The last art haul (of 2024) lol

[@kateboyd9374]

Re blowing on pastels: the reason it's not recommended is that the particles and dust don't get absorbed into your body when you breathe them in. Your body may send antibodies to come after the tiny tiny bits, and that can cause scarring in the lungs that can really reduce function and may turn cancerous later in life. I say 'may' and 'can' on purpose because the scarring can take decades to form, if it forms. I'm not the best at pastel hygiene, but I do tap my drawings/sketches over the trash can so the powder falls (mostly) there instead of being suspended in the air where it can be inhaled. Not to be alarmist, but it is something to be mindful of.

[@monkeymintaka]

Thankyou! I have heard it could be harmful, similar to using clay I guess? Like with the particles. I will try not to be so lazy in the future 🙈 as I really do like my lungs and don’t want them to be damaged 😬

[@deborah5221]

That was so enjoyable to watch. I too loved the watercolors at the end; especially mixing them w alcohol and acrylic.

[@monkeymintaka]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jessicarushton96]

LOVE LOVE LOVED this chonky art haul. I watched it in the background while doing work becasue I needed something fun to keep my attention and concentration. Keen to see more in the new year!

[@monkeymintaka]

Glad you enjoyed it! Hoping to get some little bits for Christmas so maybe they’ll be another haul in January 🤞

[@pennypop408]

Love your haul videos thanks. And everything in between.

[@monkeymintaka]

Glad you like them!

[@debsllewelyn230]

The choosing keeping ones at the end 💚💙💜🖤🤎

[@monkeymintaka]

It’s a dangerous store.

[@debsllewelyn230]

@@monkeymintaka I had been lusting madly after the graphitint blocks xl tin but you have transferred my lust to the sumi inks xx

[@diamondcloudstudio]

while you were still playing with the Japanese black ink paints, I paused the video went to Amazon and bought them. I just think they’re amazing. Thanks so much for showing them! Just subscribed!

[@monkeymintaka]

Oh wow! I hope you’ll enjoy them :) Probably a lot cheaper on Amazon too 🙈

[@diamondcloudstudio]

They were only 10 USD!

[@Kd33_art]

I just started watching and I’m already jelly of your neon yellow sketchbook😩😩🤓

[@Kd33_art]

No but the jar with the tiny ✏️’s ❤❤❤

[@monkeymintaka]

It’s a great colour!

[@Jennwiggs]

fun tip for neocolor crayons: put down a strip of shiny blue tape near your page, use this as a palette, scribble on it, then use a wet brush to pick up.

[@monkeymintaka]

Great tip! I tend not to use mine for the water soluble-ness though. I often wonder why I just don’t get the neocolor 1 😅

[@MatriarchAstrology]

That japaneseque water colour was an immediate SOLD for me when you swatched 😍. Order placed

[@monkeymintaka]

Glad you found it okay :)

[@waterlovindog2256]

Those books are such a good choice- I love all Covids as well, so I‘ll have to look for them. Thanks for posting.

[@monkeymintaka]

The raven one is so nice. I have to definitely read it and not just say I will 🙈

[@Amanda-pr1vg]

Great video! I love your Art haul ! I totally feel with you. I also use to treat myself from time to time with shopping art supplies. That‘s half the fun with beeing a creative person. Greetings

[@monkeymintaka]

Definitely! I’m hoping for a few little bits for Christmas to get me through the year haha

[@aaquarius111]

This was so fun. Absolutely loved that dark watercolor set. Just added them to my wish list on Amazon! So glad you shared these. Thank you for all of your videos, i always look forward to them. 😊

[@monkeymintaka]

Ahh yay! Hope you enjoy them. I actually thought I had bought the other dark set so I was a bit surprised 😅 I really like them though.

[@jessicastrideart]

Loved this, thanks April!

[@monkeymintaka]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@hippofaitdestrucs]

Magic colors 🤩

[@monkeymintaka]

🥰

[@cristina8928]

Hi April, fantastique selection of books and the game watercolour cards is sooo gorgeous! I have the Japanese shadow black palette and I love the fact that you mixed the colours with neon paint. I think the result is fab! I like how spontaneous and bold you are with the use of bright colours. I honestly don't know how to deal with them🙂. I never used the Derwent big blocks but they are so playful. End of the video: not 4 pages of swatches but of great abstract artwork! Thank you so much for sharing I really enjoyed it. 🙏

[@monkeymintaka]

I’m so glad you enjoyed the video :) neons are so fun but they can be intimidating. I find that mixing them with others is a really nice exercise and could be the gateway to neon addiction!

