The Best Sketchbook for Brush Pens

                                 Duality is the essence of life. There cannot be light without darkness. We wouldn't comprehend happiness without sorrow. There is the blazing summer and the chilly winters and we definitely cannot appreciate one without the other. Duality is like two sides of a coin. Two factors, even when being stark opposite to the other, balance each other perfectly.

                                There is duality in art too. There is wet media like watercolors, gouache, acrylics and dry media like pencils, charcoals, brush pens etc.  So why should one restrict oneself to just one of these? The 180gsm Versatile mixed media Sketchbook from Menorah lets you explore and enjoy both these mediums. It also comes in a wide of sizes like- A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 and Square sizes to choose from.

                                   With Autumn just beginning, I was looking out my window and had the sudden urge to draw florals on my sketchbook, as I looked at the bright colored leaves strewn on the streets. I decided that my floral art work had to be bright and colorful, just like the atmosphere outside. I picked two of my favorite colors, yellow, orange and blue and a Square sketchbook for this.

                                 Autumn being sandwiched between hot summers and cold winters, carries tinges of both. Similarly, I wanted to use both dry media and wet media on my sketchbook, to get that beautiful blend in my art. Here are the supplies needed to create your own beautifully layered artwork.

• Menorah 180 gsm sketchbook
• Brush pens
• Watercolour brush
• A glass of water

Draw with water

                              We are going to draw the petals of the roses, not with pencil, but with water. Dip your paint brush in water and draw an outline of the petals. Once, it dries a little, you will be able to identify the shape of your art easily.

Brush pen time

                          Next, I used my watercolour brush pen to get that layered effect rather than using water colours directly. I made strokes with my brush pen, just below the lines of water. I repeated the same for the flower of another colour too. As soon as I made the strokes with my brush pen, the pigment merged with water, to create a beautiful layer.  This indeed is the perfect sketchbook for alcohol markers and brush pens.

                             This way, I achieved a dual tone in my art work, with light and darker shades that looked very realistic, even without using water colours.

Enhance your art

                                To enhance your brush pen drawing, you can add as many petals as you want and make your art bigger and better. I have added leaves to my flowers, to complete my art work.

                                I used different shades of green brush pen to make the leaves look real. I used only my brush pen for the leaves, because I was satisfied with the finish. You can layer with water too, if you would like.

                               To spice up your art, you can finish off by using the Splatter Technique. Just dip your paintbrush in paint, hold it in between your fingers and gently flick the bristles of the brush. This creates a splatter that is both fun and unpredictable. However, if you want to control the amount and place of paint splatter, you can hold the paint brush towards the end and gently tap it. Alternatively, you can also hold the paintbrush near the area where you want the splatter and gently tap it with another paint brush. This technique will instantly enliven your art work.

                                  This is a very simple brush pen drawing for beginners. You can go ahead and come up with many more brush pen drawing ideas for your Menorah sketchbook.

                                 Don't restrict yourself anymore. Express your love of art through mixed media sketchbooks from Menorah.