DIY project for your coloring book pages

Here's a great DIY project for your finished coloring book pages: 

1. Go to your local thrift shop/Goodwill, and buy old framed pictures or empty frames. 

2. Buy some fun colored spray paint (I used regular outdoor enamel spray paint). I picked colors that would make my pictures pop. 

3. Take the back and glass out of the frame (or tape up with painters tape)

4.  Spray the frame (you might need a couple of coats) and let dry. 

Added bonus tip: use a pearly top coat spray after the normal paint has dried. It will give it a lite shimmer effect. 

5.  When done, put your picture inside the frame and you now have beautiful art to hang or give as a gift!

**post your finished projects for me to see!

My Coloring Book is out now!

My coloring book is now out.  How exciting!

It is available through Amazon at this link: 

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Spark-Coloring-Book-Doodles/dp/1511961449/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432346226&sr=1-3&keywords=letter+doodles

If you prefer a downloadable version, you can purchase through my Etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JulesBakerArtStudio

As a thank you for following me, I have set up a sample page for free download at this link:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5wA7VJlxIXkcWdvVjM4ZXpDQkE/view?usp=sharing

Enjoy coloring and please share your pictures with me!

Instagram, Art and Me

I've been totally lax on my blog for the past year.  But I am going to rectify that.  I am linking my pinterest, deviantart and instagram accounts to this page.  I want to be able to share my art with everyone as well as my journey from sometimes artist, to full-fledged art professional.

Follow me on Instagram at: @thejulesbaker

My Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/thejulesbaker/

Deviantart: http://julesbaker.deviantart.com/

And here is some art to make you smile!

Step-By-Step Sketching

I love making patterns.  I am very symetrical, I have a hard time not balancing things out when I draw.  (I really need to learn to let go of that!)

 

I drew this mandala with the help of my 9 year-old son who directed me on where to place the lines in my picture as I drew.

 

The first step I took was to sketch it out in pencil (sorry, I don't have that picture to show you!).

 

The next step was to line it all in pen, then erase the pencil lines.  I used the Micron pens for this step.

Looks nice but kind of boring with all the same size lines.

 

Step three, I made some lines thicker and added the fine details, again with my Micron pens.

It's looking way better!  My son loves this last step.  I colored everything in using my Copics, Sharpies and Bic Mark-Its.  My son picked the colors to use.  Then my final touch was with my white paint pens. 

Turned out pretty nice for a mommy and me project (he says "mommy and me" sounds to baby-ish - hahaha).