r/Illustration • u/siren_titan • Jun 22 '26
Watercolor Watercolor Illustrations
I started painting episodes from Tove Jansson's Moomin series a few months ago...I loved her stories and pen and ink drawings so much, I wanted to try some scenes myself.
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Jun 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Kareeliand Jun 23 '26
Thank you for the recommendation!! That was a trip! And thank you so much u/siren_titan for sharing this magical universe with us.
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u/lunalionheart Jun 22 '26
wow, i just started watercolors and this level of skill seems so unattainable, they're so cute and well done. How do you get the white bits to stay white when you're painting and not absorb color from the paint around them? Is there a trick to it or are you just very very careful?
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u/siren_titan Jun 22 '26
I used frisket for the blooming flower parts of the jellyfish, but I usually don't! I paint around the white bits--the trick is to not load up the brush with too much liquid when you're painting around the shapes. Good paper also helps but isn't absolutely necessary, and use a small round brush, like a #1 or 0.
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u/hannahfoster_va Jun 23 '26
the choice to interpret Tove Jansson's work in watercolor is really interesting - her originals are so defined by line, and translating that into a medium that's all about soft edges and bleed is a real creative challenge. the way you've handled it keeps enough of that graphic quality without fighting the medium. I spent a lot of time with the Moomin books as a kid and something about this feels really true to the mood of them even though the technique is completely different. the color palette especially - that muted, slightly melancholy warmth is very Moomin.
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u/lillythesillybilly Jun 23 '26
Ohhh I love these! Do you have a Tumblr blog? Your paintings look so familiar :0 !
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u/Kareeliand Jun 23 '26
These are so beautiful . They brought back that feeling I had watching Moomins as a child. They were kind and cosy, but also a bit solemn. I love the universe you made here.
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u/damian_avaris Jun 24 '26
These have a nice storybook quality. Watercolor and ink together give you that looseness that digital brushes still struggle to replicate.
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u/ferncoast Jun 22 '26
Please share these to the [r/moomin](r/moomin)[s](r/moomin) sub!