Karin Wanderer Learns

I have always been a total bookworm. I started reading early & never stopped! Last month I wrote about 'comfort books' – the books you reach for when you want a laugh or need a hug. All the ones on my list were Discworld books. Let's branch out a little. Here are some books Terry Pratchett didn't write:

(Reminder that I am #NotSponsored by anyone, I just love books!)

Some Great Books I Read Recently

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor or anything by Science Fiction Queen Nnedi Okorafor, really. 'Noor' is my favorite so far, but I have only discovered this author this year. A woman ostracized for her prosthetics goes on an adventure & saves the day! Kabu Kabu is a book of her short stories that is also fantastic. If you like Cory Doctorow, you desperately need to check out Nnedi Okorafor!

Dead Water by C. A. Fletcher This is a horror thriller that takes place on a Scottish island. The writing is excellent, & the cast of characters sticks with you. It's not my preferred horror genre (that's zombies) but it does feature a very well-crafted monster. If that isn't enough to get you to check it out, you should know that the audio book is beautifully read.

Piranha to Scurfy by Ruth Rendell This is another book of short stories. I am not usually all that into mysteries, but these were fun to read! I'm afraid to actually say anything about it & risk spoiling the mysteries.

Some Great Books I Re-Read Frequently

The Rampart Trilogy by M. R. Carey You might have seen me ranting about M. R. Carey before now. I love so many of his books! I am shocked this trilogy hasn't been turned into tv/movies yet. It's absolutely brilliant science fiction. If it had been around when I was in middle/high school I would have been absolutely obsessed with it. People who liked 'The Giver' but weren't impressed by its sequels will like this trilogy. The audio books are read exceptionally well! The voices I came up with in my head when I first read the physical books have been completely supplanted by the ones in the audio books, which never happens.

The Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken This is the first book series I remember becoming completely obsessed with, reading it over and over until I had my favorites (“The Wolves of Willoughby Chase” & “Is Underground”) memorized.I've loved these books since I was so very little, & I realize leaves me with a hopeless bias. Nevertheless, I think this is a good book series for everyone from the age they learn to read at a chapter book level on up. It takes place in an alternate history of the UK, it's a bit steampunk, & the main character changes from book to book so you can never be sure what will happen next! Aiken reminds me a lot of Dianna Wynn Jones, who wrote 'Howl's Moving Castle' among other things.

Which is your favorite comfort read? If you haven't read any before, where do you think you will start? Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi! Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

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Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

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• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter F Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

F is for Fox

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- beginner to expert, renaissance painting to rough sketch! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

Egg prices are skyrocketing, with no break in sight. I saw them for $10/dozen the other day! Now is a time for eggless recipes. Luckily, you are here!

Fully Eggless Recipes

Pantry Cake Jam Tarts Pizza Dough

Things You Can Make With Pizza Dough

Fougasse & Scallion Pancake Bread Bread Art More Bread Art

Have You Heard About our Savior: Flax Egg?

Flax eggs work great as substitutions in place of eggs. Flax eggs take a little time to make up, but most of that time is spent waiting. If you mix this up before you start assembling & measuring the other ingredients, it will be ready by the time you need it.

Instructions: Use a fork to mix 1 heaping tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water very well. Let it sit 10 minutes, until it thickens. That's it!

Warning: this does not work for every recipe. I would not use this egg substitute make a heavily whipped recipe like a souffle, or a delicate one like choux pastry. Flax eggs do, however, work wonderfully for lots of baked goods and quick batter recipes! Try it with this recipe: Peanut Butter Bread

Would you like something to enjoy with your lovely new baked goods? Follow these instructions to Have A Cuppa Tea. Don't mind using eggs in your baked goods? Find more of my recipes here! What is your favorite eggless recipe? Are you going to try any of mine? If you do, share a pic with me! Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi!

Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter E Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

E is for Embroidery

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- beginner to expert, renaissance painting to rough sketch! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

I love Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. They are my 'comfort books' – the books I reach for when I want a laugh, or need a literary hug. I feel like we could all use a hug these days.

