I love the idea of a week off every seven weeks. I work way too hard, and I think it becomes a matter of diminishing returns after a while. Thanks so much for sharing your sketchbooks and thoughts about what you've done. I can only dream of creating work like yours, so it's very inspirational. 😊
I am such a fan of your work. I am so passionate about sketching and painting and I have filled 14 sketchbooks since May 2020. The first ones were horrible but they are a precious reminder of how far I’ve come. You are such an inspiration! I’m loving looking at all the sketchbooks stacked behind you …so incredible. I’m committed now to investing in better sketchbooks, my husband encouraging me to go to a new level with my work, as I’ve used cheap sketchbooks. Thank you for sharing what you do!
I really enjoyed looking through your sketch book. Your comment about sketching everyday things resonated with me. I have not been sketching since I moved to a more suburban location and there really aren't any interesting buildings or things to sketch. Sketching everyday things and telling a story through text and sketches sounds interesting. So your video has helped me over a mental hurdle that has kept me from sketching. Thanks!
Liz , you are so inspiring. I am new to urban sketching although I have been an art teacher for years. What a joy it is to just sketch the things around me but certainly not as prolific as you are. Love your sketches. They are sooooo honest!!!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Thoroughly enjoyed Liz, thank you for sharing with very interested lay people. To experience commentary and thought processes fills in the 'behind the scenes' steps and paths you traveled, when we look at the final page. Very exciting; thank you as always.
Glad you had a good week off, Liz. I love the video of the adventure. Like you, I really like those S&B 8x10 softcovers. Unlike you, I don't get as much on a page :-) You're amazing.
Thank you for the vlog, I really enjoy going through your sketchbook and you commenting it "live", it's a completly different relationship to the sketchbook then reading about it! I really struggle with sketching the everyday even if this is what I want to do. I also love how you use the spread like a collage, your content is not restricted to one side of the page and then the other one, it's really a collage of drawings and writing and I love that it's very organic. Super inspiring as usual, I'm sure it must take time and all to make vlogs but I love it!!!
Hi Liz! What a cool idea to plan a sabatical (I'm presuming you mean a "staybatical" from home). You are clearly exceptional at sticking to a regiment. I'm new to the urban sketching idea, but not so new at drawing and watercolor. My struggle right now is how to keep color in my going out and about routine without it being in the way of agility and spontaneity. I'm planning to head to USK Chicago this year .. that was my planned sabatical. I'll bring everything and hopefully figure out how to get around with hardly anything.
I am so inspired by your drawing style and method of memory keeping! I just started working on my own illustrated journal from a recent family vacation. Thank you for your lovely inspiration!
I love this video. Its so great that you draw everyday things and interesting things. I love all the cups. They would make a great book of illustrations or menu for a coffee shop. I love it.
I loved this video, it was so nice to see the sketchbook and hear your comments. I've been making time to sketch more (inspired by your book that I bought recently!) and I'm finding pleasure in drawing everyday objects if I'm unable to get out and about anywhere. Plus I've found that when I do go out, I'm looking at things much more closely and in a different way, sketching has definitely given me a new outlook.
Liz great to see you on RU-vid! I've been struggling with my sketchbook since I've been recovering from ankle surgery. This being said I've stared getting back into it again since the foliage is in full Autumn bloom here in metro Washington D.C. area and I'm finally getting out more. Thanks for sharing and inspiring me to look at the everyday.
This was truly inspiring for me, I don't have the ability to take a break that long, but I was thinking, every month to take a day a week for myself and really work on a journal like this! I am just starting and this was perfect on how to begin my new journey in journaling ❤️❤️❤️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 and I wish we were friends and I could visit and draw with you, or basically follow your artistic vision! Lol
Seeing you on sketchbook 97 is crazy inspirational! I am just now learning to use water color after drawing with pencils for many years (and just used loose leaf paper because it seemed easier). I can’t wait to finish more like you one day!
You've inspired me to start my own sketch diary. I'm not good in any way but I feel like this is a good way to learn and document my 2017 which promises to be a life changing one.
