Mijello Mission Titanium Class Gouache

Mijello Mission Titanium Class Gouache

Mijello Mission Titanium Class

My review of gouache paint from Korean company Mijello Mission

I have Mijello’s watercolors and like them pretty well and saw they had a gouache line now so I decided to give it a try and purchased this set.


Their lightfastness ratings seem higher than normal for some of the colors, which is great… but leaves me a bit skeptical. I decided to make my own lightfastness test to put my mind at ease (no results yet, I just started the test a week ago, I’ll give it a check in a few months and report on my findings). In my tests making swatches, I really enjoyed the flow of these paints. They spread very easily and evenly. They are very vibrant when dry, even in a wash. I tested them out a bit when it came to cracking when dry and re-wettability and they preformed excellently. So far out of all the gouaches I’ve tried (Holbein, M. Graham, Winsor & Newton, Lefranc & Bourgeois) this one seems the best when it comes to (not) cracking and easily re-wetting.


Mijello Titanium Class Gouache swatches

Overall I’m really liking this gouache, but there are a couple of downsides. The binder seems to separate a bit when it comes to some of the colors (not hugely unusual, but this brand seems to do that more than the other professional brands. Once the tubes are slightly less full, one can massage the tube to help recombine it before squeezing some out), also it seems to be a bit thinner constancy as well as shiner than other brands especially with thick application. This could certainly be a big downside for some people since gouache is usually very matte. I mainly purchased this gouache to add to casein since the casein paint that I use (Jack Richeson Shiva) doesn’t have a very big variety of colors but mixes well with gouache. With casein added, that helped reduce the shine of this gouache greatly, so for me it still works. Another downside is that you can only buy these paints in a set (at the moment) and not individually.

Picture of paint blob

Binder/paint separation example.

Picture of a paint swatch

Shininess in thick application example (top and bottom are thick applications, middle lines are more of a wash)

I think this brand would be particularly good if you want to make a gouache travel palette due to it’s super easy re-wettability and non-crumbling nature. It’s very vibrant, opaque and as far as I can tell it’s packed with pigment. M. Graham is probably still my favorite brand, but Mijello Mission Gouache seems like a really good value for the amount of paint you get assuming the price does not significantly increase (comes out to about $4 for a 15ml tube at the time I purchased the set was $145).

If you’re wondering anything else about it, please feel free to comment on this post and I will do my best to answer.


LIGHTFASTNESS UPDATE!

I’ve put the samples in a full sun area for one month. So far, these pigments did really well, I’m very pleased! The only one where I could definitely see some fading issues was the one with only a 2 star lightfastness rating (out of 5) G210 Bright Rose which was to be expected as it’s that classic bright “Opera Pink” color that is always vulnerable to fading, the pigments used in this Bright Rose/Opera Pink color are BV7, BV10 and PR122. I put the samples back in the sun and I’ll check back a few months.

Casein Artist’s Paint

Casein Artist’s Paint


Casein Paint

Casein paint is one of my favorite paints these days. I have mostly replaced my gouache with this milk based water soluble paint. It’s a lot like gouache except for that cures after some time and becomes moisture resistant. This makes it easier to layer. Layering is always part of any of my artworks as it gives them depth. Casein also feels a little thicker than gouache, even when watered down. Jack Richeson makes an artist grade line of casein and that is what I use since the only alternative really it to make it yourself from dairy product or casein powder. I’ll try that some day but this Shiva line is overall really good as well as convenient as it available at most fine art supply stores or Amazon.

With gouache, it’s easy to disturb a paint layer that you’ve already made if you try to paint on top of it since gouache always remains water soluble. With casein, after it’s cured you can put a very wet wash layer on and your previous layers and it will remain undisturbed (as long as you don’t scrub), something which is completely impossible with gouache. That opens up some interesting technique possibilities for me. Curing time varies. Here in the dry desert climate it usually takes a few days to a week to really get water resistant. You don’t have to wait that long every time you want to work on it though if you want to treat it more like a gouache (knowing that if you paint really wet it will disturb the under layer). Sometimes you want that!

