Make Your Own Watercolor Bookmarks

Today I want to show you how to make your own watercolor bookmarks. They make super cute gifts, especially when paired with a new book! Here's what you'll need to get started:

Supplies:

• Tombow Dual Brush Pens

• Watercolor Paper

• Tombow Water Brush (Medium)

• Scissors

• Hole Punch (optional)

• Tassel (optional)

• White Gel Pen (optional)

Step 1: Draw Your Shapes

Using your Dual Brush Pens draw shapes or images all over your watercolor paper. They don't have to be fancy, just anything that you can draw over and over will work. Try polka dots, hearts, simple flowers, leaves, lines, etc.

If you'd like to have a watercolor effect, wet and blend each shape with your Water Brush. I used the Medium size for mine. Let the ink dry completely before moving on to the next step.

Step 2: Add Details

The next step is to add some more details to fill in some of the white spaces. I've used leaves, but for example, if you chose hearts you can add smaller or overlapping hearts to fill some of the empty spaces.

After I drew my leaves with Dual Brush Pens I used the Water Brush again to blend the ink. Then once it was completely dry, I used a white gel pen to put a few lines on some of the darker leaves.

Step 3: Cut Out Your Bookmarks

Decide how big you want your bookmarks to be and cut them out. I started with a 9x12" piece of watercolor paper and I cut it in half, and then cut each half into four equal strips.

Next, decide whether or not you want to decorate them with tassels. If you do, you'll need to punch a hole in the end and attach a tassel. You can either make your own tassels from embroidery thread or you can buy them ready-made.

I can't wait to see yours! Tag @BrownPaperBunny on social media to show me!

If you're looking for more bookmark ideas check out this tutorial on Rainbow Watercolor Bookmarks.

----------

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with.

Jackson Pollock Inspired Mail Art

This week we're doing projects inspired by famous artists, and I've chosen Jackson Pollock. I'm going to show you how to recreate his layers of color, using Dual Brush Pens, to make some fun Jackson Pollock inspired mail art. Here's what you'll need to get started.

Supplies:

• Tombow Dual Brush Pens (I chose the Tropical Palette)

• Washi Tape

• An Envelope

• Scrap Paper

Step 1: Tape Off the Address Area

To make sure you have a clean space to write the name and address on your envelope, mask off a rectangle using washi tape. Make sure it's sealed down, the whole way around. Then set your envelope on top of your scrap paper to protect your work surface.

Step 2: Layer Your Colors

Jackson Pollock created layered artwork by splattering paint across his canvas, which we're going to recreate with ink. So the next step in creating our Jackson Pollock inspired mail art is to begin with your lightest colors first, and work your way around, drawing straight and slightly wiggly lines from the washi tape off the edge of your envelope. Watch the video below to see how I did it.

Step 3: Remove the Washi Tape

Once your ink is dry, you can carefully peel up your washi tape to reveal a nice clean edge. You're now ready to address your envelope, add some stamps and send someone some happy mail! You're guaranteed to make someone's day a little brighter!

----------

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

Art Journal Page with Markers

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

----------

Here’s an easy way to make an art journal page with markers! Water soluble markers are vibrant and versatile and can give you a huge variety of different effects! Here's what you'll need to get started.

SUPPLIES:

• Tombow Dual Brush Pens

• Watercolor Paper or sketchbook

• Tombow Water Brush

• Fudenosuke Brush Pen (hard tip)

• MONO Air Correction Tape

Step 1: Create a Background

Scribble ink onto the page with your Dual Brush Pens, choosing colors that will blend together nicely (greens and blues, or oranges and pinks for example).

Next, use your Water Brush to blend the ink together.

Step 2: Add Background Pattern

Once the background color is dry, it’s time to add a pattern to your art journal page. Use the bullet tip of your markers to create a repeating pattern. I did scales, but you could use anything: Stars, hearts, flowers, leaves, shapes etc.

Step 3: Add a Quote

The next step is to use your correction tape to create white lines for you to write on, then use your Fudenosuke Pen to add your favorite quote, or some words of your own!

Do you have a favorite quote? Let me know in the comments!

