Last month's art lessons on the "friendly" Fae Kings & Queens were soooo much fun! But Lucy and I were both equally thrilled to create their sinister counterparts! Where else in our lives can we feel like it's Halloween in MAY?! This month's Celtic Collective lessons feature projects in watercolor and gouache!

Before we get toooo far into this project, let's talk watercolor paper!
Over the years, I've discovered working on higher quality watercolor paper REALLY makes a difference, and somehow makes watercoloring EASIER. I also feel that working on larger paper for projects helps us to "spread out," so for this particular project, I opted to work on Arches 12"x16" cold press watercolor paper. 

I've also never done fountain pen ink painting on high quality watercolor paper, so this is kind of an experiment to see how they work together (or not!). ​As always, please feel free to use what you have and love!! Here's what I used...

Random Washi (would have preferred painters tape but couldn't find it).

The paper was Arches 100% ColdPress Cotton 12" x 16" - VERY textured, VERY expensive.
https://amzn.to/3U659rg

I used 0.7 from Pentel GraphGear Mechanical Pencil Set
https://amzn.to/2GFzZlf

Can't afford that one? Here is a link to a super and VERY affordable (and cute!) set I just picked up that has all the same pencil leads in it!!
 https://amzn.to/3OW5YBL

Polina Bright Watercolor Brushes Rounds and Mops https://www.polinabright.com/karencampbell and use coupon code KARENCAMPBELL to save 10% off your order

I used several new watercolors all by Angora - they were supposed be "Opaque" but, are not :) It's difficult to say what the colors are because they don't have names or numbers but I do my best to call out which pan they are as I go. I used about 4 of those colors for both of their skin tones. https://amzn.to/4aDyu3z

Vanish Eraser 3 pack https://amzn.to/3DJp8EF

QoR Watercolor in Burnt Umber https://amzn.to/3vWCLQt
Payne's Grey,

Violet from Derwent Paint Pan Studio Set of 24 https://amzn.to/3xfjwln

Daniel Smith Watercolors in MoonGlow (background) https://amzn.to/443D7RQ

Daniel Smith Carbazole Violet https://amzn.to/3xAr9TA

Noodler's Ink Lexington Grey (permanent) https://amzn.to/3DLWS2d

Noodler's Ink Widow Maker (red) https://amzn.to/3tCN1Gp

Copic white for highlights https://amzn.to/3DO2r23

I was SO SAD not to be able to use my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen on the rough surface of the paper, so reached for this pen by Tombow instead: https://amzn.to/4d5hwgb

I JUST bought those, not knowing what I'd need them for, but apparently the universe did so yay!

I also needed to use some Artist Big Brush Pitt Pens by Faber-Castell because again, my paper was so rough I needed something more "Hardy" than my soft watercolor bristles to paint his long gross hair, lol!

Luckily the Pitt Pens did just the trick!! Unless you're working on super rough paper you don't need to invest in them. I use them all the time in the Mixed Media Society, my first use for them here.

​Truly, no need to invest, they are $$$ and I was just being lazy! I really could have continued with the watercolors or switched to gouache for a more opaque look.

🧚Ready to start this CREEPY 2.5-Hour Lesson?? Let's go!!

Somehow for me, whenever I'm doing a dark and "evil" art project, I reach for my elegant writer and inks! They're soooo moody!! If you've never used the elegant writer before, it's actually a calligraphy pen that's watersoluble. My favorite thing to do with the activated ink is to blot it with a paper towel to LIFT some of the ink because you can achieve some REALLY COOL pinks and purples, like this...

Hot Press watercolor is perfect for this project as it's nice and smooth for drawing on but can still work with the water you'll need to activate the pen lines.

Fabriano Hot Press 11" x 14" https://amzn.to/3Ysrp0f

0.5 and 0.3 (the best for tiny facial feature and those horrible hands) from this Pentel GraphGear Mechanical Pencil Set https://amzn.to/3OMntBT

All you'll need is 1 Elegant Writer https://amzn.to/4dbq9Wo
(I LOVE the chisesl nib because you can make both fat and thin lines, as I demo in the first video for this lesson).

I'm using a few of the Rounds (Numbers 1 and 2) by Polina Bright Watercolor Brushes https://www.polinabright.com/karencampbell and use coupon code KARENCAMPBELL to save 10% off your order

Noodlers Ink La Reine Mauve https://amzn.to/3whEGz4

Noodlers Highlighter Firefly Yellow https://amzn.to/4aNXsNB

And I couldn't track down that weird green ink I was using!

And white for highlights, a MUST! Copic Opaque Paint with Brush https://amzn.to/3Dfr1ZW

The hand reference (which you can grab below) is from Anne Stoke's book https://amzn.to/3U5uXnm

🧚Ready to begin this 1-hour lesson?! I can't wait!!​

If you've never worked with gouache before, this lesson is a great one to get you acclimated. It takes a bit of practice because it's not quite watercolor, and not quite acrylic.

Feel free to do this lesson as a mini warm-up if you've never tried gouache before, or simply dive right in. 

