Written by Today is the last day of the September Doodlewash challenge and a huge congratulations to everyone who participated! It was awesome seeing your work! Next up, is the October “Autumn Joy” art challenge that also coincides with Inktober, for anyone participating in that as well. Use any prompts you like or none at all! Just remember to add the tag #doodlewashOctober2019 so we can all see your work! Ink isn’t a requirement for Doodlewash, of course, as just watercolor painting or the use of any non-digital drawing materials are always welcome. But, I’ll be inking and coloring with watercolor as ever throughout the month, and sharing both the ink-only version as well as the line and wash version as I go along! Or, as I’ve always called it, a doodlewash! I only get time to make one thing each day, and there’s nothing that can keep me away from my brushes and my colorful watercolor. I’ve shown a few of my brushes here in this sketch, including the Raphaël travel brush I just bought recently because it was shiny, copper-colored, and so pretty! And, though I’d love to say there was much more to my decision than that, there really wasn’t. Luckily, though, it’s actually a really nice brush.
As many of you know who’ve followed along with me for some time, my primary brushes are a set of Escoda Versatil travel brushes. I still love them the most and they’ve been a great companion over the last few years. Why travel brushes, when I typically paint at the edge of my kitchen counter? Pure convenience! They collapse and store easily, and should I ever want to plein air paint, or take them with me while traveling, I don’t have to use a different set of brushes, and can stick with the ones I’m used to using. Oh, and they’re shiny, silver, and so pretty! Yeah, my love of shiny things extends to my choice of brushes as well. It’s just more fun to use art supplies that feel a bit precious. This is the same reason I adore my Lamy pens. There was actually a display of Lamy pens directly next to the travel brush I bought and I smiled at Philippe like a dopey puppy. He returned a less enthusiastic smile that clearly said, “you can have the brush, but step… away… from… the… pens!” And like a puppy I didn’t mind being reprimanded as, in the end, I still got to play with a shiny new brush!
For me, this art journey has been all about fun and personal development. Though I certainly love that my skills are improving over time with practice, I don’t stress over just how much or how little. Some days feel like a successful revelation while others feel like I’m still just learning how to draw. Because, I am still learning how to draw and paint, each and every day. And my journey of learning isn’t just about art, but about life in general. Each day, I learn new things about myself and what makes my heart glow with joy and what leaves me less than inspired. This knowledge is the most precious thing indeed. It allows me to focus on the things that bring me true happiness and less on the things that don’t add much value. The result is rather magical. Though I’m quite busy with all of the things I’ve instigated over the years, I always try to make time for only the bits that thrill my heart. There’s plenty that I feel that I should do, but I skip those bits in favor of emotion and feeling. While this may seem crazy and idealistic, I offer it up, because I truly feel it’s how we’re meant to live. Life has always been a dance between logic and dreams and I love each step along the way. It’s not a dance that comes with precise choreography, but instead, with moments that can happen instantly, simply for the love of a brush.
Want To Sketch Stuff With Me? Check Out My New Activity Book!
About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Gold Ochre, Vermilion, Cobalt Turquoise, and Ultramarine (Green Shade). Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Great brushes Charlie! I can’t believe another month is ending. I am participating in both Doodlewash and Inktober. I know that your posts show here, on Facebook and on Instagram. Do you have it set up that your post hits all three automatically? I want to continue to post here so if I use the hashtag for Inktober will it show in their sight too?
Thanks so much, Karen! 😃💕My posts go out to all 3 platforms, but only the link and image on Facebook and the first paragraph of my story on Instagram. On Instagram I’m going to upload both the ink only as well if you swipe right. 😉 And as for the hashtag, I’m not directly affiliated with Inktober, but as far as I know it’s still just limited to the hashtag on each social network and isn’t curated elsewhere. For my part, I’ll just be following the #doodlewashOctober2019 hashtag on Instagram to be sure I see what our community makes, so be sure to include that as well!
Love your brushes! I’m anticipating a busy month since I’ll be doing some traveling to both Florida and to the Oregon Coast. I decided I’d do Inktober, but I’m mostly going to do just pen and ink doodles. I will still be doing hubby’s Postcards for the Lunch Bag of course, but I’m going to save them up and post them in November!
Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕 Glad you liked these! And yay to doing Inktober! I’m going to get extra inky this month as a bit of a change. hehe… but, will of course me adding watercolor, as I can’t go a month without it! lol But, I’ll be posting both versions for review! hehe
Charlie, your daily challenges have really stretched me in a good way as I am very new to sketching and watercolor. Thank you for the recommendation of the brushes – they are going on my wish list. I look forward to growing as an artist with your daily prompts.