How to Make a Repeat Pattern on Paper

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

----------

Today I’m going to show you how to turn the cactus emoji into a repeat pattern on paper. The cactus emoji is one of my personal favorites, and it's so simple to draw that you'll easily be able to do it over and over to get a repeating pattern. Here's what you'll need to get started.

Supplies:

• Tombow Dual Brush Pens

• Watercolor Paper

• Tombow Water Brush

• Scissors

• Tape

• A Phone, Camera, or Scanner 

Step 1: Draw Your Cactus

Starting in the middle of your watercolor paper, draw cactus emojis facing in different directions. I used Dual Brush Pen 173 for the first layer, but you can use any color you like. Then use a darker color (I used 195) to draw some lines at the bottom of each cactus, before using your Tombow Water Brush to blend the ink together. Leave white space around the outside edges of the paper, we'll fill those in later.

Step 2: Cut Your Paper in Quarters

Once the ink is dry on your cactus emojis, cut your paper into four even quarters. Be sure to get the measurements exact or your repeat pattern won't work at the end. To prepare for the next step it helps to put a small number on the back of each quarter in case they get mixed up.

Step 3: Shift Each Quarter

This bit seems a bit tricky but just follow the numbers if you get confused. Move your top two quarters to the bottom, then move your left two quarters to the right side. Here's what you'll end up with. All of your cacti should be around the outsides and the middle of your paper should be blank.

Step 4: Tape Everything Back Together

Carefully turn over your drawing, making sure the quarters stay in the same order. Line up the edges and tape it back together.

Step 5: Fill in the Middle

Using the same technique as in Step 1, draw more cacti to fill in the middle space of your paper.

Step 6: Add Extra Details

This step is optional, but if you'd like to make your cacti look a little fancier, use the bullet tips on your Dual Brush Pens to add some small details. Cactus needles, flowers etc.

Step 7: Photograph or Scan

Using your phone, camera or scanner, digitize your repeat pattern tile. If you're taking a photo make sure you've got good, bright lighting. Adjust the brightness until the cut marks are minimized.

Step 8: Put it on Everything

You can frame your finished artwork, or upload the digital copy to any number of web services that will let you put it on mugs, t-shirts, throw cushions, rugs and more! Here are just a few examples I made, using Society6.

I’d love to see what you make, tag @BrownPaperBunny on social media!

Make Me Up

This hero image and repeat pattern was created for use on a series of products, from t-shirts to backpacks. The make-up pieces were drawn digitally with vintage gouache brushes to give them a retro feel. Scroll down to see the different colorways and their product applications.

Blending Markers with Water

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

----------

One of my absolute favorite things is blending markers with water (specifically Tombow Dual Brush Pens) to create soft backgrounds you can draw over. Let me show you how I do it.

Supplies:

• Tombow Dual Brush Pens

• Watercolor Paper

• Tombow Mono Drawing Pencil

• Paintbrush

• Tombow Blending Palette

Step 1: Blend Your Colors

Start by scribbling some Dual Brush Pen colors, that you'd like to blend, onto your blending palette. Then wet your paintbrush and blend the colors together until you have the shade you want. Next, use the paintbrush to paint the ink from your blending palette onto your watercolor paper to create a soft, watercolor-look background.

Step 2: Add More Color

If you want a little more variation in your background color, repeat step one with a different shade of the same color, or a color you think will go nicely with the first color you painted onto the paper. I used yellow, blues and greens for my leaves and pinks and yellow for my flowers. Add your new color to your existing ink on the paper while it is still wet, and watch the colors blend together!

Step 3: Add Details

Once your background colors are dry go back in with either the bullet or the brush tip of your Dual Brush Pen and add details over the top. This adds some nice contrast to the soft background. And there you have it — I hope blending markers with water will become one of your favorite ways to create too!

I’d love to see what you create, tag @BrownPaperBunny on social media so I can take a look!

Watercolor Watermelon

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

----------

Today I want to show you how to create some watercolor-look watermelons that you can use on all sorts of fun summer projects! Here's what you'll need to get started.

