1. Rohrer&Klingner Calligraphy Ink, 12ml 

Colors: Yellow 701, Magenta 702, Cyan blue 703

Rohrers pigmented calligraphy ink is produced with modern raw materials, namely acrylic resin and highly pigmented colorants.

The resin that we apply as vehicle to the watery basis is translucent and resistant against amber discoloration and age. The pigments chosen unite lightfastness with brilliant and beautiful colours (see Colour Chart).

Comprising 24 classical and modern tones, the range suits for drawing, for calligraphy and for wet-in-wet watercolour painting; furthermore for sketches, charts and first drafts.

RRP: 12,00€

2. Koh-I-Noor Polycolor Colro Pencils 

Colors: 57 mountain blue and 350 portrait peach

These hexagonal, softwood pencils are made with an oil based core that provides color with excellent light fastness and water resistance. The 3,8 mm lead provides rich color without the need for heavy pressure. The core can be sharpened to a fine point for detailed works. The color range features 72 colours that can be blended.

RRP: 2,50€

3. Van Gogh Watercolour Brush Series 191 No. 4

Crafted with care and shaped by hand, this water colour brush has a flexible hair bundle resistant to wear. The golden synthetic hair bundle can absorb a large amount of water and has a round shape with a very fine tip for detailed working. This brush has a hair bundle width of 3.3 mm

RRP: 5,75€

4. Glass Dip Pen

This glass dip pen is a romantic writing instrument. The glass diving pen is heat-resistant and waterproof. The ink flows along the spiral groove and makes writing more beautiful and smoother. 

RRP: 8.00€

5. upcrate Water Color Paper 300 gsm (5 sheets)

The upcrate watercolor paper is ideal for all watercolor and mixed media applications! Like the deck of a ship, the 300g/m2 thick paper does not buckle if you work with multiple layers or wet on wet techniques. The cold-pressed paper has a rough and a smooth side, which offer the best surface for your art depending on your preference.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH:

SHOPHIE MCPIKE

instagram

Sophie is a funny little blob who lives under a leaf, under a tree, under a cloud, under the stars where she paints and scribbles and sculpts!

Her busy hands like to create rhythm and flow in shapes and forms and to play with colour and emotion to depict and understand the world around her. A sketchbook full of scribbles is attached to her hip at all times!

Tell us something about your creative Journey from the idea of being an artist to the result, being an artist 🙂

I know this sounds super cliche, but I just always knew that I LOVED making art and telling stories through my work – it was always a time when I was happiest.
Since early childhood I would just spend hours drawing and writing little stories in my room.
There was a point after highschool, I studied visual arts but the lecturer said “only 1% of you will become an artist, but you’ll be sleeping on a mattress on the floor and won’t be able to afford food sometimes” – this broke my heart because I totally believed it! I ended up working in retail, but I hated my job and was feeling very anxious and directionless for a few years. Then, something came over me and I just applied to university to study animation, and that totally changed the trajectory of my life. Since then, I have become a full time (and thriving) artist, working for myself!

What was the most exciting part of your work with the box and what was the biggest challenge?

Oooh it was so much fun choosing what supplies embody me and my work! I’ve always said that if I was stranded on a desert island, my one art supply I’d bring with me is ink! I always find myself coming back to ink as a medium, it’s so versatile and FUN to use! Then choosing colours which will work for everyone’s distinct colour palettes. With Cyan, Yellow and Magenta you can literally mix any colour you desire! The biggest challenge was choosing two pencil colours! But I thought hard about which colours I like to use most for sketching and creating textures with. I love the choices in the end!

Where do you find ideas for your art process?

Honestly, I think it has a lot to do with momentum! I draw a lot, like, A LOT! And I’m not afraid to try new things/ideas/themes/subjects. I love to just fill my mind library with different techniques/styles/themes so that I can pull inspiration from them whenever I need. The more you create worlds and illustrations and ideas, the easier it is to keep doing! As soon as I lose momentum (if I stop drawing for a month) I find it difficult to dream up interesting concepts. It’s all momentum – and experiencing the world and playing!

Special question for the box: how would you describe your style?

Colourful, playful, scribbly, soft, curvy and ever evolving!

How often do you make art and what does it mean to you?

Pretty much every day! Sometimes it’ll be a 2 minute drawing in my sketchbook or sometimes I’ll spend all day making work. Making art is how I connect with the world, it’s how I recharge, it’s where I feel safe and cosy.

What are your plans for the future?

Ooooh, I don’t know!! I’m such a blob, and I just go with the flow. I’d love to make some art books and childrens books, I’d love to travel and paint all around a new country, I’d love to just keep playing, making content and scribbling away!

Tell us, what a day in your life looks like, if you’re not making art?

I really love visiting local markets on the weekends, buying produce, having late breakfast with my partner and friends while we catch up and look at the stalls.
I love hanging out with my two rescue greyhounds, Bebe and Pia and finding new places to take them on walks.Then I sometimes find myself playing video games (my favorites are Cityskylines, The Sims and Animal Crossing).

#upcrate56 HOW-TO-DO-VIDEO by Sophie Mcpike

Quick Tips by Sophie Mcpike

Tip 1. Play with mixing colours! With these three base colours you can mix any colour you want. Make a colour chart of your own by mixing colours varying in strength and wateriness and the amount of one colour versus another. Have fun!

Tip 2. Think about layering. Start light and work your way up to dark/more saturated. I’d suggest using a really watered down colour as a base, wait for that to fully dry, then work up the layers adding more and more opacity (or by using less and less water, rather!)

Tip 3. Incorporate different textures into your work – this is where the glass dip pen and the pencils really shine! After you’ve finished using the ink with a brush, try using the glass dip pen to add finer details and outlines, maybe some cross-hatching. The pencils could then be used to add softer textures elsewhere in your piece.

ART-OUT-OF-THE-BOX

with Katrin

@sarkasik

#upcrate55 HOW-TO-DO-VIDEO by Sarkasik

Ink can be wonderfully versatile: First, we moisten the surface with the brush and then dab in a mixture of yellow and orange ink. This creates subtle gradients and harder edges, resulting in an intriguing background.

After the whole thing has dried, we grab the blue colored pencil and draw our motif. Here, we utilize the contrast between blue and yellow to accentuate the shadows. By varying the pressure, we can render some areas softer and make the contours darker.

With the apricot-colored pencil, we introduce some variation in the color scheme of the motif. This color is ideal for mid-tones and leaves the highlights to the translucent yellow from the background.

Now, it’s time for the star of the show: the glass pen. It absorbs the ink well and functions like a fine liner. By alternating dipping it into different ink colors, you can create gradients while drawing. Be careful not to do this directly in the inkwell to avoid contaminating the colors. With short, staggered lines, we draw into the shadows, creating dynamism.

We continue doing this with various colors until we’re satisfied with the end result. Have fun recreating it, and check out the time-lapse for a step-by-step guide for more information!

#upcratebattle

#upcrate55 Amazing entires <3

Topic: …

#upcrate56

TOPIC: Mythical

Mystical like a unicorn. what happens in your head when you hear the word “mystical”? Show us something that doesn’t exist, your fabulous ideas, something unconventional, something unprecedented, something that makes the world a little better and more colorful? with the broad color spectrum of the box, you decide in which mystical direction it goes this month. We look forward to your ideas.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS:

1. Use the materials in this month‘s upcrate. Let your creativity run free and create a great work of art

2. Post your artwork on Instagram with #upcratebattle #upcrate56 tag us @upcrate

Deadline: 24.05.24

YOUR PRICE:

a big box worth 80€