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 more satisfying lay out I think! Also, I felt my sketchbook was becoming too precious and blocking me, whereas it should be my playground! 

A memory warehouse… a means of detachment… the perfect place to document daydreams.

So I made a new online class about it…

By making a “playground” of your sketchbook you’ll improve your drawing skills dramatically, and sketchbooks and illustrated journaling also make you empty your head and relax, and find your unique drawing style !

In the class I document Autumn colors in a sketchbook journal, and experiment with different materials.

I share insights and my process to make a lively watercolor landscape with autumn colors on one page, and on the other page I will document some playful autumn treasures and show you how I make a layout with loose objects, texts and color swatches.

Feel free to sketch other seasons or other subjects of course!

The main purpose is to make a sketchbook journal page! AH NO correction: the main purpose is to PLAY !

My method can be applied to any subject matter you decide to paint!

There are 3 sketching demonstrations, a landscape, a physalis and an autumn leaf, in which I take you through my entire process, including trying to erase some “mistakes”… 

I hope this class takes away the fear of making a bad drawing, takes away the fear of not having talent, and will help you on your way to your unique sketching style. My purpose is not to make you sketch like me, but to make you sketch like you !

I’m so excited with this class 🙂

I’m especially excited to have already 3 good reviews! Reviews are very important to be able to improve my class content… so thank you so much to who already left reviews for my classes.

To celebrate my brand new class, I’m hosting a giveaway: One Year of Premium Skillshare Membership! 

I ask myself the whole time: how can I make my sketchbook less precious? So I wouldn’t put the pressure to myself of expecting myself to make “beautiful paintings” in it?

How can I make it a playground “laboratory”?

I already made a blogpost about this. But I need a constant reminder:

Don’t put your nice sketchbooks aside for when you’ll be able to make a “masterpiece“. That’s the perfectionist in you who’s talking! TODAY is the best day to use them !!! Because guess what? The perfectionist in you will never find your art good enough for the sketchbook. So be kind to yourself: you don’t need to make a masterpiece. You’re just sketching and playing and that’s the way to become better and better at your art: day by day, bit by bit. Do it every day a bit at least! Just trick the perfectionist in you and tell him/her: “I’m just going to paint 5 minutes now”…. and before you know it you’ll be painting more than an hour !

So, here are some tricks I developed:

Afraid to ruin the paper?  Just start by splashing paint on the paper. So, that’s done : it’s “ruined”. Now start your sketching on the splashes and you’ll end up with a fun, great painting! 

Afraid to ruin the sketchbook? Don’t start on the first pages, so it’s less intimidating. I never start on the first page. Usually on the 2nd or even third page, because the perfectionist in me tells me I keep the first page for “something special”…. Well usually on the first page now I sketch my art supplies I’m currently using: my palette, brushes and pencil and ballpoint pen. That’s fun!

Just start in your favorite sketchbook! When I like a type of sketchbook, I buy several of them, so I feel less reluctant to “ruin ” it. I think that fear of ruining the sketchbook will never go away… And you know why you should use your favorite sketchbook? Because you only live once! Tomorrow something terrible might happen like an accident, which will prevent you from painting…. so don’t leave good stuff for later! And another more important reason: using “precious” sketchbooks will make sure you won’t be sloppy and you’ll do your best to improve your drawing and painting skills… If we use cheap stuff, we tend to be sloppy…. So use that damn great sketchbook and make the best out of it!

You don’t know what subject to draw/paint in your sketchbook? Any subject which makes you happy is a great subject! Paint subjects you like and that make you feel good and happy so you’ll enjoy yourself! When you enjoy yourself, your painting will automatically make you happier than if you paint something which doesn’t really make you feel good. There’s no such thing like a “not good enough subject”. Just one thing to keep in mind: if you draw a “weird” subject, your drawing will look weird as well… 😉

And last but not least: be kind to yourself! You’re not making a “masterpiece”. You’re just drawing and painting.

Leave yourself alone. Just play and have fun….

And…. it’s just paper…. 

I found this great blogpost on Maria Popova’s website about sketchbooks of artists and illustrators. It gives some ideas…