt Artist Brush Pens.

I started running the Warm Grey I around the edges of the leaves because they are much lighter at the edges and I did that for all the leaves.

Next, I took my May Green 170 and colored in some of the main bodies of the leaves.

It’s quite a bright green, so I was a little scared of that, but it turned out well in the end.

The second green I used was called Earth Green 172 and with this I brought more shadows and was running along the edges of the veins and enhancing the puffiness of these leaves.

I tried to work quickly with these Faber Castell Artist Brush Pens because the longer you leave them on the page the darker the color will become.

I went round all the leaves adding the darker shadows to them.

The fourth colour I added to the leaves with a light Warm Grey I 270.

I used it to blend the edges which had the light cream out into the mid green.

I just softened the color down a bit as the leaves seemed a little bit like a hedera helix leaf which has lighter edges and African Violet leaves are really not white at all on the edges, they are just lighter.

I continued a little bit further with the Earth Green just adding finer points along the ridges of the veins on the leaves until I felt I was happy with the work.

The little middle parts of the flowers which are super bright yellow I just added a few dots of Cadmium Yellow 107 in there.

I could have left those areas slightly larger as they did seem to be overwhelmed and crowded out by the purple ink

Background

Finally, I added a light Ivory 103 into the main background of the drawing excluding the border.

I felt this soft color lifted the image slightly without overpowering the plant itself.

I had considered creating the background in yellow to highlight the golden bits in the middle of the petals, but I felt it would be too harsh on such a delicate drawing.

Conclusion

I’m quite pleased with how this sketch turned out.

It was a challenge to work with the ink because you really must work swiftly.

In future drawings I will probably consider combining perhaps a purple and a blue ink to get different colours or something like that.

I do have other inks but they are metallics like silver and gold.

I do not have a red, green or yellow ink which I think I might need to purchase soon.

So, does that signal another trip to my local art store? Yaay!

Have a creative day.

Love,

Alison

Aspiring Artist Activity

  • Create a simple sketch of a flower that you have in your home or garden.
  • Practice using inks and thin them down.
  • Try to use one or more colored inks on your drawing.
  • You may use markers, colored pencils or even watercolor for the rest.
  • Get creative.

Share

Show your work on social with the hashtag #AHAinkviolets, so we can see what you create.

Writing Retreats for Hobby Artists

Writing Retreats for Hobby Artists

by |

Author: Alison Hazel   -   Updated: July 2025 Planning a Writing Retreat for Artists Introduction I have been working as a hobby artist for about three years now. And along with being a hobby artist, I post some things on social media, not so much to be honest, but I...

Writing Retreats for Hobby Artists

Writing Retreats for Hobby Artists

by |

Author: Alison Hazel   -   Updated: July 2025 Planning a Writing Retreat for Artists Introduction I have been working as a hobby artist for about three years now. And along with being a hobby artist, I post some things on social media, not so much to be honest, but I...

Writing Retreats for Hobby Artists

Writing Retreats for Hobby Artists

by |

Author: Alison Hazel   -   Updated: July 2025 Planning a Writing Retreat for Artists Introduction I have been working as a hobby artist for about three years now. And along with being a hobby artist, I post some things on social media, not so much to be honest, but I...

How to Draw a Fibonacci Shell – Sketchbook Art

How to Draw a Fibonacci Shell – Sketchbook Art

by | Art as Self-care

Drawing The Fibonacci Shell

Fibonacci Sequence

I’ve always been interested in symbols and patterns and particularly the patterns found in nature. The work we are about to draw is one of those natural patterns that pops up all over the place.

The Fibonacci sequence is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21… and continues. The numeric pattern is created when the previous two numbers are added together to make the third number. So, 1 + 1 = 2, 1 + 2 = 3, 2 + 3 = 5 and so on.

The Plant Kingdom

The Presence of Fibonacci Numbers in Nature

The Fibonacci sequence, a captivating mathematical pattern, manifests itself prominently in the natural world. One notable illustration of this sequence is observed in the intricate designs found in sunflower heads.

 

Sunflower Heads

Upon closer observation, the arrangement of seeds on the head of a sunflower reveals a remarkable adherence to the Fibonacci sequence. The seeds are organized in mesmerizing whorls that spiral out in a manner consistent with this numerical pattern.

 

Spiral Symmetry

The Fibonacci sequence is renowned for its characteristic spiral symmetry, and this phenomenon is vividly demonstrated in the sunflower’s seed distribution. The whorls expand outward in a mesmerizing spiral, following the numerical sequence with precision.

Mathematical Harmony in Nature

This natural manifestation of the Fibonacci sequence in sunflowers underscores the profound connection between mathematics and the organic world. The inherent order and harmony found in these patterns contribute to the aesthetic beauty and structural integrity of sunflower heads, showcasing the intricate design embedded in the fabric of nature.

 

Functional Significance

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Fibonacci sequence in sunflower heads is believed to have functional significance. The arrangement optimizes the packing of seeds, ensuring efficient distribution and maximizing the sunflower’s reproductive potential. This mathematical precision serves as a testament to the evolutionary adaptations that enhance the plant’s survival and reproduction.

The prevalence of Fibonacci patterns in sunflowers extends beyond individual plants to impact broader ecosystem dynamics. As sunflowers play a vital role in various ecosystems, their adherence to mathematical principles influences the ecological interactions and relationships within their habitats.

The presence of the Fibonacci sequence in sunflowers also carries symbolic significance. It serves as a visual representation of order, balance, and mathematical elegance in the natural world, reinforcing the idea that mathematical principles underlie the beauty and functionality of diverse life forms.

 

Pineapple

Another example of the Fibonacci sequence in plants is found on a pineapple where knobby things cycle up one way with eight spirals and the other way with thirteen spirals called interlocking helices.

These are just examples of how the Fibonacci numbers come through in the plant world. In essence, the observation of Fibonacci numbers in sunflower heads and pineapples offers a captivating glimpse into the symbiotic relationship between mathematics and nature. It invites us to appreciate the precision and sophistication embedded in the seemingly simple aspects of the natural world, revealing the underlying harmony that governs the intricacies of life.

