Primer | colouring colours we loved

September is ‘new pencil cases’ time for us. Join us in a celebration of colouring crayons

There’s not much that cheers our hearts more than the idea of a bit of new stationery. Once you’ve sharpened your colouring pencils ready for the new term, buy a copy of our September issue, in which we have a Sketchbook Club feature with artist Jennie Maizels to help you learn to draw beautiful birds. We also were lucky enough to visit her colourful home, and you can see those pictures and read all about it from p94. We particularly coveted her bright studio with its pots upon pots of colouring pencils, paints and crayons, and it reminded us of a time when we knew the ‘names’ of all our crayons and always had a favourite - definitely a top ten at least. 

So here, in no particular order and judged completely on whim and without reason, are our favourite Crayola Crayon colours. Do share yours with us in the comments section below. 

1. Cerulean. Blue is repeatedly voted the nation’s favourite crayon colour. After all, it deserves some credit after all that stoic painting of skies and seas. Plus, we just loved the name. Why aren’t more children called Cerulean?

2. Inchworm. Named for the bright green caterpillar of the geometer moth (which disappointingly is itself a sludgy brown). It reminded us of the Hans Christian Andersen song, too. 

3. Macaroni and Cheese. A warm orange hue, named by a child as part of a competition Crayola ran in 1993 with Kraft Foods. 

4. Purple Mountains’ Majesty. This scores points for just being really fancy - and giving Farrow and Ball a run for its money. 

5. Corn silk. Back in the good old days, crayon colours were a bit educational, too. We mused for hours (while filling in suns and sandy beaches) over what corn silk might be. Turns out it’s the stringy bits on the top of a corn cob. Anyway, it’s a much better name than the brighter Unmellow Yellow… who wants their yellow UNmellow? 

The colourful array of colouring things in the picture by Carmel King above is from artist and founder of Sketchbook Club, Jennie Maizel’s home, which is featured in our September issue. You can find a tutorial on how to draw birds by Jennie on page 102. Jennie has run Sketchbook Club from her home and online for five years. For all the kit you need to get started, including paints, pencils and paper, visit: jenniemaizels.com and head to Jennie Maizels’ Sketchbook Club YouTube Channel for supporting ‘How to’ videos for these projects. You can also follow Jennie on Twitter and Instagram at @jenniemaizels.

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More from our September issue…

More Sketchbook Clubs…

Friday Sketchbook Club | Botanicals

A pretty project that looks great framed in a kitchen or simply makes a beautiful page in your sketchbook

Welcome again to Friday Sketchbook Club! We’ve teamed up with illustrator Jennie Maizels to bring you a sketchbook project to do every Friday in April. We hope you enjoy them. Today we’re drawing botanicals. 

Jennie started Sketchbook Club because she believes that anyone can draw. Her principle is that if we treat art like any other creative pastime and follow simple instructions, just like a recipe, we would all be drawing as much as we are baking, sewing and knitting.

Each module comes with instructions, a ‘How to’ video, reference material and often, templates which you can ‘transfer’. They have been carefully designed to suit all ages and abilities. A note on materials: the projects were originally designed to introduce a plethora of different paints, collage and methods but all can be altered to use what you have available. Just substitute as you like or need.

Ready to draw the Botanicals ? Then we’ll begin. You can watch the Botanicals video tutorial here and find the references for leeks, passion fruit, and  tomatoes here as well as the transfers you might need. Alternatively, you can just follow the instructions below, using the picture above as inspiration, 

You will need

A sheet of A4 black paper or card
HB pencil
Set of gouache paints
One thin and one larger paintbrush (Jennie used a size 1 and a size 6)
Colouring pencils

How to draw your Botanicals

1. Have a good look at the reference sheets and choose a fruit or vegetable to paint.
   2. Start by drawing out your composition. Feel free to transfer any of the images rather than copying them if you would prefer. To transfer onto your black paper, turn the chosen image over (it might help to cut them out first) and, using the side of your chalk, rub evenly over the whole of the back of your image, then turning the page over so the plant/flowers are on top, hold your transfer page firmly so it doesn’t move around at all, on top of your black paper. Then, using a Biro, draw over the whole of the plant or flower image.Carefully take the transfer sheet off to reveal the chalky template on your black paper.
   3. Work on your composition, making sure all the chosen illustrations are evenly spaced out, maybe filling any big spaces with some seeds or petal details.
   4. Next,start to paint the botanical illustrations. look at the reference, you may want to use a white pen once the base layers of paint has dried,for some of the detail (or your size 1 paint brush). Adding a little white to colour, especially the reds, yellows and oranges,will make them really jump out. For flowers or seed heads, you could use a sponge, working in darker then lighter colours, dabbing on lightly.
   5. For the lettering, first of all write it in pencil in ‘best’ italics, then paint over with cream or white paint using a fine brush, paint as thin as you can,adding depth to the lettering afterwards. You could write over the pencil using a white gel pen if you are nervous about painting lettering,it looks just as good.
   6. When the page is dry, add detail to the illustrations using coloured pencils. Try white pencil for very thin root strands and dark green for leaf lines.You might prefer to draw in the majority of details in pencil rather than in paint, for example, just painting a green circle for the top of the leek and once the paint is dry, drawing in all the little circles in a dark green pencil and a white gel pen or pencil.