Supplies:

• Tombow Dual Brush Pens (Numbers 847, 245 and N15)
• 140 lb Watercolor Paper
• Paintbrush
• Jar of Water
• Scissors
• String

Project 1: Watermelon Wallpaper for Your Phone

The first step is to draw your watermelon shapes onto the watercolor paper. Using Tombow Dual Brush Pen number 847 (Crimson), draw half moon, full circle, or triangle pieces of watermelon, or a combination of different shapes. Next, go over the ink with your wet paintbrush so the ink blends together. Once that dries, draw the watermelon rind using Dual Brush Pen 245 (Sap Green), and wet the green ink with your paintbrush too. Once both colors are dry, draw watermelon seeds with Dual Brush Pen N15 (Black). Watch the video below to see each of the steps.

Once you've filled the page, snap a photo and turn your delicious little watermelons into a wallpaper (or background) for your phone, like the image below!

Project 2: Watermelon Cards

Because watercolor paper is pretty thick you can cut cute little cards out of your finished watermelon drawings. Experiment with a variety of sizes for different effects. Your friends and family will love getting these refreshing cards in the mail!

Project 3: Watermelon Banner

Cut around each of your watermelon shapes, punch holes in each side and you can thread them together to make a cute summer banner. I drew simple faces on these ones instead of watermelon seeds. These can add a fun addition to a summer BBQ or birthday party, or just string them up in your kitchen for a daily dose of cute.

I'd love to see your watercolor watermelon projects! Share them with me on social media by tagging @BrownPaperBunny!

Modern Découpage

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

----------

Découpage dates back as far as the 12th Century, but really made a comeback in the '90s.

Remember all those boxes and chairs covered in angels, antique roses, and butterflies? Well the '90s can keep all that, I'm here to show you a modern twist on this old technique.

You'll need some paper (thin gift wrap, tissue paper, or even marker paper works well), scissors or a shape punch, Tombow MONO Aqua Liquid Glue, an old paintbrush, some Tombow Dual Brush Pens (if you want to color some of your own paper), and something you want to decorate (a card, gift box, notebook cover etc. - today I'm making some cards). 

First, cut or punch out your shapes (hexagons or triangles work well) from your gift wrap or paper you've decorated yourself and arrange them on the object you're going to decorate. Once you're happy with the layout, start gluing the paper down with your Tombow MONO Aqua Liquid Glue.

The last step is to cover your whole design with Tombow MONO Aqua Liquid Glue and smooth it out with a paintbrush. Let everything dry and then, if you need to, trim any paper that is overhanging the edges, and you're finished!

If you make some découpage projects of your own I'd love to see them! Tag @BrownPaperBunny on social media! 

How to Draw Pretty Planner Patterns

Can you believe we're so far through 2018 already?! It is definitely time to get organized, so pull out your 2018 planner and I'll show you how to create pretty patterns to liven up the pages and make it easier to distinguish one week from the next.

Supplies:

• Tombow TwinTone Marker Set, 12-Pack Pastel
• Tombow MONO Drawing Pen, 3-Pack
• Your favorite planner or bullet journal

I love the TwinTone Markers and MONO Drawing Pens because they don't bleed through the super-thin pages of my planner, and by having the option to create a variety of line thicknesses you can add beautiful variation to your patterns!

My planner has a fairly boring header section so that's where I'm going to put my pattern on each page. You can do all of the pages at the start of the year, or do each one as you get to it. Either way the patterns will help you to quickly find the page you're looking for and make each one different to the last.

Start by using the TwinTone Markers to create patterns out of simple shapes. If you're stuck for pattern ideas, look around you. Household and office items make great pattern inspiration. Use the leaves on your fikas, the lipstick in your handbag, or even fruit from the kitchen!

You can create some of the patterns in color, and some in black and white using just the MONO Drawing Pens. Try varying the shapes and lines by using the 01, 03, and 05 sized pens.

Then, why not combine the two, laying down color with the TwinTone Markers, and adding detail and lines with the MONO Drawing Pens.

You can watch a little flip through of some finished pages over on the Tombow Blog. I'd love to see your patterns, tag @BrownPaperBunny on social media so I can see!

31 Days of Watercolor Flowers

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

For World Watercolor Month I'm participating in CreativeBug's 31 Days of Watercolor Flowers Challenge. So far I've painted Craspedia, Lavender, Hyacinth, Tulips, and Astibe. On the opposite side of each sketchbook page I'm creating simple watercolor patterns using one or more colors from the flower of that day. I'm doing the color in watercolor and finishing off with some line work in Mono Drawing Pen.