 

The Animal Kingdom

Nautilus Shell

A captivating illustration of the widespread occurrence of the Fibonacci sequence in the animal kingdom unfolds in the elegant spirals of the Nautilus shell. This seafaring creature, characterized by its distinctive shell, provides a striking example of mathematical precision as it meticulously follows the Fibonacci pattern in its growth and chamber arrangement.

The Nautilus, with its spiral shell, serves as a living testament to the intrinsic connection between mathematics and the natural world. Each chamber in the Nautilus shell expands in a precise sequence dictated by the Fibonacci numbers, resulting in a visually mesmerizing pattern that reflects the inherent order woven into the fabric of nature.

 

Personal Connection and Collection

I possess a small yet meaningful shell collection, prominently featuring a Nautilus shell. Acquired during a vacation in Mozambique, this particular specimen holds a special place in my collection.

The intricate chambers and the adherence to the Fibonacci sequence in its structure serve as a tangible reminder of the mathematical elegance present in even the smallest fragments of the natural realm.

 

Nautilus Shell

Artistic Inspiration

This Nautilus shell, residing in my collection, has become the muse for a captivating sketchbook piece that we embark upon together today. The delicate curves, precise spirals, and the harmonious proportions dictated by the Fibonacci sequence provide rich inspiration for an artistic exploration that bridges the realms of science and creativity.

 

Drawing the Nautilus Shell

Through this artistic endeavor, we delve into the symbiotic relationship between art and nature, allowing the Fibonacci-inspired sketch to capture the essence of the Nautilus shell’s beauty. This creative process not only celebrates the wonders of the natural world but also serves as a means to express the harmony and balance inherent in the mathematical principles echoed by the Nautilus.

The Nautilus shell’s adherence to the Fibonacci sequence extends beyond aesthetic beauty; it holds scientific significance. The mathematical precision observed in its growth pattern serves functional purposes, aiding in buoyancy control and optimal navigation through ocean depths.

Starting on this artistic journey inspired by the Nautilus shell invites us to explore the connections between mathematics, nature, and creative expression.

It is a celebration of the intricate beauty found in the animal kingdom and a testament to the awe-inspiring wonders that unfold when science and art intersect.

 

Supplies

I’m listing the art supplies I used to create this drawing, but I always urge you to use anything that you have at hand. You do not have to go out and get these supplies. You will probably have plenty of pens and papers in your home with which you can draw this sketch.

 

 

You Have What You Need

Don’t feel that you have to have all of this equipment and if you don’t you can’t do it. Use the supplies that you have to hand. You are an artist that’s why you are here. Get your stuff out and let’s get started.

 

Drawing the Grid

We are taking the two numbers five and eight from the Fibonacci sequence. We are going to draw a rectangle with that is eight blocks wide by five blocks deep. It will depend on the size of your paper, but in my sketchbook, I drew a rectangle that was actually 2 x 8 which is 16 centimeters wide and 2 x 5 which is 10 centimeters deep.

If you are using inches, it might be easier to draw your box 8 inches by 5 inches or any combination of those numbers. When you have your rectangle centred on your page it’s time to draw the grid. Divide your rectangle into eight columns wide and five rows deep.

Drawing the Blocks

Look at my diagram to see how to further divide up your blocks. On the left-hand side draw a thicker line after five columns. Now looking on the right-hand part, which is now 3 columns wide, draw a thicker line 3 rows down.

From the bottom right corner draw a thicker line two rows over and two rows up. Finally divide the last two into one cube each. Keep looking at the block diagram to make sure that you are dividing your rectangle into the squares correctly.

 

Drawing the Curves

When drawing the lines with your compass make sure to press lightly. You just want the line to be a guide we are not engraving on the page. The pencil I have in my compass is a 2H pencil. Make sure the tip of the compass point and the tip of the pencil are at the same place (when the compass is closed) before you start.

 

Steps

  • With your pencil compass place the point at the origin position shown by the red dot and draw two quarter circles over the one cube blocks.
  • Move your compass point to the origin position marked with the dot and draw a curve two blocks wide as shown.
  • Move your compass point to the third origin position shown and draw a curved line over three blocks.
  • Move your compass point into the final five block origin position and draw an arc five blocks wide as shown.

Number 1 Block

See below.

Number 2 Block

See below.

Number 3 Block

See below.

Number 5 Block

See below.

Dividing Into Segments

Now we are going to divide each of the number blocks one, two, three and five into segments (like an orange) to indicate the growth of the shell.

 

Number One Blocks

The number one blocks do not get divided as they are just one.

Number Two Blocks

The number two block division is from the origin point (where we put the compass in) draw a line at 45 degrees dividing the number two block into two segments.

Number Three Blocks

Considering the three blocks, place your protractor crosshairs at the origin point (where you put your compass point in) for the number three blocks, remember to reference the drawing.

We’re going to divide the number three block into three, so that will be 90-degrees divided by three will result in 30-degrees per segment. Make a light mark at 30-degrees from the horizontal and 60-degrees from the horizontal on your page. With a ruler, join the origin point for the number three blocks with the 30-degree and 60-degree mark lightly in pencil. Do not extend the line past the curve.

Number 5 Blocks

We are going to divide the number five blocks into five segments. Place your protractor cross hairs at the origin point for the number five block. To divide 90-degrees by five each segment will be 18-degrees wide. Counting up from the horizontal, make a light mark at 18-degrees and then one at 36-degrees (2 x 18 = 36). 

Next, counting left from the vertical, make a light mark at 18-degrees and one at 36-degrees. Take your ruler and lightly draw a line from the origin point to the marks you have just made. You will draw four lines here thus dividing the five block into five segments. Do not draw these lines past the curve of the shell.

 

Erase Marks

Lightly erase any pencil marks that are now unneeded and unnecessary before you start to color. I also used a kneadable eraser and lifted quite a bit of the graphite from the page just leaving faint lines there as a guide.

