MY FIRST SKETCHBOOK || Coffee Chat & Tour 

Thank you for this! I have watched your “mini” cafe drawings so interesting to see this “start” in ink and wash and to hear your thoughts as you review. I don’t typically watch sketchbook tours, but the “my first sketchbook” got me! At 68, I am 5 months into ink, sketching and watercolor not having done anything of the sort for over 50 years. So, my sketchbook … actually several are a combination of experimenting, my tutorials attempts and illustrated journal (lots of coffee cups :) ). I enjoy them all. None of them masterpieces! I am a long time amateur photographer/blogger and I really love how any creative documentation of live cements memory as well as brings joy to review for all sorts of reasons: skill progress, revisiting good and challenging times. Thanks again for this share!

I’m very attracted to your style. To be honest, I enjoyed every painting in your sketchbook! One of the most significant takeaways for me was where you talk about how much time it takes at first (4 hrs. for one painting) and how, with practice, you get much quicker. That is encouraging because I’m still in the beginner/struggling stage. Thanks for sharing your skills and thought process with us. Cheers!

I loved watching this. Your English views and American farmhouses are just lovely, as is your Tucson mission. Thank you. It’s a lovely beginning to a lazy Sunday.

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Leslie when I see your paintings I feel like you can walk straight into them. Getting to see your 4 year progression is so cool. Especially knowing that the paper was holding you back so far. You have grown so much and it was beautiful to watch.

Sketchbook flip throughs are awesome and my favorite to watch , always so inspiring , certainly on a 'again' rainy Sunday . It is indeed so , we all had our sketchbooks in the art academy but used for ideas, scribbles, notes and it is also years later through the start of youtube and IG that my passion for the artsy sketchbooks came alive . I love to collect small art zines 😊 I also love your tiny sketchbooks and how you capture the beautiful UK scenes , I found your channel a while a go already through the channel of the lovely Sunny Kabocha . Thanks for sharing and I wish you an inspiring Spring 🌺

I've entered my "sketchbook era" and loved seeing yours.

Thank you for sharing, Leslie . Your art is beautiful! It was wonderful to be able to look through your sketchbook. We are all, always learning and growing, with our art.

leslie ahh u inspire me to draw more buildings and love appriciate the art of architecture thank you ❤ love you lots!!!

Great idea, I love mine. It's been interesting to look back and see how I've improved :)

From France, thanks ! I adore your style.

Leslie, thank you so much for sharing this with us! I love *everything* about it; from your art to your narration, it’s truly inspiring in so many ways. (As is the case with all your videos & shorts…except for my ever-increasing desire to own _all the tiny things,_ lol!) For me, the most meaningful element of the video was your willingness to share it with us in the first place. Our own “inner critic” is always the loudest & most damning, isn’t it? Your challenge, especially at the beginning, to not over-criticize your work, was viscerally relatable (even though your work was amazing). But the most invaluable aspect was the process by which you talked through it. In giving yourself grace, you also modeled & encouraged it for all of us who struggle with our OWN worst “inner critic” when we create. Thank you again, Leslie. Your sketchbook is a wonderful glimpse into distant places & simultaneously a timelapse of your watercolor/ink & wash journey. It’s truly beautiful, from cover to cover, hopefully accompanied by equally lovely memories that you & yours cherish, both now AND for generations to come!

Good morning from California! Thank you for sharing your journey ❤ so inspiring

What a fun sketchbook flip-through. So many lovely scenes. I love the idea of sketching homes from movies or tv shows. I might try that.

Thank you, it was an inspiration to see your evolution and the improvement in your paintings. Like your pieces a lot.

Such a neat way to see how your art style and technique has changed over time, as well as being a snapshot of memories! Love it!

Hello Leslie ! It's incredible the evolution of your painting, (through the skies and the trees)it's encouraging 😁🙏🏼 I love the promenade with the seagulls 😉 and the idea to paint a sketchbook for the futur members of your family is great and sweet 🥰 You make me think to starting one for my boy 😉 Have a nice sunday, bises

Leslie you are really inspiring❤ you inspired me that i could love my paintings more and tried to improve my skills harder than before 🥰🎨❣️

I swatched W&N Sap Green the moment you mentioned it 😅😂. I am very grateful that you share your journey with watercolour, the struggles and thoughts you had on it. I´ve always been an artist in my heart, drawing and painting til my mid-twenties. Then job and family left me no time to do it. My three children are now old enough to give me a little bit more time, but I still have a very challenging job. So I still struggle with too little time to paint, and I am really frustrated. No time to paint- no progress.... But seeing you carry on your journey over years soothes me and gives me hope to carry on. Thank you so much! Warm greetings from Northern Germany!💜