A post shared by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jul 7, 2017 at 7:15am PDT

A post shared by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jul 9, 2017 at 5:58pm PDT

A post shared by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jul 14, 2017 at 11:58am PDT

A post shared by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jul 15, 2017 at 8:34pm PDT

A post shared by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jul 18, 2017 at 4:48am PDT

Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite flower is! 

World Watercolor Month

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

July might just be the best month of the year because it's World Watercolor Month! 

I'm spending a little time each day creating simple waterolor illustrations in my sketchbook, using minimal color palettes. 

I'm then adding detail using the new Mono Drawing Pens from Tombow.

If you'd like to play along but you're feeling stuck for ideas there is an 'official prompt list' you can draw inspiration from! 

Leave me a comment and let me know if you're participating in World Watercolor Month! 

New York Fashion Week Illustrations with Tombow

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

New York Fashion Week starts today, and to celebrate I'm taking over Tombow's Instagram account with some of my fashion illustrations. 

I love seeing next season's fashion previewed on the runways, and to prepare for this week I poured over trend and color forecasting and picked a few of my favorites to illustrate.

One of the trends we're likely to see is bolder colors in geometric and more structured patterns and designs. I'm all about color, no matter what season it is, so I'm excited to see what comes down the runway! I used Tombow Dual Brush Markers with a Blending Palette and paint brush, Mono pencils and Dust-Catch eraser, along with the Tombow Fudenosuke Twin-Tip Brush Pen to create this piece. Tombow is running a Fashion Week promotion this week if you're interested in picking up some new supplies for 25% off.

Watch the timelapse video of my first fashion illustration below:

I'm also expecting to see some neutral knits, pared with sheer fabrics, on the runway this week, with grays having a lovely blue tint to them. I used Tombow Dual Brush Markers with a Blending Palette and paint brush, Mono pencils and Dust-Catch eraser, along with the Tombow Fudenosuke Twin-Tip Brush Pen to create this one.

And lastly, delicate Japanese floral prints have always been a favorite of mine and I'm hoping we'll see some on the runway this week, particularly in shades of purple and lilac. I used Tombow Dual Brush Markers with a Blending Palette and paint brush, Mono pencils and Dust-Catch eraser, along with the Tombow Fudenosuke Twin-Tip Brush Pen to create this piece. 

If you'd like to see how I'm using Tombow markers like watercolors, check out this post.

In the spirit of full disclosure, if you buy Tombow products by clicking on the links in my blog I get a small percentage of the sale. This helps pay for web hosting and all the other things I need to keep this site running. So thank you in advance!

---

You might also like these posts:

Balls of Yarn

I've been working away in my Sketchbook Project book, creating hand-drawn patterns over watercolor — and trying to get it finished before the return deadline. 

If you're not familiar with the Sketchbook Project, it's a cool initiative run by the Brooklyn Art Library where you sign up, they send you a sketchbook (which you can use as-is or re-bind like I've done). You fill it with your art, collage, drawing, whatever you like really, and you can choose to follow a theme or just see where your creativity takes you. Then you send it back to them before the deadline and it goes on a mobile sketchbook tour, around the USA and the world, the following year. People who visit it on the tour can 'check out' your book from their little mobile libary and look through it. Then after the tour your book goes to live in the Art Library where you can visit it (and thousands of others) whenever you're in the neighborhood. 

I've been doing the project for years, since I lived back in Australia, and am completely in love with it. The first time you have to send your book back it can be a little sad because you feel like you're saying goodbye to something you worked so hard on, but then once you start seeing other people enjoying your work, it becomes really fun. Plus you can go visit it anytime you happen to be in Brooklyn, so it's not really 'gone'. 

---

You might also like these posts:

Pattern January

Anika, over at @AisforAnika put together a month of pattern challenges / inspiration to get the year off to a good start, and it's been wonderful seeing how differently everyone interprets the prompts. 

This January has been busier than usual for me, so I haven't participated as much as I would have liked, but here are just a few that I've done so far. 

