This week I finished filling up my sketchbook. This is the first time I’ve ever filled up any sketchbook so I’m really proud of myself. The final painting in that sketchbook didn’t turn out as well as I would have hoped, but I was distracted that day and really not feeling my reference photo. I think it would have worked out better if I had painted it larger and taken more time on it. I had a really hard time getting all of the tiny details on such a small canvas.
Since I filled up my sketchbook I switched to a new sketchbook made from Strathmore Toned Gray Mixed Media paper. This new sketchbook is about twice the size as my last one so I’m able to paint quite a bit larger than I have been.
If you’re interested in how I make my sketchbooks, I use a tutorial by Sea Lemon on youTube. I love that I can use whatever paper I want, the pages lay flat, and it’s a fun craft.
I wasn’t sure I would like the toned paper, but it turns out that I absolutely love it! I also really love painting slightly larger. In my smaller sketchbook, I was coming across the problem of wanting to fit whole figures on the page and being forced to paint with a tiny brush. The best solution was to do close crops on faces, but it just didn’t always work out.
If you want to follow my daily progress with these paintings, follow me on Instagram. I post paintings as I finish them. Today’s painting isn’t finished yet, but it can be exceptionally hard to paint when babysitting a toddler. It’s ok to take a break occasionally too. See you in the next week with more paintings. 🙂