Simply Draw & Paint it
Hi !
Here I share my thoughts about living a creative life, about how I found more and more fun and joy in making art and looking for creativity by getting rid of my demons like fear, perfectionism, what-might-other-people-think, ugliness (what’s that anyway?), Art with a big A, dogma’s …. Everybody is an artist and everybody is creative!
Please feel free to share your story in the comments in my posts! I read all the comments and I would love to hear from you!
Tell me your story here: info @ barbaraluel.com
The Art of Being Present: How Urban Sketching Transforms Your Holiday Experience
The Art of Being Present: How Urban Sketching Transforms Your Holiday Experience I carry my work everywhere with me, even on holiday. No matter how beautiful the destination – whether I was exploring a bustling European city, hiking in Japan or discovering hidden...
Mixed Media : The Secret to More Playful Sketches
Ever sit down to sketch and hear that little voice whisper:"You’re not an artist. What do you think you're doing?" It’s sneaky, isn’t it? Just when you want to try something new or open your sketchbook again, that doubt creeps in. If you’ve felt it, you’re not...
Sketchbook Practice: How to Start and Finish your Drawings
I received a great list from “the sneaky artist”, about why people don't start or don't finish drawings, and adapted it a bit to fit my problems : Why People Don’t Start There is not enough time, they think They are not good enough and the drawing will be ugly They...
Mixed Media Magic for Vibrant Watercolors
Do you ever hesitate in front of a blank page, unsure how to begin your watercolor sketch? Consider starting your linework with watercolor pencils instead of regular pencils. Mixed media techniques can significantly enhance your artwork by adding vibrant details,...
How to Avoid Artist’s Block
Have you ever enthusiastically opened your sketchbook, pencil ready for action, only to find your brain has suddenly decided to take an impromptu vacation? Zero ideas, zilch inspiration—it's like your inner artist packed its bags and vanished without warning! Don't...
Sketching with a Fork ?
Greetings from Vietnam where I follow a workshop with Paul Wang in a "Art Food Culture" trip ! It's not my first workshop with Paul, but the previous ones were shorter and less exotic. Vietnam was on my bucket list since long time and I'm not disappointed: very...
Happy 2025
May 2025 bring a gentle breath of hope and peace. May we learn to cherish the fleeting beauty of each day, to sow light, kindness, and Art into the fragile fabric of time.
The Art of Teacups: A Journey of Skill and Creativity
Or Why Drawing and Painting Them Regularly is a Game-Changer Teacups might look like the most basic thing ever, but they’re secretly an artist’s best friend. Drawing and painting them regularly isn’t just fun—it’s a sneaky way to get better at art without even...
Sketching Portugal… in 2015 and in 2024!
I have been looking at old sketchbooks again to see how my skills and style evolved. What I notice is that the 2015-me was so afraid to express herself and afraid to ruin the sketchbook, that the drawing is barely visible… no shadows, very weak colors and weak line...
Drawing as a mindfulness exercise
It's as if a month disappeared out of my life. On 21st August I lost unexpectedly my best childhood friend, Samanta. We were friends since we were 2 years old. So we just celebrated our 50th friendship anniversary. It's as if I lost my big sister. Grief is a thing...
10 Years of Sketchbook Progress
On my YouTube channel I published a video where I show a sketchbook from about 10 years ago from now: 2015....And I show a sketch from my home 10 years ago and one of the same subject 6 years later: 2021.... I find the difference spetctacular. I made this video to...
My Best Art Advice Ever ?
The Best Art Avice Ever? I got from Leslie Stroz resuming what I try to apply and transmit from Betty Edwards' book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". Leslie puts it in a more clear way I think: "Pretent you're an Alien" ! That means: try prentending to be an...
Urbansketching Portugal: On Keeping a Travel Sketchbook
I’m off again to my next trip in Portugal to work on my book. In the meantime I just published my new Skillshare class featuring video’s of my previous trips in portugal. I also show you how I prepare my sketchbook and what I take with me on my trips. I’ve been...
Drawing Happy Lines
Guess who visited Brussels again to do a sketchwalk with us and to give 2 workshops? The King of Happy Lines: Ch’ng Kiah Kiean from Malaysia ! The sketchwalk we organized with Urbansketchers Belgium was part of the 50th Citydev.Brussels Anniversary, were...
How “Good Enough” can make you enjoy your Sketchbook Practice
A friendly reminder (also to myself): "No Progress without Action!" While I'm making my new online class about travel sketching in Portugal I am thinking about how to make people engage better and post drawings in the classes. I get a lot of reviews from people who...
About “Messy” Watercolor with Reham Ali…
Urbansketchers Belgium had the honor to have Reham Ali visiting for several days, thanks to Citydev.Brussels 50th Anniversary we're documenting. We had a great sketchwalk on Friday, but also a wonderful workshop with Reham on Saturday. Here are some takeaways from the...
Breaking routines with urbansketching
Spring is there, so it's time to gather your art supplies and go sketching outside! Urbansketching events are flourishing all over the world, and also in Brussels! You don't need to fly away to mix up your day-to-day and draw in your sketchbooks like I did by going to...
Preparing my Portugal sketchbook
Yay I'm leaving to Portugal to go sketchbing for my new book for Akinome and my new Skillshare class I love to paint the map and my art supplies in my new sketchbooks and I made a video this time to show you how I prepare my trip. I also show you how I mix my...
Learning New Sketching Ways in Finland
I just came back from Finland, pushing my sketching bounderies with artist Marie Detrée (https://www.mariedetree.com/).First I went 5 days to Helsinki to see back old friends I know from my architecture studies in Oulu 30 years ago. It was amazing to see them. (We...
How to keep going
Did you also already quit your new year’s resolutions? What do you do about it?