There are many more modules available on Jennie’s website, Sketchbook Club (only £4 each.), where you can also buy art kits and supplies. For more inspiration, you can follow Jennie on Instagram @jenniemaizels or visit the website jenniemaizels.com. Look out for another Friday Sketchbook Club project with Jennie here next week.

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More meetings of Sketchbook Club…

From our April issue…

Friday Sketchbook Club | Camping

Learn how to create this cheery spring camping scene. Sketchbooks at the ready

It’s Friday Sketchbook Club time. We’ve teamed up with illustrator Jennie Maizels to bring you a sketchbook project to do every Friday for the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy them. Today we’re drawing this very jolly camping scene. 

Jennie started Sketchbook Club because she believes that anyone can draw. Her principle is that if we treat art like any other creative pastime and follow simple instructions, just like a recipe, we would all be drawing as much as we are baking, sewing and knitting.

Each module comes with instructions, a ‘How to’ video, reference material and often, templates which you can ‘transfer’. They have been carefully designed to suit all ages and abilities. A note on materials: the projects were originally designed to introduce a plethora of different paints, collage and methods but all can be altered to use what you have available. Just substitute as you like or need.

Ready to draw the Camping scene? Then we’ll begin. You can watch the Camping video tutorial here and find the river template you’ll need here along with the camping ‘references’. Alternatively, you can just follow the instructions below, using the picture above as inspiration, 

You will need

A sheet of A4 green paper or card
Biro
Gluestick
HB pencil
Set of gouache paints
One thin and one larger paintbrush (Jennie used a size 1 and a size 6)Colouring pencils

How to draw your Camping scene

1. Start by placing the river template over your green card and draw over very firmly with a biro pen, this will leave an indentation of the lines of the river. Next, carefully tear along these lines on the green card. Stick each side down into your sketchbook using a glue stick.
   2 .Next, have a good look at the reference and roughly sketch out your first tent, caravan or Teepee. You might like to transfer some of the more difficult items, such as cars and camper-vans.Do this by drawingover the whole of the chosen image with a firm HB pencil. Turn the paper over and position the car/caravan etc.onto your page and scribble over the back with a lead pencil firmly, making sure it doesn’t move around too much.
   3. Using  Gouache paints and a size one brush, start to add colour. Continue this way until your page is peppered with campers.
   4. You can add details with coloured pencils now or later.
   5. Add trees as you go, some behind campers and some in front. Really look at the reference and experiment with some of the more stylized shapes, again, adding pencil for detail later if you wish.
   6. Finally, add little coloured pencil blue wavy lines in the river.

There are many more modules available on Jennie’s website, Sketchbook Club (only £4 each.), where you can also buy art kits and supplies. For more inspiration, you can follow Jennie on Instagram @jenniemaizels or visit the website jenniemaizels.com. Look out for another Friday Sketchbook Club project with Jennie here next week.

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From our April issue…

More drawing inspiration….

Friday Sketchbook Club | Houses

Join us in drawing these quirky houses in today’s Friday Sketchbook Club

Welcome back to Friday Sketchbook Club. We’ve teamed up with illustrator Jennie Maizels to bring you a sketchbook project to do every Friday for the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy them. Today we’re drawing rows of houses. 

Jennie started her Sketchbook Club because she believes that anyone can draw. Her principle is that if we treat Art like any other creative pastime and follow simple instructions, just like a recipe, we would all be drawing as much as we are baking, sewing and knitting. Each project comes with instructions, a ‘How to’ video, reference material and often, templates which you can ‘transfer’. They have been carefully designed to suit all ages and abilities.

 A note on materials: Originally designed to introduce a plethora of different paints, collage and methods. All modules can be altered to use what you have available - just substitute as you like or need.

