Veronica is our lovely host for DC
tis spring break for many people
I think of bears daily now
wondering when they will awaken
walk through my woods
so i am still painting bear landscapes in honor of them
~
has given me the opportunity to review their pencil sharpener:
It comes in 5 colors, I chose hot pink
above is the first step in sharpening a pencil
below is the second
Then you simply turn the handle to sharpen your pencil until it stops.
I of course chose a variety of art pencils to test. Prismacolor, pastel and charcoal pencils have been challenging with most sharpeners. Art pencils can be pricey, so having a lead break is not desirable.
These are the pencils i chose to sharpen:
here are the results:
Look at those amazing points, great for detail work!
If you don't want such a fine point simply don't sharpen till it stops.
I actually found that sharpening the pencil until the sharpener stops takes away TOO much pencil.
I began stopping half way and that gave me the points above, which I am thrilled with.
To see videos on how to use this sharpener, or how to take it apart for a broken lead:
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I am super happy with this sharpener.
I get to give one away, wahoo!
I am sorry to say it is for USA addresses only,
darn for all my oversea friends.
So in the comments let me know if you would like a chance to win a sharpener.
Winner will be announced on my blog
March 18th
~
Spring break means bears to me
Visit Veronica's to enjoy everyone's Spring Break
thank you for keeping the prompts going Veronica!
~
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Them sure is some sharp pencils! I love the soft colours in your pictures.
ReplyDeletethank you Sarah
DeleteI agree, sharp pencils.
bears 'been crossing my path too, albeit the virtual versions. i recently watched a series on alaska and i loved the bears in it. i mean, true to say, from afar. they also scare me. not you? do they come close to where you e.g. live? n♥
ReplyDeleteBears are fun to watch, from a safe distance, like on TV ;-) or from a car or house. I have never been in a situation of being scared by a bear, but it could happen. Living around them and rarely seeing them... i become quite aware of my environment, but then again, that is a good way to be in general, eh.
DeleteI got an electric sharpener the other week and really like it. I had trouble with other sharpeners, they broke the tip all the time. I love your drawings :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend
I have an electric sharpener that i am happy with as well Eva. Thank you for your message.
DeleteLove your spring break painting, really beautiful. Valerie
ReplyDeleteYour spring break painting is gorgeous!! The colors are beautiful! Lucky person who will win the pencil sharpener - we already have one and love it!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you have one of these sharpeners and that you love it. Thank you for enjoying my paintings.
DeleteLovely bear painting! ♥♥
ReplyDeleteI have always problems to sharpen my stabilo marks it all.. the best to sharpen it is to take a sharp knife...but I don't like this way of sharpening....
xxx
Susi
Hi Susi, You inspired me to get out a stabilo and sharpen it. This sharpener worked like a charm! Did not break.
DeleteThank you for your kind message.
Thank you Tammie Lee-- I will have a look after this kind of sharpener.. that would be great for me if it sharpens the stabilo all so well! xoxoxo
DeleteSusi
Yes, it did a good job on the stabilo pencil Susi. I just don't think they ship to where you live. Perhaps you can find something similar.
DeleteTammie, I love your spring bear paintings - even the colors say 'spring'! And I'd love to be entered to win that cool sharpener, too!
ReplyDeletethank you for enjoying the paintings.
Deleteyou are entered ;-)
it must be amazing to be able to meet a bear in spring, i don't know if i would feel at ease, i doubt it, but bears are beautiful creatures and so is your painting, i love how you placed him in his natural surroundings, your painting makes me dream of your place far away, thanks Tammie, x
ReplyDeleteI am always in awe and more alive when i see a bear renilde, though i do not hope to run into one, especially rising hungry from it's den when it is possibly grumpy and looking for food.
Deletehow fun that my painting makes you dream....
This the season to see a bear around the bend anyday;) love your drawing of our furry friends and this great art tool and you<3
ReplyDeleteI remember getting up to my cabin one spring and quietly going inside to open it up, and a black bear, who was used to the area being vacant since the last fall, came snuffling around. It was the most beautiful thing watching him quietly from the safety of the cabin. Love that you drew your bear. Wake up bears! Time to party. Also love that pencil sharpener. Darny, darn, darn! Hey, maybe, if I win it, I can use out friend's Seattle addy. R sends car bits there all the time...hmmm!
ReplyDeletesince you have a US address to use, i will include you in the draw Veronica!
Deletehow fun that you got to watch the bear, that is the perfect way.
xo
Your bear looks so happy that he can eat spring flowers again. Love him! Would love to win that sharpener, but alas, I'm not in the US ...
ReplyDeleteYour lilac bear is marvellous, what a beautiful clear watercolour painting.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he is eating the pretty little yellow flowers, just playing with them.
Interesting tests on the sharpener - I used to find that electric sharpeners did like to eat pencils a lot.
Love your painting!
ReplyDeleteGosh Tammie! That pencil sharpener looks like it does the trick! What an advert you have proved to be for that company. I'd surely take a second look at this product based on your post. Wish I could be in the running but so be it. There's a few pencils in there of interest to me. I have a General's white charcoal and the sketch and wash and haven't tried either as yet. Do you know about Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils? You must!! They are not wax based, but oil based so you can go in and do a wash with (I use odorless) paint thinner to get a good blend right on the paper itself. As they are oil based they blend like no other pencil crayon when utilized like a regular pencil crayon. I bet you'd love them.