Read more >>> Sketching English Bay Beach: Vancouver

Read more >>> Art Supplies Suggestions

Coloring the Shell

I chose to colour my Fibonacci shell in tones of yellow and the background in tones of blue. Yellow and blue is always a great color combination to use in artwork and you can see this to great effect in Van Gogh’s “Starry, Starry Night” painting.

Take your time as this is the fun part. Color in the background with different colors of blue. Relax and color in each little segment withing each block carefully. There will be many triangles and slivers of block now. Finally, I went over with a heavy black pen and redrew the curve of the Fibonacci shell and the artwork outline.

 

Completed

Voila, and there is your completed sketch. It is a fascinating shape as the Fibonacci shell continues to spiral outwards from the centre point. This shape resonates with us as it is part of the natural world.

 

What Not to Do

When I first started drawing the Fibonacci shell, I couldn’t get it quite right because it’s quite a tricky pattern. I tried several times, over a few days, to divide the shell because I wanted to you to see the striations and stripes on the shell which is how the actual Nautilus shell looks.

Now I’m going to show you my first few original efforts, so if for some reason you do make a botch, you will be happy knowing that it happens to everyone. 

These first two drawings are examples of what not to do when trying to draw the Fibonacci shell. The third one is correct.

 

fibonacci-shell

Save this pin to read later.

Below is the correct one.

Aspiring Artist Activity

In your sketchbook, please draw the Fibonacci shell by doing the following:

Aspiring Artist Activity

In your sketchbook, please draw the Fibonacci shell by doing the following:

 

  • Measure the blocks carefully.
  • Draw the curves carefully.
  • Divide the segments carefully.
  • Colour in and embellish your artwork as you see fit.

 

Share

Share your artworks on social with the hashtag #AHAFibonacci.

 

Alison Hazel

Author Bio

Alison Hazel is a woman who shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Read more about Alison’s story.

Send Alison a quick message.

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Artist Interview: Claire

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In this artist interview, get more inspiration and meet Claire, a graphic designer and founder of Price Design Studio.

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Monday’s Child Poem – Digital Art Time-lapse

Monday’s Child Poem – Digital Art Time-lapse

by | Art as Self-care

Reference

I am referencing Emma H Baldwin MFA Emily Carr university, Vancouver on the website PoemAnalysis.com where she says that this poem was first recorded by A.E. Bray’s Traditions of Devonshire published in 1838.

Thank you, Emma.

Monday’s Child Poem

Monday’s child is fair of face,

Tuesday’s child is full of grace,

Wednesday’s child is full of woe,

Thursday’s Child has far to go,

Friday’s Child is loving and giving,

Saturday’s Child worked hard for a living

And the child that is born on the Sabbath day

Is bonnie and blithe and good and gay.

Inspiration

When I was a young girl growing up in the 60s the poem Mondays Child everybody knew it.

We learned it along with all the other nursery rhymes of the day.

They say that things you learn when you are very young you can recall easily when you are older and this is very true.

Seven

I’ve always been fascinated with numbers and the number seven pops up in many areas the first one that comes to mind is the seven colours of the rainbow and of course the one we’re working with her the seven days of the week.

It seems that there are seven days in the week because it they are related the one month cycle of the Moon which is around 28 to 29 days.

Seven Days of the Week

We all know that there are seven days in the week I always understood that Sunday was the first day of the week and I certainly use my calendars in this format.

However, in Monday’s Child poem it starts on a Monday and builds up to the Sabbath which is Sunday.

What Day Were You Born On?

As a kid this poem had everyone scrambling to find out what day they were born on as some days are clearly more fun, or desirable, than others.

I was delighted to discover that I was born on a Tuesday which apparently makes me full of grace.

My father was born on a Saturday and yes, he did work hard for a living all of his life.

Creating the Monday’s Child Digital Artwork

Seven segments

First, I divided the page into seven segments by drawing three lines as follows:

  • The first line is from the bottom left up towards the top right.
  • The second line is from the bottom right up towards the top left.
  • The third line is middle left swooping down and then ending on middle right.

This creates a wobbly triangle in the middle.

I used the same method to divide the page on my neurographic art basics drawing.

Day’s Layout

I decided to layout each day starting from the top left for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday is in the middle space.

Then going back to the lower left for Friday.

Saturday is on the lower right.

Right at the center bottom is Sunday.

Monday

“Monday’s child is fair of face,”

To be fair of face implies that the child has an open and smiling countenance.

For this drawing I did a happy child waving and smiling.

Tuesday

“Tuesday’s child is full of grace,”

To be full of grace means that you move well have poise and balance.

For this drawing I did an ice skater twirling and looking elegant and graceful.

Wednesday

“Wednesday’s child is full of woe,”

To be full of woe means that you have troubles or cry a lot or have many challenges.

For this drawing, I drew a child having a meltdown, shedding a tear and being a little frustrated.

Thursday

“Thursday’s Child has far to go,”

To have far to go means that you either have a very long journey of life or you have a lot to accomplish this child is likely to keep going all the time. For this drawing I drew a kid with a backpack starting along a path that has a journey going over the mountain.

Here I think the journey is more important than the destination.

Friday

“Friday’s Child is loving and giving,”

To be loving and giving sounds like a perfect child.

It suggests the child gives back more than they receive and probably is grateful for everything they have including their family.

For this drawing I drew a child giving the gift of an artwork to their mother to stick on the fridge.

This child looks like they have the gift of giving which will benefit them throughout their life.

Saturday

“Saturday’s Child works hard for a living,”

To work hard for a living means what it says that a lot of effort is expended to earn the money to live on.

It suggests that this person may be a workaholic but has a great work ethic as well and they probably never take a sick day.

This child looks like they’re going to be busy with lots of activities in their life.

For this drawing I drew a child raking the leaves and working in the garden.

Sunday

“And the child that is born on the Sabbath day is bonnie and blithe, and good and gay.”

