Hi, I’m Sadiqua Khalid—a self-taught writer and illustrator. What began as a personal practice (writing to make sense of the world, life and everything) has grown into a collection of workbooks and tools designed to help others do the same. My hope is that what I create helps you find your rhythm, ignite new ideas, and feel more grounded in your introspective and creative process. Thanks so much for being here!
The pith Pomelo Notebook is a generously sized dot grid notebook designed for sketching, note-taking, planning, and everyday ideas. Its pale ivory pages have a slightly thicker 130gsm paper stock, making them well suited to pens, fineliners, and light ink use with minimal show-through.
The dot grid is intentionally subtle, appearing much fainter than in many dotted notebooks. This gives you the structure of a grid when you need it, without competing with your notes, drawings, or layouts. The result is a cleaner-looking page that feels less distracting and more natural to work on.
Product Overview
156 pages of sustainable 130gsm acid-free smooth ivory dot grid paper
Exposed thread sewn exposed binding
Ideal for sketching and note-taking
Recycled card cover
Designed, printed, bound, and hand-finished in Berwick-upon-Tweed, UK
Where to Buy
I bought mine from Jackson’s Art Supplies. If you’d like more details and want to check current prices, I’ve linked the UK, US, and Australia stores below. Worldwide shipping available.
(I chose the Raw cover colour in 260 × 210mm, though there are several other colour and size options available.)
Please note: some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely use and enjoy.
uni pin Fine Line pens are waterproof fineliner pens designed for drawing, sketching, technical work, and handwriting. They use fade-resistant pigment ink and come in a range of nib sizes, from very fine detail tips to broader line widths.
One of the main selling points is that the ink is waterproof once dry, making the pens useful for mixed media work, especially when adding watercolour over ink drawings.
What I Use Them For
I mostly use uni pin pens for:
Handwriting and notes
Sketchbook line work
Journalling
Outlining pencil drawings
Simple illustrations
The pens feel controlled and consistent, which makes them easy to use for longer writing sessions as well as sketching.
Watch Video – Writing with the 0.03 uni pink Fine Line Pen
Handwritten notes with the 0.03 uni pin fine line waterproof ink pen
uni pin Pen Sizes
The nib size just depends on what you intend to use them for and what you’re comfortable with. They come in the following sizes:
Ultra-Fine: 0.03 mm, 0.05 mm
Fine & Medium: 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm
Bold: 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.2 mm
Are uni pin Pens Waterproof?
Yes – the ink is waterproof once fully dry.
That’s one of the biggest reasons artists use them for sketching and ink drawing. You can add watercolour or light washes over the lines without major smudging.
Final Thoughts
I think uni pin Fine Line pens are a good choice if you want dependable waterproof fineliners for sketching, drawing, handwriting, or journalling.
They’re not luxury pens, but they’re consistent, practical, and reasonably affordable. For everyday creative work, that’s usually enough.
Where to Buy uni pin Fine Line Pens
You can usually find individual pens or multipacks in art supply stores. I buy mine online from Jackson’s Art Supplies – see links below. (If you go ahead with the purchase, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you).
In this tutorial, we’ll be illustrating a fading rose branch with a delicate blue butterfly sitting on it, using Procreate and my Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set. This project is all about finding beauty in the quiet, imperfect details—wilted petals, muted colours, and the delicate contrast of a blue butterfly bringing colour into the composition.
In the first arrival of morning light, before the day gathers its movement, the world discloses itself through pattern. Not in bold outlines, but in quiet repetitions—lines, arcs, intervals—emerging from shadow into recognition. The light does not create these forms; it reveals what has always been present.
Across the ground, blades of grass rise in subtle variation, each one distinct, yet held within a shared rhythm. Dew gathers along their edges, not randomly, but in accordance with surface and tension, forming beads that echo one another without exact repetition. The same curvature appears again and again, adjusted by scale, by position, by the slightest difference in form. Nothing is identical, yet nothing is without relation.
Leaves turn toward the light along invisible axes. Their veins extend outward in branching patterns that mirror the spread of rivers, the reach of roots, the division of pathways through a forest. What begins at a single point unfolds into multiplicity, each extension maintaining a connection to its source. This is not growth as expansion alone, but as ordered unfolding—structure revealing itself through time.
In the bark of trees, ridges form sequences shaped by pressure and release. Spirals emerge in cones and shells, holding within them a continuity that neither begins nor ends at what is visible. The curve does not close; it carries forward. What appears as a simple form contains a deeper regularity, one that links the smallest detail to the widest arrangement. The same turning can be found in the drift of clouds, in the eddies of water, in the movement of air itself.
As the light strengthens, these patterns do not become louder, only clearer. Distances between things begin to speak. The spacing of branches, the intervals between birdsong, the alternating presence of light and shadow—all form relationships that are felt before they are named. Balance is not imposed; it arises from proportion. Each element takes its place without displacing another.
The birds move within this field of pattern without interruption. Their flight traces arcs that respond to currents unseen, their paths crossing and diverging with a precision that suggests alignment rather than control. Nests are formed from gathered fragments, each piece placed in accordance with tension, weight, and curve. The result is not design as intention, but structure as necessity—an embodiment of pattern rather than its imitation.
What morning light makes visible is not simply the appearance of things, but the coherence that holds them. Patterns repeat across scale, yet never collapse into sameness. Variation is not a departure from order, but its expression. Each difference refines the whole, allowing it to remain alive, responsive, and open.
In this early hour, the world is neither assembled nor explained. It is revealed as a continuity of forms—interwoven, responsive, and precise. The light does not linger, but as it passes, it leaves behind the quiet recognition that beneath the changing surface, pattern endures.
