Reflecting on the creative process of designing and then coloring a hen. Enjoying the process and using watercolor and colored pencils to add layers and details.
Keeping up with the Joneses
Reflecting on the challenges of maintaining genuine connections on social media amid changing platforms and personal hardships, including the loss of loved ones. Despite struggles, I am gradually returning to creativity, seeking feedback on desired content. Emphasis on the importance of perseverance and adapting through life’s difficulties while encouraging others to stay creative.
Review: Copic acrea paint markers
Review and demonstration of the new Copic acrea paint markers by Ruby Charm Colors – perfect for artists, crafters and fans of adult coloring books
Ruby Charm Colors Creative Companion 2025 Now Available
I was hoping to have this little book finished by November of 2024 but, given the number of hurdles I was facing, I just couldn’t make it happen on time despite encouragement from those who kept reaching out to me about needing this year’s planner. To all of those fans of the book who emailed and messaged me⏤thank you for keeping after me and encouraging me to just get it done. I appreciate you! And a very special shout-out to Lora King (@dukewife on Instagram) who colored my line art for the book cover, inspired me, and made it fun. Her color palettes are always so bright and cheerful⏤perfect for the playful otters!
So yes, the Ruby Charm Colors Creative Companion 2025: Organizer & Coloring Art Journal is finally published and available to order on Amazon!
The semi-structured format of this compact book allows you to creatively journal and plan out your time, track projects, jot down ideas, create lists and even do a little coloring if you like. The concept for this book goes back to 2019 and was designed especially for those who love to color, but it is handy for all types of creative people. It’s small enough (6 x 9.25″) to fit in a bag for appointments, shopping or traveling, and while there are structured monthly calendars and sections for specific purposes, there are also plenty of blank, lined and dot-graphed pages for creating your own notes, lists, etc.. There are also 16 full page designs to color as well as little design bits worked into the calendars and other places in the book. One of the full page designs (mice in a Christmas bulb) is brand new to the Ruby Charm Colors collection and won’t be available anywhere else until the fall of 2025.
The calendar section of the Ruby Charm Colors Creative Companion 2025 includes monthly calendars for 2025, a yearly 2025 calendar, a look ahead to 2026 calendar, a compendium section with multiple pre-designed lists and plenty of room to create your own lists, an 80 page creative planner section that includes lined, graphed and blank pages for whatever you like, and finally, a color notes and swatches section for keeping track of your favorite pencils, pens, etc.
Because this is a paperback, you can easily deconstruct your journal to fit inside a binder. I use a 7.5″ x 9.5 x 2″ deep Franklin Planner and it works pretty well. Check out the tutorial if you want to see how that’s done.
Just a quick reminder that if you are looking for art supplies, I have a list dedicated to many of my favorites (and then some) right here on my website. I plan to be adding more brands soon as I have come across a few gems you should know about. If you order supplies from any of the links I have on that page, I might receive a small commission from Blick, but that does not add to your cost in any way, shape or form. But, that small commission (honestly, a couple bucks every few months) does help me continue to keep Ruby Charm Colors alive so thanks in advance if you bookmark the page and order from my carefully curated list!
That’s all for now! I am gaining momentum and trying hard to carve out time for more line art for a new coloring book I’ve been working on, plus a few other projects in the hopper.
Take care my friends and cheers to creativity!
It’s okay to wander
Back in 1909, J. C. Tregarthen, author of The Life Story of an Otter, wrote that “the otter is a great wanderer, who not only traverses long stretches of coast and follows streams and rivers to their source, but crosses hills and even mountains to reach its fishing-grounds.”
As of late, I am feeling like an otter trying to get back to my fishing grounds.
I haven’t gotten lost but I have been distracted. Rough times over the past few months (okay, maybe a little longer) led to an exhausting creative slump and my mojo evaporated. It’s on the way back, however, and for that (and for friends who have been checking in and encouraging me) I am very thankful. It seems quite a few people are experiencing a slump of sorts (at least from what I can gather from comments in the coloring world) so I am here with a little encouragement. If you have something you love doing, keep doing it. No one is going to do it for you. Carve out a little time in your day to pick up your pencils (or whatever other media you like to use) and just play for a bit. It may not amount to much at first, but it can wiggle its way into your psyche like a little fish and eventually things will start to flow again.
About a month ago, I started playing with a new design on my iPad after catching the tail end of a nature show about otters. The sketch started slowly and I kept changing lines and shapes, but after a few days of playing around, I got it where I wanted it. And then I decided to color the design on my iPad since I was out at my dad’s place and didn’t have any art supplies with me (or a printed copy of the design). I used Procreate with a few different texture brushes (and lots of layers) to fill the design up with color and more patterns. I had fun working on the iPad but what I kept thinking that weekend was, I sure wish I had my pencils with me!