🧚Ready to start this nearly 2-hour lesson?? Me too!!!

This one looks so amazing too!! I love the spiderwebs and color scheme.

Use whatever colors you love and have on hand.

​Here are the watercolors Lucy used...

​🧚Ready to start this super fun 2-hour lesson?! Let's do it!!

Don't worry about it! There's NO "behind" in any of the clubs at Awesome Art School. You art along when it's best for YOUR schedule. I'll always have a replay ready and waiting for you.

​Honestly, they're JUST as fun!!

We have a blast with EVERY art-along, but this one was particularly FUN!! Lucy and I both decided to work in gouache for this project. 

You'll love these too, if you didn't get to do them last month!

You were also given a "Cross Club" alcohol marker drawing lesson to go along with the FREE Mixed Media Speakeasy project if you're in the mood for something a little bit different!

​Both are free and super fun!!

​👉CLICK HERE to choose an alternative project in the Visual Index​

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👉CLICK HERE if you're a new member and make sure you check out ALL the links in our FOR NEW MEMBERS blog post

👉CLICK HERE forVIDEO help navigating & finding your lessons

Hi Celtic Collective member!! I feel like it's "our month!" Don't you?! 

Time for the witches, good and bad, ugly and gorgeous to pull out their broomsticks and fly into the night...

By popular demand, it was requested that Lucy and I provide some sexy witches for our October's lessons to get us into the Halloween spirit.

​We were more than happy to deliver!! 

This month, your art lessons can be appropriately found in the Spell Casters classroom.

*All product links are affiliate & for U.S. residents only.*

If you've been following me (Karen) on YouTube lately, you might recognize my Sexy Manga Witch project from the background of a book review video I did a few weeks ago on How to Draw Anime & Manga for Beginners. 

​​Here's that video in case you're interested and missed it...

If Manga or Anima are styles you're interested in learning, this book is all ya need to get started. It has amazing step-by-step instruction and breaks each project down into simple steps. I used one of the drawing projects in this book as the inspiration for today's lesson, then added my own twist, watercolor, gouache and posca pens to bring her to life. 

​I hope you enjoy! 
​

As always- use whatever you have and love, here's what I used...

Super cheap mechanical pencil set https://amzn.to/3OW5YBL

Canson watercolor paper 12" x 18" https://amzn.to/44eOqVN

Prima Watercolors Essence Set https://amzn.to/454WM3D

Polina Bright Watercolor Brushes Round no. 1 and Mop no.3 and rigger (free with Dream or Mop set actually!) https://www.polinabright.com/karencampbell and use coupon code KARENCAMPBELL to save 10% off your order

Turner Gouache White https://amzn.to/36XZ8bq

Turner's Designer Gouache in CARMINE https://amzn.to/3KKwFGV

Turner's Designer Gouache in NIGHT BLUE https://amzn.to/3P06e2u

Turner's Designer Gouache in DEEP VIOLET https://amzn.to/3shI7DK

LIQUITEX Bright Aqua Green https://amzn.to/3KMcGrp (USE THIS INSTEAD OF STARTING THE PUFFY PAINT PART IN TURQUOISE).

Posca Pens in Black and White https://amzn.to/3OZfKDg

​Circle Template https://amzn.to/3QwtxAt

​Ready to start this 2-Hour Lesson? Let's get to it!!

*All links to Lucy's products are affiliate & for UK residents only.*

How adorable is Lucys Woodland Witch?! I can't even!! 
​
She's got this innocent look to her, but at the same time looks like she knows WAY more than she lets on...

Lucy included a template of her drawing in case you'd like to focus more on your painting skills today, so look for that inside the classroom.
​

As always, use whatever you have and love, here's what Lucy used...

• Fabriano cold pressed watercolor paper (you don't need this make just use what you have!) https://amzn.to/45npeNv

• Colo-erase pencil for sketching out (but you can just use a graphite pencil if you want) https://amzn.to/46ydqcR

• Mono eraser by Tombow is super handy for erasing small details: https://amzn.to/3tmYKyo

 

• Some good all round brushes for gouache (I use brushes for gouache/acrylic rather than watercolor brushes) These ones by KingArt are AMAZING but I appreciate they are pricey - you do not need them! Just have a variety of sizes of brushes. https://amzn.to/3LRmhOm (this is for the set of filbert brushes but they also sell fine liners, flat brushes etc on Amazon too)

 

• Gouache in the following colors: White, Naples Yellow, Pink (I used "brilliant violet by Winsor & Newton) Mauve, Burnt Umber, Black and Olive green. I used a mix of Winsor & Newton and Arteza just because that was what I had at hand. You can see both here:
  • white: https://amzn.to/45ly7XY
  • Naples yellow https://amzn.to/3RTcco1
  • Brilliant violet: https://amzn.to/46yfAbM
  • Black https://amzn.to/48JpeKI
  • Burnt Umber: (this link is for Schmincke I cannot find it in W&N sorry!) https://amzn.to/3rKxVDG
  • Arteza Gouache set: https://amzn.to/3ZZMhwZ (this is good value if you want a lot of gouache for a cheap price!)

