Illustration + Nature Sketching
Here are my sketchbook pages for June. I sketched a lot of butterflies for an upcoming class, as well as the obligatory birds and some flora. Something I’ve also enjoyed – without having it mastered fully – is painting quick landscapes. I’m planning to do more of these quick small sketches, as they give a … Read more
Recently, my drawing has focused a lot on insects and butterflies. A lot of them are they’re getting rarer these days, and I cherish the moments in which I can observe one up close. I’m excited to announce a new course today that focuses on drawing and painting butterflies. In the class, you’re going to … Read more
If you have followed my work for a while you might know I love to draw line work with dip nibs. The subtle changes in the line weight give drawings a wonderful dynamic expression that simply can’t be achieved with monoline pens, and whenever possible I use dip nibs for my drawings. But they aren’t … Read more
I usually don’t review books on this blog. But sometimes I come across books that deeply move me and that I want to share. The biography of Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson is a book that not only tells you more about an artist’s life and work, but also is a powerful example of … Read more
May was a productive month for me sketchbook-wise, as I spent a lot of time outside nature journaling. A part of my adventures found its way into my new course about drawing ideas for spring, and the rest shows how many things are in nature right now to enjoy: birds, butterflies, trees and delicate landscapes. The … Read more
I’m always experimenting and trying out new mixes with my watercolors. I do have a few favorites right now that’d I’d like to show today. Mixing watercolor is always an exciting thing, you never quite know what the result will be, and there are differences even when using the same pigments by different manufacturers. I … Read more
Spring is in full bloom over here now and I’ve taken the opportunity and created a new class around nature journaling in spring! We’ll go for a hike together and take a look at different creative techniques for nature journaling now that nature is waking up again and you can see all kinds of plants, … Read more
Drawing and painting in a sketchbook on a daily basis is a deeply relaxing, meditative thing to do, and it builds creativity and imagination. My art practice changed a lot when I truly embraced my sketchbook for what it was and started nature journaling, my art got more interesting as a result. I find myself … Read more
Another month has passed and it’s my time to look at what happened in my nature journal in that time. Spring is finally here and everything is coming to life in an amazing speed. There is so much fresh green growing everywhere suddenly, after the long winter months. Spring flowers appear in soft colors and … Read more
There are lots of ways to keep a nature journal, some prefer pencil only while others like using colored pencils or ink. I keep coming back to watercolors. This might be because I’ve been painting in watercolor for a few years now, but even apart from that I find that it is a wonderfully versatile … Read more
Do you sometimes wish you could just watch the clouds go by for an hour while not doing anything else? Now you can, at least almost! In my new course, we’ll take a relaxing time out and watch the sky and the passing clouds. And then we’ll take out our watercolors and paint them! In … Read more
Study Bird Anatomy If you want to draw a convincing bird, you need to understand what lies beneath the surface. When you draw something, you simplify it, and without knowing what you see, you can’t simplify it.Your drawings will become much better when they’re based on knowledge and not just on how something appears to … Read more