[@MaritsaDarman]

Beautiful haul ❤

[@monkeymintaka]

Thank you! 🤗

[@oficinacaracolinho]

April you make me want to go shopping why!!! 😂 so many nice colours in here, makes me happy just for looking...my favourites are the Gansai black paints 😍 I have the book Make Every day Creative on my list for a long time now!

[@monkeymintaka]

Sorry 🙈🙈🙈 I have to give that book a good read as there are some fun ideas in there :)

[@intergalacticpeachpatrol]

I absolutely adore the Conte pencils through the water on the page. Delicious texture! Might have to go out and get some!

[@monkeymintaka]

Yes, they were gorgeous like that 😍

[@Catsandcamera]

love those muted watercolours!

[@monkeymintaka]

They are so lovely aren’t they! They would have been perfect for folktale week. Maybe next year!

[@michellecampbell4194]

Do you have the Derwent drawing pencils? Seems like the colour scheme would be right up your alley 😊

[@monkeymintaka]

Yes I have! I got them for Christmas a couple of years and really like them. But they are mixed into my other pencils so I don’t use the much. I’ve been meaning to seperate them for a while 🙈

[@madkat530]

The conté pencils will work wonderfully in the Stillman & Birn Nova - that’s where that white pencil will shine. Conté is a little more moist than most charcoal pencils, they’ve been around since 1795 (nerd alert😂)

[@monkeymintaka]

Yes! I think that’s why I bought them as I remembered I have another black paper sketchbook I got months ago. I did really like the conte pencils, more than the other charcoal ones. They were charcoal but creamy.

[@annferguson3581]

The sound of those charcoal pencils! I’ve never liked the texture of charcoal, but they do look lovely.

[@monkeymintaka]

I hated them dry 🤢 but they were nice on wet media!

[@ArtySubu]

The gansai black paints are SO good! Love the Derwent greens.

[@monkeymintaka]

They were nice! I feel like I got the black black ones but I guess not 😅 next time b now I said I can buy one each time it looks like we will have to make a trip there each time I come down. Oh no 🙈😂

[@WindspielArt]

that haul was so much fun to watch. And usually I want to buy everything after hauls but the only thing you tested, that I don't already have in one way or another (I don't need another set colored pencils, or more inktense, or more different acrylic markers - need to use the ones I own first xD) are those moody colored watercolors. they look so interesting and different to all those "usually bright" watercolors. Those handmade pigments looked interesting too, I personally would have added a little bit of water with a small spray bottle to let them get a bit more lose. I do this with all my watercolor pans, makes getting saturated pigment on my brush so much easier :D (letting them sit for 1-2 minutes is usually enough for me)

[@monkeymintaka]

Glad you enjoyed the haul :) I plan on trying the add-water-first method to those paints this week! I’ll be posting my findings on the second part 🕵️‍♀️

[@JackieXje]

That was a lovely video.❤

[@monkeymintaka]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@hansendesigns]

Those fudenosuke pens are outstanding for line width variety and pressure sensitive mark making when inking (while maintaining control unlike say a pentel brush pen) :)

[@monkeymintaka]

I have been doodling with them a bit and I like them :) I keep forgetting which nib is which though 😅

[@dawnlynch7691]

Looks very beautiful ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@monkeymintaka]

🥰🥰

[@lulabelle33]

Loved the colorized blacks with the fluorescent-- who else would think of such a combo lol I'd contact the source of those handmade domes - printmakers watercolor I am thinking hand held mark making with the edges? Or dissolve on a stone like calligraphy .. I'd check them out. They didn't seem right as watercolors. Soak more?

[@monkeymintaka]

I feel like they could be soaked more as they seemed to suck up the water! I checked the website and it does say watercolour so who knows 🤷‍♀️ I will play with them more :)

[@claraw7976]

The Derwent lightfast are so damn nice. Much better feel on the paper than the CD Luminance, in my opinion. My most used are: Nightshade (Very, very dark purple), Arctic (very light aqua green) and all of the naturalisch greens Eg: Ivy, Foliage, seaweed, olive earth and so on.