Ready to draw houses? Then we’ll begin. You can watch the Houses video tutorial first if you like and find the instructions and house ‘references’ here or just follow the instructions below, using the pictures above as inspiration,

You will need

An HB pencil
Rubber
A small and a large paintbrush (Jennie used size 6 and size 2)Fineliner (thin one)
Scissors
Glue
Old book
Blue, white and yellow acrylic paints

How to draw your houses

1. First of all, have a really good look at the houses for reference in the link above (you might also like to look at the hashtag #SketchbookClubHouses on Instagram for further inspiration).
   2. Next, following the reference pictures,start to draw your houses along the bottom of your page. Use a size one or two black fineliner and draw in as much detail as you can, like roof tiles and windows etc.
   3.Next, start to paint the background colour. Do this by mixing a lovely aqua blue acrylic, Jennie made her colour by mixing a mid-blue with a tiny dot of yellow and some white.
   4.While the background paint is drying, start to draw little clouds on an old unwanted book page (or newspaper if you can’t bear to cut up an old book!).Cut the clouds out carefully and once the paint is dry, stick them onto the background sky using a glue-stick. You might like to tear tiny strips out and stick down to make tiny plumes of chimney smoke, too

There are many more modules available on Jennie’s website, Sketchbook Club (only £4 each.), where you can also buy art kits and supplies. For more inspiration, you can follow Jennie on Instagram @jenniemaizels or visit the website jenniemaizels.com. Look out for another Friday Sketchbook Club project with Jennie here next week.

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From our April issue…

More fun with paint…

Friday Sketchbook Club | Spring Banner

Welcome to Friday Art Club! We’ve teamed up with illustrator Jennie Maizels to bring you a sketchbook project to do every Friday for the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy them.

Jennie started Sketchbook Club because she believes that ANYONE can draw. So whether drawing is a long-lost love of yours or you haven’t picked up a colouring pencil since school, do have a go. Jennie’s principle is that if we treat Art like any other creative pastime and follow simple instructions, just like a recipe, we would all be drawing as much as we are baking, sewing and knitting.

Each module comes with instructions, a ‘How to’ video, reference material and often, templates which you can ‘transfer’. They have been carefully designed to suit all ages and abilities. Young children, grandparents and whole families or groups of friends are all drawing and painting together as a result of Sketchbook Club.
 
A note on materials: Originally designed to introduce a plethora of different paints, collage and methods. All modules can be altered to use what you have available - Just substitute as you like / need.

Let’s get started! You can watch the Spring Banner video tutorial and use Jennie’s references to copy or trace. There are flowers and wreaths references, rabbits and birds references and references to trace and copy for the lettering all here. Just click to download and print.
 

You will need (if you have them):

HB pencil
Rubber
Size 1 and size 6 paintbrushes
Watercolour paints
Coloured pencils
White gouache paint (optional)

How to create your Spring Banner picture

1. Start by transferring your chosen lettering to your Sketchbook by drawing over the whole of the reversed text image with a firm HB pencil.Turn the paper over and position the text on your page and scribble over the back with a lead pencil firmly, making sure it doesn’t move around too much.

2. Now, using watercolours, start to add colour. You can always add shading, shadows or decorations with coloured pencils later.

3. Once your lettering is complete you can start to draw in your decorative surround. Firstly, transfer any rabbits and birds using the method above, then if you are nervous going straight to paint, lightly draw in all your squirls and stem positions. To make it symmetrical, transfer a rabbit or a bird on one side then repeat on the other. Do this with the flowers and leaves too.

4. Once you are happy with the decorative surround and the birds and rabbits, start to add some lovely colour. If you are brave enough, leaves do look better if painted straight on with watercolours. You may also want to add another layer of watercolours for the flowers so they cover the leaves and maybe some further details on the leaves and birds too?

5. You might also like to add a few white highlights using gouache paint. Do this using little swipes of your size-one brush on the lettering, petals and leaves.

6. Finally, if you would like, add some coloured pencil details. Jennie added all the shading, ears and whiskers etc. on the rabbits and feather details on the birds and some darker sections of leaves and flowers, too. Jennie also added shadows to the lettering and the tiny words as well.

There are many more modules available on Jennie’s website, Sketchbook Club (only £4 each.), where you can also buy art kits and supplies. For more inspiration, you can follow Jennie on Instagram @jenniemaizels or visit the website jenniemaizels.com. Look out for another Friday Sketchbook Club project with Jennie here next week.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

From our April issue…

More art for art’s sake…