Sakura of America

@sakuraofamerica

Official Sakura profile for U.S./Canada. Cray-Pas, Gelly Roll, Pigma Micron & Koi. Follow for inspiration, giveaways and new product announcements.
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It's almost time, Sakura Friends! Have you packed up your baskets yet? We're packing ours to the brim with some of our favorite items for kiddo friendly projects — like new Gelly Roll UVs, Cray-Pas Junior artist, and delightful Soufflé. Which do you want to try?
23 3
45 minutes ago
Welcome back! For this piece, I wanted to highlight one of the most striking Micron pen colors. I simply love using the 005 blue Micron for contemporary portraits. The colour is so brilliant and pigmented that I feel I don’t need to layer quite as much as the lighter shades of Microns. I also tend to press draw a little more carefully with the blue, as opposed to a red or sepia 005, since the blue colour is so rich. I decided to make the entire character primarily in this colour and then use the pastel Gelly Rolls for a contrasting pop. Since the pastels are a larger nib, I don’t need to add too much on top of the micron pen strokes; a little goes a long way. Hope you like her! Feel free to comment below any questions you have about the techniques or products featured here:)
108 4
22 hours ago
Today is an egg-cellent day for some easter bunny prep!
82 3
2 days ago
Hello! I am so excited to be sharing pieces this week using some of my favourite Sakura Products. March is Women’s History Month so my posts will be featuring some lovely ladies this week. I decided to dedicate this first piece to my grandmothers, to honour these two incredibly determined and accomplished women in my life. I drew them as little kids using these beautiful pastels Gelly Rolls for they are simply perfect for the time of year they both loved the most. These pastel layer beautifully on top of Microns and one another. The pen nib allows for the perfect amount of creamy ink to come through and since it dries pretty quickly, it allows you to continue creating without smudging and ruining your beautiful work. That being said, the more you layer, the longer to dry so something to think about with these pens which act a bit like paint. Stay tuned throughout the week to see how I use these pastels, various micron archival ink pens, Koi watercolour pens and all the lovely Sakura products we know and love! Feel free to comment below any questions you have about the techniques or products featured here:)
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2 days ago
Hello friends, @maggie.inks here for my final day of my takeover. I am currently teaching a class focusing on botanical art and throughout this class I have learned about my love for drawing vegetables…pretty well fitting since I am a vegan. Anywho I love the challenge of cross-hatching on a curved subject. A bell pepper has particularly interesting curves and angles to grasp. As you will see I purposely drew all of the vertical lines first. I wanted to not only show the beauty of the single lines but also the feel that they give even on a rounded subject. After all of the vertical lines were laid I cross-hatched (with a slight curve) the rest of the pepper. As I mentioned in my previous post the white Gelly Roll pens are new to me, and I am sure loving them. I love the extra detail they give and the effect they create when cross-hatched. For this pepper I used Black Mircons 005, 01 and 05, and a White Gelly Roll. Have you tried cross-hatching? If you have any questions regarding my process or ways that I could be helpful please let me know in the comments. I have loved creating these reels and absolutely love being a part of the Sakura family. This is truly a dream come true for me. Thank you all for following along.
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5 days ago
Did you know we have Junior oil pastels? It's true! The narrower shape is easier for kiddo hands to hold and the smooth, blendable consistency promises hours of fun. Learn more through the link in our bio!
139 6
7 days ago
Hello friends, @maggie.inks here again to share more art ideas and tips. As a nature artist I am always looking at new ways to add different textures and flow to my work. I love incorporating cross-hatching into my pen and ink pieces. In this drawing of a jelly fish you will see that I use cross-hatching to create dark spaces. Cross-hatching can be overwhelming so I try to stay focused on one direction at a time…either all vertical lines first or horizontal before moving in the opposite direction. Gelly Roll pens are somewhat new to me. I actually just started using them prior to making these reels and adore the way they allow me to add highlights to my work. You will notice that my drawings are all on a toned tan paper which makes the whites really pop. In the making of this jelly fish I used a black Micron 01 and a white Gelly Roll pen. Do you use white in your work or cross-hatch? Let me know in the comments if you have any questions I can help and make sure to stop back Friday to see my final drawing.
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7 days ago
Are you getting ready for easter yet? 👀 We've started some of our decor and knew Gelly Roll Pastels were a must. What are you hoping to craft?
300 6
8 days ago
Hello friends! This is Maggie aka @maggie.inks and I am taking over the Sakura page this week! I am super excited to be here and to share some of the ways I use pens from Sakura in my art! Micron pens, in particular, have a lot of meaning to me. After taking a 20 year break from art, Microns were what brought me back. I took a local ink class and once I got a Micron pen in my hand the rest was history. I hope to inspire some of you to give these pens a shot and have fun creating! A lot of my art these days uses a combination of ink and colored pencil but over this week I will be sharing some more simplistic pieces from start to finish. This first drawing is of an Inky Cap Mushroom. I love drawing mushrooms! They are featured in a lot of my drawings and one of the things that I practiced quite a bit when I first began drawing again. I often recommend finding what inspires you and taking the time for lots of repetitions. I have drawn so many mushrooms I feel like I could draw them in my sleep. For this Ink Cap I used a combination of Micron 003, 005, 05, and 01 in black and grayscale. I also used Gelly Roll pens from the Moonlight and Classic collections. I love the combination of black and gray pens to create a cohesive gradient and the white Gelly Roll pens just pop on toned paper! Let me know in the comments how you use pens from Sakura and if you draw mushrooms and what kinds of things inspire you! Please check back on Wednesday to see what unfolds in my next drawing.
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9 days ago
Hi everyone! @kerriellison here again one more time posting for @sakuraofamerica . I’m using black Pigma Micron 01, black Pigma brush pen and the fabulous Gelly Roll Moonlight pastel pens in periwinkle, yellow, orange, pink, and green. I start my designs with pencil and go over it with the black Pigma Micron 01. I use the Pigma brush pen to fill in any parts I want black. Then I go in with the Gelly Roll pens. Finally, one more round with the Pigma Micron 01 pen to get a really precise finish. I love that the Gelly Roll pens can be used on white and black paper and any shade in between, creating a different look and feel to the colors. And don’t forget these products are archival! Thank you to @sakuraofamerica for allowing me to take over this week and for creating so many great products that inspire creatives everywhere. Can’t wait to try the other mediums they offer. Hope you all enjoyed my posts as much as I did creating them.
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12 days ago
Did someone say Gelly Roll Pastels? 😍
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14 days ago
Hi everyone! @kerriellison here again to show more of my process and how I use Sakura products. The products I used in this piece are black Pigma Micron 01, black Pigma brush pen and Gelly Roll Moonlight pastel pens in periwinkle, yellow, orange, pink, and green. The pastel pens come with a 10 point bold nib for amazing coverage. The gel is so juicy and smooth it just flows onto the paper. They really pop on the colored paper. The fact that the gel ink is archival, waterproof, and fade-resistant is a huge plus! Hope you all enjoyed the video. See you next time!
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14 days ago