combined techniques Archives

Trees and the seasons

combined techniques / Linda Germain / September 17, 2026

Nature is always a great source of inspiration.

Trees are wonderful, subject matters for sketching and printing. They are structurally the same, but change with the seasons too. We can be inspired by the roots, trunk, branches and leaves.

Here in New England we are blessed with spectacular fall colors.

I incorporate trees into my sketchbook all year long.

I like to draw, print and collage all sorts of trees and then fill them with birds.

The Torn Trees Workshop is a mixed media class that celebrates abstract trees. It is the sale class for the month of September. Check out the details on the worksop page.

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Drawing as meditation – trees

combined techniques, drawings, inspiration / Linda Germain / September 8, 2026

Drawing can be more than the end product of a pleasing picture. It can be a meditation.

I like to keep it simple. Fall is a great time to notice the changing trees. The observation and meditation begins outside of the studio. I like to take pictures, and then reference them back in the studio for drawings and prints.

Trees can be a foundation for other kinds of marks and imageries, like birds and backgrounds and mountains.

You can use a combination of very simple materials to create tree like images. One of my favorites loose watercolors.

You can create lovely abstract trees with the gelatin plate and ink. I like to combine those marks with collaged trees and painted birds.

It is fun to get up close and noticed the textures of the tree bark. You can find animals and plants that make these trees their home.

I sometimes just draw a bunch of trees to get started in a page in my sketchbook.

If you would like to explore making trees with the gelatin plate, and other materials, then check out the details in the online class Torn Trees. It is the sale class for the month of September.

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In the Studio – sketchbooks and papers

combined techniques / Linda Germain / June 16, 2026

For quite a while now I have been working in a 6″ x 6″ sketchbook. It is a format that is very user-friendly and allows me to work on several wet pieces at once.

My favorite tools are inexpensive, watercolors, children’s crayons, pencils, and gel pens.

This month I have been working large with a two-handed drawings and then cropping them down into 2 inch squares. Then I take the squares and fill in grid compositions on my sketchbooks. It’s quite fun to try to come up with different mark making ideas for the 2 inch squares that eventually make up the 6 inch page .

I work also on index cards which are 4″x 6″ and a good size for ending up with 2 inch squares.

Do you have ways that you took yourself into creating daily? I think:

Getting in the studio gets you started
Having supplies laid out, makes it easy
Lessening expectations and enjoying the process makes it happen

I hope you have fun in your studio today. If you want to explore some online classes check out the self study courses that are available.

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Fun with grids

collage, combined techniques, sketchbook ideas / Linda Germain / March 17, 2026

Most recently, I have been making lots of grid collages in my sketchbooks. Grid making seems to be an easy way to get into creating without having to think too much.

I have a couple of steps that I take to making grids. I like to make my own collage papers with different mark making techniques. So that’s one step all on its own. That’s quite fun and easy and accessible.

For this step I use stamping, watercolors, scribbling, and various mark making techniques. I like to have papers with a variety of marks and line quality.

In my most recent collages, I have been using index cards that I cut down to 2 inch squares so they fit into my 6 inch square sketchbooks.

Another thing that I like to take into this sketchbook process, is to embrace the studio rules that I have outlined for myself.

Enjoy the process
Be gentle with myself
Pause often to recharge
Approve of the choices I make
and play

As you develop your studio practice, I encourage you to make your own set of guidelines or rules to support your creative growth.

I would like to remind you that the sale class for March 2026 is the 100 print project. Check out the workshop page for all the details. Enjoy.

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simple mark making

combined techniques, mark making, sketchbook ideas / Linda Germain / February 19, 2026

Sometimes simple tools work best. I like to use tools that help me to create with freedom. Often that means inexpensive markers and paints and crayons.

I don’t really worry about archival qualities or needing to please a buyer. I make marks and art for myself. This creates a bit of freedom and a lot less pressure.

I really love the combination of waxy crayons and watercolor washes. I love the resistance in the way the colors often complement each other. I like how the crayon captures and repels the watercolor at the same time.

Magazines and old book pages are tools that I like to use as well. I can start a sketchbook page with a bit of collage and watch it evolve over time.

This combination bits and pieces creates a unique story that might mean something to me alone.

I have used watercolor, circles and squares as starters for many pages in my sketchbook. But I’ve recently added a new technique, which is a watercolor scrape. This is just using an old credit card to scrape the watercolor across the page.

I love watercolor drips and spatters as well. One recent challenge that I am facing, is to find a new paper for my monthly sketchbooks. I used to use to 90 pound Pacon, heavy weight, drawing paper. And it worked well for a little bit of water in a lot of mixed media. But the formulation has changed, and it’s thinner than I would like. So I am experimenting with other mixed media papers. Hopefully, I will find something that I love just as much as the old paper.

A new supply that I want to try out is tempera paint sticks. They seem to be a quick way to get some color. And they do not require much drying time, which I love.

A fun addition to a mixed media sketchbook is tape transfer. This is great for hiding words, here, and there throughout your sketchbook, that can convey meaning or not.

Checkout the online classes that are available now.

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