This beginner level class will guide you through exciting sketch book ideas using mixed media, encouraging you to explore the freedom of layering paint, ink and more.

The first in a series of classes, this class will help students to let go of perfectionism, and recognise the beauty in loose art techniques to create expressive and joyful sketchbook spreads, culminating in creating their class project of two themed mixed media sketchbook spreads, one inspired by your favourite place, the second inspired by your favourite quote.

Creative Sketchbook Practice with Mixed Media - image 1 - student project

Structure:

Introduction; About me, and my inspiration, introduction to the series

Supplies; What you'll need to complete the class and recommended materials

Gathering Inspiration and How to Use it; Where can you find inspiration for your art project, and how do you use it?

Selecting your Colour Palette; Create a gorgeous colour palette and swatches that work for you (mini assignment to complete)

Beginner Techniques; Learning some basic brush techniques to create different effects using watercolour and gouache for backgrounds (mini assignment to complete)

Layering your paint; Tips for layering your watercolour and gouache to create depth and texture (mini assignment to complete)

Embellishment; Adding detail and texture using ink and mixed media materials (mini assignment to complete)

Putting your elements together; How to start planning a balanced statement artwork

Creating your sketchbook spread; Getting your elements together and creating your sketchbook spread

Finishing touches; Embellishing your background with mixed media elements

You've done it! Your beautiful paint and ink artwork is finished. Post your finished project here and join me for the next in the Creative Yearbook series to explore line drawing and monochrome sketchbook layouts.

Creative Sketchbook Practice with Mixed Media - image 2 - student project

Class Outline (Added 27th April)

Class Title:

Creative Sketchbook Practice with Mixed Media

Class Description:

Let go of perfectionism and find your expressive freedom in this creative sketchbooking class. We’ll explore mixed media techniques that will encourage you to be more free with your artwork, and create fun, expressive and joyful sketchbook spreads.

Suitable for beginners and experienced artists alike, this class encourages intuitive working, and organic creative processes, bringing a new found freedom to your way of creating art.

Supplies:

>Watercolour Paper for practice and mini challenges

>Watercolour journal or sketchbook (we’re using a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook)

>Water based paints (we’re using Winsor and Newton pan watercolours, and designer gouache paints)

>Drawing pens (we’re using Uni-pin and Uni-ball, Rotring Tikki and a dip pen and ink)

>Thin card or heavy weight paper for stencil cutting

>Craft knife or scalpel

>Paper scraps or book pages

Project Description:

As part of this class, you will gain the skills to create two beautiful sketchbook spreads in a free and intuitive style; one inspired by your favourite place, and a second inspired by your favourite quote.

Along your learning journey, we’ll set mini projects at the end of each lesson, which will give you a reference library for planning and creating your final sketchbook spreads.

We’ll explore how to gather inspiration for your final pieces, and how to interpret that inspiration using mixed media techniques, and finally to create some free and balanced artwork that comes straight from your soul.

We’d love to see your progress throughout the class, so please do post your mini projects, inspiration, mood boards and final pieces, and if you’ve been inspired to use the techniques to create larger artworks, please share with the learning community too.

Part 2: Outline Your Video Lessons

Lesson 1 :

Introduction

Edited video – a mix of moving images cut together with voice over. Me, making art, collecting inspiration, and some straight to camera images. No talking heads, just voice over.

Introduction to me – who I am, what I do, where I’m from. What inspires me, and why I believe that working organically and intuitively is so important.

Provide a brief class overview and intro to the class project.

Lesson 2 :

Class Project

As with intro, a mix of pre-shot moving images, cut together to show sketchbook flips, working hands, close ups of hand painting, etc, and flipping through books etc.

Accompanied by voice over, describing the project, introduce creative sketchbook practice along with images as described above.

As I describe the mini tasks, show images of examples of them, images of them being painted, and finished versions.

Voiceover introduces creative sketchbook practice, and images move to finished spreads as I describe the project aims. Images of lettering, and inspiration.

Lesson 3 :

Supplies and Tools:

Over view of what supplies you’ll need to complete the

class.

Use stop motion video to introduce each item along with graphics. Flat lay style, motion graphics created in

Photoshop. No voice over, just music and graphics?

Lesson 4 :

Gathering Inspiration:

“Nature is my biggest inspiration, so the first place I go when starting a project is outside.”

Suggest what they could use for inspiration and where to find it, and collate it.

Mini Project : Creating a Mood Board

Task – to create a physical or digital mood board that gathers all their inspiration, and presents it in a useful and cohesive way.

Moving images of me gathering inspiration, out in nature, looking through botanical books, close ups of hand and flowers, pages turning etc. Voice over describes what we’ve found, and how to construct the mood board, photographing it and using it digitally, or creating a physical board. Voice over encourages to post mini task in gallery.

Lesson 5 :

How to use your inspiration:

How to create colour palettes from your inspiration, and identifying textures and features to incorporate into your artwork.