[@monkeymintaka]

They did feel softer! I will probably buy a few more colours next year, but I think my fav are still the luminance

[@jlm517rocks]

you certainly make testing supplies fun... ii get too precious & don't break things in, like new shoes ii don't want to crease or scuff... silly me ... the mess is the point of surprise & joy isn't it? also a certifiable Derwent junkie saving up for lightfast pencils... been debating same re luminance, but something stops me... love albrecht durer w/c pencils over Pitt brush pens... graphitints & sumi inks are the bomb on any paper for me... thx for the inspo...

[@monkeymintaka]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Making mess is the best part 🥰

[@Catsandcamera]

with handmade watercolour it's best to add a few drops of water onto it and leave it a minute to activate, so maybe you'd get a better pigment that way?

[@monkeymintaka]

I think you’re right! I was getting that feeling too. I’m going to try that with them the next couple of weeks :)

[@intergalacticpeachpatrol]

I wonder how those natural pigment watercolour domes would go down if you like drew with the actual pieces and then went over with water. Like drawing with them as if they're a crayon block sort of deal. Even if you wet the page first! Might have an easier time getting the pigment to come through :) Just an idea! They look so cool :)

[@monkeymintaka]

Oh yes! I didn’t think of that but I will try it this week. Kind of like how you can use the artgraf blocks 🤔

[@selmag5819]

You are a true artist! I enjoyed the Karst video, because watching your process is exiting. And your "messy" art hauls are the best! I am always looking forward to them. you find out so much about different kinds of mediums, so many ways of using them. This is the most professional way of experimenting with materials in my opinion. I have the utmost respect for your hauls and art process videos. I would love to know if there was a point in your art journey when it made "click"? I felt a huge shift ever since the bird camera video. you seem to be painting and drawing like in a fever dream these days and i mean that in the best way possible.

[@monkeymintaka]

Ahh Thankyou for your kind words 😊 I’m not sure if there was a click as such, maybe when I realised I didn’t have to force myself to try to be realistic and draw portraits with watercolour 😂 abut that was about a year or so in. I think art style is such a gradual and continually changing process :)

[@idalisalamina7766]

Can you use those handmade watercolors on the lip balm canisters like a literal “crayon” instead of wetting it with a brush? I don’t know if that makes sense. Using it directly in the paper…

[@monkeymintaka]

A couple people suggested that and I’m going to give it a go!

[@happayrachel]

also not a fan of purple! I'm usually alone. Love the Derwent graphitint blocks, too.

[@monkeymintaka]

I am trying to be more open minded about them. I don’t mind the paper blue-purples now. But the reddy or the bright purples 🤢 no Thankyou sir

[@Bonnie-r4b]

April, if you have any suggestions on good paper cutters I wouldn’t mind hearing about those. Thanks.

[@monkeymintaka]

I can’t say I have much experience with paper cutters! I only have one that I’ve had for years and it was just a generic one on Amazon. Maybe someone will read this comment and have some suggestions 🤔

[@jkellyfamily9]

The Fudenosake pens - there’s an H on the side of the hard - an S on the soft.

[@monkeymintaka]

😱😱😱 mind blown! Thankyou 😅 that will make it easier. I have just been randomly using whatever on I pick up first

[@jkellyfamily9]

@, the information is tiny, so you definitely have to hunt to find it 😂

[@dadadada6147]

Maybe instead of making the drastic thing by going from so 100 to zero you could limit yourself to a certain amount of money your allowed to spend or creating some “rules” for yourself for example “I’m only allowed to buy a new sketchbook after finishing two old ones” 😊

[@monkeymintaka]

I made a little gamification board a couple of weeks ago where I give myself points for doing things like chores or projects. And then I have a list of things I want and how many points they cost. So I’m using it as a reward system. It’s a whole thing 😅

[@dadadada6147]

@ this sounds like so much fun I need to try this!

[@hansendesigns]

All the charcoal pencils would sing on tinted paper. :)

[@monkeymintaka]

@@hansendesigns yes! I need to try that soon :)

[@bazutaartstudio]

Always love your art hauls, you always find cool things. Where did you get the watercolour swatch match game? I want one lol.

