Caution:Artist at Play-Artwork by Shana Rowe Jackson

   I recently bought myself a set of the Faber-Castell Pitt Graphite Matt  pencils. Having tried other matte graphite (and carbon) pencils, such as the Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black and the Blackwing Matte Pencils , I was eager to try these to see how they differed!       What an interesting pencil! I was pleasantly surprised that these didn't feel like a carbon pencil like the other two pencil brands that I have tried. Usually when a company claims that something is a matte graphite there is typically a lot of added carbon, giving the pencil more of a charcoal like feel. These didn't seem to have that same feeling.       That being said, they did feel different than regular graphite. They did not feel as smooth or slick. This is not a good or bad thing, just an observation. They also had some odd crumbs that were difficult to remove without an eraser, but they were not too much of a hindrance overall. They were darker and less shiny than regular graphite and did not need as

   My art supply obsession struck again! I just couldn't resist trying these. I actually first saw the Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Markers online a few years ago and had them on my wish list ever since. A few months ago I treated myself to the set of 20 and just got the chance to finally sit down and try them!    I absolutely love Faber-Castell's other products, their Polychromos are one of my go-to colored pencils and their Pitt Artist Pens are one of the only markers I will use in fine art. They make fantastic watercolor pencils, also under the Albrecht Durer name. A fun thing about Faber-Castell is that all their color lines match, which means if you love a color in one of their lines you can get it in all their other supplies too! So, I was super excited to see that they also offered watercolor markers and was eager to try them.    The only thing is, I had next to no experience with watercolor markers as a medium. I decided I would take what I know from w

     Those of you who know me know that I LOVE trying new art supplies! Most artists do right? That's why mystery art boxes are such a fun concept! Unfortunately, I do not currently have it in my budget to commit to an art box subscription. Thankfully, most art subscription boxes offer previous boxes for sale so that you can choose a box of your liking and do a onetime purchase.      That's what my husband did for me for Valentine's day, he bought me an ArtSnacks box! In the past, I have bought a previous box for my nephew for his birthday. However, I had never had the chance to indulge in one myself! So much fun!      The box my husband got me was from May 2021 and it was a gouache themed box. It came with two colors of gouache (magenta and white) as well as an eraser, a graphite pencil and a dagger shaped paintbrush. This made for a fun monochromatic challenge. I decided to create a nice warm sky with tree's silhouetted against it, the color scheme made for a delightf

         Crayons aren't just for kids!      I recently had the pleasure of trying the Caran d'Ache Neocolor I wax pastels and reviewed them for my YouTube channel. The Neocolor I wax pastels are just what they sound like, pastels made of wax, IE: crayons. This line is Caran d'Ache's water resistant line of wax pastels but they also offer a water-soluble line called Neocolor II. Their Neocolor II line seems to be a bit more popular amongst enthusiasts because of their versatility and ability to be blended with water. That being said, the Neocolor I line has many attributes of it's own.       My first impression of these pastels was that they are very highly pigmented. I got the largest set, which consists of 40 colors and within that range there seems to be a good selection. I was particularly excited about the amount of colors that could be used for landscape drawings, but there is enough variety to also do a number of other subjects as well.     For my project I d

      I am very blessed as an artist to have such a wonderful support system within my family. Not only do they support my dreams as an artist but they also enjoy gifting me art related things that they know I will surely love. This Christmas was no exception.        I was given a variety of things that are art related, from books about favorite artists, to fun stationary stocking stuffers, as well as studio equipment and gift cards so that I can choose my own art related gifts. I have acquired a bunch of new materials to try and review on my YouTube channel as well as great learning materials so that I can better myself as an artist and a business person. I am starting the new year fully inspired with new supplies in hand!     A few highlights are my new desk chair by Serta, so that I can create comfortably, a book about Vincent Van Gogh, and the Artists that he loved , as well as some fun handmade gifts; a ceramic water pot that my sister bought me from Joyful Clay on Etsy, as well

Comparing Colored Pencil Lightfast Ratings (4 popular lines)             I am comparing the lightfast ratings of four popular colored pencil lines, and the results are quite surprising!           I will be comparing the lightfast ratings as well as pricing on Faber-Castell Polychromos, Prismacolor Premier, Caran d'Ache Pablos, and Derwent Coloursoft colored pencils. The purpose of this exercise is to compare the general lightfast ratings of the complete lines of four of the most popular brands of colored pencil. I am not including lightfast information on each individual color of these lines. This is merely an overview to gauge what lines are worth investing in and what lines are not.           I am basing my comparison on my own calculations done from information on lightfast ratings from each company (when applicable) combined with lightfast information set out by the Colored Pencil Society of America. If you would like to see the Colored Pencil Society’s co