The finish is very velvety and matte. I’m likely to varnish it glossy if it’s a piece that I think would benefit greatly from more contrast particularly in the darks. When it cures, it’s very durable and will not scratch easily . To increase sheen and durability on an unvarnished casein painting, you can buff it with a soft dry cloth every now and then. Casein is one of the most stable, long lasting paints there is. Many cave paintings and ancient artworks were painted in casein since it is milk based which is a substance humans have always have had access to since we’re mammals (earliest casein paints were made with human milk!).

It’s also mixable with watercolor and gouache and most other watermedia (acrylic for example, though I don’t know much about that one). This can be nice because Shiva’s line (the only line there is really of artist grade casein) is pretty limited so it’s nice that you can modify your colors with other types of paint. You can also buy the binder for casein, which you can mix with pigments to make any color you want.

Another great feature about casein is that you can erase with ease! Always nice if you are attracted to perfectionism or if you like to work things out by trying this and that in your painting as you go. If the paint has not cured, water will likely be enough to erase dry paint. Once it’s been dry for a few weeks, it may require a solution of 1 parts ammonia to 9 parts water and a bit of scrubbing to remove paint.

What’s best to paint on? You can paint on paper (it’s an excellent paint for sketchbook as it doesn’t dry sticky like acrylic can). Just note, if you apply it too thick on paper it can crack. I do many layers so to stay safe I always paint on a rigid surface like a Masonite or aluminum panel. I always gesso it with an acrylic gesso when I paint on an Aluminum Panel, Ampersand – Claybord is another great option and it requires no prep.

As far as paintbrushes go, I really like my Chinese paint brushes as well as golden taklons that are fairly on the medium/stiff side. I avoid watercolor brushes except for when I’m heavily watering casein down. It’s a thick paint. It’s not good to let the paint dry in the brush, however it doesn’t kill the brush the way acrylic does. A soak in water or the 1 part ammonia, 9 part water solution previously mentioned will help if it has been dry for a while. You’ll have to work it a fair bit but I find I can usually get them mostly back to good working order.

Brushes For Lines

Brushes For Lines

Fine Line Brushes Banner

While I started off my artistic journey mostly working in pen and ink, more and more I find myself favoring painting for a couple reasons. One is I get irresistibly potent colors when I paint in gouache or casein, whereas pen and ink shines a bit better with more subtle color so the details of the ink lines don’t get overwhelmed by intense color. Another huge reason is, I’ve found I like to be able to change things and let a piece evolve somewhat while I work on it (a practice that isn’t very pen and ink friendly). That being said, my experience in pen and ink has come with me on my painting journey, very much influencing my painting style. A rough description of my painting technique may be summed up as many pen and ink artworks (done with brush and paint) layered upon each other. Of course it’s a little more complicated than that but those lines, dashes and dots of pen and ink are the same kind of marks I make in painting.

One of my most needed tools for my style of painting is liner brushes, script liner brushes.

These types of brushes have very long and straight hairs, that are very cylindrical tube shaped with no variation in width except for the sharp tip. The shape is very important because it will make pen-like uniform lines. As far as what type of hair, I’ve found that golden taklons tend to be best, the medium firmness makes them soft enough to hold the paint and stay together without fraying, yet firm enough to move the paint. On-top of all of that they tend to be inexpensive. They’re a great little workhorses.

These particular ones are my favorite these days

Brush sets for miniature painting or nail painting are usually good choices too if the brushes have the similar tubular, no-belly shape and are made of golden taklon.


More expressive liners

These days I am also using a lot of Chinese painting style liner brushes. They can still make a pretty good consistent width line if you are careful, and they can also make a somewhat more expressive line that varies a bit in width as well. Even with the elongated taper as compared to the taklon liners, they are still some of my favorites to paint with especially when working with Chinese paints on Xuan (Chinese rice paper), and I find that they work really well for casein painting as well.

That’s about it, I’ve tried a lot of liner brushes and since finding these options I haven’t been too adventurous to try anything different since they fit my needs quite well.

