Karin Wanderer Learns

Every 2 weeks I post a new art challenge prompt! The new #KWPrompts is #Seabird “Seabirds” are technically only one subset of marine birds, but all marine birds are welcome for this art challenge! Bring on your best penguins, albatross, petrels, gulls, pelicans, terns, puffins... Ever notice how many ocean birds begin with the letter P?

Did you know that water birds can go from swimming to flying without having to dry out first? Their feathers are coated in special oils and very dense, so they stay dry! (Pre-K book recommendation: Ducks Don't Get Wet by Augusta Goldin.)

If you had asked me this morning if I had a favorite seabird, I would have said “No”, & I would have been a damned liar. Looking through my old work shows that that the only kind I've ever painted is penguins. I guess they win by default! Do you have a favorite seabird? Share it with us! Let's spend the next 2 weeks making 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 #KWPrompts #Seabird & tag me @KarinWanderer!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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

The current #KWPrompts is #MarineMammals. (Find more info about the KWPrompts art challenge here.) I want to share some tricks & tips I've picked up after a week of drawing & painting these lovely animals.

Gray whales have no dorsal fin

1. Use a lot of reference photos! Marine animals are so different from terrestrial ones. This sounds obvious- a whale is different from a horse, of course! – but compare a polar bear to a black bear or a grizzly. The polar bear is more streamlined, since it is adapted to spending so much of its life in the water. If you try to draw a polar bear with a grizzly shape, it will look wrong.
2. Watch a lot of nature documentaries! Animals in the water are always moving. Even when they sleep in the water, they drift about

Narwhals change color as they age, from greyish to blackish to white.

This is as far as I had gotten a week ago. I've been a bit distracted since. On a lighter note-

Here are some of my favorite facts about marine mammals

1. Gray whales hold the migration record at nearly 14,000 miles, round trip. Other whales, like the narwhal, do not migrate at all.
2. Narwhals & beluga whales can breed. The hybrids are called “narlugas.”
3. Blue whales are so big, their tongues weigh as much as an elephant!
4. Dolphins have individual whistles that their friends & family recognize.

Porpoises always look like half-made dolphins.

The art challenge lasts 1 more week from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for whole time, 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 #KWPrompts #MarineMammals & tag @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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

Every 2 weeks I post a new art challenge prompt! The new #KWPrompts is #MarineMammals Marine Mammals live in saltwater ecosystems but can't breathe underwater. They are a diverse group! There are aquatic animals, such as whales, dolphins, porpoises, manatees & dugongs. There are also semi-aquatic animals, such as sea otters, walruses, seals & sea lions. Polar bears are technically pagophilic but they are also counted as marine mammals because they rely so heavily on oceans to survive.

There are dozens of species of dolphins: 38 kinds of oceanic dolphin & 4 kinds of river dolphin! You may not realize it, because lots of dolphin have misleading names like “pilot whale” or “killer whale.” The average Dolphin can stay underwater for 10 minutes. Pilot Whales live in pods of between a few dozen to a few thousand. People used to believe the entire pod followed one ‘pilot’, hence the name pilot whale.

Humpback Whales are enormous. Their tails can be as much as 18 feet wide! Each tail has a unique shape, size, & pattern of black/white markings. Humpback whales from the Southern hemisphere tend to have more white markings than Northern hemisphere ones.

I don't think I have a favorite marine mammal. Do you? Share it with us! Let's spend the next 2 weeks making 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 #KWPrompts #MarineMammals & tag me @KarinWanderer

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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

The current #KWPrompts is #Trees. (Find more info about the KWPrompts art challenge here.) Trees are a great art subject to have fun with, no matter how experienced you are or what your preferred art style is. I'm here to share some tricks & tips I've picked up after a week of drawing & painting these lovely plants.

1. Look at trees that have shed their leaves! Understanding how the branches grow will help you draw better trees, much like how studying bone/muscle structures helps you draw better animals.

2. Less can be more – don't draw every individual leaf on a a tree unless you are one of those artists whose style involves putting in an absurd level of detail & maybe not even then.

3. Even a fairly straight branch isn't really straight- they're all lumps & bumps & twists & turns. Don't just look at the branch, look at the space between branches (aka the negative space.)

4. Does your tree look a little too... deliberate? Hold your pencil, brush (etc) as far from the tip as you comfortably can. This loosens up the marks you make.

5. Avoid symmetry at all costs. The two sides of a tree are siblings, not twins. The only time they sides should be very similar is when the tree in question has been purposely shaped– & even then, the symmetry is rarely perfect.

6. Use the back end of your paintbrush, or anything pointy but not really sharp, to lightly indent the watercolor paper after painting it. The pigment settles into the dent, making it darker. This is one of my favorite ways to paint bark right now.

One Tip I Didn't Try

Old brushes are valuable! Mushing, crushing, even — yes — cutting an old brush can make it a great tool for painting foliage. I have only been painting for 2 years, so all my brushes are still my sweet little well-maintained tools & hurting them hurts me. As such I do not have it in me to mangle my brushes. I did not try this tip, but I saw it repeated so many times it is worth mentioning. I have very cheap dollar store brushes somewhere but could not find/mutilate them in time to write this. When I try this tip in the future, be sure I will come back here to write about it!

