I had so much fun last month keeping a daily sketched calendar that I decided to continue with the month of April. (Read about my March 2018 calendar here.) Click to enlarge Never one to get stuck in a rut, I changed my layout to reflect the essence of April. It’s a month of high […]
Category: Step-by-Step
France Sketchbook – Villa Glanum + The Thinking Process Behind Page Design
After a morning spent sketching at Saint Paul-de-Mausole monastery, my students and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at our hotel, then we gathered for class outdoors under the shade trees in the courtyard. (This post is a continuation of my travel journal postings from a trip to Paris and Provence. As I finish up the […]
Super Simple Slip-On Sketchbook Cover
Have you ever heard of oilcloth? It’s a finely woven cotton fabric that has a waterproof vinyl coating applied to one side. I happened to spy some cute oilcloth on the clearance table at Hobby Lobby the other day and thought, “Wouldn’t that make a great sketchbook cover?” So, I snapped up a half yard […]
How to Paint a Snow-Covered Evergreen Tree – Technique #2
(This is the second in a series on how to paint a snow-covered evergreen tree. Read about Technique #1 in this post.) Snow-covered evergreen trees are a complex subject to paint. There are so many branches and layers and angles – how do you know where to start? This technique breaks the painting process down […]
How to Paint a Snow-Covered Evergreen Tree – Technique #1
It’s been snowing and blowing for weeks here in western Pennsylvania, with temperatures below zero some nights and highs in the teens. What better time, then, to paint snow-covered evergreens? I have two different techniques for painting snow on evergreen trees. Here’s a condensed version of the instructions for Technique #1 – click to enlarge […]
France Sketchbook – Eiffel Tower Step-by-Step Watercolor Tutorial
Here’s the tutorial I promised you about how I painted the sketch of the Eiffel Tower that I did on location in Paris… I had sketched the tower lightly with pencil first to give myself a guide to follow. I was careful to use a center line, which helped me to keep it straight and […]
Find the Perfect Lettering Style for Your Sketchbook Page
Hand lettering can add so much to a sketchbook page… It can personalize your sketches and make them more interesting, meaningful, and graphically pleasing. You can change the mood of a page from serious to playful with just a few strokes of the pen. You probably use your natural printing or handwriting for the […]
Step-by-Step Watercolor: The Modern Illuminated Manuscript
I made a decision several months ago to give up the commission side of my art business. As my calendar had filled with teaching engagements and trips to far-flung places, it became more and more difficult to find time to squeeze in the labor-intensive custom artwork. But when my friend Mary approached me a few […]
Casa Romantica Step-by-Step
One of the assignments I gave the students during my “Sketching on Location” workshop in San Clemente last month was to look for a view that was framed by something, like an arch, columns, or trees. Dutiful teacher that I am, I decided to set an example by sketching the view through the arches on […]
Step-by-Step Watercolor: Olive Sketch
The olive oil from Fattoria Bacio (the estate that hosts my workshop in Italy) is the best I’ve ever tasted! During our week at the villa, the students and I sloshed it over just about everything at dinner each night: bread, pasta, salad, meat, and vegetables. And by the end of the week, we all […]