Pen and Ink Pens

Pen and Ink Pens

Fine Line Pens Banner

Pen and ink is the first medium that I really became obsessed with. I love it’s ability to create and emphasize flow in artworks. I regularly use line path and direction to bring out the hidden energy in a scene or suggest dimension, and pointillism for describing all that is detailed and subtle. It’s a great medium for someone like me who loves detail and tedious work.

There are a lot of pens out there to choose from and I use a few different types for different reasons. For the most part, I only work with fine point pens. If a bigger area needs full coverage ink, I use ink and brush.


The following is a list of my favorite 3 types of fine liners.

For disposable pens I usually just go with the ever popular Sakura Pigma Micron. These are the pens I started with when getting into pen and ink, and they’re still a solid choice. They are dependable, pigmented archival ink pens which are affordable and easy to find at almost any place art supplies are sold. Their nibs can be fragile, if you press down too hard while drawing you can push it in and ruin it. I did that many times before finally training myself to have a lighter more gentle grip (which is really for the best anyway). The ink flow is more dry than the other pens I will mention, which makes it good for beginners because it makes it harder to accidentally smudge. They’re definitely a must try for anyone getting into ink drawing.



Getting Fancy.

Eventually I got curious and tried out technical pens which come in self fill or cartridge fill types. Biggest benefit to these puppies for me was the deliciously juicy dark black lines you can get even with the finest nibs! I used them for a really long time and I still love the satisfyingly uniform lines they make. The freshest Micron is just not nearly as louchously dark as a tech pen.

Oh, but I got me a couple complaints too though. For one, they were made for drafting, not art so you have to use them as straight up and down as possible. I don’t know about you, but for me it feels easier and more comfortable to be able to hold a pen at an angle. But holding them at an angle both impedes optimal flow and makes it easier to accidentally bend the nib which can make it leaky or clogged, usually with little hope of being able to be fixed. The other huge downside is you have to keep the nibs clean and never let the ink dry out because it can be a pain to revive them when that happens.

You really have to watch out and take care of them, they are very expensive! If you’re good at that sort of thing these may be for you.

Rotring Rapidograph .18 and .25 ended up being my favorites. They work on ink cartridge. I find as long as I use them every couple of days, they’ll continue to work and don’t clog or dry up.

Koh-I-Noor is another great brand, and for those looking for more flexibility when it comes to ink, these self-fills are fantastic.

I highly recommend using their Trans Mix Media inks. They work great in the pens, they’re easy to mix if you want to make your own colors and they even work just fine for ink painting.



My current favorite?

The pen I use the most these days is a dip pen. It’s not quite as easy to make uniform lines, but it can be done well with practice. I enjoy that I have the option to have a more varied line, which feels a little more human and expressive.

There are many reasons to love the dip pen. They’re inexpensive. I suppose one could spend a fortune on an ink collection for your dip pens, but overall, dip pen is an inexpensive way to go as compared with something like tech pens. They’re flexible. Use any ink you want pretty much, and even paint (as long as it is thinned to the right consistency). Easy Cleanup. I give the nib a rinse in water and then a wipe and I’m done. Pretty easy!

The down sides for me is it’s not the most convenient for any kind of on-the-go drawing. Can be messier than other pens, all that liquid ink can get crazy. One tends to get accidental ink blobs on their art and inky fingers more than with other drawing methods.

There are various types of nibs of course. I really like Manga nibs in particular for drawing. Beginners may want to try a variety set, to find a personal fave.

I find personally I only really need G and Maru nibs. G is an all around great nib, precise with a bit of flex for some line width variation.

Maru is a much more firm nib with little flex, great for finest details.


For a nib holder, this Tachikawa one works great. Although it is very easy to switch nibs, I use a separate holder for each type of nib so i don’t have to bother.


Since you can use almost any ink (or ink consistency paint) in a dip pen, I don’t have one strong favorite thing to use since there are so many good choices, but I do probably have a lot of opinions about various inks so I think I’ll make another post just about those.


