Journey Art Supplies Blog
Tips, Tricks, Thoughts, and inspiration from across the art spectrum.
Art Supplies For Every Studio Size
OK, not everyone who does art has a fancy studio, but everyone who does art surely has a space, no matter how small, where they can spread out and create.
Art Supplies For Every Studio Size
OK, not everyone who does art has a fancy studio, but everyone who does art surely has a space, no matter how small, where they can spread out and create.
Go-Go Gadget! Useful Art Tools
Like the retro cartoon character Inspector Gadget, are you fond of doodads and gizmos, gadgets, and handy tools that make creating your art easier? Do you have a collection of tools of the trade and are you continually seeking new and improved ways to create your pieces?
Go-Go Gadget! Useful Art Tools
Like the retro cartoon character Inspector Gadget, are you fond of doodads and gizmos, gadgets, and handy tools that make creating your art easier? Do you have a collection of...
A Portrait Sketch - Stepping outside your comfo...
"There's a lot of sinking feelings in art" - Joe Miller I set out this week to get out of my comfort zone and do something I don't typically. I'm a student of Architecture and I gravitate toward buildings, urban scenes, architectural details, etc. But definitely not towards people. Some may critique my artwork for the absence of life. I'm just scared of doing people. Especially when they're supposed to look like someone. So, this week, I stepped out of my comfort zone to draw a person. Myself. I felt "me" would be a better subject because I wouldn't have anyone see me and say, "You think I look like that?!?" (I'm looking in the direction of my wife). I'd done some drawings of past girlfriends earlier in my artistic career who's reactions instill fear even today. (The initial line drawing) Who in the world is that...?But when I began, I thought, there's no way this will ever look like me. It was terrible. (Adding more shadows to the portrait to create depth) Do I really look like Lurch?But, I kept at it. Then I'd get kinda happy with something, but it wasn't right -- cue the sinking feeling. So, I'd erase hoping that I could at least do that well again because if I did worse... then I'd never get what I had back. Another sinking feeling. (Pushing more shadows. More developed nose and eyes) Hey! I kinda recognize that guy! (I can draw!)Oh, but, the eyes are still off. And, the forehead... (Darkening the shadows. More layering) The forehead is better. Oh jeez, I've messed it up. The darks are too dark...I'm back..! Right? Or am I? In a lot of ways, art is about perseverance. I'm convinced of that. Erasing something for the 4th or 5th time hasn't worn me down. Or the paper. The drawing is getting better. I recognize "Me". There's still some work to be done and in portraits, maybe it's a game of millimeters. But how I've enjoyed the test of my artistic endurance. Maybe I can make something out of myself yet... Maybe... There's miles to go. More to come... -Brian
A Portrait Sketch - Stepping outside your comfo...
"There's a lot of sinking feelings in art" - Joe Miller I set out this week to get out of my comfort zone and do something I don't typically. I'm...
Making it Pop with Pastels!
Hello, everyone! Whenever I find out about a new painting technique, I cannot wait to try it and show you guys how it works! This week, I explored the use of soft pastels with watercolor to achieve greater depth of field. I absolutely love mixed media, which is why I can't believe I hadn't heard of this sooner!
Making it Pop with Pastels!
Hello, everyone! Whenever I find out about a new painting technique, I cannot wait to try it and show you guys how it works! This week, I explored the use...
Spring Art Swap!
