Over winter I took part in some "secret santa" art exchanges and also joined artist community events to create art to support community members. Although I took a refreshing break from social media during the season, it was quite busy with community creativity! In this art journal entry I share two of the watercolour illustrations I created during this time: a pet portrait of a goofy grey cat and a character illustration of an elf cleric.

When life feels chaotic and unstable, it can be hard to carry on creating art the same way. In this art journal entry I share how I change my approach to using my sketchbook and drawing tools in difficult times, to make sure I keep doing the thing I love: sketching.

Sometimes what grabs our interest or sparks inspiration can come in simple everyday moments. Like picking apples in your grandparent’s garden. Taking the time to notice these things and record them down is something that I value more and more each time I do it.

Being an artist involves so much more than time spent glued to the drawing board. Recently I went on a walk through Sheffield Botanical Gardens to help inspire my upcoming dryad illustration series. Join me on a wander and a ramble about creative inspiration.

Haunted by the hyper-optimisation ghost? Art is so much more than raw output. Forcing it while ignoring how ephemeral and individual creativity can be is a recipe for burnout and crashing. Recently I've had to slow things down myself, so I'm journaling on my own relationship with the ebbs and flows of creativity, the benefits of rest, and aspects of creativity beyond grinding output.

An art journal entry where I ramble about my current thoughts on digital illustration, letting mediums be what they are, and painting mindsets.

My first moleskine sketchbook ended in disaster. The binding fell apart only a few spreads in. Ouch! Three years later I’m giving it another go. Rediscovering how the paper acts with my favourite art supplies, and whether the sketchbook can hold up to daily use this time.

With my favourite watercolour pigment discontinued and running out, I now embark on a quest to find its successor. With colour mixing charts at the ready and limited palettes to explore, who will be the victor? The warm red throne lay empty, waiting for its new monarch.

Choosing what scanner is best for you is dependant on the characteristics you need. For an entry level scanner specifically for artwork, this is what I chose and my initial results with it so far.

Artist Journal Entry: musings about facing possibilities bombarding you when drawing, navigating choice overwhelm, and how internal skills can be developed alongside art skills. All while sketching a… warrior knight man? Sounds about right.

An art journal entry about how I have been practicing comics using tips and exercises picked up from comic authors and courses.