New E-Course Coming Soon!

Hi there. How are you?

I’m in the home stretch of finishing up my newest e-course.

My newest drawing course is coming soon. My lovely mailing list members will be first to know when the course is live. Click to join now!

New E-course will be live soon!

“Jen & Ink in Color” is a companion course to the original “Jen & Ink” course. I dive into color and how to harmoniously work two or more colors together in a composition. I’ll be tackling all sorts of color schemes including complementary colors, analogous colors, triads, and how to successfully incorporate black and brown into drawings without overwhelming.

Want a sneak peek of the first lesson?

In this lesson, I discuss the color wheel and color theory. Knowing how colors work together (or don’t work together!) is an important part of any work made in color.

The video gives a nice overview of the content of Jen & Ink in Color. You’ll see all of the color schemes that I will demonstrate in this course.

Want to get started now?

Take my first course, “Jen & Ink!” You’ll want to take that one first, as they build on one another.

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Already taken Jen & Ink?

Be sure you’re on the mailing list.

My lovely mailing list members will be first to know when the course is live and will be able to purchase the course at a discounted rate!

Gotta go work on my course. Ciao!

Coming Soon: An Online E-Course!

Hi there. How are you?

I've got some big news. You asked (and asked) and I finally listened......

I'm making an online drawing course!

My first ever online drawing course is coming soon. My lovely mailing list members will be first to know when the course is live. Click to join now!

I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm making progress. In this online video course, I'll share my abstract ballpoint pen secrets through a series of step-by-step videos. It will be a paid course, but it will be VERY reasonable. (I promise!)

Here's a little sped up preview of the video I recorded:

A tiny preview of my upcoming drawing e-course.  Music: http://www.purple-planet.com

I don't know how long it will take for me to shoot and edit all of the video, but I'm aiming to launch my course sometime in September or early October.

My lovely mailing list members will be first to know when the course is live.

Added bonus for joining the list:

I've made a hyperlapse video of my drawing process!  You'll have access to it upon joining the list and confirming your email address. Expect emails from me about once a month with more behind the scenes content.  You'll also be first to know about about new work and exclusive sales. It's a party. Trust me!

Gotta go work on my course. Ciao!

My Favorite Tools for Adult Coloring

Hi There. How are you?

As my loyal readers know, I produced a coloring book this fall.  (It's been the most popular item I've ever sold to date! Thank you for that!) I often get asked about the best materials for coloring, so I thought I'd share my personal faves.

My Favorite Tools for Adult Coloring - JENNIFERJOHANSSON.COM

I'm All About Prismacolors

If I'm going to sit down and color, I'm going to use Prismacolor pencils.  They are so soft and easy to blend. (I'm in no way being paid by Prismacolor to sing their praises, I just really like them!)

At more than $1.00 each, Prismacolors are expensive. That's why I recommend you start with a set of Prismacolor Scholar pencils.  Designed for the " developing artist", Prismacolor Scholars are really just as nice as the Prismacolor Premiers, but are a little less expensive and don't break quite as easily. You can get a set of 24 Prismacolor Scholars for $7.48 on DickBlick.com. That's a steal!

If you are new to colored pencil blending, I also recommend you pick up a colorless blender.  It's basically a colored pencil without any pigment, and helps to soften edges and blend two colors together.

Sharpening Prismacolors

If you're not careful, It's very easy to break the lead while sharpening Prismacolors. To keep this from happening, always use a handheld sharpener or even an exacto knife to sharpen your Prismacolors. I'm quite fond of the General's All Art sharpeners, as long as they stay sharp. At just $1.00 a pop, you can afford to pick up a new one every few months or so. When sharpening Prismacolors, turn the pencil sharpener while holding the colored pencil still. You put less stress on the pencil and have less of a chance of breaking the lead.

Erase if You Must

The art teacher in me believes that you don't need to use an eraser with colored pencils. You just find a creative way to cover up your "mistakes." Colored pencils don't erase all that well either. You'll never be able to get back to a perfectly, white paper, but you will be able to lift up most of the pigment.

My favorite eraser of all time is the Magic Rub. It's a vinyl eraser that won't smudge or leave marks like pink erasers can. If you're trying to get into tiny detailed areas, try a kneaded eraser. They are like silly putty and can be molded into all sorts of shapes and sizes.

A page from my coloring book, Pattern Play, colored with Prismacolor pencils.

A Coloring Tutorial?

I'm thinking about doing a little Prismacolor coloring tutorial video. Would you be interested in that friends? Leave me a comment and let me know!

What Do You Use to Color?

I'd love to hear from you. Ciao friends!