Hello, I’m Flora and I am an artist and illustrator. Today I would love to share with you some pages from my current sketchbook!
Sketchbooks are a great way to document your interests and try out new techniques. Some of my sketchbooks have become like diaries; documenting a moment in time to remember forever, whilst further developing my style.
Q. What made you start this sketchbook?
A. I started this sketchbook during a trip to England last year as a way to preserve memories of a special trip. It soon turned into a little personal project; documenting objects I came across which I found inspiring!
Q. Where did you find inspiration?
A. On the trip, I kept coming across a multitude of interesting objects – some old, some new; items at my family home or friends’ houses, in charity shops and at flea markets. Often when you travel, you look closer at everything…even though these objects are everyday items, to me they were treasures which have / had been loved and meant something to someone.
Q. What is your favourite page and why?
A. I love this page (below) because the objects belong to my parents and have been in the family for a long time. I enjoyed loosely capturing the details and love working with this blue!
Q. What medium did you use in this sketchbook?
A. I used pencil, gouache, colouring pencils and watercolours. I particularly like painting the objects in gouache and then using a colouring pencil to roughly fill in the background. I also use pencils to add details here and there. I enjoy the two mediums side by side and the contrast it gives, encouraging me to practise playing with mediums without being too precious.
What is the sketchbook brand and can you share which art supplies you use?
The sketchbook is a Daler Rowney Ivory sketchbook (softback). The pages are a soft, creamy colour which I love! My paints are Holbein Artists’ Gouache and Winsor and Newton Designer’s Gouache. I have a pan of Sennelier watercolours and for colouring pencils I like Faber Castell polychromos. I use a small brush for these paintings as the sketchbook is small – a number 1 or 2 and I like using a rigger brush for finer details.
I always use a Steadler 92525 drafting mechanical pencil for sketching. I love the precision it gives.
Q. Do you have any tips or advice for starting a sketchbook?
A. Absolutely! There are no rules about how to use your sketchbook, but here are a few tips if you have been wanting to keep one but not sure where to start. I would start by choosing a sketchbook which has paper you love and in the size you know you will enjoy using.
Here are some ideas:
• Studies of a particular subject matter (eg. nature studies – leaves, seed pods etc)
• Keeping a record of an event – a holiday, travel experience, meaningful time of year etc – A visual journal – drawing and writing your days
• Exploring a new art medium
• Patterns / doodles for mindfulness and mental health
• A keepsake of treasured drawings / small artworks to look back on in years to come.
Thank you for joining me today and wishing you a wonderful, creative sketchbook journey!
Flora xoxo
Thanks so much Flora! You can see more of Flora Waycott’s beautiful work here.
1 Comment
I loved how you played with various mediums on sketchbook without being too precious. It gives me a lot of courage to not be precious with mine too.
I loved how you played with various mediums on sketchbook without being too precious. It gives me a lot of courage to not be precious with mine too.