I've been enjoying the vlogs and hope you can keep it up. Like you, I've found that I sometimes only feel "driven" to sketch novel settings and things. I will try to depict more of the everyday and homely activities. I also use my sketch books to practice my Italian language studies, making notes about the date and weather in Italian.
Beautiful sketches. I struggle with the discipline necessary to keep my vision the same. I seem to get inspired by different things every day. As a result, I end up doing a lot of collage work, but I have to admit, I crave the elegance of structure.
I love your ideas and the way you put it all together. I am a professional artist in San Francisco, making paintings, ceramics and works on paper. My challenge is time and energy. I sell my work at art fairs many weekends and am usually making work for the shows. My paintings are all abstract so sketching from life has been very interesting. I recently went on vacation to Greece and filled a moleskine from the trip.. Thanks so much for sharing. I am planning on attending the USK in Chicago this year and look forward to meeting you and taking a workshop with you. Cheers from San Francisco
Hi Eileen - time and energy it's the same with me. Harder now that I work at this full time as I love my work so much, and my hobby has become work. Hope to see you in Chicago
Cool first vlog. Thanks for mentioning the book too - it arrived a couple of weeks ago - I was going to review it and forgot. Thanks for the reminder! (All positive, it's a cool book too.) I should write more notes too. LOL.
Very nice .I am new at this ..never did a sketch before..can't even draw..but will try..thank you .. beautiful buildings where you are .not sure what watercolors to buy ..or pens.. I live in sa. Thanks .
I absolutely love the video!! Hearing the excitement and joy in your voice causes inspiration for my own sketchbook. I have taken all the Sketching Now courses and I'm a regular follower on your blog. You always go above and beyond for your fans and students so I'm really pleased to see you taking regular time off. I have a question about sketching the everyday. I'm struggling to understand the need to sketch what's not exciting or interesting. You're clearly super stoked about sketching the things you find out and about be they buildings or tea cups or landscapes. Are you searching to see the everyday items in a different light? Thanks for all that you do!!
thanks Lynn - great question! You have to find some motivation to sketch 'boring stuff'. For me it is the narrative of life, but this is exactly what I am struggling with at the moment. Stay tuned
I enjoyed this vlog so much and so well put together. I especially enjoyed how you explained the contour lines and lost edges. And just recently I had started a day-to-day sketches of everyday things in my 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches Moleskine sketchbook. (I must try the Stillman & Birn). What I'm finding that it's becoming more of an illustrated diary of my day to day life. Looking forward to viewing more of your vlogs! (btw can you explained your numbering system of your sketchbooks?)
Thanks Marlene - an illustrated diary is the best. Re numbering- I simply write on the edge/top of each book. Daily sketchbooks are numbers, while trips are numbered separately. Let me know if you have any more questions.
I enjoyed this video. I will be interested in seeing your sketches done at home. I struggle with sketching the every day. I live in a rural area outside a small Midwest town (USA) . Nothing too inspiring. I'm hoping to get ideas from what you come up with.
You have been a very very huge inspiration to me. I tend to get caught up with things and neglect sketching. I really like how you do it with work. I am trying to sketch everyday now. Thankyou so much. May i know what watercolor pens you used in one of your vlogs.?
Oh WOW,,, I COULD only DREAM to have the talent you have. You have such a gift... I sooo would LOVE to be talented in drawing... but unfortunatly, even if I practice alot,,, I am terrible! :0( Keep up the beautiful Art.. Peace & Love
lol I try to do sketches like this in watercolor but I usually just fill the book up with Hayao Miyazaki-esque buildings and contraptions and forget to do actual people and settings. I got his style down to a tee, though.
I loved seeing you as a "alive" person, I only saw you on pictures. I'd like to buy these sketchbooks but you can't find them in France. I should try Amazon perhaps. By the way, why did you write LD for Sunday ?
Lazy day? Or, in backpacking if you stay at one campsite 2 nights, the day you aren't hiking is called a lay day. Like a layover. But I'm only guessing Perhaps she had other obligations on a sunday
I struggle to blend colors "on the go" because my mixing palette seems so messy and my colors get contaminated. Do you have a way you organize your color mixing to avoid things getting muddy or to get pure colors?