If you have any questions about pen and ink supplies or methods, feel free to ask or comment below.

Touchdown on Star Lake

Touchdown on Star Lake

Star Lake Banner

This is a piece I finished recently. It’s a casein painting on panel 16″ X 20″. I’m calling it “Touchdown on Star Lake”.

Star Lake is not referring to an irl lake, it just feels like the right way to describe this night time lake scene. To me, this painting depicts a pilot, who does fancy maneuvers before touching down on a lake at night. The bird represents the steering wheel, the lion is the airplane and the dragon is the wind they’re riding upon. Go ahead and create your own story about where she comes from and why she’s there.

I’ve added it to the Across The Universe category of my gallery, which you should check out if you like sci-fi, aliens and outer space scenes.

Vampire Bat

Vampire Bat


Do you have to interact with others this Halloween but don’t really want to bother with a costume? Good news, now you can wear a PoxArt Vampire Bat shirt for Halloween and the need to show it off will give you good excuse to not wear a costume! You’re welcome 🙂

Or just pick one up cause you like bats, or vampires, or vampire bats. ;p

If you want one for Halloween, make sure to buy it ASAP. With processing and shipping time, it could take a bit to get to you.

Shirts are available on Amazon (Via Links on Sortagotta.com)

Other items (mugs) can be found on my Etsy Shop

Alluring Laptop Sleeve

Alluring Laptop Sleeve

Alluring Plumage - Banner

13″ and 15″ Alluring Plumage Laptop Sleeves now available!

I got one of these laptop sleeves made up because I needed some protection for my iPad when I’m on the go. Might as well do it in PoxArt Style! Really pleased with how it came out, so I decided to make it available to everyone. If you want one too, they’re now available at my Etsy shop!


Added Videos Page

Added Videos Page

Added A Videos Page

I realized I’ve done quite a few animations and videos at this point so I figured I should have a videos page which can now be accessed from the main menu. You can find these all on my Youtube channel as well.

Here’s one of my newer vids to kick it off!

Night Owl Plays Moon Banjo

This is a little animation loop I did featuring one of my digital artworks.

Thank you to Eponymous Sparrow for the music, which is an audio loop made from a part of a song called Flow State which is a really great little song so make sure to go listen to the whole thing.

If you are interested in the Night Owl physical items, there are various options to be found on SortaGotta and I also have a postcard/mini print available on Etsy and Ebay.

Gallery Update 7/10/22

Gallery Update 7/10/22

I put this “Handler” with a few of his pets up in the creatures category.

Casein painting on a 11″ x 14″ panel.



I also added this Hurricane to my Living Landscapes Category.

Casein painting on a 12″ x 12″ panel.



Will update again soon, thanks for stopping by!

Gallery Update 6/7/22

Gallery Update 6/7/22

Added some more artworks to my gallery…

These two are now on a new Odds and Ends page:




And then added this little guy to the Animals and Creatures page:


Gallery Update 5/2/22

Gallery Update 5/2/22

Gallery Update Banner

You may have seen these artworks if you follow me on Instagram. Finally got around to adding them to my gallery pages.


Added this to the Wilderness gallery page.



I decided this one goes best in the Across The Universe category.



This one got added to the Animal and Creatures gallery.


I’ve got more to add, will update again soon!

New Post Cards

New Post Cards

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you’re all having a nice one so far. Good news for anyone who’s been waiting for more postcard designs I’ve just released 18 new ones!

I built on the ones I already had and made various themed sets as well as a 26 post card pack, avail here on Etsy/Ebay. They are also available individually on Etsy/Ebay. On Etsy, there is a special listing for build your own set, which may be interesting for those who want to pick and choose a few designs.

If you’re buying on Etsy you can enter the coupon code NEWCARDS to get 20% off all cards (ends 1.23.22)

Going Nowhere Slowly Shirt

Going Nowhere Slowly Shirt

Going Nowhere Slowly by Poxodd Banner

Going Nowhere Slowly Design

Even though I decided not to concentrate on my shirt design website anymore, you can still get my shirts designs from Amazon. I’m occasionally adding new ones. Just added a “Going Nowhere Slowly” snail shirt, a great design for your autumn escapades. You can find links to it here at SortaGotta.com along with my other designs as well.