Hi, everyone! It was a great week over here at Cheap Joe's headquarters! For a little over a month now, our employees have been working diligently to create a one-of-a-kind work of art to be swapped for another unique piece made by a fellow employee! Well, today was the day of the swap, and I am extremely excited to show you the products of some of the amazing artists we have here! The theme, of course, was "spring"--but we encouraged the participants to interpret that however they pleased OR go in a different direction entirely. After all, art knows no bounds! In alphabetical order: Artwork by Alex Skala, retail associate at our Charlotte location. Artwork by Alicia Orlando, a member of our Distribution Center team. Artwork by Aly Perez, manager of our Asheville Retail Store. Artwork by Amanda Chapman, manager of our Boone Outlet Store. Artwork by Annabelle Prince, manager of our Charlotte Retail Store. Artwork by Becky Stines, part of our receiving gang. (This is the panel I got!) Artwork by Bri Stoehr, one of the retail associates in our Asheville location. Artwork by Brian Dubberly, our Marketing Manager. Alicia Orlando also created this piece, on behalf of a new employee in the Distribution Center named Bryan Elrod. Artwork by Byron Cook, our Web Developer is in charge of the entire Cheap Joe's website! Artwork by Carlee Hudson (that's me!), marketing assistant/copywriter/blogger extraordinaire. Artwork by Christy Firk, one of the retail associates in our Asheville location. Artwork by Danie Firth, one of the retail associates at our Charlotte location. Artwork by Dawn Hill, roommate to one of our Call Center gurus, Tammy Guilford. Artwork by Derrick Fowler, one of our Call Center gurus. Artwork by Edwina May, our Workshop Coordinator. Artwork by Erin Guffey, one of our graphic designers, who works on our seasonal sale flyers and orchestrates these art swaps! Artwork by Jacob Woehler, one of the retail associates at our Asheville Location. And here's the back of Jacob's--we're a silly bunch :) Artwork by Jana Smith, another member of our receiving gang. Artwork by Janalee Burke, part of our Distribution Center team. Artwork by Jane Laferla, one of the retail associates at our Asheville location. Artwork by Kevin Brown, one of the retail associates at our Charlotte Location. Artwork by Kevin Bryan, part of our Distribution Center team. Artwork by Lauren Murrell, another retail associate at our Charlotte location. Artwork by Linda Greenup, a retail associate at our Asheville location. Artwork by Lori Inman, the other marketing assistant, in charge of finding awesome new products. Artwork by Luke Russell, one of the retail associates at our Charlotte location. Artwork by Megan Hart, Content/SEO Management Artwork by Meghann Miller Williams, in charge of promotional donations. Artwork by Michael White, part of the Distribution Center team. Artwork by Michelle Dineen, one of our Call Center gurus. Artwork by Phillip Church, part of our Distribution Center team. Artwork by Sally Garner, one of the retail associates in our Asheville location. Artwork by Tammy Guilford, one of our Call Center gurus. Artwork by Taylor Bowers, marketing. Artwork by Terry Henry, part of the graphics team. Artwork by Tippy Kleinman, one of the retail associates in our Boone Outlet Store. And last but certainly not least, Web Alexander, manager/guru supreme of the Call Center.
Spring Art Swap!
Hi, everyone! It was a great week over here at Cheap Joe's headquarters! For a little over a month now, our employees have been working diligently to create a one-of-a-kind...
The Cheap Joe's 2016 Guide to Great Art!
Hello, everybody! Have you guys heard about this year's catalog? Well, not only is it jam-packed with a bunch more art stuff, but the cover is color-able! With how popular and fun grown-up coloring books are right now, we wanted to make our catalog just as exciting! These covers can withstand colored pencils, markers, pastels, pens, crayons, watercolor pencils, and even regular watercolors if you work lightly! With mine, I chose to go with a limited palette and only use Prismacolor Colored Pencils in blues and greens: At first, I was a little worried that the trees would fade into the background, but I think it turned out pretty good considering I didn't have the whole spectrum of colors to work with! Take a look at some of the others from around Cheap Joe's! Megan, our SEO Analyst, put this beauty together. I love how she left snowy peaks on the mountains! Our Website Manager, Byron, has been working on this one in between website updates. His combination of highlighters and colored pencils really makes the cover pop! TJ, one of our Customer Service Representatives in the call center, took a creative approach in making his mountains into pyramids! Now that's thinking outside the box! One of our retail store associates, Tippy, colored this one. Gotta love those purple-mountain Majesties! It's easy to forget that you don't have to color every single shape in its entirety, and by leaving some shapes white, she drew even more attention to the sections that are colored! Taylor, another CSR, has been working diligently on hers during the limited downtime in the call center. It's tough to get art done on the job, but it provides such a relaxing atmosphere! And another of our retail store associates, Kathleen, is slowly but surely filling hers in, too! She's even got a little doodle from Cheap Joe himself to add a unique touch! And these are just a FEW of the awesome covers we've got over here at headquarters. What's even better is that some customers have been sending us photos of what they've done with their catalogs: Marion from Florida sent us this magical wonderland! She even included glitter, though it didn't photograph particularly well. She says this is just her FIRST draft and she plans on putting snow on the mountains in her next one! Then we've got Wilton, also from Florida, who decided to turn one of his mountains into Grandfather Mountain, located just a few minutes from us! Click here to request your own 2016 catalog with this awesome coloring book cover, and then send us a picture of what you create! Who knows, it could be entered into a contest where you could win a prize... :)
The Cheap Joe's 2016 Guide to Great Art!