Your paintings remind me of illustration in kids books brings back memories i really loved that style of drawing and painting still do

Lovely your sketches Leslie , there is truly a real feel for the places and environment.❤❤❤

Love this sketchbook Leslie!!! I love all of the paintings. I do love the mission painting as I live in Arizona.😀

I love your sketches, the ink work and the colours. Thank you. I'm new to watercolours, and I've been introduced to the Japanese Kuretake paints which are really creamy and come in full pans. I'll check out your channel. I don't use tiktok, and ig reels are often too fast for me to enjoy. Thank you for showing your lovely art.

This was really interesting, inspiring and soothing to watch. 😊 Thank you for sharing!

How nice!! I'm glad see your many colors❤Very attractive. You are good painter and keep your amazing drawings. Thank you.

Thankyou so much Leslie for sharing your sketch book! I loved it, I understand about paper quality and using prof level watercolors...your artist journey is beautiful and will continue to change and grow. I never thought about passing my sketch book down to the up coming generation, what a grand idea.

Loved seeing your artistic growth! It is inspiring. Altho I found your art at every stage beautiful!

What a beautiful sketchbook! You really have an eye for composition.

Thank you! Really special look at your process in a sketch book

What a pleasant voice you've! And nice work in your sketchbook, I'm still far away from that kind of results

Thank you, Leslie, for the enchanting river-boat cruise. I don’t think I’m writing in the proper comment section as it disappeared from my screen! I did love the scenery, the architecture, and , of course, Poppy and you two girls. To be able to produce a mini-sketch such as yours in three minutes is the result of your training and a wonderful talent. Thank you for your generosity in sharing it with us.

What an incredible sketchbook, Its such a journey ☺☺☺

thank you for sharing this ❤ it's beautiful and inspiring 😊 Congratulations in finishing your sketchbook🎉

Great sketch book, thanks for sharing .!

This was a wonderful video to watch. I picked up sculpture and painting a few years ago after not doing it for many years and I've had to be patient with myself as I get back into it. Despite minoring in art in college and spending hoards of hours studying color and design on my own just for fun, I haven't felt like a real artist. Seeing your sketchbook and how you grew and pushed yourself to grow was a much needed reminder that there is no one way to do art and that growth takes time. Thank you for sharing your paintings with us. I would love to see you repaint some of those compositions now with your newer style, if you were able.

Greetings from Tucson! Just discovered your channel. Love your work❤!

That sap green really sap-ped the life out of your paintings 😜 I really appreciate this sketchbook which has been done over a few years. I see artists get through sketchbooks in months by doing nothing except sketch every waking minute or have one for each year which frightens me. It really is interesting to see one's growth and it's easier to see with a compilation like this that's been done over the years.

I love all of these paintings; you are so talented. I was very happy to hear that there is a chance that I might get faster as I learn. It takes me so long, lol.

Would love to see some re-do paintings :)

Thank you for sharing Leslie 😊

I loved every single picture… I love sap green… I don’t understand why people want “realistic” or too much detail in line and wash/watercolour and ink “sketches”… the whole point is to be drawings. I’d kill to be able to draw like this… one day

Many years ago, I seem to remember that the Cotman Sap Green was a more vibrant colour than it has been the last decade or so although it is possible I misremember from the pro colours.

I think you're too hard and dismissive about your past works. They're awesome! They're not worse or better, it's simply a different style. I personally love them so much, probably more than anything. And the shading and reflections are so on point. You should be kinder and more accepting of your own works, just because you change your style it doesn't mean you were worse and now you're better. You simply changed! =) All the paintings you showed are absolutely gorgeous!

❤

Hi Leslie, I'm loving your channel. I grew up in Somerset and have visited alot of the places you've drawn. My uncle is the artist Maurice Bishop who has a gallery in Lynmouth, Dunster and Watchet. Some places I loved visiting growing up were Dunster, Watersmeet (Lynmouth), Minehead, Selworthy (Minehead). Anyway, question... What did you use to write the description of where you were in this sketchbook? Was it just pencil? If so, will it not fade over time? Thank you xx Ps.. You might like the book The Landscape of Somerset by David Sellman & Roger Evans. It contains beautiful landscape photography.

Beautiful work! I subscribed!

It is so comforting to hear the moleskine sketchbook is garbage, I thought I was going crazy.

so nice ❤ new subscriber

Is this a three paper?