To be bonnie means to be attractive.

Being blithe suggests an easy going and somewhat casual indifference to life.

To be good and gay is someone who may be the life and soul of the party.

This child looks like they’re going to be easy-going and welcomed everywhere they go.

For this drawing I drew a happy welcoming and perhaps even stylish person who everybody loves.

Aspiring Artist Activity

The Monday’s Child poem would be a great addition to any child’s nursery.

You could create re-create this drawing on paper and hang it in a frame on the nursery or you could do a digital version as I did.

This would be a great artpiece to do with your children.

  • On a plain piece of paper draw three lines that result in a wobbly triangle in the middle and seven segments in all.
  • Starting on Monday write the words of the poem in the segment.
  • Draw a small artwork or doodle that reflects the meaning of these words as you see them.
  • Colour in and embellishments as you see fit.
  • Complete the other six days of the week.
  • Sign and date your artwork in the lower right-hand corner.
  • Frame and hang on the nursery wall.

Share

Share your completed artwork on social with the hashtag #AHAMondaysChild, or send me a copy and I’ll add it to the gallery at the bottom of this post.

Get this Artwork

I decided to put this artwork onto greetings cards and posters and if you’re interested you can get them at Redbubble on this link

Love,

Alison (Tuesday’s Child)

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How To Make 12 Artist Trading Cards with Neurographic Art

How To Make 12 Artist Trading Cards with Neurographic Art

by | Art as Self-care

Read more about the neurographic art inventor psychologist Pavel Piskarev 

 

Introduction

In this post, I’m going to share with you how I made these neurographic art Artist Trading Cards (ATC’s) which are super fun and quick to do.

I like working with artworks that are as small as Artist Trading Cards because the whole project is not as daunting as sitting down with a massive blank page in front of you.

When you are learning a new technique it’s sometimes easier to just do micro versions of what your big picture will be one day.

In this way you can hone your skills on small artworks to start with and build up from there.

 

Artist Trading Cards

Artist trading cards are small artworks which are 2 ½” x 3 ½” or around 62 mm x 90 mm.

They are basically the same size as a regular playing card.

Briefly, artist trading cards is a technique for every artist, such as you or me, to create the type of artwork that we do on very small cards.

When complete, these ATC’s can then be traded, swapped or given away, never sold, to other people.

  

Read more >>> Artist Trading Cards: Getting Started

 

Artist Business Cards

The idea is that one day when I’m a super duper artist and attempting to get my artwork in galleries or something like that. I will design some Artist Trading Cards which show the type of work that I’m offering.

Artist Trading Cars showcase your art style in a micro way. They are like business cards or old fashioned calling cards for artists. I don’t want to talk too much about developing your art style here.

As you may know, I really am a fledgeling artist. I do art because I like it. It makes me feel good, but I am exploring many different ways of expressing my art on this creative journey.

Neurographic Art

Neurographic art is it is an art technique that helps you clear your mind.

It can be meditative and it can bring focus to situations.

You could pay attention to one particular question such as, “should I leave my job or should I move country” all of the big decisions you have to make and things that are worrying you.

The idea is that as you are working through these art pieces, you are thinking about the actual issue which then goes into the art.

The idea being that at the end, you find some peace, if not a solution, to the question that you posed.

  

Explore more >>>  Neurographic art techniques

Supplies

The main supplies I used for this artwork are:

  • Watercolour paper.
  • Sharpie pen and I have one of these retractable ones plus one of my daughters used to work at Starbucks and they introduced us to the Sharpie that a retractable with your super for artists because you don’t have to keep https://amzn.to/3wjtqiIputting the lid back on and off it’s much quicker to work with.
  • I’m also using a 2H pencil just to throw the outlines of some circles
  • A circle template which I’m use to draw the circles on the cards
  • I also have an ellipse template that I’m using to draw the ellipse cards as well which will save it later on so
  • I’m use the Sakura Koi watercolor paints which are pretty straightforward.
  • Scissors or a paper cutter.
  • Black marker pen.
  • Gold gel pen.
  • I have two round paintbrushes. One is just for the plain water so I’m keeping that clear because I’m going to be doing wet on wet. I use the second paintbrush for the individual paint colors.

You Have What You Need

Don’t feel that you have to have all of this equipment and if you don’t you can’t do it. Use the supplies that you have to hand. You are an artist that’s why you are here. Get your stuff out and let’s get started.

Step 1: Paper

So the first step is to cut your paper to the right size.

Because I’m using watercolour paints I’m actually using watercolour paper here and I’m using a paper cutter, but you can use scissors.

You want to cut your papers to be 2 ½” x 3 ½” or 62 mm x 90.

Example

For this example, we’re going to be doing three artist trading cards so you need to cut at least three papers.

They have to be the right size although very often artist trading cards are made in series of 12 and because you’re really going to be signing them on the back later on as we will see.

Step 2: Design

Circles

For this design I’ll be using my circle template and my 2H pencil to lightly draw different size circles onto each of the three papers.

On the first paper I will draw one circle, on the second paper I will draw two circles of different sizes and on the third paper I will draw three circles each with a different size and two circles overlap for interest.

I take my black sharpie pen and go over the circles.

It doesn’t have to be exact near enough really is good enough for this art.

Complete the whole dozen with four with one circle, four with two circles and the final four with three circles.

Neurographic Lines

Now we’re going to be drawing some Neurographic lines onto these pages. Put the pen in your non-dominant hand and by that I mean if you’re right handed use your left hand and if you’re left-handed use your right hand.

Hold the pen lightly and draw a line from one side to the other trying to make it wiggle, although you could do curves if you wish. It is important that you go from one edge of the page to the other and ideally you’re going to try and touch one of the circles as you go through an end on another edge. That’s your first line.

Now we’re going to draw the second line. Choose another side of the page that you have not drawn from and draw another neurographic line across the page and exit on a different side. At this point you’re going to draw your third neurographic line and again you want to come from a side that you may not have used, so you were going out from one side maybe connecting.