Hello, everybody! Have you guys heard about this year's catalog? Well, not only is it jam-packed with a bunch more art stuff, but the cover is color-able! With how popular...
10 Ways to Pump Up Your Coloring Books!
Hello, everyone! This week, I want to talk about one of the greatest concepts to hit the market: grown-up coloring books! It's so simple, yet so revolutionary, I can't believe it took us this long to realize that coloring didn't have to be just for kids! Of course, everyone already knows how to color, but I want to show you ways to take your coloring to the next level! Here are my tips: No. 1) Use pencils! Whether it's colored pencils or graphite pencils, you're sure to get the greatest range of tones with these guys. Here's a stunning horse design from Art Nouveau Animal Designs by Creative Haven that I filled in with only 4 colors--teal, light blue, light violet, and salmon. It's only with colored pencils that I'd be able to blend the teal and light blues in the mane so seamlessly and easily. No. 2) If you're going to use markers, make sure they're fine-tipped and you have a WIDE variety of colors. Unlike coloring books for kids, coloring books for adults tend to have tighter spaces and more intricate patterns to fill in, which means your chunky Crayola Washables ain't gonna cut it. If you're serious about working with markers, you'll need to acquire some that'll reach those tough spots and also compensate for the lack of hues they'll give you. These beauties (also from Art Nouveau Animal Designs) were done in marker, and I think they turned out pretty well. --But that's because I followed rule No. 2 and rule No. 3, which is... No. 3) Vary colors slightly. With some designs, especially the Art Nouveau designs, the pictures can get a little too symmetrical and boring. The best way to break that up is to mirror similar (but not the same!) colors with each other. At the bottom, I used very slightly different shades of green for my lizards, and also the purple curly wurlies. It breaks the picture up just enough to keep your eyes engaged and interested. No. 4) Take it one step/color/shape at a time. I know that seems like something you should already know to do, but it's very, very easy to get overwhelmed looking at a blank design and deciding where to start and how you want it to look. For my horse, I started in on my favorite part first (the horse), then went to the background, and then onto this chain around it. This little monkey on the inside cover was a fun warm-up piece which I started by filling in all the things I wanted to be brown. Giving yourself small goals to accomplish--like "fill in all the brown"--rather than thinking of the entire page as one project will let you really take your time and focus on what you're doing since it'll seem like you've got less to do. And, after all, that's why we're coloring, isn't it? To avoid/relieve stress? So don't stress yourself out! No. 5) Limit your color palette Speaking of stress, sometimes having too many options can make a project seem daunting. My little monkey friend is only surrounded by browns, blues, and purples, but he's still very aesthetically pleasing! The limited palette also gives you the chance to dive into some whimsy--I mean, where on earth are you going to find navy-blue pears? Get crazy! Color your monkey turquoise! Color your sky yellow! The only limit is your imagination. And, well, your palette. And in the spirit of making the picture your own... No. 6) Add your own patterns and textures. Below my horse, there is some foliage. And as nice as those shapes are, I decided that the leaves needed a little somethin' somethin'... I colored them in with 2 shades of green, and then took a third, darker shade and made little lines on the outside. Adding textures and patterns with your pencils or markers is a great way to make your work stand out. Everyone thinks you have to color flat inside all of the lines, but it isn't so! In fact, that takes me to... No. 7) Add to the designs themselves! Here we have the brown parts of my monkey, including this dull-looking brown tree trunk. But I went in and added some lines with my Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen and gave that baby some sass! Coloring book artists will often say that they leave parts of their designs with open spaces to encourage the color-er to incorporate their own style into it. So take every opportunity you can to make your picture as unique as you are :) No. 8) Shade and blend! Shading is the easiest way to give your picture TONS of dimension