Mini Project : Create Colour Swatches and Explore Textures.

Task – to paint colour swatches taken from your inspiration, and identify the textured features in your inspiration.

Moving images of the inspiration gathered with hands moving whilst voice over describes what we’re seeing. Creating painted colour swatches from watercolour paper and paint. Images of mini task finished piece. Voice over encourages to post progress in the gallery.

Lesson 6 :

Watercolour Techniques:

This lesson explores watercolour basics, some simple bruch techniques, how to create texture using salt etc, and layering your paint to create depth.

Mini project : Create a reference sheet of techniques to refer to when planning your sketchbook spread.

Label your reference sheet so you know what you used, which colours, and which techniques to create the effects you have.

Voice over talks through the techniques being shown as they happen, and the creation of the mini project.

Show from above and side detail shots of brushes whilst painting, chopped together.

End with flatlay of finished mini project.

Lesson 7 :

Gouache and Acrylics:

Teaches techniques to create thick texture using gouache and acrylics straight from the tube. Application using hands, brushes and other tools, mixing and layering colours.

Mini project : Create a reference sheet of techniques to refer to when planning your sketchbook spread.

Label your reference sheet so you know what you used, which colours, and which techniques to create the effects you have.

Shot from above as per previous lesson, voice over describes as we paint, finish with flatlay of mini project.

Lesson 8 :

Adding Detail :

Experiment with techniques of adding detail, drawings and lettering using drawing pens, dip pen and ink, detail brushes and paint and gel pens.

Try cutting some stencils to use over your painted backgrounds too.

Mini project : Create a reference sheet of techniques to refer to when planning your sketchbook spread.

Label your reference sheet so you know what you used, which tool you used, and which paint you layered over to create the effects you have. Design and cut a stencil and use that on your reference sheet too.

Shot from above as per previous lesson, voice over describes as we paint, finish with flatlay of mini project.

Lesson 9 :

Mixed Media:

There are infinite ways to add more to your artwork, and your sketchbook is the perfect place to start with this technique. Try mixing some of the paint and detail techniques you’ve learnt with the addition of differing papers, stickers, glitter and salt, glue mixes and much more! Anything goes with mixed media, so experiment.

Mini project : Create a reference sheet of techniques to refer to when planning your sketchbook spread.

Label your reference sheet so you know what you used, which tool you used, and which paint and papers you layered over to create the effects you have. Use your stencil to layer over different paper types too, or to add glitter or glue mixes too and label that on your reference sheet.

Shot from above as per previous lesson, voice over describes as we paint, finish with flatlay of mini project.

Lesson 10 :

Creating your Sketchbook Spread : Your favourite place.

So, you’ve gathered your inspiration, learnt some techniques and decided on your subject, but how to plan your artwork? The answer is, no planning required! I want you to work intuitively and organically. You will have a mood board of inspiration, some references of the techniques you’ve learnt and you’ll know the ones you particularly love, so now you can just go ahead and create!

Look back to your reference sheets and mood board and decide which techniques suit your theme (place or quote) and in which order you want to layer your media.

Shot from above as per previous lesson, voice over describes as we go through the reference material, high speed recording of me creating my sketchbook spread, finishing with flatlay of first sketchbook spread project.

Lesson 11 :

Repeat with freedom – create, create, create:

Use what you’ve learnt and discovered to continue creating. Now that you’ve started your first sketchbook spread, start to create your second spread, a visual representation if your favourite quote.

Try different techniques to the first one you created, so you can try a completely different feel. Go back to the earlier lessons on gathering inspiration and creating mood boards and colour swatches to build a reference library for your second piece of artwork. What does the quote mean to you? How does it make you feel, what does it look like? What colours are representative of the quote? Gather all the materials and inspiration you need and when you’re ready, start creating!

Repeat some of the earlier shots from gathering inspiration and creating mood boards, using different materials. Show the quote and the colour palette and mood board, then some high speed film of me creating a second spread. Finish with a flatlay of the spread.

Lesson 12 :

Show Your Work! :

You’ve completed the class! Thank you for joining me on this journey of intuitive and creative sketchbook practice, hopefully you’ve learnt some new techniques of how to use the materials you have at home, and how to use them to create joyful and organic artwork.

Please do show your work in the project gallery, it’s so inspiring to see all your art, and the wide variety of gorgeous artwork we can all produce when we create freely, intuitively and organically. Perhaps this class has inspired you to create a larger piece of artwork, if so we’d love to see it here too.

I hope you’ve found this class useful, and if you’d like to continue exploring creative sketchbook practice, keep an eye out for our next Creative Yearbook class, creative monochrome ink sketchbook spreads, coming soon.

Update 29th May.
My class is published! So happy to have achieved this. You can find the finished class here.
"Creative Sketchbook Practice With Mixed Media"

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Jo Richards

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