Sketchbook 2

I started this sketchbook at the end of June 2023, and completed it at the start of September 2023.

After completing Sketchbook 1, I decided to lean further into exploring watercolor and learning sketching fundamentals. This time I bought a watercolor sketchbook (Seawhite of Brighton) with nice thick paper and a hard cover. The difference in how watercolor layers on this paper versus the 90gsm Rhodia paper is huge, but the extra expense and weight is also making me pause before picking it up as often. I have a sense of not wanting to "waste" it, although of course a sketchbook sitting unused is surely more of a waste.

photo of my sketchbook

I've also been doing Liz Steel's Foundations course, which means most of my pages are doing the assignments which vary from testing materials to whole watercolor paintings done on location.

first spread of my sketchbook, material swatches

Here's some of my favourite spreads:

watercolor drawings of my glasses, tea, fountain pen, flowers and googly eye Pom poms

exercise for Foundations - 3 ways of visual thinking - feeling edges, abstracting shapes, measuring volumes

trying out some of my less loved tools - a Lamy Safari fountain pen, a brush pen, a lead holder

swatches of watercolor pencils

watercolor swatches, combinations of 2 colours

sketches using my water brushes, one with ink and one with water

sketchbook2 2 1.jpeg|thumbnail sketches and watercolour sketch of Osaka Castle

sketchbook2 9.jpeg|watercolour sketches of two of my bags

sketchbook2 6 1.jpeg|watercolour sketch of 3 stacked books

sketchbook2 10 1.jpeg|watercolour sketch of cherry blossoms at my son's school

sketchbook2 11 1.jpeg|watercolour sketches of my gumboots

sketchbook2 12.jpeg|watercolour sketch of my house