Greenery

Greenery patterns in my #SketchbookProject book for #PatternJanuary with @aisforanika Learn why video is so important to a successful social media strategy: http://bit.ly/videoforartists (link in bio)

A video posted by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jan 14, 2017 at 8:00pm PST

Pomegranate 

Sketching Pomegranates for #PatternJanuary with @aisforanika ❤

A video posted by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jan 24, 2017 at 5:19am PST

Rain

A little bit late posting my 'Rain' entry for #PatternJanuary 💦

A video posted by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jan 26, 2017 at 9:29am PST

Did you participate in any group challenges or projects this month? It's number 13 on my list '21 Social Media Prompts for Artists' — if you haven't download the list already, you can find it here (it's free). 

---

You might also like these posts:

Creative Bootcamp with Lisa Congdon

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

To start the year off right I'm taking Lisa Congdon's Creative Bootcamp over on CreativeBug. I'm trying to loosen up and let myself experiment more with colors I wouldn't usually use, and exercises that, at first, feel very foreign to me. And I'm having a lot of fun! 

Here are just a few of the creations I've made so far, following each week's exercise.

Having some more fun with lines and circles as part of @lisacongdon's #cbugbootcamp on @creativebug 😃

A video posted by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jan 11, 2017 at 8:43pm PST

Making paint swatches of my most used colors, for @lisacongdon's #cbugbootcamp with @creativebug 🎨🖌

A video posted by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jan 12, 2017 at 9:28am PST

Having fun playing with color combos I don't typically use, as part of #CBugBootcamp

A video posted by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Jan 15, 2017 at 1:04pm PST

I hadn't done any collage since I was a kid, so it was really fun to get out the scissors and glue and go to town!

Are you trying anything new this year?

---

You might also like these posts:

Starbucks Red Cup Ad

I was super excited when Starbucks approached me about being in their Holiday ad for the new red cups this year! 

The ad has been viewed millions of times on social media alone, and met with really positive responses — so I couldn't be happier right now! 

Here's the timelapse I made, along with the ad so you can see which bit is me. :)

Super excited to be in the new @starbucks #RedCups ad ❤️

A video posted by Jessica Mack 🎨 Colorado Artist (@brownpaperbunny) on Nov 10, 2016 at 10:34am PST

Inktober Day 7 + 8: Pattern + Sunglasses

I combined Day 7 (Pattern) and Day 8 (Sunglasses) with today's Inktober Fall Fashion prompt. 

You can check out my other entries here. 

Back to Pattern

This month my lovely friend @AIsForAnika is running a pattern challenge called 'Back to Pattern'. She is providing daily prompts, but it's super low pressure, you can do them as you please.  

Here are the first three days, which I did on my iPad Pro, using Adobe Draw. If you'd like to see my Top 5 iPad Pro Apps for Artists check out this blog post.  

Day 1: Feather

Day 2: Stripes

Day 3: Snails

I usually go through several iterations and color ways before I make a final decision, here are just a few of the snail options I played around with once I'd drawn the image and was happy with the repeat layout.

Do you like the one I picked in the end, or do you have a different favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Repeating Camera Pattern

Oh hi there! I wanted to show you the latest in my repeating pattern series. These vintage cameras were super fun to draw (using ink - pen and brush) and don't they look like eyes, or maybe washing machines when they're all together? Fun!

If you'd like to see how I turned it into a repeating pattern, check out my tutorial blog post here. 

I just added them to my Society6 store, and turned them into all sorts of cool products - throw pillows, leggings, mugs, prints and more!

Leave me a comment below and tell me what your first camera was! Mine was a super old SLR inherited from my grandfather!

Repeating Palm Tree Pattern

I'm still learning how to do this repeating pattern stuff, but man it's pretty fun! Here's my latest creation - hot pink palm trees, painted in watercolor. Because, why not?

Maybe I'm subliminally dreaming of warmer weather and wishing all this snow would melt!

I started out by painting the individual trees in my sketchbook.

Then I scanned them into photoshop and started playing around with them until I had them in the layout I wanted. Check out my post on the different ways to create a repeating pattern here. 

Next I wanted to see how they would look on actual items, homewares, clothing, and other fun things, so I added the pattern to my Society6 store. What do you think? 

Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think I should paint as a pattern next!