Category Archives: 2- Bolts: Sketching Tools

Secret #6 – “Don’t push me!”Guide the Bead Instead

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

Create a Bead, then guide it for juicy, brush-mark-free painting success. So many beginners will try to paint with watercolors the same way they would with other paints, like acrylics or oils. Their watercolor paintings end up looking dry and … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Look at That- Second Edition, Second Edition of Look at That!, Sketchbooks, Sketching tools, Watercolor | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Welcome to Week 4 of “The 8 Secrets of Watercolor Success”

Posted on August 4, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

Secret #4 – How dark is your mix? (Or “How to Stop Wasting Paint”) See page 77 of the newly released Second Edition of Look at That! Step 1: Prewet your Palette Cover (i.e., mixing area) Really? That sounds silly. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Look at That- Second Edition, Second Edition of Look at That!, Sketching tools, Watercolor | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Part 1 of 8: The Secret of Water(color)

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

Right now, my favorite chapter in my new book, Look at That! – Second Edition, is Chapter 6, called “Introducing…WATER!” The key to effortless watercolor painting, surprisingly, has nothing to do with paper, or paint or brushes. Nope. The Secret … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Look at That- Second Edition, Second Edition of Look at That!, Sketchbooks, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

“Look at That!  Second Edition” is almost ready!

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

What a roller-coaster ride it has been! This delightful book is the high point of my entire long life, and I am so proud of it. Here’s what you can expect: Stats: This Second Edition  is twice the length of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1- Nuts: Graphic Styles, 2- Bolts: Sketching Tools, Beauty, Cartoons, Design Basics, Look at That- Second Edition, My Story, Nuts & Bolts & Magic, Pen & Ink, Pencil sketching, Second Edition of Look at That!, Seeing and looking, Sketchbooks, sketching, Sketching tools, Urban Sketching (On-Site Creativity), Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Only 16 “Look at That! ™ Art Pouches” left!

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

I have been busy at work since you last heard from me in January. Here are the highlights: Yesterday I uploaded images of the last of my handwoven, handsewn, designed-by-me Art Pouches. The sixteen pouches that are available now are … Continue reading →

Posted in 2- Bolts: Sketching Tools, Beauty, Look-at-That! Pouches, Second Edition of Look at That!, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Learning to Trust Your Creative Instincts

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Bobbie Herron

Sometimes when I am in the middle of painting a watercolor, a voice inside nudges me to take a photo midway through. Perhaps I have hit a place of hesitation, and I want a record of what it looked like … Continue reading →

Posted in photography, Seeing and looking, Sketching tools, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Perfect Cure for Your Next Creative Stall-out

Posted on June 10, 2023 by Bobbie Herron

Do you ever feel like sketching, but you don’t feel like sketching? By that I mean, do you ever feel like playing with your pens and paper and watercolor toys, but you have no interest at all in finding a … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Books I Love, Pen & Ink, Pencil sketching, Sketchbooks, sketching, Sketching tools, Urban Sketching (On-Site Creativity), Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Ultimate Toolkit for Plein Air Watercolor Enjoyment

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Bobbie Herron

As promised last week, here is the story of the latest “Ultimate Plein Air Watercolor Set-up.” This time, yes, I think I’ve nailed it. Warning: If you are not a watercolor painter, or even if you are and you never … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, sketching, Sketching tools, Urban Sketching (On-Site Creativity), Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Playing with Watercolor Toys on a Snowy Day

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Bobbie Herron

Do you ever feel like playing with your watercolors, exploring all the juicy gorgeous possibilities without having to sketch a scene first? Congratulations, you’ve come to the right place. I have two active sketchbooks with distinctly separate purposes. One I … Continue reading →

Posted in Sketchbooks, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Downshifting to autumn tempo

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Bobbie Herron

The only thing that beats my love of words and watercolor is having people to share both with. I’m sitting in my favorite cafe, Bean & Bakery in Concord NH, indulging in the most amazing pumpkin raisin muffin I’ve ever … Continue reading →

Posted in 2- Bolts: Sketching Tools, Book #2: Double Take, Look at That! book, Musings on Life, Sketchbooks, Sketching tools | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments