Experimenting with Watercolor Pencils

Illustration, Traditional /
A drawing of a shiny, metallic beetle, with a purple and blue thorax, and a golden carapace.
Wanting to add some color to my traditional drawings, I dug out my old Staedtler watercolor pencils I’ve had since I was a kid. I drew this beetle from photo reference on watercolor paper. I did the inking using my trusty Kuretake Bimoji brush pens. Their carbon ink is not only very black, but also totally waterproof. If you like the beetle, why not check out its store page.

Dumpster Behind a Cyborg Repair Shop

Doodles, Traditional /
Elaborate abstract doodle composed mostly of industrial parts.
This is the first doodle I drew with the goal in mind of creating a piece of art, rather than just passing time. I used Kuretake Bimoji carbon ink brush pens on 300gsm Winsor & Newton watercolor paper. The original size is slightly larger than A4. If you like it, I invite you to check out the relevant shop section.

Steering Spontaneity

Doodles, Traditional /
Abstract elaborate doodle composed of mostly industrial or machine parts.

Another doodle, this time a traditional pen & ink one. I tried “steering” the spontaneous phase of the doodling process by thinking “mechanical” thoughts. I completed this one in multiple sessions, in various cafés and pasticcerias.

Christmas Card 2018

Digital, Illustration /
Christmas tree in the background, with wrapped gifts piled up in front and a rooster on top.

Taking a break from the abstract doodling, I decided to draw a custom vintage-style Christmas postcard for my friends and family. Drawn in ProCreate on the iPad Pro. In case you were wondering, my surname (Gallo) means rooster in Italian.