Got Any Trees?

Pass them this way! The art challenge lasts 1 more week from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for whole time, 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 #KWPrompts #Trees & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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

Every 2 weeks I post a new art challenge prompt! The new #KWPrompts is #Trees Read about how to draw & paint trees in my article “In The Pines”

Did you know that most tree species are only endemic to a single country, so you have to look really hard to find new ones? Did you know there are at least 70,000 species of tree on Earth, but I can't give you a more specific number because we keep discovering more & more new trees? Every time I turn around it feels like I'm hearing about a new tree being discovered. Trees are some of my favorite plants, but I don't think I have a favorite tree. Do you? Share it with us! Let's spend the next 2 weeks making 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. Just make sure you tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Use #KWPrompts #Trees & tag me so I can see how you think!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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

Every 2 weeks I post a new art challenge prompt! The new #KWPrompts is #SpookySeason

I am not a big 'holiday' person, but I absolutely love Halloween! Spooky or Spoopy, I'm enthralled by it all! Part of it is my love of autumn, which has always left me with questions. I know Halloween is bigger in the US than other places, but I've always wondered: People in the Southern hemisphere & tropics, how do you celebrate Halloween? Do you work Spring into it, or just hang up autumnal decor anyway? My socials are listed below, please tell me how you celebrate Halloween! Let's spend the next 2 weeks making terrific art

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. Just make sure you tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Use #KWPrompts #SpookySeason &/or tag me so I can see how you think!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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

Every 2 weeks I post a new art challenge prompt! The new #KWPrompts is #Fall

It is the 24th of September & the temperature where I live is in the mid-80's (30° c). I am going to spend the next 2 weeks manifesting the spirit of autumn as hard as I can, & maybe the weather will take the hint. I hope you will join me! Let's spend the next 2 weeks making autumnal art! You can submit a new piece of art every day, work on one piece for 2 weeks, or post them 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. Just make sure you tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Use #KWPrompts #Fall &/or tag me so I can see how you think!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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

Every 2 weeks I post a new art challenge prompt! The new #KWPrompts is #Happy It's my birthday, & I want to know what makes you happy.

Painting makes me happy Sewing makes me happy Gardening makes me happy

I got this rosemary for my birthday! It practically fills my tiny porch. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pictures 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. Just make sure you tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Use #KWPrompts #Happy &/or tag me so I can see how you think!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara 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!

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

Every 2 weeks I post a new art challenge prompt! The new #KWPrompts is #Waterscape We've done skies, we've done landscapes, it's time we stop messing about & make some waterscapes! Waterscapes are one of the top subjects in art throughout history & around the world. From watercolor to oil to woodblock print, everyone loves a good waterscape!

Don’t want to limit yourself to already existing waterways? You don’t have to! Make ones nobody has seen before, or ones nobody should ever see! Let’s spend the next 2 weeks thinking about waterscapes!

You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pictures 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. Just make sure you tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Use #KWPrompts #Waterscape &/or tag me so I can see how you think!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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

Every 2 weeks I post a new art challenge prompt!

This week I'm running a bit late...

I had 2 goals in mind as I headed into August this year. I wanted to find a new teaching job, & I wanted to participate in every day of the #AuGhost art challenge. Instead, I got COVID for the 1st (& hopefully only) time. On August 1st I felt a tickle in my throat. Since a family member had recently tested positive, we decided to quarantine even though we didn't have positive COVID tests. I am so glad we did- for the next few days I was barely able to get out of bed! I didn't get a positive COVID test until August 3rd. Nearly 2 weeks later, I am still unable to stand for more than 15 minutes without getting dizzy, I have to take frequent naps to get through the day, & in spite of all that I still get so tired I go to bed around 9pm. It's only in the last few days that I have been able to spend enough time out of bed to sit & paint. COVID is no joke, folks! I was a dedicated mask-wearer before I got sick, now I am annoyingly devout. People like to declare COVID is over like Michael Scott declared bankruptcy, but it is going to take work to get out of this mess. Y'all Masking?

So, what does this mean?

Well, I haven't been able to look for a new job. I'm a preschool teacher who can't stand for more than 15 minutes at a time, which means I'm not physically able to work in a classroom. I have degrees in ECE & Early Intervention so I've started looking into other educational options.

But what does this mean for the art challenge?

It's a bit late this week. I think I'm going to finish writing this in time to post on Tuesday like normal, but it's going to be late on Tuesday instead of 1st thing in my morning. Wait, it's already noon?! Ugh, I can't focus on anything these days. OK, here goes...

The new #KWPrompts is #Ghost

Am I essentially mashing up my art challenge with AuGhost? Yes I am. You don't have to! Any & all ghosts are welcome here, except for AI ghosts. Originally I wanted to do a different theme this week while participating in AuGhost simultaneously, but I don't have the energy. Instead I will be trying to fit a full month of AuGhost into 2 weeks. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pictures 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. Just make sure you tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Use #KWPrompts #Ghost & tag me so I can see how you think!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

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!

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