Coyote Moon Auction Begins

Coyote Moon Auction Begins

Coyote Moon by Poxodd Banner

Update: SOLD!

It’s been ages since I did an Ebay auction for my original artworks. I miss it, so I thought I’d give it a go with my “Coyote Moon” painting. If you’re interested, check it out and perhaps make a bid! It’s up for a week, so don’t delay or you may miss your chance to get your hands on these adorable coyotes.

Coyote Moon by Poxodd
Coyote Moon

Gurdy Hurding Posters Available Again

Gurdy Hurding Posters Available Again

Gurdy Hurding Cover Banner

I made all these posters shortly after Renaldo and The Loaf’s – Gurdy Hurding was released. I took a break from selling them since it required going to the post office… and who wants to go there? Bleh! But now I’m ready to put them out there for sale again, these days I can just request a pickup so I have no more excuse to hoard these beautiful posters.

You can get either/both the big double sided limited edition posters, or the mini poster set on either on Ebay or Etsy. The final price may be slightly different since I did free shipping on Ebay and calculated shipping on Etsy. Feel free to check both places and order from whichever one is cheaper, but they should be pretty similar in cost after shipping is accounted for. Pretty sure Etsy will be a *little* cheaper though, especially if you’re buying from anywhere other than the USA.

Renaldo and The Loaf Mini Posters
23rd Century Giants

23rd Century Giants

23rd Century Giants Banner

Recently, I got to do a movie poster with the amazing artist Steven Cerio who’s work I’ve admired for a long time, for a documentary about a couple of my favorite music makers of all time, Renaldo & The Loaf! Such a super cool project, it almost has me wondering if I’m dreaming. You can go to Well Dang’s Etsy Shop to pick up a copy of the poster. The full doc isn’t released yet but here’s the trailer https://vimeo.com/498379781

Renaldo and The Loaf Poster
Hardly Gurning While The World Is Turning

Hardly Gurning While The World Is Turning

Hardly Gurning Banner

I hope you’re all huge fans of the album Gurding Hurding by Renaldo and The Loaf by now, and since you are – you’ll also want to make sure to get this Hardly Gurning CD which includes remixes of Gurdy Hurding by various super cool artists as well as the title track which as first available on the vinyl version of Gurdy Hurding at Secret records. I did the art for all of these amazing releases of course, so buybuybuy!!!

Hardly Gurning While The World Is Turning by Renaldo and The Loaf
Unibrow Cats

Unibrow Cats

Been busy lately working on cool projects for others, as well as doing finishing touches on various artworks and varnishing them so they’ll be ready for sale. Don’t forget to sign up with my mailing list (there’s a sign up form in the footer) if you want to be notified when I start selling originals again. I haven’t sent anything out to my email list in quite some time, but once I start selling originals again, I’ll start sending out emails letting you all know when a new original is available to buy.

Here’s a little 5″ x 7″ I did recently that started out as a bit of a throw away experiment but I kept working on it until I liked it too much to throw away. 🙂

Sea Creature Man

Sea Creature Man

In a way this was a bit of a “doodle” because it was spontaneous piece with no planning.

I just started painting until I ended up with this little 4″ x 6″ sea creature man.

I was mostly experimenting with painting with various mediums (chinese paints and casein) on top of gong-bi paper that is mounted to a masonite panel.

Sea Creature Man By Poxodd
Sea Creature Man

Plans for the New Year

Plans for the New Year

I’m doing well and working hard on a lot of things. Hope to update this site more often this year. I’ve added a shop to this page although so far it is sparse. I’m working on putting the finishing touches on some artworks and taking pictures etc. and hope to have some originals up for sale soon. For now you can buy postcard prints and zines (which you can also find on my Etsy and at SortaGotta.com)

Also I’m going to try to write more blogs and do more recommendations about art supplies and art related products and services. I love me some art supplies and I love to go on about them, and a blog seems like a perfect outlet for that. I often find myself repeating my recommendations too, so a blog about it should help me save some time. It will give me somewhere to point people when they ask about the products and services that I use. Check my News Feed Blog for updates there. You can also see all the items I recommend (sans blog) on this page.

