Gorgeous Gradients with Aquapastels and Mermaid Markers

It happened by serendipity. I swatched the new Aquapastels on a page opposite the Sunbleached set of Mermaid Markers… and then I closed my journal before the swatches dried. When I went back later, I discovered the Mermaid Marker ink activated the Aquapastels, delivering an extra burst of juicy mingled color.

I’m not one to let serendipity go to waste! I pulled out my large Jane journal to do it again, on purpose this time.

I started with a line drawing of a little paper fox, using a Paint Over Pen in Mermaid. I want the lines to contrast the color inside them, so I went over them with a clear wax crayon. A colorless blender for pencils or Jane’s Power Pastels will also work.

Starting with the Aquapastel areas, I filled in most of the shapes with a Seashell Mermaid Marker, leaving some white space at the chest, side, and tip of the tail. The Aquapastel color spreads in the wet ink, but after a while the Mermaid Marker takes over again, creating a lovely ombre.

Then I came back with a plain waterbrush to blend Seashell a little more softly into the white space.

There are so many dramatic possibilities with different color combinations! I recommend using a Mermaid Marker that’s lighter than your Aquapastel, and keeping your colors analagous (close to each other on the color wheel) so they don’t blend into mud. Serendipity awaits you!

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Hannah Sheehan is an artist and educator in Springfield, Missouri. She posts her creations at HannahSheehan.wordpress.com, Facebook.com/HannahSheehanArt, and @HannahMadeIt on Instagram.