After a long period of not creating anything at all, it was a ripple in the water.
A week or so later, I decided to duplicate the otter and work it into another design. This one sat still for a spell since I had a few back-to-back shifts at my part-time job, but I finally printed out a copy yesterday and pulled out my pencils. I used a few Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils for the seaweed and the bodies of the otters, then worked in some Irojiten pencils and gel pens. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed having those pencils in my hands again, and though I felt rusty, it didn’t matter. I just had fun. Until it started getting too dark to see what I was doing and my shoulder started aching but that’s another story…
The thing is, I picked up those pencils and reconnected. Which leads me to community. After having been absent from social media for a good bit (and hibernating from just about everything especially now that it’s winter where I am and everything feels so dark and gloomy), I was reminded how most of us need community. It doesn’t have to be big, but it does need some common threads woven through the fabric to hold it all together. For us in the RCC community, the most prominent thread is coloring, but it extends to art supplies and, maybe most importantly, the connections we have made with one another. After being in touch with some very good humans this week, the sun peeked out and feel ready to follow that current back to my fishing grounds.
I’ll have added the otters to my website and Etsy shop and now have my new Bunny and Bird design listed as well. Also, if you don’t have my LinkPop address, feel free to bookmark it. Thanks for being patient with me while I wandered off into the weeds, and I hope to see you back in all the usual places before too long!
Best wishes and stay creative!
Thoughts on AI & New Art in the Works
Spring is almost here in northern Michigan and I have been focused on house and yard projects. We had to demolish our bathroom which included tearing out a partially rotted floor due to a leaky shower and have been slowly putting it back together including some new drywall. Mudding, patching and sanding has taken a lot of time (I have great respect for those who do it professionally), and painting, too. I am anxious to get back to the coloring book designs I am working on, though, and it should be a fun book once I get it to where I envision the designs and the layout. And then there is the cover art … no clue what that will be yet.
Aside from time, my biggest hurdle is feeling motivated to finish up the sketches and finalize my lines. Admittedly, it has been a squelched by a dramatic drop in income from my art. Ultimately, this shouldn’t affect my desire to create, but when one makes a living on their art, it can be pretty depressing. I have seen numerous posts on social media by other artists who are experiencing the same problem (a marked drop in sales) and so many voices blame the sudden rise in AI (Artificial Intelligence) art being generated by Midjourney and Dall-E, for example.
Designs made using AI (where entering text basically generates an image) takes a fraction of the time to produce and AI designs have flooded the market on Amazon, Etsy, and other venues where we like to look for coloring books and pages. A lot of colorists stick with their artists and continue to support them (a heartfelt thank you), but there are an equal (if not greater) number of people who don’t realize that the designs they are buying are made by AI and are, of course, tempted by the really cheap prices of the images and books produced.
Those using AI to create coloring books and pages can sell them for very low prices because they don’t have to put much time into them. 10 images can be created in minutes by AI opposed to 10 images that may take a human artist weeks or months to sit down and draw. And the bargain basement prices of AI images for coloring make it harder for some customers to justify spending money on human-made designs, if they are even aware of the difference.
Not too long ago, I ran across a few posts on Facebook that featured photos of plants and flowers that looked like birds. They were oddly beautiful and surreal—almost believable if you didn’t know plants, and that although there are some plants and flowers that resemble birds, they certainly didn’t look like these. Interesting fantasy stuff, but no where in the post did it claim the images were generated by AI. So of course I had to scroll through the comments and easily over 90% of the commenters said things like “amazing,” “nature is amazing,” “God is great,” and “where can I buy these flowers?” “Will they grow in my area?” Seriously.
Many artists who have spent years developing their skills are now feeling that all the time and effort they have put in to their profession is circling the drain. Many feel devalued by something that is entirely out of their control and this devaluation of human art and artists is tragic on so many levels.
To make matters worse, there are a slew of concerns over copyright infringements since these AI generators can produce images based on the style of any given artist. All you have to do is tell the generator to make a picture of a cat in the style of Kerby Rosannes or Johanna Basford, for instance, and within minutes (maybe seconds?) you have the results. Human artists were never asked if these generators could use their art to train their models for reproduction, and they were never asked if those images could be sold for profit. They do not credit or benefit the human artist at all, but here we are. Our art is being hijacked and we are left with outrage, depression, a lack of motivation to create, and empty pockets. It is a real concern.
