Cappuccino...and Inks? A Perfect recipe for Inktober!

Cappuccino with soya, lactose-free or almond milk, hmm. Today everything is possible and even a...Cappuccino Book! Although I'd love to use a paper block all the time there are just special projects when sketchbook is merely indispensable. Some artists even turn sketchbook slowly into art object itself.

Inktober is upon us! This time I had a lucky chance to try the new product from a German manufacturer Hahnemühle and can't wait to share some illustrations for this year's challenge.

If you love inks as much as I do you've probably heard of Inktober (read about this challenge here ) and so I decided to try this new coffee friend to keep me a company.

The first impression (and we all know how important that is) was beautiful. The paper quality and hardcover with a bookmark make it pleasant to hold. And of course, the color of the pages is warm and matt.

Before the start it's always a great idea to test the medium right on paper, and here are the swatches I've made with acrylic inks. So even before the start I already had the idea of paper texture, how it behaves with chosen inks and how fast it takes for inks to dry. Drops are made straight from the pipette (brave, right?:) and pigment titles are written with a classic nib pen.

Inspired by masters of fashion illustration I did a quick study using several layers of inks and the paint dried suuuper fast. Indian-Ink dried up in seconds while acrylics needed some more time.

When applied more than five layers the paper begins to wrinkle which adds this professional feeling of the old manuscript which I personally love a lot.

I wouldn't recommend working in this sketchbook with watercolors or water-soluble medium which needs a wet surface (like wet on wet technique).

The second prompt for Inktober was this little forest friend. I could finally try opaque white and see how the paper allows highlighting the areas. Considering the warm-color surface, I picked blue shades to pup up. Even white inks worked out great (most often you need to use white gouache to get enough coverage).

Several layers on eyes + final glazing with semi-transparent yellow look perfect.

The overall experience is excellent and here are some pros and cons (that is my personal opinion of course).

• Pros:

- Paper works perfectly for inks and dries super fast

- The pages color is very soft and classy

- Holds the masking tape really great (yay!)

- Thin enough for light table and image transfer

• Cons:

- Not suitable for wet-on-wet techniques and if you like the pages to be perfectly smooth after the painting is finished.

- The too liquid and intense medium can leave marks on the back side of the page

To sum everything up, I'd definitely recommend this book for some particular project since it gives the feeling of the manuscript and helps find inspiration.

You can find a process video of this lady in my Instagram feed. Let’s connect!

Hope you find this review helpful. During this month I plan to experiment with different mediums and already excited about it!

Did you know I teach some classic and modern techniques online on Skillshare ? You can check my classes and learn something new!

Let's put our creative hats on and enjoy the beauty around us!

Freistil 6 — The Book of Illustrators

Can't wait to share my excitement! 💥Dreams coming true 🖌️😍The new Freistil - The Book of Illustrators is OUT and my works are inside.
I wanted to be featured in this book since the first time I saw it several years ago during one of Europe trips and now I can hold it in my greedy hands 🤗
Huge thanks to Verlag Hermann Schmidt, Raban Ruddigkeit, Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, Sarah Schnurbus

Victorinox — Places of the World 2018 Winner

I'm thrilled to announce my work "Saint Petersburg Guardians" won 1st Place Community Award in Victorinox this year’s Classic Limited Edition theme – Places of the World. More than 800 submitted wonderful artworks ended with 46610 votes! Ahhh, thank you!!

"As a child I strolled the streets of Leningrad (now St.Petersburg) and observed how diverse my beautiful city was. Inspired by the legends and Peter The Great historical heritage, everyone in my hometown knows these stories. One of the legends tells about sky guardians, powerful patrons, who protect the city and preserve its treasures. St. Isaac’s Cathedral is a symbol of such a legend and I gave it a birds-eye-view to emphasize this idea".

The Illustrator’s new friend: One paper for any technique

As I’m often asked about what paper I use for my design and illustration projects I thought it’d be nice to make an in-depth introduction of my new and already constant friend—Bristol paper by Hahnemühle. With 20 pages of ultra-smooth but sturdy surface the Bristol paper is the perfect choice for design and illustration projects allowing working with dry and fluid drawing media at the same time.

Keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and refers to how I work, although I believe you’ll find it helpful. I combine traditional and digital techniques so considering the diversity of projects and strict deadlines Bristol is a wise choice.

I decided to show it “in the field”—logotype project for a small business company called Lelemo (natural handmade souvenirs). Lavender was an inspirational symbol and I started with pencil sketches directly on Bristol paper (while instantly inhaling the fresh lavender flowers aroma)

After several pencil sketches I determined the best one for this project.  You can see the examples with pencil, classical nib pen, brush and inks.

Brush and inks

Liner pen

The process was smooth and I could switch the materials without worrying whether the paper could handle it. For most projects I use liners considering time spent and that nib pens can scratch the surface when working too hard.

Adding some color tryouts before the computer postproduction is a very relaxing stage, there is little pressure so I tried both gouache and watercolor. Both paints absorbed quickly and dried quickly.

If you're working in a traditional multi-layering technique I strongly advise the use of specific paper (for acrylics, sumi-e, watercolors etc.), but for mixed media illustration project Bristol is perfect.

Time for scan and vectorizing. The bright white color of the paper allows for the easy scanning and isolating of subjects without elaborate post processing so all the last steps are usually made directly into Adobe Illustrator.

Layering opportunities

A big surprise was with layering opportunities.

This is sneak peek of a watercolor and gouache project for my new Skillshare class I’m working on now. I just wanted to show how the paper holds the layers and you can surprisingly easily combine some elements of classical techniques with liners and whatever possible.

The only trouble I had was with a masking tape. After using lots of water, the tape removes the top layer of the paper. In illustration and design projects I don't often use the tape, but if you're working on for example floral watercolor painting with background, you'd better use some specific watercolor paper.

To sum everything up, Bristol paper is an indispensable assistant for quick and enjoyable illustration and design working projects.

Berlin.Stadt.Magazin Exhibition

So excited to have my very Berlin'ish work selected for the group exhibition Berlin.Stadt.Magazin – 45 Jahre tip Berlin + 40 Jahre Zitty by the famous Zitty Berlin magazine and Tip Berlin at Neurotitan Gallery in Haus Schwarzenberg!

The exhibition is opened till 22 of April in the wonderful Hackescher Markt area. Check the opening video for the atmosphere: