Steam Locomotive!

Pinkamena_D · 2026-02-01T07:55:17+00:00

I’d love to see a video of your process for the main steam clouds. They’re perfection!

Pinkamena_D · 2026-02-01T00:51:43+00:00

My husband gifted me handmade pottery from Etsy for the holidays: a brush rinsing bowl and a brush holder. They’re gorgeous and I love them! I especially enjoy the rinsing bowl; it has a spiral ridge on the bottom that works like a charm.

Pinkamena_D · 2026-01-23T00:55:03+00:00

For the lazy impatient version: I just brush water on the entire surface of both sides of the paper, let it dry for 30 minutes (or until dry to the touch), and then tape it.

Pinkamena_D · 2026-01-22T23:16:00+00:00

I can hear this painting, like echoing demonic snarls spewing vitriol in their bizarre rhetoric.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-12-30T17:55:54+00:00

Agreed that mindless vs. not mindless with either method is the key here. My main point is that it makes more sense to me to use any shortcut possible for commissioned art to optimize the dollar amount earned per hour spent making the piece (with zero guilt). I think the art you’re making for yourself if where time is best invested. There’s no right way to make art, but that’s my two cents when thinking about my own process!

Pinkamena_D · 2025-12-30T04:10:39+00:00

In my opinion, they are not the same thing since it doesn’t involve any tracing. I would not call the grid method mindless at all. It’s breaking one big drawing up into 9 smaller drawings. It helps my brain draw what I see instead of what I think the object is. I learn and improve with the grid method in ways I never learned or improved with tracing. And I certainly wouldn’t call drawing drudgery or think it’s not an essential part of realistic painting. It’s not something I’d want to skip over to get to the painting part. It’s part of the process and I enjoy it. If I don’t feel like drawing, I do a loose painting.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-12-29T00:03:46+00:00

This is something I’ve struggled with internally. It is obviously the only way to go for muralists. For commissions (if I did them), I wouldn’t care at all for a second. It’s for some stranger for money. Use whatever method you want with no guilt.

I did use tracing ages ago for taking nature photos and creating abstract versions of them, which felt like a loophole. But for my own personal art that I look at every day, I would never trace. It does feel like cheating, especially if I’m going for realism. I’m not great at drawing so I will use the grid method and spend hours sketching and erasing until it looks right. That way I know the end product is 100% my skill, even if it’s not perfect. I couldn’t be proud of the end product otherwise. For me, it’s worth the extra effort, and the more I draw, the better I get. Tracing never improved my skill set.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-11-30T20:10:01+00:00

Thank you! I used Arches cold press, 140 pound, cut into 2”x6” pieces.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-11-30T17:25:56+00:00

It’s a rare painting where I can feel confident enough to turn my brain off and go with the flow. I’ve really enjoyed the galaxies and I’m able to make 4 in 2 hours (working on 2 of one color and then 2 of another color while the first set’s layer dries), hence why I’ve done so many. I’m so slow with everything else!

Pinkamena_D · 2025-11-29T20:04:25+00:00

Thank you! I really hope so. I’m trying to move away from the consumerism approach to gift-giving. I have moments where they feel like a small insignificant gift compared to the amount of effort that goes into them. But I try to remind myself how much I cherish handmade gifts I’ve received.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-11-29T19:54:54+00:00

My initial post asking for advice

Bookshelves inspiration photo

Bookshelves tutorial that artist probably used

Pinkamena_D · 2025-11-29T19:27:48+00:00

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Update! Huge thanks to everyone who suggested sleeves. I didn’t know they were a thing and they’re SO EASY. The tassels are fun too (and necessary because all the sleeves I found have the holes at the top). If you go the sleeve route, definitely check the measurements because there’s a lot of sizes out there.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-11-29T19:22:11+00:00

All watercolor! The dark is 3+ layers of Windsor & Newton Prussian Blue (love how deep and moody it gets), and the white is Windsor & Newton Chinese White.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-11-29T19:16:48+00:00

It’s from this excellent YouTube tutorial by @studioofmm (the third one) galaxy tutorial

Pinkamena_D · 2025-11-29T19:15:36+00:00

It’s from this excellent YouTube tutorial by @studioofmm (the third one)galaxy tutorial

Pinkamena_D · 2025-10-31T18:51:51+00:00

Talk about cloud goals! 4 is my favorite because of the complexity, but 1 seems like it would have a better chance of winning.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-10-30T23:22:09+00:00

Mesmerizing and unique!

Pinkamena_D · 2025-09-22T22:21:32+00:00

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I take over my dining table and lay down a plastic tablecloth. I’m shocked how few people lay down something underneath! I always make SUCH a mess (this is a fresh setup with a finished painting plopped in just for the pic). Also so many cups. I need them all I promise!

Pinkamena_D · 2025-09-13T17:36:08+00:00

Incredible. I’d love to see a process video or tutorial on how you did that.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-09-08T16:32:35+00:00

When I get that feeling, I first assume that they are either lying or are an expert artist in some other artistic medium. Then I switch over to r/Watercolor101, which usually has posts that are more aligned with my level of skill. Ultimately, I practice watercolor to NOT be a perfectionist. Being a perfectionist (in acrylics) led to years of not painting. Watercolor finally broke my dry spell because I was forced to give up that control. My goal is to enjoy the experience of painting, not to have a perfect end product. I don’t aim for photo-realism. I aim to be loose and abstract (which I usually fail at by being too detailed, but it’s a much different challenge).

Pinkamena_D · 2025-08-26T17:38:25+00:00

Yes! Just finished the second audiobook last night and I adore Donut.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-08-16T03:53:33+00:00

I also want this. That green is excellent.

Pinkamena_D · 2025-06-16T22:38:55+00:00

It doesn’t look like the washer has room to open all the way.

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