AI art in and of itself is not a bad thing, necessarily. In fact, some of it is pretty cool. But it is devaluing artists and art made by fellow humans. What bothers me most is the broader implications AI will have on the well-being of artists and the culture, value and importance of art and creativity in general. I am hoping that AI will be a fad and that we wise up soon, but I am afraid we’re are entangled in it deep already … and not just in the world of art. We are being pummeled with deep fakes, junk food and junk “journalism” and it can be hard to filter through all the crap.
Despite it all, I plan to try my best to keep creating for the joy of the creative process and for the community created through art and coloring. It is, afterall, what keeps me ticking. That and knowing that the people who are coloring my lines and using my books are getting something valuable from them—enjoying the process of a wonderful hobby, art form even, that has it’s own rewards. Every so often I receive a kind note from a customer and it always makes my heart happy. And the universe must be listening because yesterday one of my customers emailed me with a question about paper and said, “Your work has brought me tons of joy!” Knowing that people are enjoying the proverbial fruits of my imagination and labor help me keep doing what I do.
Speaking of … my last completed design for a coloring page was “Galaxy Horse” and I made two versions for my shop and Etsy. One version is a simple design of the horse (with a plain body) and the other has the same horse, but decorated with a floral pattern. If you are interested in creating your own patterns, or if you are into coloring fur and want a more realistic look, the plain version is probably best.
Galaxy Horse is actually a 4-page PDF because in addition to the decorated and non-decorated horses, there is a lighter, grey line version of each design.
My work in progress on the red horse (below on the right) shows the pre-decorated version with flowers and leaves, and the horse on the left shows the plain version which I am in the progress of adding my own patterns to.
When I have a chance, I’ll put together a post about the technique and pencils I am using for this coloring. It’s been a really nice creative break to work on this when I have the time, and I hope to get back to it soon.
Keep your eyes open for another new design headed to my shops soon (this one is a customer request which is always fun!) and a new book sometime this summer. The sketches are coming along, but all I can say about the theme of this book right now is that it’s new territory for me. 😉
Big love from my little studio, and as always, happy coloring and stay creative!
The new 2024 Creative Companion is here!
If you are looking for a creative way to journal and plan out your days, you might really enjoy the relatively unstructured format of this compact, creative planner and journal designed especially for those who love coloring, but handy for all types of creative people. The book is small enough (6 x 9.25″) to fit in a bag for appointments, shopping trips or traveling, and while there are structured monthly calendars and sections for specific purposes, there are also plenty of open pages (most lined, some dot-graphed) for creating your own notes, lists, etc.. Plus there are over 20 designs to color and a few blank charts at the back to swatch your colors.
New this year: the 2024 Creative Companion is available as a paperback book and as a hardcover! The paperback is great if you like to deconstruct your journal to place inside a binder, while the hardcover is sturdy and perfect for tossing in a bag. Both are available on Amazon!
Additionally, there is a companion blank lined journal (with matching cover art) if you need even more room to write, or just want a basic journal … also in paperback and hardcover.
Check out the video Paula Stone Leach created on her YouTube Channel to see the differences between the two versions.
Let your creative side fill this book up as you progress through the year. It’s up to you to turn the “Creative Companion” into a journal that best suits your own creative needs. Cheers to all things creative and meaningful!
The Big Book of Color Charts (Artist Edition) is Finally Digital!
It took me some time to come around to the idea of offering the Big Book of Color Charts as a downloadable PDF, but I finally took the plunge and am excited to offer it here on my website (with a discount) and in my Etsy shop. Since shipping the physical book has been prohibitively expensive for those outside of the USA, offering a digital version makes it more accessible and affordable for everyone, plus, you can print out as many pages as you like on your favorite types of paper.
The book, with a few notable updates, is split into 4 different PDFs (to help keep the file size reasonable), plus a “Read-Print-Me” PDF that gives a quick overview of how the digital version is organized and includes a “book pages to PDF pages” index so it’s easier to find what you need.
You can learn more about the contents of the original Artist Edition here. In addition to over 50 pre-labelled charts (some with needed updates and additions) for the most popular colored pencils, markers, watercolor pencils and more, there are blank charts and a ton of Ruby Charm Colors designs to color. Because why have an uninspired spreadsheet when you could have fun putting your pencils to work with some art to color?
You can make this book your own functional work of art!
Even if you already own the printed version of this book, the digital version can be handy if you want to make extra copies of any of the pages. I know a few people who are doing this already. Personally, my “master charts” stay in the spiral-bound book, but I have printed out additional charts that I keep folded in half in my zippered pencil cases for easy access and for travel.
