** UPDATE: The give-away is now over, but read on for info on pencils! **

#winning!

I’ve teamed up with my friends at Derwent and Staedtler to give-away 2 more boxes of colour-me happy loveliness, just in time for Valentines Day!

Enter the prize draw on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – details at the end!

 

Back to the blog…

Bought my Secret Garden colouring book but not sure which pens and pencils to use? Never fear, your colouring fairy godmother (sort of) is here!

I posted this blog on my favourite pens to use back in December but thought I’d add a wee update showcasing the wonderful world of coloured pencils, the non inky alternative!

If you have a heavy hand or struggle with ink bleeding through your pages, coloured pencils are an excellent alternative to pens. Unlike pens which tend to be a bit “all or nothing”, pencils allow you to gradient and blend colours. They allow you to create a really tactile, delicate finish that you’ll have more control over and no smudging!

There’s a wee review of the various pencils below, then details below on how to enter the competition!

 

Derwent Inktense 24 pack.

 

 

Secret Gardeners on my facebook page seem to love these! You can use Inktense as regular pencils or wash them over with a little water using either a small brush or the water applicator supplied to transform them into watercolour ink washes.  

The pencils themselves have a rich, velvety lead that sinks into the grain of the paper. If using water, I’d use sparingly as the paper will struggle to absorb a lot of liquid and you may find it wrinkles. After drying, ink washed areas can be worked into again to add detail and definition.

 

Derwent Coloursoft 24 pack.

 

These pencils are almost pastel like with their luxurious, soft leads. You can either sharpen to a point for a hit of intense colour or blend various shades together to create a unique palette. Keep a pencil sharpener to hand for those intricate bits!

 

Staedtler Ergo SoftTriangular 24 pack.

 

I reviewed these last time, but wanted to include them here too. These lovely triangular pencils are ergonomically smile inducing and feel wonderful in your hand. The leads are a little harder which means you can get into those teeny tiny places and add lots of detail. These pencils are perfect for colouring newbies who perhaps struggle with the softer, more pastel like Derwent pencils.

 

 

#Winning

Want to one of the boxes containing a copy of Secret Garden, Postcards, art supplies and a plethora of inky bits and pieces?

Here’s how:

1.     Twitter – Tweet using the hashtag #SecretGarden

2.     Instagram – Like the Secret Garden Competition photo

3.     Facebook – Like the Secret Garden Competition post

 

Nitty Gritty…

1. You can enter as many times as you like via as many platforms as you choose.

2. Winner will be picked at random and announced via twitter / facebook / instagram at 12 noon (UK time) on Valentines Day, Friday 14^th February.

3. Prizes will be mailed to the  2 winners wherever they are in the world.

4. I’ll split the swag between 2 boxes, each containing a book, a postcard set, some badges and tattoos and 2 sets of art supplies.

5. Good luck!

 

Good luck and happy colouring!

Jx

Check out my Secret Garden Gallery on Facebook – full of colourful snaps sent to me by Secret Gardeners from all over the world. Inspiration a-plenty!

Secret Garden, An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book is published by Laurence King and is available from lots of independent gift and book shops as well as on trusty Amazon.

My next book, Enchanted Forest will be out in early 2015.