Choose to pass through one or two of your circles and then end at the other side. What you have now is a circle with one, two or three circles on your page and three neorugraphic lines.

   

Explore more >>> Beautiful Quotes with Neurographic Art

Explore more >>> Neurographic Art Basics

Smooth Connections

The next step is to curve out every intersection or connection on the page. Take your pen and gently describe curves at all the harsh intersection so there are no hard intersections.

Soften each of the curves this tends to create blob shapes on the page. Take your time. This is the meditative part of it as well. Continue slowly and smooth out all your connections.

At this point you can make some of your lines a little thicker if you want to as you join them in from the connections. You may find that because there are multiple connections which converge at one point that you have quite a big blob of black which creates these large connections as well which is great.

Composition

Take a look at your three artwork so far and see if you’re happy with the composition. Do any tweaking if you feel you need to. Let your instincts be your guide.

First Color: Green

I have a the light green mixed. Using my water only paintbrush I’m going to lay some water into one of the shapes on the artwork because we are working on one of the blobs at a time.

I put a little bit of water into that one block, but not too much water, because I haven’t actually stretch the paper because it is such a small artwork. Using my color brush, I dab in some of the paint. Take your time. 

Then choose a second space to add more water and paint with the same green. Next I will choose a third blob space on the artwork, add water add add color.

   

Space it out

It is important to note that I’m not working on two blocks which are adjacent. I am specifically placing each color in three different areas on this artwork. I’ll put that aside now to let the first card dry thoroughly and move onto my second artist trading card. Again using the same green I’m going to come in and colour in three of the blobs. Continue onto all your cards painting in three areas of green.

Second Color: Blue/Grey

For my second color I’ve mixed up some Prussian blue with a dab of Payne’s grey. I mix these two colors on my palette and I’m ready to go again.

With the art completely dry, or moving to an area that is not adjacent to a wet one, I lay water down into one of the spaces and add my blue grey paint.

I will do a second section of blue paint using another area within the drawing. Finally, I will move onto a third area with the blue grey. Continue on all of the artworks so they’ve all got the blue in three areas on them.

Third Color: Olive

For the third color I take olive green and I mix it in with a little permanent yellow deep which I mix on my third palette. Once again, I come in with my water brush and then add color to three sections on each of my three artist trading cards. By now you’ve got a lot of the artwork colored in.  At this point I like to step back a little bit and see how much of the white paper is left.

Gold

I decided to add some gold at this point as I only had a few empty spaces left. This is a gold water color paint I’m using the van Gogh ancient gold and I do want to mix the paint thoroughly with water before I use it. I dabbed some of the gold directly onto the paper, without adding water to the page first, just to add some shimmer into some of the areas.

Embellishments

I allowed all the artworks to dry thoroughly. Now it is time to consider putting on some embellishments. Embellishments are often used in your neurographic art such as flowers, words or lines to add a bit of interest to the artwork.

I choose to add some gold dots into the areas where my black connectors were quite large particularily where I had many intersections coming together at a hub.

I put three gold dots. You could at this point add some gold if you wanted or some extra blue if you desired to make some other embellishments on your artworks in the same colours that you used. The trick is to use a little bit of restraint because it can get overwhelming if you don’t know when to stop.

Flatten the Paper

Because I didn’t stretch the paper beforehand, and as I’m using watercolor paint, the paper has buckled and crinkled. One way to make a paper lie flat again is to place it, when dry, under some heavy books overnight. The pages will come out flat-ish which is good enough for me.

Artist Trading Cards: Add the Info on the Back

As these are Artist Trading Cards, and you are probably going to be handing them out to people, there is specific information to add onto the back.

Using a black fineliner write the following information:

  • Series name
  • Series number
  • Your name
  • Date
  • Email or website

I used a 0.3 mm Faber Castell Artist Pitt Pen to write my information as follows:

 

Series: Winter Circles

Number: 1 of 12

Alison Hazel Art

January 2022

AlisonHazelArt.com

 

I also drew a thin line border around the cards.

Series Name

I’m calling this series Winter Circles mainly because I did it in the winter and it’s got circles however you may call your art series anything you like.

You could have called it Happiness Meditation or Friendship Cards or something like that. Your choice of series name goes back to the intention which you may have stated at the very beginning.

Numbering the Series

Typically, a series of Artist Trading Cards has twelve cards within a series and they are all similar and often made on the same day.

Each one of the 12 cards in a series will have a unique number.

The first card will be number 1 of 12, 2 of 12, 3 of 12 and so on until 12 of 12.

When you trade these cards with other people and give them number seven of 12 or number nine of 12, the recipient will know from your numbering system that it is from a limited edition Artist Trading Card series.

Date

I date the cards with the month and year in which they were created.

Contact Info

I always put my website URL on the cards, so in the future anyone can look at other artwork that I do and get to know me as an artist from there. I believe that you never know what your art hobby will blossom into. It is prudent to provide all your information on every artwork that you create, trade, distribute or sell.

Give Away to Family First

I will be keeping one Artist Trading Card for myself. I will send one of my Winter Circles Artist Trading Cards to each of my three daughters in the mail in the next letter which I write to them.

List Giveaway

I will send one of the remaining eight cards to the first eight people on my mailing list who respond to my email with the words, “Winter Circles Giveaway”.

This is a first come first served basis. You do need to be on my mailing list to receive it. You will have to provide your postal address as well. Good Luck.

If you are reading this way after the event then I’m sorry you were too late. To make sure not to miss out on art giveaways again, join my maillist here.

Aspiring Artist Activity

If you are an aspiring artist, please do the following:

  • Design 12 cards.
  • With a black pen draw some circles and a few neurographic lines.
  • Paint or crayon the cards in a color palette of your choice.
  • Add embellishments as you like.
  • Choose a suitable series name and add the series and contact info on the back.
  • Post images.