Also, if you use the digital version with a 3-ring binder, you can add in manufacturer or other charts as well.
Printing Tips:
There are so many different printer brands and models out there it would be impossible to give instructions for them all, but there are a few general commonalities. Most all home printers have a print dialog box that pops up when you print something. Look at all the options in that box because you can customize the settings of your print jobs. In addition to telling the printer which pages to print (like 1-5, or 2, 4, 6, 8 or all, for example) you can adjust the size of the image (scale) by chosing a percentage like 100% (or 85% if you want it a little smaller) of, many printers have a “Fit” option which assures that all of the data on the page fits on your sheet of paper. You can also choose whether to print in color or black and white, double-sided or not (if your printer supports color and/or double-sided printing) as well as page orientation. This book should print in the horizontal or landscape format for best results. Some printers have additional settings and most will give you a thumbnail preview of what the page will look like before it prints. If you are not sure what your printer can (or cannot) do, do an online search for the User Manual using the name and model of your printer.
Different printers use different inks. Home-use inkjet printers typically use inks that are not water resistant (and I don’t think any of them are considered waterproof) but I do know that Epson inks are far more water-resistant than the others I have used. It’s always a good idea to let your freshly printed pages dry for a bit before coloring with pencils, but it is especially important to let them dry (maybe even overnight) if you plan on using any wet media. If you are struggling with smudging or bleeding with your printer’s ink, let the page dry, but also consider spraying a workable fixative over your page. That should lock in the printer ink and give you a nice surface to to work on. My favorite is the Krylon Workable Matte Fixatif but Blick makes a wonderful fixative as well. Just be sure to use spray fixatives in a well-ventilated area (away from people and pets) and don’t breathe in the fumes!
Laser printers use toner cartridges. A combination of heat and pressure fuses the toner onto the paper and the toner is considered permanent, so there should be less smudging. But, that depends on the paper you are using so you might have to experiment if you plan on using paper that is textured (like watercolor paper).
Paper:
There are lots of great papers to use when printing coloring pages or pages you want to use for color swatching. I like the Recollections Card Stock (65 lb) found at Michaels craft stores, but I am also fond of the Neenah Premium Cardstock (65 lb). There is a great selection of mixed media paper through Blick, but most of these specialty papers are not sized for printers. You will probably have to trim them down to 8.5 x 11″ (or 8.268 x 11.693 if using A4) if you want to use, for example, a special watercolor paper.
Some of this might seem a little over the top for printing a set of color charts, but if you are really into using certain types of paper for your coloring pages and artwork, having your pencils and watercolors swatched on the same paper you will be using will give you the most accurate results. The beauty of having digital charts is that you could print, for example, your Derwent Inktense chart on plain white cardstock, on grey or tinted cardstock (if you like working with tinted papers) and also on watercolor paper to see how the colors look and behave on each one.
A note about the black pages … there are quite a few! Originally, these black pages were put into the physical book purposely to help prevent colors from bleeding through to the back side of the page. It helped the book stay a little neater. I kept those pages in the digital version but you don’t necessarily need them. You can print your pages one sided only, then place them back to back inside plastic sheet protectors in your binder. If you do decide to print a few black pages (there’s lots of art plus a few black charts) just be aware that these pages will use a ton of ink/toner. Make sure you don’t accidentally print a bunch if you don’t need them.
Always pay attention to which pages you are printing⏤check (and double check) before clicking the print button!
That said, there is definitely use for a few black charts if you like coloring on black paper (which I do, and I know quite a few of you have my Black Magic coloring books and box sets). Black charts let you see which media and colors work well on black and which don’t. Markers are notorious for disappearing on black paper, but some gel pens (the pens advertised as opaque) and most colored pencils can look fantastic on black paper. So do the shimmery mica watercolors made by the lovely Karen Spencer⏤magical, in fact.
There is also a handy chart for comparing whites and blacks which we often use for shadows and highlights. You can see how the brands of white pencils I have look quite different from one another in the photo below. And black pencil brands are really interesting because some have a slight blue tint (like the Derwent Lightfast Midnight black), while others, like the Lightfast Mars Black, has a slight reddish tint. And the Chameleon Black looks more grey than black. The deepest blacks seem to be the Caran d’Ache Luminance and Holbein blacks … and this is partly why I find charting my colors so interesting (and very helpful).
That’s all for now! I’ve been busy trying to get back on track and will have a few new announcements in the coming weeks, so hang tight and stay true to your creative side!