Here’s a recent 4″ x 6″ painting I did using Casein. It should be available soon on my store here (still have to varnish).

Coyotes under full moon

Sunrise on Dog Head Valley

Sunrise on Dog Head Valley

New painting in gouache. A pack of wild dogs roams the streets during sunrise in Dog Head valley.

Nature Lover Painting

Nature Lover Painting

Sorry I haven’t posted paintings lately… here’s one that I did a while ago (I believe during winter when I was missing springtime). Finally my wild flower garden is in full bloom and I realized it was a good time to take a pic of it.

Nature Lover by Poxodd
Down The Rabbit Hole

Down The Rabbit Hole

Check it out everyone, something to brighten your day in the difficult times we are in right now. Ostrich has been pretty quiet as of recent, but finally he pokes his head out to bring us some wonderful tunes… and for free! Thank goodness, some good news right? So no reason not to check out this great little ‘single’ by my ol’ buddy Ostrich Von Nipple (with art by Poxodd)! Pick it up at Psychofon Records and Enjoy!

Down The Rabbit Hole - Ostrich Von Nipple

The Flower Factory

The Flower Factory

Been working on this painting off and on for quite a while (at least a year, maybe more who knows!) and I’ve decided to call it finished. Seems like a particularly appropriate painting for the times, since many are isolating at home because of the virus, and this piece really has a ‘people hiding away in their homes’ feel. Much more figure-less than most of my paintings. Thank goodness deliveries are still happening, thank you truckers and delivery persons!

This one is rather large and detailed so I’ve included a bunch of close ups. 18″ x 24″ gouache painting on paper.

Coloring Pages

Coloring Pages

I made a new page here on my website for my free coloring page downloads. I plan on adding more, when I do they’ll show up there! Also, for easy access to this page, you may notice that I’ve added it to the main menu.

Quail Campfire Sing Along - Coloring Page Example
Quail Campfire Sing Along – Coloring Page Example
Fireplace Art Supplies

Fireplace Art Supplies

I recently did this bird painting and decided it needed a cool frame. The artwork seems like a ‘bird contemplating a wildfire’ type situation to me so I decided the frame should be covered in charcoal, which I harvested from my fireplace. Really love the texture it gives, I’m happy with the results!

Jelly & Turtle Custom Bass

Jelly & Turtle Custom Bass

Did a painting for my husband’s custom bass a while ago. He made the bass from parts, and I painted the painting on heavy watercolor paper and mounted it to the bass.

The painting is gouache paint sprayed with quite a few coats of Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic coating, and then waxed with Dorland’s Wax Medium (to reduce sheen and prevent acrylic tackiness problems). Mounted the paper to the bass with Golden Acrylic Soft Gel.

Painted it probably a year ago or so and the finish has held up well to regular usage.

Painted Bass by Poxodd
Jelly Detail Picture
Turtle Detail Picture
Now Available! Gurdy Hurding Vinyl from Secret Records.

Now Available! Gurdy Hurding Vinyl from Secret Records.

Hey check this out! A new Renaldo & The Loaf – Gurdy Hurding Vinyl from Secret Records is now available! Isn’t it gorgeous?

It’s always an honor doing things for Renaldo and The Loaf and I am really happy I got to do some new art for this piece. The packaging design came together quite well and the colored vinyl looks fabulous. Best of all there’s also new music on Side D, so make sure to pick this one up! Check out renaldoloaf.com and their FB official group for more info on RaTL in general.

Fancy Frames

Fancy Frames

Workin’ on making special frames for my art so that the frame is also part of the art itself. Made one for a small jellyfish piece I did back in March, and also made one for a drawing of a costumed chameleon I did. Really liking how these things are working out, which is good because I find traditional framing a bit boring.