For, as the world tumbles lazily, it is revealed as the Discworld—flat, circular, and carried through space on the back of four elephants who stand on the back of Great A’tuin, the only turtle ever to feature on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, a turtle ten thousand miles long, dusted with the frost of dead comets, meteor-pocked, albedo-eyed. No one knows the reason for all this, but it is probably quantum. ~Sir Terry Pratchett, Pyramids

My Top More-Than-7-But-Less-Than-9 Discworld Books

Any Discworld book is comforting, but when I need a boost I always fall back on my witches. The Discworld is covered in many wild and interesting characters. Not every book features all — or even any — of the witches. It just so happens that all of my favorite do. Wyrd Sisters Lords & Ladies Carpe Jugulum All of the Tiffany Aching books (you MUST read these in order. I know, Sir Pratchett said you can read all of the Discworld books in any order- but the Tiffany Aching reading order is important! Trust me!): Wee Free Men A Hat Full of Sky Wintersmith I Shall Wear Midnight The Shepherd's Crown

Death was never quite sure why he allowed the Death of Rats to have an independent existence. After all, being Death meant being Death of everything, including rodents of all descriptions. But perhaps everyone needs a tiny part of themselves that can, metaphorically, be allowed to run naked in the rain, to think the unthinkable thoughts, to hide in corners and spy on the world, to do the forbidden but enjoyable deeds. ~Sir Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

NonDiscworld Discworld Books

I would like to take a moment to talk about some books that technically aren't part of the Discworld, but I love them all the same. Science of Discworld 1-4 By Pratchett, mathematician Ian Stewart, & biologist Jack Cohen. The Wizards of Unseen University have done an experiment and accidentally created Roundworld, an oddball planet where narrativium doesn't exist... or does it? It would be strange to call a four-book series a 'standalone' anywhere but the Disc, where the impossible happens with regularity.

Death's Domain By Pratchett & artist Paul Kidby. This book contains exactly what is says in the title: a deeper look into the place where Death, for lack of a better term, lives. It includes a lot of Kidby's art as well as detailed descriptions of things that get little attention in the books.

“It’s the White Horse,” said Tiffany. “Why do they call it that?” said Miss Tick. Tiffany looked at her. “Because the chalk is white?” she said, trying not to suggest that Miss Tick was being a bit dense. “No, I meant why do they call it a horse? It doesn’t look like a horse. It’s just... flowing lines...” that look as if they’re moving, Tiffany thought... “’Ain't what a horse looks like,” said Tiffany. “It’s what a horse be.” ~Sir Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Which is your favorite Discworld book? If you haven't read any before, where do you think you will start? What do you read for comfort that isn't a Discworld book? Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi! Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter D Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

D is for Demonic Doll

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- beginner to expert, renaissance painting to rough sketch! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

Comic & picture book artists use a wide variety of physical & digital media for their work. My favorites have always been the ones made with watercolor- even if I did not realize it at the time!

Watterson used India ink & watercolors. I used watercolors & micron pens.

Why Watercolors?

Using watercolors to make a picture book or comic is very different from using watercolors to paint more traditional forms of art, such as a still life. While the supplies may be similar – or even the same – the techniques employed by a comic illustrator like Bill Watterson are very different from a fine artists such as Fidelia Bridges.

Comic & picture book illustrators are making lots of pictures, as opposed to a fine artists’ one (or relatively few, if they are working on a series.) This is where a lot of the biggest differences lie. Comics & picture book illustrators are also expected to put out more pictures in a shorter amount of time. The pictures all have to be very consistent- if a character is wearing a red shirt on one page & a pink shirt on the next, the reader might think it is an entirely different character! Comics & picture books also tend to show less detail overall, to allow for the small time frame & aid in consistency. The manga series Sand Land, written & illustrated by Akira Toriyama, is a great example of the importance of simplifying your work. The series features a tank that is practically a main character, appearing in some form in most of the manga’s panels. Toriyama had a terribly hard time hitting deadlines for this series, largely because the detailed tank took up so much of his drawing time!

Of course, it isn’t all bad. Most comics are assembled panel by panel, not a whole page at a time. This means that panels with small mistakes can be fixed- physically or digitally. If a mistake ruins a whole panel it can be swapped out easily instead of starting the whole page over again. Many comic & picture book illustrators buy “convenience colors”- premixed shades they use a lot – to aid in consistency. Making comics also means that artists can often use cheaper materials. After all, the lightfast rating of the paint hardly matters when the picture is meant to be reproduced in print or on a computer screen, rather than having to stand the test of time hanging on a wall.

… But Why Watercolors?

The transparency of watercolor allows for dramatic layering. The dreaminess inherent in the medium lends itself nicely to the fanciful stories that picture & comic books most often contain. From a financial standpoint, you tend to get more pigment for your dollar with paint than with markers. (I would make comics with my dollar-store paints any day, but never with my dollar-store markers!) Additionally, the workflow is entirely different, in a way I find oddly fascinating.

