Illustration + Nature Sketching
One of the most important things I learned about painting is to choose by watercolor pigments, not just by names. Watercolor manufacturers pick the name on the tube mainly for marketing reasons, so you can never be sure if your Indian Yellow, Sap Green or even Quinacridone Magenta have the same characteristics when bought from …
In the second part of this guide to getting started with watercolors we’ll take a closer look at different watercolor painting techniques, some very basic thoughts about color mixing, and some common mistakes that a lot of beginners run into. If you want to take a look at part one, it’s here. Now let’s see …
Exploring watercolor as a beginner can be a bit tricky, but it is a great medium to explore in your sketchbook. There are many stumbling blocks around this beautiful technique, and a lot of helpful tips for beginners who want to learn watercolor. When I started with painting in watercolor, I had no idea what …
The process of exploring nature, either through art or through simple observation, can set a number of things in motion in us humans. I want to talk about these effects today, and show why there are many positive aspects about being in and around nature and getting to know it better. I know that you …
Painting clouds and skies can be deeply meditative, and I love to do it especially in the morning, and in little breaks throughout the day. You can observe clouds everywhere, and the sky can always be your subject. I have dedicated pages in the front and back of my nature journal for documenting the sky, …
You might be perfectly happy with the pre-made pan set that you got from the art store – and that’s perfectly fine. I was happy with my Winsor & Newton Cotman paint for many years, until it fell apart. However, if you want to tweak your palette a little bit, or start from scratch with …
In order to develop a creative habit, you will have to overcome a few obstacles. The good news is that this isn’t actually so hard to do when you have a plan. This plan will work for all kinds of creative goals, no matter if you’re a professional or just looking to build a new …
Taking a break from social media, and then deleting my accounts entirely, had a huge impact on my life and business. If you have recently questioned your use of social media, or want to quit social media, you need to read this article from an artist’s perspective. Here’s the video version of this post: If …
Just a quick announcement about my online teaching: All of my current nature journaling classes are now available as a one-time purchase on Gumroad and on Skillshare. Each course has around 1.5 hours (or more) of video demonstrations, and features one or more practical sketching projects so you can practice what you’ve just learnt and …
I’ve written a long guide about choosing a sketchbook here, but I know some watercolorists prefer to work with loose paper at least for some subjects, or get their loose sheets made into sketchbooks. I even like to bind my sketchbooks myself so that I can choose the paper. There is a ton of different …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …