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
Byebye 2023 – Hello 2024
What kind of a year was 2023 for you? For a lot of people it was a dark year of war time... and Climate Change... Quite stressfull of course.... So I'm very grateful and lucky to live in Belgium... I feel very privileged for the moment.... being busy with work and...
The 2 Things that Changed my Creative Journey
I have constant self-doubt when I write an email, a book or a blog post, and also when I draw… When I make a new online class for Skillshare it’s even worse. Why should anyone care and watch my classes? Of course when I get good reviews the self-doubt, or imposter...
Beating the Inner Critic with Tea Cups and My Autumn Palette
I’m feeling a lot of resistance lately in my creative work and can’t seem to get going…. My inner critic is louder than ever: everything I draw looks like crap and I’m overwhelmed by the violence in the world, and with work in the office. And in the evening I just...
Getting Out of a Creative Dip
It has been about 2 weeks now that I don’t seem to be able to enjoy my drawing and painting. I have some hard days and a very low dip! What do you do on those days when you just can't get anywhere? Those days when you're tired, when your patience fails you at every...
Why Don’t You Make a Book about Brussels?
Why don't you make a book about Brussels? Someone asked me on Instagram. Who cares about Brussels really? It is soiled, polluted, messily patched together. It demonstrates little self-esteem, and doesn’t seem to manage its own protection. “Bruxellisation” is now a...
How to Use Curiosity to Find Your Drawing Style
Hi dear artist friends! I made a sketchbook tour video of my travel in Portugal beginning of August and I also show the art supplies I traveled with. You can watch below if you like and subscribe to my You Tube channel. I decided to make more tutorial...
Looking for “your style”?
“Once is a mistake. Twice is an idea. Three times is style.” - Miles Davis. I got this great question from Katherine in my mailbox 10 days ago (please send me your questions: I love receiving questions because it gives me great ideas about what to write about!) : “I...
Create More Depth in your Watercolor
What I find most tricky to do when I'm out sketching is to create depth in a watercolor sketch! Creating depth in a watercolor painting involves understanding the principles of perspective, value, color, and composition. Here are some tips to help you achieve a sense...
5 tips to create a drawing ritual
Creating a drawing ritual to make a small drawing a day is magic to boost your drawing skills and to your mental and emotional health. The most difficult part for me is to get started. Everybody has his own tips & tricks. The best place to keep a drawing ritual is...
Things I tell myself when I’m in fear of the blank page
Life sometimes gets in the way of what gives you energy so I need to remind myself regularly of what makes me happy, to force myself to make time for it, to get rid also of my imposter syndrome, to get past difficult thoughts... Tell myself I don't need to make a...
Happy 2023 😃
Happy new year 2023 !… This changing of year, is always a great time to reflect on how things are going, and planning for the year ahead. How was your year 2022? Mine was great, compared to others, like in Ukraine, who are living in war time since February 2022.... I...
Watercolor Sketchbook Journaling : Different Ways of Sketching and Collecting Souvenirs
My favorite season, Autumn, is a great moment to try some new ways of Sketchbook Journaling ! Usually I simply make a painting per page, but lately I started making variations in lay outs, with smaller drawings mixed with bigger sketches and it gives a much...
About brushes
What I love about trying new brushes it is that those new brushes, with special hair I don’t know, oblige me to find new movements! With those Japanese brushes you don’t paint in the same way as with a Western sable hair or synthetic brush, for example: with those soft calligraphy brushes you have to hold the brush perpendicular to the paper if you want to go to a fine point or paint fine details. You can also obtain large variations in thickness.
By trying out “new” movements to get the most out of the new brush still unfamiliar to me, I also get a different perspective on what I am doing.
Autumn Joy
I received this beautiful message about Autumn, which I want to share with you, because it's my favorite season! I find it soothing and giving me energy! As we enter Autumn, may we find harmony with the rhythm of the changing season and the lessons it brings: As...
Experiment & Play (with Watersoluble Graphite)
I started exploring again different types of watersoluble graphite, to play with watercolor. Here’s a video I made with watersoluble graphite paste by Viarco. Have you already tried drawing and painting with watersoluble graphite? I put the graphite paste in a small...
Put your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To Be !
Are you also afraid to show your art to the world? When you paint, write, create….. you know it won’t be loved by everybody, but when you get a negative comment it still hurts like hell, doesn’t it?
Color Party
Why stress about colors? Why is it so overwhelming? A palette is like a self-portrait of an artist. Isn't that overwhelming? These colors reflect my emotional condition? Each layout and collection of pans is personal and unique! If you spend any time with...
Thank you so much !
Thank you thank you thank you ! I felt overwhelmed by your love and support to my previous blogpost where I was screaming out my overwhelm and despair because of my moving of houses. That really meant so much to me! Thank you ! I'm slowly getting used to the new house...
Ouch, that hurts!
Practice what you preach…. I thought I’d always find time to sketch and paint, but that’s not true…. I didn’t touch my art supplies for more about 2 weeks… Those boxes were the last thing I made… And then I also had to pack my studio. We moved to a house..
I need more playing!
Do you find time to play in your sketchbook? I don't find enough time.... So I made a Skillshare class about it.... (teach what you most need to learn to make sure you remember it ) My new class is all about taking time to play in my sketchbook 🙂 My sketchbook is...