ReplyDeleteI love your innocent I am calling it style. It makes me happy. This bear is wonderful. Picking wildflowers to enjoy for himself (herself?) I love your ideas in your compositions. Lovely. N, x
Hi Norma, so glad you think i honored this sharpener well. I wish you and most the others that are out of the country could be in the running too.
DeleteI went through my pencils and have two of the ones you mention, the Polychromos. i did not know that about them. I look forward to giving it a try. We can do that with Prismacolor pencils too. I have used a blender Copic alcohol marker for that, careful to clean it off afterwards by rubbing it on paper. Thank you for sharing that bit of information!
Thank you for enjoying my innocent style, that makes me smile.
You made me laugh to think about bears being part of spring. Living in the city I don't see many bears but it would be pretty thrilling to have one wander across my back yard! Your bear looks sweet eating the spring flowers.
ReplyDeleteThose are some nice sharps you have there. I've been having troubles with my cheap little sharpeners. Maybe it's time to breakdown and buy one of these beauties. Thanks, Tammie.
Carole, i bet there most do not think of bears and spring together. you have to live around bears for that. sometimes fine points like these are something i crave, so this sharpener is wonderful!
DeleteHe's adorable! And very hungry. :) As much as I am in awe of bears, I don't think I want to come upon one after it has just woken up.
ReplyDeleteLove your retro sharpener! I often use one of those small, portable hand sharpeners, and more often than not, I end up frustrated because it keeps breaking my lead, which then forces me to get up and jam the pencil in the electric sharpener that gobbles away a good inch of it. Grrr. Yours seems to do an excellent job! Happy pi day!
I agree Bella, I don't want to run into a bear after it awakens from hibernation either. I also do not like sharpeners that break my pencils. Out of 16 pencils i sharpened with this one only one broke. It was the fragile Prismacolor. But perhaps it was already cracked or i moved the sharpener. After sharpening the pastel and charcoal and others i am impressed with this one, just have to be careful not too loose an inch in the process.
DeleteBears and sharp pencils - what a lovely post. There's nothing better than the feeling of a good pencil on decent drawing paper.
ReplyDeleteThat is so funny Ebb and flo, bears and sharp pencils do go hand in hand as bears do have amazing claws.
DeleteBears and sharp pencils - what a lovely post. There's nothing better than the feeling of a good pencil on decent drawing paper.
ReplyDeleteYour painting is a breath of fresh air! The colours, the landscape, the flowers,and of course, the bear are so peaceful!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a grand pencil sharpener.
your paintings always give me a smile
ReplyDeletesuch a sweet bear, and those spring flowers
the feathers in the last one
i can smell spring is in the air
thanXX!
Oh yes, I know what to do with that beautiful sharpener. Those points. I did laugh about you enthousiastic sharpening your pencils. They are very pointy!! Would like to try them out. So I would like to win that pink sharpener.
ReplyDeleteOh yes ... I would love to be in the drawing for the sharpener.
ReplyDeleteThose are some beautifully sharpened pencils:)
Love the paintings of the bear and mountains. I have always been amazed by their life cycles.
Ha Tammie a beautiful country where bears walk freely through nature
ReplyDeletedrawing you in nature with the colors of spring ... beautiful!
Beware the flowers, the bear has great legs .....
you desire a one wonderful week.
Christiene.
Ha Tammie een prachtig land waar de beren vrij door de natuur lopen
jou tekening in de natuur met de kleuren van de lente ...prachtig!
Pas op de bloemetjes de beer heeft grote poten.....
wens je een een heerlijke week.
Christiene.
Tammie, I love your soft sensitive style! What a positively lovely painting!
ReplyDelete--and the hot pink sharpener! Yes. Too cute for words!
wow-- is it spring break already? Your painting is a good spring image...
ReplyDeleteLove your drawing and the bear and everthing. Thank you
ReplyDeleteLucia
Beautiful paintings of the bear and those lovely montains! I love the different colors you use.
ReplyDeleteWow, looks as a very good sharpener, and so fun to see your pencils! :)
Beautiful drawings... and love the sharpener, definitely the best color! And works too! :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks like it is not only me, feeling that Spring might be the "real" beginning of the new year. A wonderful collection you have there.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the bears!
ReplyDeleteI've had trouble with pencil sharpeners 'eating' rather than sharpening. I returned to using a razor blade to slice bits off all the way round, and then a hard sandpaper to rub down the lead. Not perfect, but better than the sharpeners have been :(
We're still getting cold weather, but there are daffodils everywhere, so spring has sprung, I think! xx
Your sweet bear made me smile!
ReplyDeleteyou know bear is a friend of mine ;-)
ReplyDeletethe sharpener is cool, love the pink.
with Greetings from Germany
Stefanie
Such an enchanting painting on the top! I looove your bear and he seems to have fun eating the gorgeous spring flowers :) Great colors and shadows! ♥ Conny
ReplyDeletePiaroms Art Journaling