My friend Cristal aka talis13, gave me this awesome book as a gift for being in her wedding. (course, not having to wear a bow on my ass was nice too)

I decided to try it out, this is of course, a cropped image of the result.

I started with sketch and wash pencil, and went to add washes of watercolor, but the paper ate water. It says it's a watercolor journal, but there isn't enough sizing or something. So, after the initial botch of the sketch, I brought out my old stand by....

...clear Colourfix primer. Gift of the Gods!!! I continued with fluid acryls, and even added some more pen and pencil over the top to see how it worked on the primer. (smashingly, btw, it is on my list of "try that agians")

Finished it off with a coat of gloss varnish...forgetting 2 things...inkpen runs...and gloss varnish is a PITA to photograph.

The actual piece is bigger, and like all good sketches, is faded out and grody on the sides. I had to crop it for it to be appropriate as a deviation and not a scrap.

But now I think I know how to approach my next sketch in this book. Light pencil..and immediately in with the colourfix...and no pen. Nice effect, but smears to easily.