and blending (with your choice of blending medium (mine is a colorless blender pencil, as mentioned in this blog post about blending colored pencils)) will give it the polished, professional look to set it apart from something a kid would do. Here, you can see the delicate care I took in shading the horse's head and body as well as the difference between using a blender (left side of the purple frame) and using nothing at all (right side). But don't stop here! Shading and blending are great tools when it comes to drawing, so why not... No. 9) Incorporate other drawing techniques! To break up the monotony of solid colors, I used used a bit of stippling on my little monkey friend's cloud. You could also try cross-hatching or coloring in swirled or lined strokes. Basically anything you'd do with your own original drawing, you can also do in a coloring book! The stippling on the edges gave it just the right amount of color plus the right amount of white. Which leads me to my final tip... No. 10) Don't be afraid of white space!! It's easy to think, "I have to color all of this in," when looking at a fresh page, but you really don't! I left white space with my monkey friend's cloud and a little on the edges of the page and that drew even MORE attention to the parts that were colored in! And if you still find yourself afraid of or dreading the white space, just...cut it out. I still had a ton of white space leftover on my horse picture, but I really wasn't interested in coloring any more of it in... So I cut out the part I did like and wanted to keep: Now I can paste this in my journal and do some more designs around it or incorporate it into another work of art, like a collage! With these tips, you can now go boldly into your coloring adventures!
10 Ways to Pump Up Your Coloring Books!
Hello, everyone! This week, I want to talk about one of the greatest concepts to hit the market: grown-up coloring books! It's so simple, yet so revolutionary, I can't believe...
Do You Doodle?
Well, you should! This week, I wanted to talk about a subject that I know everyone has been familiar with at least once in their life–doodling! Studies have shown, and even NPR has reported, that doodling has several benefits for your mind, body, and soul!
Do You Doodle?
Well, you should! This week, I wanted to talk about a subject that I know everyone has been familiar with at least once in their life–doodling! Studies have shown, and...
Colored Pencils: Feel the Blend!
There are some who don’t consider colored pencil works to be art, but I know an entire Facebook group that would heartily disagree with you. In fact, colored pencil artists have some of the most technical hands around because their medium is rooted in realism and depends on complete accuracy–there is very little opportunity for reworking in colored pencil.
Colored Pencils: Feel the Blend!
There are some who don’t consider colored pencil works to be art, but I know an entire Facebook group that would heartily disagree with you. In fact, colored pencil artists have some...
5 Tips That Will (Probably) Improve Your Drawin...
Want to avoid panda-monium in your drawing and sketching? Consider some of these tips I’m about to throw at ya! These are tips that I either learned from instructors–or just realized on my own–and they can be used for realistic drawing or simply sketching your subject accurately.
5 Tips That Will (Probably) Improve Your Drawin...
Want to avoid panda-monium in your drawing and sketching? Consider some of these tips I’m about to throw at ya! These are tips that I either learned from instructors–or just...
The Spring Art Swap!
Well, it’s that time of year again…time for another Cheap Joe’s Art Swap! The theme this time was “spring”–and I took that pretty literally in my panel. I sketched out this idea in my Hand•Book Artist Journal. I absolutely LOVE these journals.
The Spring Art Swap!
Well, it’s that time of year again…time for another Cheap Joe’s Art Swap! The theme this time was “spring”–and I took that pretty literally in my panel. I sketched out...
Love--No, ART is in the Air!
This week, I want to talk about stepping out of your comfort zone. I know, I know, it can be scary to attempt something you’ve never done before–and in my case, there’s the added pressure of the entire internet being able to see
Love--No, ART is in the Air!
This week, I want to talk about stepping out of your comfort zone. I know, I know, it can be scary to attempt something you’ve never done before–and in my...
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