Hello everyone, I have been using my sketch book for about a year now and I am so glad I picked it up. As a graduate student, almost 10 years ago, I had this urge to draw things around me. However, every time I made a start, I stopped after a few sketches because I had unrealistic expectations from myself. Also, research seemed to be the only thing I had time for. I decided to leave academia after two postdocs (about five years after my PhD in physics). I had had terrible experiences and I really wanted to get away from most of the people. I prepared for jobs in machine learning, but that didn't work out due to the recession and other reasons out of my control. However, at the end of it all, it was a golden opportunity to pursue something I had wanted to for so long. I finally took out the watercolor paper and paint that had been lying around for almost four years and started to play around. This is when I discovered your channel Lynne, and it has been pretty much life changing. I don't mean to embarrass you, but I've finally managed to get non streaky washes, thanks to your channel!
I also started to keep a sketchbook, inspired by two other artists on YouTube Koosje Koene (@KoosjeKoene) and Becky Cao (@BeckyCao). I highly recommend these channels to anyone interested in drawing what we see around us. Some of this probably falls under urban sketching, but I find these channels gave me just the right motivation to draw whatever I felt like, from real life, a photograph or a screen. Someone else I really admire is Lis Watkins (@lineandwash) whom I discovered on Instagram. She does the most beautiful greens..
The sketchbook also became a place to just play around. I found a lot of inspiration in the creative journaling section on the Dragonfly Spirit Studio website. I use pens, crayons (Crayola), color pencils and water color. Usually when I am done with a page (creative journaling or otherwise), there are parts that make me think, "yeah, I like that" or "this dilute blue works well in that shape" etc. Basically, I think it has really helped me grow. I haven't reached a point where I can talk about "my" style.. but I think the sketchbook is playing an important role in helping me get there.
To learn water color, I use Arches paper and artist's quality paint because I already had it with me. But, to start with, the sketch book I bought was the Dollarama mixed media sketchbook (unemployment does lead to financial constraints lol). The paper pills easily and there are many things I can complain about, but what I want to say is that giving my time and focus even to such a cheap sketchbook has helped me grow.
A final question before I end this comment, what are some resources, other that YouTube and Instagram, for discovering artists and their work?
I have been meaning to thank you, Lynne and post about my sketchbook since you created this substack. It has all added up into one long comment :D In future, I will post my comments and questions as they come up.
Awwww, thanks for your kind words. :) I'm so glad I could play a role in reawakening your art practice. :) As to your question, there are quite a few artists here on Substack. Try typing "art", "painting", "art journal" or "drawing" in the search box. If you want to find sketching pals in your area, Urban Sketchers, urbansketchers.org, is a great resource (more than just urban sketching these days). Also, if you've never tried it, Inktober is fun--a drawing prompt for every day in October--and it's just about to start for 2023. You can find out more and see this year's prompts at inktober.com.
It took me a few days to get to it, but I’m sure glad I did. I enjoyed looking at the artist’s work and thinking about this subject of creative voice. A new idea for me.
Hello everyone, I have been using my sketch book for about a year now and I am so glad I picked it up. As a graduate student, almost 10 years ago, I had this urge to draw things around me. However, every time I made a start, I stopped after a few sketches because I had unrealistic expectations from myself. Also, research seemed to be the only thing I had time for. I decided to leave academia after two postdocs (about five years after my PhD in physics). I had had terrible experiences and I really wanted to get away from most of the people. I prepared for jobs in machine learning, but that didn't work out due to the recession and other reasons out of my control. However, at the end of it all, it was a golden opportunity to pursue something I had wanted to for so long. I finally took out the watercolor paper and paint that had been lying around for almost four years and started to play around. This is when I discovered your channel Lynne, and it has been pretty much life changing. I don't mean to embarrass you, but I've finally managed to get non streaky washes, thanks to your channel!
I also started to keep a sketchbook, inspired by two other artists on YouTube Koosje Koene (@KoosjeKoene) and Becky Cao (@BeckyCao). I highly recommend these channels to anyone interested in drawing what we see around us. Some of this probably falls under urban sketching, but I find these channels gave me just the right motivation to draw whatever I felt like, from real life, a photograph or a screen. Someone else I really admire is Lis Watkins (@lineandwash) whom I discovered on Instagram. She does the most beautiful greens..
The sketchbook also became a place to just play around. I found a lot of inspiration in the creative journaling section on the Dragonfly Spirit Studio website. I use pens, crayons (Crayola), color pencils and water color. Usually when I am done with a page (creative journaling or otherwise), there are parts that make me think, "yeah, I like that" or "this dilute blue works well in that shape" etc. Basically, I think it has really helped me grow. I haven't reached a point where I can talk about "my" style.. but I think the sketchbook is playing an important role in helping me get there.
To learn water color, I use Arches paper and artist's quality paint because I already had it with me. But, to start with, the sketch book I bought was the Dollarama mixed media sketchbook (unemployment does lead to financial constraints lol). The paper pills easily and there are many things I can complain about, but what I want to say is that giving my time and focus even to such a cheap sketchbook has helped me grow.
A final question before I end this comment, what are some resources, other that YouTube and Instagram, for discovering artists and their work?
I have been meaning to thank you, Lynne and post about my sketchbook since you created this substack. It has all added up into one long comment :D In future, I will post my comments and questions as they come up.
Awwww, thanks for your kind words. :) I'm so glad I could play a role in reawakening your art practice. :) As to your question, there are quite a few artists here on Substack. Try typing "art", "painting", "art journal" or "drawing" in the search box. If you want to find sketching pals in your area, Urban Sketchers, urbansketchers.org, is a great resource (more than just urban sketching these days). Also, if you've never tried it, Inktober is fun--a drawing prompt for every day in October--and it's just about to start for 2023. You can find out more and see this year's prompts at inktober.com.
I hadn't thought to look for artists on Substack, thank you for the suggestion! I will look at urbansketchers.org more carefully as well.
It took me a few days to get to it, but I’m sure glad I did. I enjoyed looking at the artist’s work and thinking about this subject of creative voice. A new idea for me.