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The Pug Pack

watercolor sketch

Today’s painting is from a really old sketchbook, and I’m posting it this week because I find that it’s suddenly September, and this piece has strong back-to-school vibes! Or at least, it features a backpack. A backpack with a very strange situation going on with some sort of pug-plant. This kid might have created it for a science experiment, or maybe she found it and brought it for show and tell. Whatever it is, it seems to like lemon candy.

I have no idea where I got the idea to draw this, I only remember starting with the girl and thinking, “there’s going to be something wild in her backpack”. When I got there, it turned out to be a bush growing little pug faces, I guess. It’s really silly, and I like looking at this page every time I see it when I flip back through that sketchbook.

Meanwhile, I’m plugging along despite a lot of setbacks fussing with my gear and workflow. Despite that, I’ve been feeling pretty good about what I have in the works, especially the Photoshop brushes that I made with my recent watercolor assets!

Background made with digital brushes
Some art with a watercolor background – the finished look!

Stamping these textures in, and arranging them in layers, is ultra-satisfying. My idea to use them as a backdrop for my floral designs is going pretty well. By the end of this week, I’m hoping to have stickers and greeting cards with these designs in-hand!