​

Ready to get started?
​I don't know how, but this lesson is ONLY a wee bit longer than an hour! (Did ya like how I worked the word "wee" into a normal sentence?! Love ya Lucy!!) She's a magician!!

Ready to give your watercolors a break and dive into the world of markers? Let's do it! Instead of doing this drawing from scratch, we'll be outling from our reference image and transferring that to a sheet of Bristol or cardstock to focus on our coloring skills.

?If you've never worked with alcohol markers before, you can totally try this project because it's all step-by-step, but it might help you feel more comfortable to do some SUPER simple florals with markers as a warm up before diving into a face.

​CLICK HERE to access these two projects in the Maidens Classroom.

?If you feel like you want a little more practice on a simpler face project before starting the Sexy Sorceress, this one is awesome. 

?You can also dive into your FREE ebook of Skin Tone Secrets to try any one of these easy coloring projects as a warm up or for extra alcohol marker practice after the Sexy Sorceress lesson.
​

?If you're already comfy with alcohol markers, let's get into today's NEW Sexy Sorceress! For this project I'm mainly working with alcohol markers from my fave Ohuhu Skin Tones set for the face part of the project: https://amzn.to/3XphRmx

Feel free to use ANY alcohol markers you have for this project.

I think I've tried all the brands, even alcohol markers from the dollar store with NO brand name! LOL. One of the biggest things I learned from all that research is that an alcohol marker is an alcohol marker, regardless of brand.

They can be used interchangeably in projects - or you can stick to your own favorite brands based on your own personal preference. My favorite brands are Copic, Ohuhu, and ArtBeek. As you'll see in today's project - I'm using shades from all three brands, maybe even more!

You use whatever you have and love.

​Here's what else I used...

Bristol https://amzn.to/3OlOZr0
(You can also use this cheaper cardstock alternative by Hammermill)

Molotow Fineliners set https://amzn.to/3Bp41GF0
Fineliners like these are very affordable and a better option than Sharpies (which should not be used with alcohol markers) https://amzn.to/3DKH0i8

Tons of fun purple, reds a black and grey from ArtBeeks and Copics for color.

​I used this for the earrings
Spectrum Noir Metallic Marker in Gold https://amzn.to/3Z5yXqm 

For the highlights and sparkles, I used a 1.0 Sakura Gelly Roll from this set: https://amzn.to/3YZ1Jc1

Transfer paper: Black Carbon transfer paper: https://amzn.to/3ajeau0

Ready to start this UNDER 30-minute lesson?
You are correct, it's WAY faster to work with markers!

I can't get over how gorgeous THIS witchy woman is!! Lucy's portraits in any medium are next-level. And if you're already wondering about the gold- YES, it IS gold leaf (by member request!).

Just like her other lesson this month, Lucy included a template so you can skip over the drawing part and dive right into painting if you prefer.

She told me the gold leaf was a bit of a "faff," which in American English means "an overly complicated task, possible waste of time," (according to google!). LOL. She said she might have preferred simply using gold gouache here - but she knew members wanted to learn how to work with gold leaf, so into the lesson it went!

If you don't have gold leaf, you can totally try substituting gold ink or gouache for a similar effect.

As always, use what you have and love, here's what Lucy used...

• Fabriano cold pressed watercolor paper. I use these packs of 50 sheets but you can also buy it in a smaller pad or block. https://amzn.to/46kqvGg

• Colo-Erase pencil for drawing out (But you can use a pencil instead!): https://amzn.to/3rE7orG

• Mono Eraser is super handy for erasing small areas: https://amzn.to/45sFkWk

• Prima watercolors complexions set: https://amzn.to/3F5UXrP

• Prima watercolors woodlands set: https://amzn.to/46Gwvcr

• Mod Lodge (or you can get specialist glue for gold leaf but I didn't have it!) https://amzn.to/48F81SB

• Gold leaf: https://amzn.to/3Q3ltIG

• A cheap brush or glue spreader - plus a fluffy large brush for removing excess gold leaf

• Ph Martin Bleed proof white: https://amzn.to/48H4zXy

​

Ready to go? You're gonna LOVE this 1-hour lesson!

No problem! There are SO many more projects inside the club just dying for you to try them :) Feel free to check out the Latest Lessons Classroom if you didn't get a chance to do our September Fairies in Jars projects. Just look at how many of these gorgeous girlies are flying around in the Facebook Group!! Soooo fun!! 

Find your Fairy in Jars lessons in the Latest Lessons Classroom!

I know there are a LOT of days coming up with me out of the office between family visiting and Lucy and I hosting the upcoming retreat. While we are not able to do a LIVE members-only podcast this month on the 21st, you WILL be getting an extra special lesson just for fun:) 

In addition... please take note of our EXTRA LIVE Draw Along event scheduled for Halloween!! We're so excited for that and hope so much that you can join us :)

Welcome!! The last thing we want is for you to feel overwhelmed.

❤️️This is everything you need to get started.❤️️

Have a wonderful week!!