For example, we'll compare my workflow painting individual pictures versus the Calvin & Hobbes comic at the top of this article.

Typically when I am painting I am working on multiple pictures at once. This helps me to avoid sitting around & literally watching paint dry. I fill the time while painting A dries by drawing & starting to paint Painting B, then maybe starting to draw & paint C before going back & doing more work on A, etc. My palette is covered in small amounts of paint, with a different color scheme for each picture. When it comes to comics, a major concern is consistency. I rarely paint series of pictures, with the notable exception of Milly, whose coloring is easy to match consistently. Working in a comic strip style changed everything for me from the ground up!

I had to draw both panels entirely…

I didn’t plot out Calvin’s dialogue in the first panel- I should have.

Ink them entirely… The kerning… It haunts me…

Then mix up a big batch of each paint I needed & paint all the parts that need to be consistent all in one pass. I made a rookie mistake; I did not mix up enough red to do the title & both Calvins’ shirts. This meant I had to stop after finishing the title, even though I had enough paint for one of the shirts, & mix up a new batch of red so the Calvins would match neatly from picture to picture. Matching colors closely is good for continuity, & makes it easier for your readers to know which character is which. In my example there is only 1 character, but what if there were 12? What if 3 of those 12 characters were wearing slightly different red shirts? If the 3 different shirts are 3 different & consistent shades of red your reader will not have to work very hard to tell which character is which, even if they are reading very fast! If your red shirts are inconsistent, falling all over the red spectrum, it will make it much harder for your readers. Rule 1 of making comics: Don't make things harder for your readers!

All in all, painting comics is an entirely different experience from painting more traditional pictures! I’ll be talking more about watercolor comics & picture books as well as the people who illustrate them in my future Featured Artists articles.

So many artists, so much time!

Is there a picture book or comic book illustrator you want me to talk about? Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi! Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

Continuing #ArtABCs

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter C Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

C is for Candle

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- beginner to expert, renaissance painting to rough sketch! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

Hello & Hello Again!

Every so often on this blog, we take a break & share a #recipe instead of talking about art. You can find a complete list of the recipes at the end of this article. Would you like to share a recipe in a future blog post? Let me know!

C is for... Challah!

This recipe takes time, but it is worth it! I love this amazing bread so much when it is freshly baked, either plain or with jam. Want a sweeter braided bread? Check out my bulle recipe.

Recipe makes 3-4 loaves depending on the size

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• ½ cup honey
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

• In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water.
• Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt.
• Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens.
• Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed until it reaches a good handling texture.
• (This is how you test for a “good handling texture”: Press the dough gently with a clean finger. The dough should barely stick to your finger as you start to pull it away & slowly re-inflate to the original dough ball size instead of staying indented from your finger.)
• Cover with a barely-damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 ½ hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
• Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board.
• Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky.
• Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 ½ inches in diameter.
• Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. It’s just like braiding hair: if you don’t know how, there are a billion tutorials online. If you want to get fancy, you can braid more strands. This will affect your cooking times- my instructions are for a 3-strand braid. If you try a more complicated braid, let me know how it goes!
• Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together.
• Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover each with a dish towel and let rise about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Beat that last egg and brush a generous amount over each braid.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
• Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing. Do not rush this! It's hard, I know, but it's worth it.

Finish Them!

My favorite ways to eat this bread are plain or with a bit of lingonberry jam, alongside a cup of coffee.

Past Recipes

• A very flexible cake recipe Cups & Cakes (vegan)
• Iced tea with a plum simple syrup Have a Cuppa Tea (vegan)
• The best pizza dough Pizza Time!
• Non-pizza foods made with pizza dough Pizza Time! Part Deux
• Super easy brownies Sweets For My Sweet
• Lemon Bars on Olive Oil Shortbread Texture Like Sun
• Peanut Butter Bread I Looked In & I Saw Bread
• Bulle Never A Frown With Golden Brown
• Bread Art You Need Bread (vegan) You Need More Bread (vegan)
• Jam Tarts She Made Some Tarts

We’ll get back to talking about art next week. Is there an author or topic you want me to cover? Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi! The #ArtABCs challenge is on! Join us for Letter B!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, #ArtABCs ~The Beatles, probably

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Begin The Beguine

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter B Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

B is for Beetle

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- beginner to expert, renaissance painting to rough sketch! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Donate to support my works & get cool perks on Ko-Fi

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

• All pictures posted are my own work.
• All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.