Spring is finally here and every day is a new eruption of greens, blossoms and just new things sprouting everywhere.
I’ve taken a (very) small break from painting landscape for my new course to sketch some apple blossoms. These are among my favorite things to sketch every year.
With all the work for the new course and preparing for the Botanical Sketching course live run-through (places are filling up, so if you want to join us next week, please sign up soon), these have been the first regular sketches in my sketchbook for over two months. I miss regular sketching and posting new art to the blog.
So, I thought in absence of new sketches, it might be fun to do a Q&A.
I would love to hear from you!
Do you have any questions about sketching, drawing nature, tools, art business, me, or anything else you’re curious about?
Drop your questions in the comments for this post and I’ll dive into them in an upcoming blog post (comments are easier for me to see than emails that get buried in my inbox).
This is a chance to get any tips you’re looking for or just chat about art and creativity – I’m excited to hear what you’re curious about!
And, just to end this with more apple blossoms, here are some from last year:
These are so beautiful, very light and full of life and resonance.
There is a lot of apple blossom this year, l have noticed.
I have nearly finished my astrophysics degree so will sign up for another of your excellent courses in the future and have more time to enjoy it.
Constantina
I’ve signed up for your botanical sketching course and watched the “How to Add Convincing Shadows” video a few times. What is missing for me is seeing the actual flower that you are adding shadow to. I want to be able to “see” what you are seeing in terms of shadow. I’m still a beginning sketcher and shadows still confound me a bit. I can see how the end result adds 3-dimensionality and depth but I wonder if you could break that down a bit more. Perhaps this question will be answered in the course itself:)
How can you draw the layers of a pine cone.
Julia, I so enjoy your sketches from nature, and your classes. I live in a town (in Florida) where there are no areas to find wild flowers or blooming trees (except for my magnolia, it is beautiful, but sadly so high up I can hardly see them). I keep trying to think of where I could go. About the only thing I can think of is the local nurseries, but don’t know how they would feel about me sketching away, and not nearly as relaxing as a walk in the woods. Any suggestions? What passes for woods around here, is close to swampy with all kinds of critters that I would rather avoid.
Keep up the good work, as for now, I just use your work, and photos.
Thanks again
Fran
What’s your favorite blue? And your favorite earth color?
Here’s a question for the Q&A. Water consistency and getting the right color. I go back and forth getting the right color and water going on my pallet. Any tips would be great. Also, what colors to use to add shadows.
I know just what you mean about paint-to-water ratio. I find it very difficult to get that right on a consistent basis. -k.
Good morning, Julia – I hope this finds you well and enjoying the leafing out season, which is always so welcome and beautiful. Here in Maine USA the leaves on our apple trees have not yet come, so blossoms are still some time out. I notice that your first apple blossom sketch is labelled “Holbein” but your second has no paint notation. I especially love your second sketch; did you do that second sketch with your new Spring 2025 palette? The colours are magnificently vibrant. I hope you can continue to “go out to play” and not be overly house-bound by work; you seem to flourish in the outdoors. Best wishes, -k.
Do you have suggestions for how to make time for regular practice?
I start with good intentions then all my tasks and chores push my ‘unproductive’ art time aside.
I have wanted to return to watercolor painting for years but my drawing skills too are rusty so I did purchase your sketching course, and I started it….but haven’t gotten back to it and I feel ill-prepared to start refreshing my painting skills without a good sketching base.
Hi Mariah, I don’t know if it would work for you, but I make it a habit to do my painting and sketching first thing in the morning (sometimes even before breakfast). Then after that I do chores! It doesn’t work when I have to go out to work, but on days I work from home it’s the best! Also because I don’t like painting and sketching when I’m tired. Good luck with your sketching and watercolors :)
Hi Julia,
I am eagerly awaiting your new landscape painting course with feedback. Any word on when that might happen?
Also I’m especially interested in how to best set up my tools and space for working outside. I can no longer sit on the ground and keeping everything balanced on my lap is challenging. Any tips you have on how to do this would be helpful.
All the best to you!
Hi Julia & all,
I love all of the apple blossom sketches you posted, but can you let us know how you choose colors for the shadows on white blossoms?
I saw pink buds on all the sketches, which I’m guessing turned into white blossoms. You provided great shadows to give form to the blossoms, but with different colors for the shadows. Did you decide on the shadow color by the light where you sketched? Or from the slight color in the white blossoms? Or something else?
Also I sympathize with Fran in Florida. I now live in Oakland, but I remember the frustration of endless condominiums when I went to visit relatives–especially when the beach and the Everglades were within driving distance. Nonetheless, when I was stuck I sketched where I sat. What I ended up doing was a lot of what John Constable called “sky studies”. Florida may be the sunshine state but it certainly doesn’t lack for cloud formations and dramatic weather. My sketches from those times often included a tree top in the foreground of a picture of clouds. Obviously not always a solution, but it’s something. Unless you’re ready to buy a canoe for sketching in the swamp, that might be some ready subject matter.
Hi Julia,
I’ve really enjoyed your basic sketching course and now I’m moving onto your Nature Journal courses. I’m curious about what you write in your notes on the journal pages (apologies, I don’t speak German). Do you mainly write about colours and visual detail so that you can finish the sketch when you get home or do you write about location of the subject or points of botanical interest?
Many thanks
Jeremy
Hi Julia,
I really love your apple blossom sketches. My question for the Q&A have been already submitted by Cindy (Water consistency and getting the right color) and by Mariah (how to make time for regular practice). To these I will add the “greens”. I see many many greens this spring and how can we capture them without making a big green blob. Thank you, Adamalia
What art dreams or project would you like to accomlish?
Hi Julia, I love the apple blossoms! I spotted a wild apple tree on a walk yesterday, it’s rare to still see them where I live. I’ll be painting it surely! On skillshare you have some courses on more stylized, folk art. Do you still do that kind of art and, if so, how does it relate to your sketching and botanical art? Greetings (in dutch we say ‘groetjes’), Marieke
Hope I’m not too late with my question: my drawing skills are holding me back from sketching more, and it feels frustrating at times. I know I need to practice more but is there anything else you would recommend to a beginner to improve? My schedule is also a problem, liek a few others mentioned, I keep pushing my “art time” to the side.