I love to paint and I love paint!

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​ElenaArtPages.com is a place where I share my passion for watercolor art and mixed media. As a Calgary-based artist I create unique and original whimsical paintings in mixed media and watercolor! I love painting cute characters, animals and florals.

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Watercolor is a medium that invites spontaneity, play, and freedom. There's a beautiful unpredictability in the way water carries pigment across paper, letting colors bloom and blend in unexpected ways. This sense of letting go of control and perfection makes watercolor deeply freeing for artists at any level.

When you introduce handmade granulating watercolor paints into the mix, the experience becomes even more rich and textural. These paints, often crafted with natural minerals and pigments, create a fascinating effect where the particles settle into the paper's texture, giving a subtle, organic granule-like appearance. No two brushstrokes are ever quite the same.

 

Using handmade granulating watercolors is like collaborating with the earth itself each pigment tells its
own story, separating and shifting on the page in ways that feel alive.

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MY FAVOURITE PAINTING SUPPLIES

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Every illustration begins with a quiet moment — paper waiting, light on the table, and colors ready to bloom.

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This is the collection of tools I return to again and again when creating my whimsical watercolor worlds.

These are not rigid rules, but gentle companions for a joyful, mixed-media painting practice.

 

Handmade Watercolors

Handmade watercolors are the heart of my work. Each pan holds its own surprises — granulation, soft blooms, unexpected texture. Their natural movement allows paintings to feel alive, imperfect, and full of character. I put my paint collections myself, this way I get to choose exactly what goes into my selected, custom palettes. 

 

Brushes

A small, trusted selection is all you need. No specific brand, just the brush you love and enjoy wirking with,

 

• Round brushes in a few sizes for washes and details

• A tiny brush for faces, stems, and fine lines

• A soft brush for backgrounds and dreamy skies

 

Choose brushes that feel kind and responsive.

 

Paper

Paper sets the mood of the painting. 140lb watercolor paper is preferable.

 

• Cold press watercolor paper for texture and playful blooms

• Hot press paper when smooth lines and delicate details are desired

I often keep a sketchbook nearby for color stories, practice, and gentle experiments.

 

Drawing & Line Work

Before painting with watercolours, I use:

 

• A graphite pencil for sketching on a drawing paper

• A kneaded eraser to soften lines without disturbing the paper. However, most of my sketching is done on the sketch drawing paper and then transferred to a watercolour paper via a light pad, or a window, or a carbon tracing paper.

• A watercolour pencil for subtle outlines and for transferring my sketch onto the watercolour paper

 

 

Mixed Media Layers

This is where the magic deepens.

 

• Oil pastels (I use Sennelier and Mont Marte)
  Used sparingly for show texture and backgrounds

• Colored pencils (I use Prismacolor and Derwent)
  Perfect for tiny details, soft shading, and adding personality to faces, animals, and florals

These layers bring warmth and intimacy to each piece.

 

Gold Leaf Accents

Gold leaf is used as a final whisper of magic.

 

• Applied gently for crowns, stars, branches, or hidden details

• Adds light-catching warmth and a sense of wonder

 

I love using gold - just enough to catch the eye and reward a closer look.

 

Finishing Touches

 

• White sharpie marker or pen for highlights, dots, and stars

• A small spray bottle for soft, misty edges

 

 

A GENTLE REMINDER

 

These supplies are invitations, not expectations.

Let the water wander. Let textures appear. Let layers build slowly.

 

Whimsical watercolor illustration is about curiosity, softness, and storytelling — and above all, joy

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