I begin this page in that same condition of emergence. Not with a plan, but with attention. The pen moves slowly across the surface of the paper, and what appears is less a statement than a tracing—of thought finding its own edges, of language arriving in fragments before it settles into continuity.
There is a particular kind of clarity in handwriting. It resists speed. It resists excess. Each word must be placed, and in that placement there is a brief negotiation between intention and uncertainty. The page becomes less a record of thought than a site where thought happens.
As I write, I notice how often meaning arrives not through declaration, but through repetition. A word returns. A shape repeats. A rhythm forms without instruction. These patterns are not imposed; they surface. And in their surfacing, something like recognition becomes possible.
The geometry of first light is not only external. It is also a structure of attention—how perception arranges itself when the world is still unclaimed by urgency. In that brief interval, before interpretation hardens, there is space for things to appear as they are: partial, shifting, unresolved.
Writing, in this sense, is not a way of capturing thought, but of listening to its formation. It follows rather than directs. It lingers where clarity has not yet arrived, trusting that coherence may emerge through patience rather than force.
This page is one instance of that practice. A surface where language and observation meet, not to conclude, but to continue.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you my botanical watercolour process for illustrating an early-stage delphinium plant in Procreate. Using soft washes, layered texture, and botanical detail, we’ll create a realistic digital watercolour illustration inspired by traditional painting techniques. I’ll also be using my own Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set for Procreate to achieve natural pigment blooms, paper texture, and authentic watercolour blending throughout the process.
The full step-by-step tutorial for this botanical watercolour illustration is available over on my Patreon page through a paid membership. I’ve included the complete painting process from sketching and colour palette creation through to layering, texture, and final details using my Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set for Procreate. It’s there for anyone who would like a slower, more in-depth walkthrough to follow along with.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you a simple approach to creating a loose botanical flower illustration in Procreate. Working from an initial sketch through to refined linework, we’ll keep the process minimal and focused, using just the Sketch – Pencil and Details – Main brushes to build a clean and natural floral study. The aim is to keep things light and uncomplicated, so you can focus on shape, flow, and delicate botanical detail without overworking the piece.
The full step-by-step tutorial for this botanical watercolour illustration is available over on my Patreon page through a paid membership. I’ve included the complete painting process from sketching and colour palette creation through to layering, texture, and final details using my Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set for Procreate. It’s there for anyone who would like a slower, more in-depth walkthrough to follow along with.
In this guide, I’ll go through what to look for in good watercolour brushes for Procreate, and share a simple setup that I personally use when I want a more natural, traditional feel in my digital work.
What Makes a Good Watercolour Brush in Procreate?
The most effective watercolour brushes tend to focus less on dramatic effects and more on subtle behaviour.
Here are a few things that make a big difference:
Natural pigment flow: Watercolour isn’t uniform. Good brushes allow colour to vary slightly in density, creating a more organic look.
Soft blending behaviour: Real watercolour spreads and merges gradually. In Procreate, brushes that support soft transitions tend to feel more realistic.
Texture response: Paper texture plays a big role in traditional watercolour. Brushes that interact well with textured canvases tend to produce more natural results.
Layer-friendly design: Watercolour builds in layers. Brushes that don’t become muddy too quickly make it easier to develop depth.
Edge darkening: Pigment pooling at the edges as it dries
Bloom effects: Water pushing pigment outward
Transparency: Layers building gradually
Paper texture: Interaction with grain and tooth
Some sets emphasise realism through unpredictability, while others focus on control and consistency. Neither approach is “better”—they simply suit different styles.
When deciding, it helps to think about how you like to paint:
Prefer expressive, loose painting? Look for brushes with strong bloom and diffusion effects
Prefer detailed illustration? Choose brushes with more control and subtle layering
Want an all-in-one toolkit? Go for larger sets with textures and extras included
Overwhelmed by too many options? A smaller, focused set may actually improve your workflow
Types of Watercolour Brushes in Procreate
Most watercolour brush sets include a combination of these types:
Wash brushes: Used for broad areas of colour and backgrounds. These mimic diluted paint and soft spreading.
Detail brushes: Used for edges, line work, and controlled painting. These help balance loose washes.
Blend / softening brushes: Help transition between colours and smooth out edges in a natural way.
Texture brushes: Add grain, variation, and paper-like effects that help break up digital smoothness. A good workflow usually combines several of these rather than relying on a single brush.
Why Canvas Texture Matters More Than Most People Think
One of the most overlooked parts of digital watercolour is the canvas itself.
In traditional painting, paper texture naturally affects how pigment spreads. In Procreate, you need to simulate that manually.
A textured canvas can help:
Break up flat digital strokes
Add subtle variation to colour edges
Make layering feel more natural
Improve overall realism without extra effort
Even with good brushes, a flat canvas can make results feel overly digital.
There isn’t a single “best” watercolour brush for Procreate—much depends on your personal style and the results you’re aiming for. However, if you’re looking for a realism-focused set that captures traditional behaviour, the set I’ve created is designed to help you achieve that. See my illustrations made with this brush set.
Whether you’re a digital artist or a traditional watercolour enthusiast, this step-by-step tutorial will guide you through painting a detailed hydrangea botanical illustration using watercolour techniques.
Bring the elegance of nature into your digital sketchbook with this ash leaf botanical illustration tutorial—designed especially for Procreate and created using the Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist exploring digital watercolour, this guided lesson will help you develop a clean, minimalistic style like real watercolour.
Getting a natural watercolour look in Procreate isn’t just about using the right brushes—it’s also about how your canvas, layers, and settings work together.
Even small adjustments can make a noticeable difference in how realistic and natural your watercolour illustrations feel.
In this post, I’ll go through a simple, practical approach to Procreate watercolour settings that helps create more natural-looking results without overcomplicating your workflow.
