paint pens, posca, swatches, color swatches, paint pen organization
Quick Tip Tuesday: Paint Pen Swatches

I'm kicking off a new series of Quick Tips that I'll be emailing out every other Tuesday - little insights from my studio practice that you might find helpful. Let me know what you think!

I started with just eight basic colors, but now my Posca paint pen collection has exploded to over 40 colors. (And the total pen count? Much higher, because of course, I need multiple nib sizes!)


If you know me, you know I love embellishing gel prints with these versatile acrylic paint pens. At first, I’d scribble a test swatch on the margins of my prints to decide on a color. Then I realized it was much more efficient to keep index cards with swatches of each color, like the ones below.


These were handy for holding up to prints when making selections, but adding new colors - and keeping them sorted into warm and cool tones - became tricky. My solution? (See below) I cut short strips of cardstock, added a color swatch to each, hole-punched them, and put them on a book ring. Now I can easily add more colors as my collection grows—because let’s be real, there will be more! 😂

  

What do you think? Do you have a favorite way to organize your paint pens? I’d love to hear it!

Feel free to send me suggestions for future Quick Tips. I'd love to know what would be helpful for you!


Happy Creating!
Diana
paint pens, posca, swatches, color swatches, paint pen organization

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Meet Diana Garrison

 
I am a teaching artist who helps creative people like you explore techniques and develop practical skills so you can freely express your creativity and unlock your potential.

Until my retirement at the end of May 2024, I had been teaching K-12 students - for over 20 years - how to execute various art techniques and how to appreciate and talk about the visual arts; and I have been doing all this online for the past ten years. And now I am teaching online courses as well as adult workshops in my home studio, at local venues, and as a guest teacher in other locations.

The creative process is an amazing thing! As I explore my own art-making, I develop new styles and techniques along the way. I love to share that knowledge with others so they can benefit from what I've learned.

I offer tips, tricks, and insights in occasional newsletters for my email subscribers; I create free and paid resources and tools, and I am building a collection of online courses. I am always open to ideas for new things to share.

Won't you join me on this creative journey?

Cheers! 
Diana



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