Paint a turtle for today’s Creative Corner!
Last week when I was taking a walk, we happened upon a turtle determinedly digging with its hind legs a hole in the ground to lay her eggs. She’d start with one leg, then switch like clock work to the other. Back and forth, back andforth, it was amazing to watch!
I call her Betty. Thanks to Betty the Turtle we have today’s Creative Corner!
So grab your pencils, paper, and paints and lets get creatin’!
Start by looking at some photos of turtles. Pick one you like and use it as a reference.
Sketch in your turtle.
Then color it with paint!
Watercolor or acrylic paints work great for this project.
We’d love to see what you come up with, post the illustrations on our Facebook page!
If you’re new to Jaché Studio’s Creative Corner find out more here!
Let me know if you enjoy our Creative Corner projects with your kids. Feel free to let me know their ages, and what they’re most into (baseball, soccer, dolls, horses, pups, etc.)! Perhaps we can taylor some of our Creative Corner’s to reach your kids interests.
Thanks for joining us today!
Wow! You’re so good at watercolor!! I love the way your painting comes out so clean and clear, and yet so stunning. I’m curious …do you paint first, and then add the pen? Or do you use pencil, then paint, and then pen?
Thanks Melissa! Yep! Typically for illustrations like this I do a quick sketch in pencil, and then watercolor, then pen & ink. (or certain illustrating pen markers with different points. you can find some at Michaels.)
Could you tell me the name of the illustrating pens you use? I’ve tried the Rapidograph, Koh-I-Noor pens, and I’ve also tried the pen and ink. (And I do like both, but I’d love to get the result you do, so I like finding out exactly what you use.
Do you think you could do a post with this sort of illustrating, but with a person or girl as the subject? I’d LOVE to see how you did it. Kind of like you did in “The Three Weavers”. 
(I know, I’m sorry! I have lots of ideas …Someday I’d like to spend some hours with you picking your brain on lots of things. You’re like an amazing treasure chest full of insights for illustrating/graphic design/painting!!)
Melissa, the pens I’m enjoying now and also used on the Three Weavers Illustrated book you cited are the Faber-Castell pens. You can find them typically at Michaels. They come in a variety of pen tips and some allow more for bolder, more weighted line, while others allow for tighter detail work.
You’ll get different results depending on the paper you use too. You’ll notice some papers bleed more than others.
I would love to do a post with the style illustration I used in The Three Weavers, Good idea! If only I had more time in a day! I will definitely keep it in mind if some time clears up to do more posts.
Thanks so much!
Do I ever understand what you mean about needing time!!
We have a very busy few weeks ahead of us, and time has become very full!! But I can’t wait for the guild–it’s become a highlight of my summer already–and having more things going on can at least make it come faster!! 
I’ll defintely have to look into those Faber-Castell pens. I think I may have seen them before. Talking about papers bleeding more than others, (the next inevitable question
) what paper do you use for “The Three Weavers” style? Let me guess …arches cold press, 140lb. water color paper, with Winsor and Newton watercolor paints??? Maybe? 
Did you use that for “Teddy’s Button” as well?
I can’t wait to see you soon!!
Thanks for putting up with all my questions!! 
to tell you the truth I can’t remember right now off hand which watercolor paper I used for those books. I know it was a watercolor block, possibly arches…I’ll try to double check and get back to you on that one.
Hope you enjoy those pens!
Thanks!!