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Bonnie! 😃💕 Yay! And yeah, those Escoda brushes are awesome!! I happily recommend them!
Fabulous brushes!!! and Happy October. Weeeeeee more fun creative days. lol 🙂
Thanks so much, Lisa! 😃💕Happy October to you as well! Can’t wait for this month… going to be extra fun and creative! 😉
Brushes, mmmmmmm, that’s my passion…I love brushes…. I do have hundreds of them…. Watercolors, acrylics and oils…. I love them all…. Out of all of them one of my favorites are the Neptune’s…. I have like 15 of them.. your painting are the portable ones…. Nice, I do have couple of davici’s also…..
Yeah, I love the portable ones as I don’t have a proper studio, so I need to store them easily! 😉 And hundreds? That’s amazing! I imagine I’ll get there one day! hehe
Well that was a fast month! It seems as if I just turned the calender from August and now summer is well and truly behind us. But I did get around to making a big pot of minestrone today. It was delicious, and with two days of leftovers, it is a lovely thing to have in the fridge.
I got a new tube of DS Opera Pink paint, so I splashed down some wild roses today. Not my best effort, but I was interested most in how it flowed. Nice.
Yeah, seriously… September just sort of bleeped by! lol But yay for October! 😃💕 I hope it goes at a more leisurely pace. Yay for pink roses and pink paint! Love it!
Nice brush renderings of brush set Charlie!😊 Good job.
Thanks so much, Jerson! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed this one!
My the same still learning the daily challenges help me to create little doodles and improving my skills .Inking and coloring is fun to work with and gives a boost to you creativity .I love you shiny copper colored brushes they look cool!!
Thanks so much, Fatima! 😃💕Yeah, I’m just having a blast trying something new each day. I think that’s the most fun! And I’m adoring seeing what you post!
Every day is a new beginning. Thanks for all the support and comments.
My pleasure, Everett! 😃💕 Thanks so much for posting your awesome work on Doodlewash! I’ve really enjoyed it!
“Focus on things that bring me true happiness and less on things that don’t add much value.” I need this to be my motto this month. 🙂 Of course sketching/painting bring a lot of happiness! These brushes look really pretty and magical. I can’t seem to get away from my waterbrushes, mainly because I paint while on the couch and I’m afraid of spills. I did paint at the table the other day with “real” brushes and really enjoyed it!
Thanks, Lori! 😃💕Yeah, I truly believe that if we focus on what brings us happiness, the rest sort itself out. And yeah, I split the difference on brushes. I love “real” brushes best, but use the travel ones so they store easily. Then I I just use a tiny glass about the size of an espresso so I can perch it just about anywhere. 😉
Beautiful brushes, Charlie! I seem to have a rather large collection of brushes going but it’s still difficult to walk by the brush section without finding something new that needs to be added. Well, maybe “needs” isn’t the correct word….🥰🤨
I love your lovely brushes, Charlie 😍. And I adore Lamy brushes, too. I clicked on the link and see them on Amazon, they look beautiful and convenient. Welcome to October, in my place, it’s rainy season, I’m wondering how I can paint with only black ink brush with the golden autumn month hehe.😂
Thanks so much, Loan! 😃💕 Yeah, I don’t actually do the full Inktober thing in black and white… I can’t possibly show up with only black and white during the most colorful month of the year! hehe… so I’m doing BOTH! I’m showing up with the ink sketch as well as one colorized to fit the season! 😉
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕 hehe… yeah, I felt I had pretty good willpower, but I have a thing for travel brushes, so seeing a new one meant I just had to grab it!
As always, very well said Charlie !
Thanks so much, Ariel! 😃💕
Oh, and by the way Charlie, I’m eyeing those shiny travel brushes of yours too!
hehe!! I love my brushes shiny! 😉
Charlie, are you not on WordPress feed anymore? You disappeared and I can’t find a way to refollow you. (K)
Thanks for letting me know! They appear to be searchable in the Reader, but yeah, not showing up… I’ll check in with WordPress. Ugh! 😔
Thanks Charlie…I knew I was missing something in my day!
Aww… Thanks!! 😃💕
You seem to be back. Yay!
hehe!! Yesss! I diagnosed the issue and all seems to be fixed now! 🙂 Yay!
Charlie says, ” Life has always been a dance between logic and dreams and I love each step along the way.”
and poet John Keats said, “that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know”
Oh wow… to be paired with Keats is a lovely day indeed! 😃💕 Thanks so much, Sarah!