[@monkeymintaka]

I got it in a little gifty type shop in the Lake District. But you might find it online. It’s by Roomy Town. And called Matching Game Watercolour Swatches :)

[@geeniejay1710]

Please could you compare the artgraf stick with the grafitint? It was staring at me the whole video and now I’m extremely curious!!

[@monkeymintaka]

@@geeniejay1710 I actually completely forgot about that! I only realised when I was editing 🙈 I will definitely use it in the next couple of weeks and pop it on the next video :)

[@geeniejay1710]

@ thank you!

[@hansendesigns]

Are the choosing/keeping sketch paints? I don’t imagine they’re lightfast? :)

[@monkeymintaka]

Hmmmmm I’m not sure. I don’t really look at that kind of stuff as I tend to work mainly in my sketchbook. I only worry about it if I’m planning on making something to sell like my birbfest originals. But I’m fairly new to the whole lightfastedness of things. I didn’t even know it was a thing until a couple of years ago 😅

[@natford8271]

Conte a Paris are made of clay soils not charcoal which is burned wood

[@monkeymintaka]

Ahhhh that makes more sense now. They have a much nicer feel 🥰 thanks for the info!

[@pinkcloud3126]

13:30 LOL

[@marielouiseweeksb33attitud33]

You addict 😂…. Having said that, I really enjoyed watching

[@monkeymintaka]

I can stop anytime I want! 🙈😅 Glad you enjoyed it!

[@marielouiseweeksb33attitud33]

@ really? 🤣🤣🤣

[@sueallen952]

Those little tins look like water soluble graphite more than water colours but very cute

[@monkeymintaka]

I was thinking the same thing but the website says watercolour. They are natural though, so maybe they work a bit different. I have really enjoyed using their pastels though. I want to get all the colours now!

[@rootwoman123]

Would you mind sharing the name of the watercolor tiles game? Much appreciated.

[@monkeymintaka]

Yes! It’s by Roomytown and called Watercolour Swatches matching game :)

[@rootwoman123]

​@@monkeymintakaGracias!

[@deborah5221]

Isn’t the brush for stenciling?

[@monkeymintaka]

A couple of people have suggested that so it probably is! I’ve never stencilled before so had no clue. But I did like the texture of the brush, even if I used it wrong 😅

[@BeckysJourneyWithArt]

Do you have a weblink for those handmade watercolours that are in the lip balm tins please?

[@monkeymintaka]

I got them from a different shop, but I found their online store here: www.florenceartscentre.com/florence-paintmakers

[@aprilbrown8081]

I’m working while I watch and you just said “Hey April” while I was looking at a spreadsheet and I was genuinely alerted. 😅 Also I feel the same way about charcoal pencils. I want to use them but the sound and feel is awful.

[@monkeymintaka]

Oh hi April 👋 ai love your name 😍😅 I get like that at work when people are talking about projects and deadlines. I’m like me? Or the month?

[@aprilbrown8081]

@ somehow I’ve managed to create a brain filter that can tell the difference in tone when someone is saying the month. So I’m usually fine on that one. 😆. But also I work remotely now so my co-workers are all typing.

[@thinkerdreamersketcherspy]

Ugh, I really really really hate the stickers Derwent uses for their pencils !!! 😖 The new ones are absolute trash, they ruin the pencils with their stickiness. The old ones used to have a backing paper so the glue stuck only to the sticker itself (where it overlaps). I hate the stickers so much that I've bought full sets to replace colours I'm running low on. 😅 Luminance's light and earthy colours are unique to that brand and don't have good 'dupes' in other ranges. It's a pain in the butt because of the pricing, but the colours are just too good to mind. Lightfasts have great dark darks (Nightshade 😅) and light lights (Arctic 😍 which is a very light blue tinted white, like midwinter snow). And way too many greens -- me, the green hater. Omg, I really need that Karin colour! It's absolutely delicious, especially with the gold greens and the neon yellow! Also, forgive me for laughing at "this is the last art haul of the year!" 😂 Not me, having already a full basket waiting for Black Friday sales... Def stronger than I am! 😅✌️

[@monkeymintaka]

It is really annoying to start with, but after a few sharpens it’s not a big issue. I definitely have enjoyed them and would like to grow my collection. I’ll keep an eye out for those colours you mentioned 👀 I have a bunch of supplies on my Christmas list so maybe there will be a new year haul!