Je voulais partager avec vous un de mes outils préférés en ce moment, les “crayons” aquarellables ArtGraf. Je les utilise super souvent en ce moment parce que j’aime beaucoup les marques différentes que je peux faire avec, et les transformer en effet aquarelle après.

I discovered these pencils a little while back through my insta-friend Cindy (@ckamsterdam), another creative soul who enjoys trying out different mediums and playing. I was hooked on my first try!

J’ai découvert ces crayons il y a quelques temps par le biais de ma copine insta Cindy (@ckamsterdam), une autre âme créative toujours en quête de nouveaux médiums. J’ai aimé dès le premier coup de crayon!

What are ArtGraf Tailor Shape Pencils?

These are watersoluble “pencils”, or pigment blocks. These pencils dont make your hands as messy as using pastels. You might still end up with dirty fingers, but if you manage to keep the pencil dry, you should do ok.

Ces “crayons” sont en fait des blocs, ou des pavés de pigment. En les utilisants, ils ne rendront pas vos mains trop sales, ou du moins, pas aussi sales qu’avec des pastels! C’est un grand avantage, toutefois, veillez à ne pas trop mouiller le bloc.

Also good to know, the ones I have do not rub off the page, except the graphite one. This one would need a sealant to protect it.

Aussi bon à savoir, les couleurs que j’ai testées restent sur la page et n’ont pas besoin d’être fixée à la page comme des pastels…. sauf la couleur graphite. Celle-ci bouge si on la frotte.

On some papers, the mark of the drawing will stay behind. This is a good thing, or a bad thing depending on the effect you are trying to make. But it can be a lovely effect to have the drawing staying behind with a wash of color. But if you don’t like this, you can wet your paper and drop some color on it…. and watch as the pigment travels on the page, it is a little like magic!!!

Sur certains papiers, la marque du dessin restera visible, même après avoir ajouté de l’eau. C’est une bonne ou une mauvaise chose, selon l’effet que vous recherchez. Mais cela peut donner un style très intéressant avec un dessin qui reste, sous une couche de couleur aquarelle. Mais si vous préférez, vous pouvez mouiller le papier et dessiner avec le bloc dessus… et regarder le pigment se promener sur la page. C’est magique!

Swatching ArtGraf pencils

I made a short video while swatching these on a page of a new sketchbook. Don’t mind the missing corner of the sanguine, I dropped it on the floor just before filming this! And youppi!! This is my first YouTube video!

J’ai préparé un court vidéo pendant que j’ai swatché les différentes couleurs dans un nouveau carnet. Ne vous inquiétez pas du coin manquant de mon pavé sanguine, je l’ai fait tombé juste avant de filmer! Et ouiiiiii! C’est mon premier vidéo YouTube!

Examples in landscapes

I had lots of fun using these in a series of landscapes, where I mixed the ArtGraf pencils to make a base layer with oil pastels, then mixed with some watercolors to complete the landscapes. And…. well a touch of gold foil after. The ArtGraf pencils provided for dramatic color and precise application.

J’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à utiliser les ArtGraf dans cette série de paysages. Ils ont servi dans la première couche avec des pastels à l’huile. J’y ai ensuite mélangé des aquarelles pour compléter les paysages… et une touche de dorure. Les ArtGrad m’ont permis un effect dramatique de couleur et une application précise.

More info

This video from Jackson’s Art supplies, featuring José Émidio, shows a bit more about all you can do with it. Beautiful portraits in this video!

Ce vidéo de Jackson’s Art supplies, montre l’artiste José Émidio utiliser cet outil pour dessiner de merveilleuses choses. De magnifiques portraits prennent vie dans ce vidéo.

Where to buy

I’m sure you can probably find them in you local art supply store…. I’m having trouble locally though. I got the ones I have from Jackson’s Art Supply Store.

I will give you the links directly to the products here, these are affiliate links. I will earn a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. If it is your first order from Jackson’s, you will get a 10% discount!

Vous pouvez probablement les trouver dans vos magasins locaux, mais je ne les trouve pas moi-même au Québec. J’ai acheté les miens chez Jackson’s Art Supply Store.

Je vous mets ici les liens directement vers Jacskson’s. Ce sont des liens d’affiliation. Si vous commander par-là, je gagnerai une petite commission, sans aucun coût pour vous. Par ailleurs, s’il s’agit de votre première commande, vous aurez un rabais de 10 %!

Jackson’s links / Liens vers Jackson’s

• ArtGraf products
• ArtGraf Sanguine
• ArtGraf Palette of three monochrome colors
• ArtGraf Watersoluble graphite 6B pencil

Today, I bring you a short review of the watercolor papers from Jackson’s Art Supplies. In short, the papers are quite amazing for their price. I truly, truly enjoy them and have ordered more since my first order to try them this fall.

I also have a few brushes I like a lot from Jackson’s, so I added these in here. The order I have placed in January hasn’t reached me yet, but I’ll eventually add info on the new brushes I ordered as soon as I try them.

Finally, I have ordered with five other lovely ladies a sample of all of the artist pigment from Jackson…. so at some point, there will be a review on these as well. But heck, as you all know, I have too many projects going on.

To the reviews!

Aujourd’hui, je vous donne mon opinion sur les papiers aquarelle de Jackson’s Art Supplies. En bref, ils sont super pour le prix. Je les aime vraiment et j’en ai déjà recommandé depuis mon premier essai cet automne.

J’ai aussi quelques pinceaux de Jackson’s, alors je vous laisse mes impressions ici. J’en ai commandé quelques autres, dès que je les reçois et que j’ai l’occasion de les tester, je vais les rajouter ici.

Finalement, avec cinq femmes formidables, j’ai commandé un échantillon de tous les pigments d’artistes de Jackson…. alors à un moment donné, je vous en reparlerai également. Mais bon…. tant de projets!

(toute la traduction n’est pas encore là, mais je l’ajoute, promis)

What is Jackson’s Art supplies?

Jackson’s Art Supplies is a UK-based retailer, with a huge selection of art supplies across many art practices : painting, engraving, drawing… they have so many things! Some I need to order online on Jackson’s art’s website because the are not offered locally (I am in Quebec, Canada).

The few times I personally have had to contact the customer service at Jackson’s, I’ve always found them quite helpful. Despite the time differences and some pressure with added online orders and all, truly, I’m happy.

Jackson’s Art Supplies est un magasin de matériel d’artiste basé au Royaume-Uni avec une sélection impressionnante d’articles pour une multitude de pratiques : la peinture, la gravure, le dessin…. ils ont tellement de choix! Certaines choses, je dois les commander via Jackson’s parce qu’elles ne sont pas offertes localement (je suis au Québec, Canada).

Les quelques fois où j’ai eu affaire avec le service à la clientèle, je les ai toujours trouvés serviables. Et ce, malgré les différences de fuseau horaire et la pression additionnelle des commandes en-ligne. Les délais ne sont évidemment plus ceux “d’avant”, mais cela est très respectable.

affiliate links

MOST of the links in this article are affiliate links, they are identified throughout the post. This means I will earn a small commission on each order, at no extra cost to you. 

However, if you would rather not support me and look for the products without going though my affiliate links, no hard feelings. Just go to the Jackson’s supplies website (no affiliate) and search for the product by name.

However, if you would rather not support me and look for the products without going though my affiliate links, no hard feelings. Just go to the Jackson’s supplies website (no affiliate) and search for the product by name.

10% off your first order at Jackson’s art supplies

If you are a new customer to Jackson’s and order through one of my affiliate links, you will have a one time discount of 10% on your first order!

Si vous êtes un nouveau client chez Jacskon’s, et que vous commandez via un des liens de cet article, vous obtiendrez un rabais de 10 % sur cette première commande.

Jackson’s watercolor papers

Jackson’s watercolor papers are made of tree fibers, and not cotton. However, these papers perform very well. Even with quite a bit of water. I really enjoy using them.

• The texture of the papers is very smooth and soft
• On the cold press and rough papers especially, the water is absorbed and doesn’t stay too long on the paper (a plus for me!)
• On the hot press paper, easy to make several washes of paint, very smooth to add line work
• And most cool of all features : they come in blocks!
• The blocks are offered in so many sizes!!!

Yup. The coolest feature is that they come into blocks. This means that the paper is glued on four sides. There is a small space t the top of the block in which you insert a spatula or some flat tool to detach the page.

The advantage of the sheets being glued like this is that the paper is less prone to bucking when painting on it. No need to tape it down. This is a feature you often see on cotton and high end papers, rarely on cellulose paper (in fact, I can’t think of one).

I’ve been using these papers a lot lately. I really need for the post to bring me my next order though…. ’cause I’m running low!!!

• Jackson’s watercolor paper blocks

Jackson’s synthetic brushes

Jackson’s also carries a wide range of synthetic hair brushes. The Studio synthetic line, and Raven brushes are 100% synthetic hair. Do be mindful that the Icon line is a mix of real sable hair and synthetic hair. If you want to be 100% synthetic, do be careful.

I’ve not done a very very serious testing of these brushes, but I reach for them the most often. Thanks to these relatively abordable brushes, I’ve been able to identify I am most comfortable with the synthetic sable hair brushes, rather than the synthetic squirrel hair brushes. They are more stiff, and better for detailed work.

The two icon brushes (synthetic mix) have been with me for a while and I paint almost daily with them. Their point is still very good and I truly love them.

• Jackson’s Studio line brushes – Synthetic hair
• Jackson’s Synthetic Sable and Synthetic mix sable brushes (at the time of writing this, synthetic hair only on the quills and mottler brushes, mix with natural hair in the others)
• Jackson’s Synthetic squirrel brushes

Also, if you buy brushes online, do look up the the detailed info on the sizes. Jackson’s has nice pictures with a ruler to show the sizes of the brushes.

Look in my picture below, a Raven size 6 (the very large one!) and the icon pointed round size 6 (just about the Quill 4) have little in common in terms of size. And I learned that the hard way! I hadn’t looked at the nice sizing charts….

In conclusion

All the products I tested from the Jackson’s brand, I enjoyed very much. I do not have 20 years of painting in me, but I have painted almost daily for the last 2 years and these brushes have played a very large part in this practice.

If ever your experience with these is different than mine, let me know! I always love to hear all point of views.

Remember that if you are a new customer to Jackson’s and order through one of my affiliate links, you will have a one time discount of 10% on your first order!

Rappelez-vous que si vous êtes un nouveau client chez Jacskon’s, et que vous commandez via un des liens de cet article, vous obtiendrez un rabais de 10 % sur cette première commande.