Share

Share your artworks on social with the hashtag #AHAactivity

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Concertina Sketchbook

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Neurographic Art – Basics

Neurographic Art – Basics

by | Art as Self-care

Author: Alison Hazel   –   Published: December 2021   –   Revised: January 2024

Read more about the neurographic art inventor psychologist Pavel Piskarev.

    

Thought, Word and Deed

Everything you do in life comes from the thoughts you have, the words you say and the deeds you do. There is a direct process from one step to the next. You cannot do something (such as make art) before you have thought about it. The practical decisions you need to make before you can create some art are to find a pen and get some paper. What you will draw is the magic that come through a neurographic art practice.

 

Benefits

The benefits of neurographic art are subtle, but many. Through creating a neurographic art practice you can:

 

  • Relieve anxiety.
  • Find peace.
  • Reduce stress.
  • Calm your mind.
  • Gain clarity.
  • Get things in perspective.
  • Help yourself.
  • Help others.
  • Use images to express your inner feelings.
  • Allow abstract thoughts to pop into your head.
  • Make fabulous art for your wall.

Principles

When you draw and make art, your hand holds the pen and your brain moves your hand. Thus, there is a direct connection between your hand and your thoughts.

Intuition

Neurographic art can be related to an intuitive scribble. A scribble has no form and just appears on the page. An intuitive scribble is brought forth when you focus on a problem or a decision you wish to address. Energy flows around you, through your body and in your brain. When energy is blocked it usually happens at a harsh wall or obstacle that you cannot overcome.

Read more >>> Neurographic Art Coloring Book

Three Methods of Neurographic Art

There are three main types of neurographic art, specific, popular and combination. There may be others as subsets of the above, but most artists will work in one of the three methods whether knowingly or not.

1. Specific Neurographic Artwork Method

To be specific when you create neurographic art you need to use the special neurographic line (see below). The neurographic line will tap directly into your mind and help you build new neural pathways in your brain.

 

Neurographic Line

The neurographic line is the best line to use for deep meditation, self-awareness and for anyone on a consciousness raising journey.

 

2. Popular Neurographic Artwork Method

The popular neurographic art method is to simply draw curves and swoops on the page, or even straight lines and shapes, in the artwork. Then you curve the intersections and you may add shapes and color.

This type of artwork is fun and good to start with. It is not strictly neurographic art as it may not carry the full mental health benefits of using the neurographic line. Additionally, you may add dots, flowers, stars or other exciting embellishments to yourr art piece.

The popular neurographic art method is suitable for kids and is often used in schools.

 

3. Combination Neurographic Artwork Method

Combination neurographic artworks employ smooth lines, neurographic lines, loose shapes and embellishments all mixed in together. This is where most people are at ease with neurographic art for their drawings.

The combination neurographic art technique can bring light meditation properties to the process and create a meaningful artwork as well. Even a small piece of the neurographic line will be of benefit in the combination art method.

Mindfulness

Be mindful of what you are trying to achieve.

Do you want:

 

  • Therapeutic mental health strengthening.
  • Casual feel-good art.
  • To have fun exploring a new and trendy art movement.

Read more >>> Make 12 Neurographic Artist Trading Cards

The Neurographic Line

Not all lines are created equal and the neurographic line is no different.

What Is a Neurographic Line?

  • A neurographic line does not repeat.
  • A neurographic line changes direction as soon as you are aware of its route.
  • A neurographic line does not end in the middle of the page, it either flows to the edge of the page or it blends into other lines or shapes like circles.

 

 

What is Not a Neurographic Line?

Let’s consider what does not constitute a neurographic line. A neurographic line is not:

 

  • A straight line.
  • A smooth, wavy or curved line.
  • A smooth shape like a circle.

3 Ways Neurographic Art May Benefit You

Let’s have a look at three ways that creating neurographic art can benefit you. Of course there will be many other ways as well, but these first three are the easiest ones to start with.

1. To Make Intentions

To make an intention with your neurographic art is to bring a focus to a situation challenge or issue that you are facing.

You would do this before you start the artwork.

For example, perhaps you are trying to decide whether you should quit your job and take a new position which has been offered to you and you’re not exactly sure what to do.

You can consider the pay increase, adjusted hours, a better commute or how it may improve your actual career prospects.

You also want to ponder over the action that you’re going to take on an inner level which you could certainly do with neurographic art.

How to Create Intentional Neurographic Art

Take a sheet of paper on which you’re going to make the artwork. On the back write one or two words that you need to focus on which clearly explain the dilemma you are facing.

In the example of, “should I take the new job?” you would simply write the two words “new job” on the back of the sheet. This intentional writing of the words is to focus your mind as you create the artwork. You are intentionally creating an artpiece that will help you decide whether or not to take a new job offer.

The idea is not to have a simple yes or no answer at the end, but during the course of creating the artwork (which would probably take you at least one or two or five or six hours) you will focus your mind on all of the options and permutations which taking the new job would entail.

Ideally at the end of the artwork you will have a clearer understanding of whether to take the new job and how you feel about it.

Read more >>> Neurographic Art Quotes

2. Neurographic Line

Neurographic Line in Neurographic Art

Using the Neurographic line when you create neurographic art. As you may know not all neurographic art uses the neurographic line.

The neurographic line is a specific line:

  • It does not repeat.
  • It is not a straight line.
  • It does not curve smoothly.
  • It generally wiggles along.

The idea is that as you draw this line, as soon as you become conscious of the direction in which you are going, you have to change direction.

Non-dominant Hand

One great tip when drawing a neurographic line is to use your non-dominant hand. That means that if you are right-handed, you would put the pen in your left hand and if you are left-handed you will hold the pen in your right hand.

Crossing the Center Line

By crossing the centerline of your body and putting the pen in the opposite hand you are forcing your mind to see these paths differently than it would through the automatic way that you naturally go if you are perhaps right-handed.

