Neocolors & Neophytes

Neocolors {above} are fantastic. I first used them in a college drawing class.  My professor teased us with color for one project and brought out a huge box of neocolors, water soluble crayons.  I was enchanted.  A few years later my parents gave me a pack of 15 for Christmas and they've been one of my favorite mediums since.   Neocolors are smooth and waxy and they mix together well.   You can make bold designs with heavy handed application, or the faintest washes with light application and more water.  I like to use a water color brush with a water reservoir {above, teal}, which allows me to easily change the amount of water I use by how much I press the reservoir.   To change colors I just scrub out the tip with paper towel {or the back of my hand} and move on. 

Together, this handy brush and the neocolor pack provide a multitude of colors and possibilities.  They don't require sharpening-although you could; they can be used wet or dry, and they're portable.  The neocolor 15 pack is about the size of a CD case and the brush is slightly larger than an average pen.  As with other watercolors, I also bring along a trusty pencil, eraser, and alcohol-based pens.  I prefer mechanical pencils in my art for the same reasons I preferred them in school- less issues with breaking and the mess of sharpening.  I've found I also prefer retractable erasers because they're less messy.  The ink pens {ZIG Drawing Pens- water-proof pigment ink} I've been using came from the drafting section of Hobby Lobby.  The drafting section had many more options than the art section in terms of line width, so that's my handy tip- check the drafting sections.

Neocolor II + pen on watercolor 5.5x7.5"

So here's a work in progress using neocolors and ink in an old watercolor notebook I made.  I started doodling sails and sail boats and thinking about my soon-to-be nephew and my other nephew.  I hope they grow up with big imaginations and curiosity.  I hope they think outside the box.  I hope they see the world with wonder and play make believe, tie a sheet to a sapling and make a sail; find a paper towel roll and make a spyglass.  I hope they dream big dreams.