These last two sketchbooks have been the first ones I have properly used, that’s to say, drawn and painted and collaged and sketched in a playful and experimental way, not worrying about the outcome but just exploring and enjoying what I’m creating. It’s something I have always wanted to do but never achieved, and this is probably to do with being in a place (physically and mentally) where I can focus on pursuing my artistic endeavours, and the illustration work allows me the space to justify a regular sketchbook habit.
I finished my birthday present from last year recently (see previous post) and have just finished my Christmas present one, which although great from a feeling-achievement perspective is great, but has also left me feeling slightly bereft, as sketchbooks become companions to my thoughts and processes, and have been on a journey with me, recording my investigations and excursions. I write a daily journal but I never reread that – it’s just somewhere to get my musings out – but I look through my sketchbooks regularly and fondly and really love seeing what I’ve put on the pages.
So, now I have two new sketchbooks as I liked having one with a heavier weight paper and another for scribbles. I always advocate having just one so that it doesn’t get too compartmentalised but I do think different papers enable different explorations and for me it’s good to mix and match media as watercolour and gouache do need something more absorbent. Having said that, I like the streaky imperfections of water-based media on thinner paper.
I now have a Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook with 240gsm smooth paper, and a part-used Clairefontaine 180gsm linen sketchbook. It takes time to bond with a new sketchbook, and I decided to paint a bird in my Beta just because I feel confident with that and I wanted to see how the paper responded to the paint.
Here is a Turtle Dove with their favourite food: common fumitory. This plant of non-intensive arable farmland is vital for the conservation of these much-depleted doves as they eat the seeds.
I really love the green-gold watercolour I have used for the background and leaves, but the rest of the painting is gouache.
I then saw a gorgeous photo of a juvenile Robin on Instagram, and wanted to paint it in my Clairefontaine:
It’s been lovely to have the time to paint this weekend, and I’ll be uploading a sketchbook tour of my Leuchtturm so look out for that.
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