Trees in Crayon and Marker (Grid Journaling #2)

Trees in Crayon and Marker (Grid Journaling #2)
Grid journal of trees Grid Journal of Trees at Huntington State Park (crayon and marker) by Polly Castor

I’ve continued to enjoy grid journaling, and this time of year choosing a subject was obvious: trees. Shown above, I more recently did trees from my walks at Huntington State Park, and shown below, at the end of October, I did a page spread of trees from our yard.

To make this project simple and portable, I chose a minimum of materials: my artist crayons and some Posca markers. What I didn’t expect was to love the combination of these two so much!

I own these two materials for very different reasons. The Posca markers embellish, tidy up, and sign my acrylic work, and as actual acrylic paint, they go over anything. I own the wax artist crayons for wax resist techniques I use in paintings and collage papers. I have never used these two on their own in combination, and I was delighted by both the process and result. I have continued past the grid journal now, and painted another tree on its own in this method on a large piece of paper (shown below).

Also shown below are photos of these materials. The wax artist crayons are Caran D’Ache NeoColor I (buy my set of 40 here). They are buttery, and nicer in coverage than your average Crayola; they can go down densely, and pack a good color punch. You can layer them for more variety of color, and they come in a nice red tin container for easy portability. I’ve been sketching in each vignette with these first, and finishing with some emphasis and mark making with the acrylic Posca pens (buy a set of eight here).  (And since someone will ask, the sketchbook I’m using is this one.)

I hope you give it a try. It feels more like painting than drawing, but is a no fuss, no mess approach you can take or do anywhere. This is a great way to quickly get down the essence of an image or idea.

Grid Journal of Trees from Our Yard October 2022 (crayon and marker) by Polly Castor

 

 

 

 

 

I work to amplify good wherever I find it. I love color, texture, beauty, great ideas, nature, metaphor, deliciousness, genuine spirituality, and exploring new territory. I encourage authenticity, nurture creativity, champion sustainability, promote peace, and hope to foster a new renaissance where we all are free to be our most fulfilled, multifaceted, and terrific selves. Read more here.

2 Comments

  1. Laura Beckering 2 years ago

    Thanks Polly
    So many creative ideas to try.

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  1. […] than the new concertina sketchbook I’ve been working in, and the grid journal (example here) I’m continuing with, I have a new thick bound journal that I’m doing quick bits in– […]

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