Overcome the fear of messing up your pretty sketchbook! In this class, I'll show you 6 fun ways to fill your sketchbook page with botanical elements. And I’ve designed these exercises, so you can actually start practicing your floral doodles without panicking that you will ruin your gorgeous sketchbook.

Keeping a sketchbook can be a vital part of your creative practice. It allows you to play, try different things, and experiment.

At least in theory, because if you are a recovering perfectionist like me, you probably shudder at the mere thought of making a mess in a pretty sketchbook you just bought. And as a result, you don’t use it at all.

The only way to loosen up and actually stop treating your sketchbook like a sacred object you're not allowed to touch is to get into a habit of drawing in it, like a lot. Sounds like a vicious circle, I know, but I found a way to break out of it by ignoring all the good advice out there and allowing myself to actually make my sketchbook drawings pretty, at least initially.

The exercises I've prepared for you are really simple, they allow you to actually make a lot of mistakes, and yet the end result can be quite stunning.

We’ll have fun with doodling simple botanical elements, like flowers, flower cups, leaves, and branches, and I’ll show you step-by-step how to combine them to create more complicated – and pretty – illustrations.

You will also learn how to modify these shapes to develop new, fresh designs and how to take advantage of mistakes and happy accidents.

We’ll finish by drawing a full-spread floral meadow illustration that will allow you to practice all the botanical elements once more. I’ll help you build it layer by layer, and by the end of this class, you will be able to create your own gorgeous, intricate composition.

Hopefully, these exercises will calm your inner perfectionist monster and lull it into a false sense of security. And when it finally goes to sleep, you'll be able to experiment more without feeling guilty that you are making a mess.

So be brave, grab this pretty sketchbook of yours and open it now!

MORE INSPIRATION

If you are looking for more ideas to fill your sketchbook pages, dive into my class: „Slow Drawing, Slow Living: Get in the Flow with Ocean Doodles”

Want to practice in your watercolor sketchbook? Watch: "Unwind with Abstract Forest Illustrations in Watercolor & Ink"

ABOUT YOUR TEACHER

Hi, my name is Ewa Rosa, and I’m an illustrator and embroidery artist based in Gdańsk, Poland.

Feel free to check my Profile here on Skillshare!

You can also visit my website here.

WANT TO SHARE YOUR WORK WITH ME?

Post it on Instagram and tag me @illustellar

Susan De Klerk

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