Over the past few days, I’ve started to revisit and repaint old landscape sketches, some of them for my planned landscape sketching course, some just for fun.
I paused for a bit with the blue landscapes (here but also scattered over my last three posts) and looked through old sketchbooks to find examples to show in the course.
The old sketches are mostly from a few years back when I just started to take landscape sketching more serious, and some of them show that I was still finding my steps – and my technique. I still like the scenes, and feel connected to them emotionally, but not to the way I painted them. Then I realized some of them could be pulled together with just a few changes or differently placed brushstrokes. I see some things differently about these sketches, and I wonder how that will change again in a few years.
So I’ve been painting a few of these new but old scenes – and it’s going well, probably because everything feels more effortless than the last time I painted the same scene. I hope this will translate to the course somehow.
In any case it shows that you’ll have to stay with something and continue to do it for a while before it gets easier.
Hi Julia!
I love your work and I look forward to your blogs. Have you ever considered joining Substack? It would be perfect for you and then I can subscribe to you. Skillshare was just too much! Just a thought.
Thanks,
Nancy from Canada.
Hi Nancy, thank you for your kind words about my work!
I appreciate you following me here on my blog, and if you like you can subscribe to my blog posts and get notified via email when a new one arrives. I’m not a big fan of Substack, so it’s very unlikely that I will change my current system. :-) Best wishes!
Can’t wait until you offer your new landscape course!
I hope I’ll make good progress with it, and I’m always happy to see you back in one of my courses! :)
Hi Julia,
I remember those old sketches! I honestly like both versions.
The landscape sketching course sounds very interesting and something I would benefit from. Will it only be watercolour or other media as well?
Take care,
Aline
I find it interesting how much my technique has changed since then, but I too like the light and the colors.
I will probably focus on graphite + watercolor for the most part. What other media would you be interested in?
That sounds great. I was just wondering. Maybe some « dry » media, like coloured pencils. I’ve used them the past when watercolour wasn’t practical, but I still wanted to put down some colours in my sketchbook. I tried markers too, but wasn’t a fan.
Anyway, I was just curious. Watercolour is still what I’m most interesting in.
Hi Julia,
I’m really looking forward to your landscape course. It’s reassuring to hear that even artists that I admire are on their own journey to improvement and your final works about staying with it are very encouraging. Thanks again. I love finding your blogs in my inbox
Thank you Melanie! I think every artist I know is curious about learning and improving their technique, or even just trying out new things. :-)
Dear Julia
I do enjoy seeing your post, and of course admire your skill. It’s good to hear an experienced artist talk of progressing with time
I teach Beginners sketching at U3A in Melbourne (Oz) and have recommended they follow you,and read yr notes.Thanks
Thank you Carol for sending your sketching students this way, I hope they find something useful in my blog!
Hi, Julia, I would love to see a could of the old sketches parties with the new versions!
That’s a great idea, why didn’t I think of this? Anyway, I searched the archive and found these old posts, they have some of my old sketches:
https://juliabausenhardt.com/sketchbook-tour-plein-air-landscape-painting/
Thank you Julia. Love all your work. Your blog is friendly and cosy.
Hi Julia! Will this course be available on Skillshare? I have a subscription and have been going through your courses :D
Thank you for taking my classes on Skillshare, please leave a review if you can, those help teachers a lot. :)
I’m not sure if I will put the landscape course on Skillshare in full-length since they’re partnering up with AI companies now, but you can expect some kind of landscape workout on there!
Hi Julia, a landscape course! I am in because I am now stuck and need some kicks to move. So, hoping for your “kicks” :)
A bit depressed right now. Politically, artistically, and social medially (I hate the last one, though I seldom hate anything). (ok, ok, I made up some words and grammar is my own :( ).