Adding that extra touch

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!

After my Urban Sketching adventure from last week, I couldn't shake the feeling that my artwork needed some kind of extra touch.
I made that drawing using pen and watercolor. I love the effect of colored pencil on top of watercolor washes, so I decided to go back to the drawing, to play some more.

Soft colored pencils bring a unique texture on top of dried watercolor washes. It gives an extra layer, and they can deepen the colors as well.
I am using the playful effect of mark making, directional lines and rough or soft textures.

I don't rely on reference photos of the place I visited last week. You might say: "but how can you be accurate and remember what you saw?"
The drawing itself, with its existing lines, colors, and  watercolor textures, will be enough for me to know what I want to add.

Let go of the idea that your drawing needs to be "accurate". Then you give yourself permission to play, and that will result in the drawing that is more "you".

You might not know what you're doing, but you're experimenting and having fun!

Materials used in this video:
Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils on top of daniel smith watercolors in a Hahnemühle Nostalgie sketchbook.

Remember, it's absolutely fine to revisit a drawing and add that special something it might be missing. It's not about achieving perfection on the page, but rather about embellishing, savoring the artistic moment a little longer, and bringing more personality into your work.

Your assignment this week:

Go back to your sketchbook pages. If there's anything that seems unfinished, see what you can add. It can be something really small, like adding pink cheeks to a person's face for example.

Have fun!