Signature: Sign Here

You can clearly see the benefit of working with your nondominant hand when you come to writing your signature. If you are naturally right handed, as you write your signature John Smith after years of practice you just automatically swish out all the letters and dash of your signature. It is very often not very clear to see, but because you have been writing it for so many years, your brain will automatically sign your name without thinking and you do it with your dominant hand.

However, if you put the pen in your non-dominant hand and you try to sign your signature suddenly your brain has to actually work. This means that you naturally tap into a new neural pathway as you think about what you are doing. It does not come naturally to you because you haven’t worn a pathway in your mind, so it’s something new for your mind to grapple with. You create new connections as you learn how to sign your name with your non-dominant hand.

3. Smooth Connections

Curves

Once you have the main lines down on your page, whether they be circles shapes, swoops, or the neurographic line, you are now at the point of smoothing out the connections.

How to Curve Your Connections

To smooth connections you take your black pen and draw curves where every line intersects another line. Generally, there will be four curves at each intersection.

How to Curve Intersections: Neurographic Art

One of the main principles of doing basic neurographic art is curving the intersections. The intersections occur where two lines cross or where a line crosses a shape such as a circle, an oval, or another shape.

Where two lines intersect there will be four curves required at that intersection. I’m going to share with you best principles for curving your intersections in neurographic art.

Intersection Meaning

As a reminder where two lines intersect in neurographic art, and you curve the intersections, these are the points where the new neural pathways are being built in your brain. This means is that this is an opportunity for new thoughts ideas and inspiration to come to you.

Pathways

It is a bit like tramping out a path in the woods. To start with you must hack through the undergrowth to create a new pathway. After you’ve been doing that for a week you can see a vague footprint footpath through the bush.

The more you walk the same path and use the same ideas the stronger the pathway will become and overtime it will widen. Eventually pathways which are used frequently will become well entrenched in your thought patterns.

The idea is that to branch out and create a new pathway means going in a different direction and make new connections. These lines and intersections in neurographic artwork are symbolic of new thought patterns, ideas and ways of thinking in your mind.

Plasticity

This leads to brain plasticity and a growth mindset.

Line Thickness

When creating neurographic art one must consider the thickness of the line you are drawing. If you use a very thin line, you will have smaller intersections and if you use a thicker line, you will have bigger intersections.

Circle Template

To understand how to curve connections in neurographic art you would technically use a circle template. This is not necessary, but to understand the principles of where the curves are coming from it may be a great guide.

You can eyeball the curves you need in your neurographic art and depending on the thickness of your line will depend on how large your circle diameter will be.

All intersections that are on the same drawing would technically have the same radius curve at their intersections. If your main lines are too thin, or your intersections are too big, the artwork looks a little unbalanced. If your lines are very thick and your intersections are very small, again the artwork looks unbalanced.

It is better to find a happy medium between the thickness of the lines on your drawing and the curves you make at your intersections. There are no hard and fast rules for this. With practice you will find your own individual art style when working with neurographic art.

art-supplies-on-a-desk

Read more >>> My Art Supplies

Basic Shape

In a basic two-line intersection, the lines will cross horizontally and vertically. The lines will be at 90° to each other. To curve the intersection, you would take your template and with a large radius describe the curves on each corner. Use the same size circle to create the curve for each connection.

Angled Connection

Where two lines intersect and are at sharp angles, your connection looks slightly different. Still use the exact same circle template with the same radius and draw out the four curves. This means that on the very wide, or oblique, angles the curve will be shallow and low. On the very narrow, or acute, angles, the curves will be deep and high.

Curved Intersections

When two lines that intersect are curved, there may be a variety of widths to the main connection. Take the circle template with the exact same curve and the same radius and draw in smoothly the curve on each of the four sides of this connection. This may result in a larger connection area that is all in black.

Multiple Intersection Hubs

If your drawing has multiple intersections, where more than two lines are coming together in the very small area, it will result in a far larger connection hub overall. There will be more than four radii being described out to smooth the connections, but it does depend on the artwork.

This is a very interesting situation as it allows a very large hub or node to appear in the drawing. This more defined intersection will become a higher focus for thoughts and ideas in the artwork. In the example below note that the inner triangle has been fully engulfed into the node. This increases the magnitude and focus of this connection.

Focus

To draw multiple connections on an artwork can be laborious. This is the moment where you have to take your time with your artwork as you bring focus to what it is you are doing.

The activity of drawing small curves soft curves onto the page is very meditative. Now you can consider the intention you wrote from step one and think about it as you, almost mindlessly. draw in all the curves on your artwork.

All Artworks

No matter what type of neurographic art you are doing whether it is simple basic or combined there will be connections to be smoothed. This is a very satisfying part of the art creation process and it is not to be taken lightly. As you are drawing each curve consider the question, issue or what you wrote on the back of your page. At this point you can let your mind wander to provide you with other ideas that you may not of thought about regarding your situation.

Explore more >>> Neurographic Art Coloring Book

Yes or No Answer? Probably Not

Again, you are not necessarily looking for a yes or no answer. What you are trying to do is to open your mind to further possibilities or other ways that this situation could be addressed.

Aspiring Artist Activity

Make a piece of art and bring all three techniques that benefit using neurographic art to the work. Get a piece of paper which you will be working on and some pens, paints or other art supplies and please do the following:

Intent

  • Write your intention on the back of the page this could be one, two or three words to bring focus to what you are trying to resolve.
  • Start your artwork with a black pen at this point you can do circles if you wish, but bring in neurographic lines and not only straightforward lines.

Connect

  • Curve all the connections and consciously focus on your intention. Take your time and let your mind wander.

Embellish

  • Continue adding colour and embellishments as you see fit to make a beautiful artwork of which you are proud.

Take Notes

When you have finished your artwork put it aside and make a note of ideas that popped into your head while you were crafting this artwork. 

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Alison Hazel

Author Bio

Alison Hazel is a woman who shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Read more about Alison’s story.

Send Alison a quick message.

