For about half a year now I’ve been drooling over a Winsor & Newton series 7 brush.

Why a Series 7? Engineered for the Queen Mum back in the day, this brush is made from the pelt hairs of a winter Siberian male red sable (ain’t making it up), it’s more pliable than synthetics and it always springs back to a point. If you’ve used a synthetic you know the tip fibers feather out and get kinda curvy – the sable brush with its magical point is what enables the best control during painting or inking. I’ve seen it recommended over and over again.

Well, I finally splurged and got one. :D

As I suspected, the mere act of purchasing a fancy tool like that did not make me ink like Sean Murphy. Damn. LOL Aaah, it’s true cozins, there are no shortcuts. The tools are only as good as the hands that wield them. ^_~

What IS true is the level of quality of the Series 7. My oh my, cozins, I have never met a more obedient brush. I just loved using it! True to the promise, it always sprang to a point, and that point was literally a hairline thin. I could’ve painted individual hairs if I was so inclined. The point was almost too fine for me, I didn’t know what to do with it!

black ink & yellow watercolor on bristol vellum

This Silk Spectre was my experimentation piece. I got a little carried away with the hair… but I got to draw spandex for the first time, wheee! Wish I could’ve laid in some shadows on her face, but I’m still terrified to “ink” faces. XD

I am having a lot of fun drawing my favorite comics characters. :) There’s something liberating about playing in someone else’s sandbox, and I’m curious how many ideas I can come up with before the well runs dry. (I doubt it ever will, though. ^_~)

Barbara Gordon as Batgirl
black ink and watercolors on 100lb paper

This Batgirl painting and a springtime Poison Ivy are currently on eBay until March 15th.

So far I’ve sold three drawings, and the sales have enabled me to finally take some watercolor classes! :D I am very very excited about this. I feel I have made good progress with my own try-it-and-see-what-happens approach, but I learn much faster with a live teacher.

So I have signed up for a 10-week course with a local painter Kay Barnes. Her work is beautiful, cozins, I can’t wait to learn from her!

The recent sales have also let me splurge on a fancy shmancy Windsor & Newton series 7 brush. But more on that later. :)