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The Artist’s Color Wheel

The Artist’s Color Wheel

by | Living a Creative Life

Author: Alison Hazel   –   Published: January 2022   –   Revised: January 2024

The Artist’s Color Wheel 

The artist’s color wheel is a handy chart or artwork that you can create to help you make sense of color. The artist’s color wheel has three distinct rings, the center ring, the middle ring and the outer ring. 

There are different intensities of color in the different rings in the color wheel with the main color being in the middle ring. To show the primary, secondary and tertiary colors you need twelve segments.

SMIKE

Note: The Artist’s color wheel is different to the printer’s (or process) color wheel which used CMYK  (pronounced “smike”) cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (K).

Art Supplies I Used 

To make my artist’s color wheel I used the following supplies:

Paper

I used one sheet from my Strathmore cold press watercolor pad.

Paintbrush

My paintbrush is quite old, but here is a similar one number 6 medium watercolor brush.

Paint

If you want to create this exact colour wheel shown here, I made it using my Sakura Koi watercolour paints which have specific color names for the colours. Your paints might have different names for each of the colours. If your paintbox has less colors, you will have to mix more colors to make the secondary and tertiary colors. If your paintbox has more colors, you may be able to take the colors you need straight from the pan.

Pen

I used a permanent Faber Castell 0.3mm Artist Pitt pen in black.

Other Equipment

Staedtler compass with pencil.

Staedtler 360-degree protractor.

4H pencil.

Ruler.

Eraser.

Paint Swatches

When I received this paintbox as a gift from my son-in-law last Christmas, I decided to make a color swatch chart. 

On some watercolor paper, I drew a grid of six columns by four rows to align with each color pan in the box. Next, I created a test color swatch of each paint in the exact position each color is found in the paintbox. By writing the manufacturer’s name of the actual color, as shown on the outer cover that the paints came in, on my swatch card, I can refer to each color by name for instances such as this. I trimmed the paper down, so it fits neatly into the lid of my paintbox.

I use the paint swatch as a guide, because you can’t always see what the colors will be like on the page when they are in the little pans.

Read more >>> Weird Gourds – Colored Ink Art

Read more >>> Crystal Ink Swatch

Color Categories

3 Primary Colors

Red, yellow and blue are the three primary colors. The primary colors are shown in the center ring of the color wheel. Each of the three primary colours are placed to form a triangle with three segment gaps in between.

In general, the three primary colors cannot be created by mixing other colors.

Red

From my paint box for red I used “Alizarin crimson.”

Blue

For blue I used “ultramarine” and

Yellow

For yellow I chose “permanent yellow deep.”

 

3 Secondary Colors

Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors together. Paint the secondary colors between the primary colors by leaving one gap between each primary. 

Violet

Violet is created by combining red and blue and from my paint box I used the color called “purple” (yes, I know). 

Orange

Orange is created by merging red and yellow and from my paintbox I used the color called “permanent orange.” 

Green

Green is created by mixing yellow and blue and from my paintbox I used a color called “yellow green.”

 

6 Tertiary Colors

There are six tertiary colors all of which are nestled between one primary color and one secondary color. Some of these colors I took straight out of the pans in my paintbox and a few I mixed. It depends on how many colors you have in your paintbox whether you can use the color immediately or if you must mix it. 

Vermillion

Vermillion (tangerine) is the tertiary color that lies between red and orange.

Apricot

Aureoline (apricot) is the tertiary color that lies between orange and yellow.

Chartreuse

Chartreuse (lime green) is the tertiary color that lives between yellow and green.

Turquoise

Turquoise is the tertiary color that is between green and blue and from my paintbox I used “cerulean blue.”

Indigo

Indigo is the tertiary color that lies between blue and violet and from my paintbox I mixed ultramarine and purple.

Magenta

Magenta is the tertiary color that lies between violet and red and from my paintbox I mixed cadmium red and purple.

 

Color Names

The color names I have used here to describe the colors in teh color wheel can be replaced by other color names close to the actual color if you like. I like to keep it simple and use names for colors that make sense to me. Also it helps if they are in the Apple color crayon box.

I have told you the color names in my paintbox and you may have colors similar but with different names in yoru paint box. Manufacturers can be different reagarding color names.

Read more >>> Colored Pencils: Orchids Sketchbook

Light and Dark

Tints: Outer Ring

Tints are made by combining white with any color. The tints for the primary, secondary and tertiary colors are shown on the outer ring where the colors are becoming progressively lighter.

Technically, and because this is watercolor paint, I just watered down the main color from the middle ring to make a lighter color. I did not add white, as that comes from the paper.

Shades: Inner Ring

Shades are made by adding black to any color. The darker shades are shown in the center ring on this artist’s color wheel. All shades become increasingly darker as black is added.

The shades are displayed as each main inner ring color has a tiny bit of black added to darken and dull down, or mute, the color.

The black I use from my paintbox was called “ivory black.”

Full Blown Color Chart

Ideas for a Bigger Color Wheel

You could create a color wheel with 24 or 48 segments and add all the combinations of color. That I may do one day, but for now I’ll stick to the twelve spoke color wheel that I created. I did enjoy making this color wheel as it helps me to choose colors that I want to use in future paintings.

Aspiring Artist Activity: Color Wheel

What To Do

With a piece of watercolor paper and some watercolor paints please do the following:

  • With a pencil compass, draw three concentric circles with the following radii (distance), 3cm, 5.5cm and 9cm (or 1 inch, 2 ¼ inch and 3 ½ inch).
  • With a circular protractor, divide the wheel into twelve 30-degree segments.
  • With a 0.3mm black waterproof pen, go over the lines.
  • Paint the middle circle with the solid colors, the inner circle with shades (add a little black) and the outer circle with lighter tints thinned with water.
  • If possible, write the name of each color around the wheel as shown.

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Alison Hazel

Author Bio

Alison Hazel is a woman who shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Read more about Alison’s story.

Send Alison a quick message.

Sigils as Art

Sigils as Art

As a hobby artist, adding SIGILS is a creative way to begin weaving words and meaning into your artwork without using traditional text.

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