sketchbook ep 15 – botanical studies, doodles, characters, lots of thoughts – sparking my creativity! 📚✨ | a few new marker illustrations 🖍️ | a long post ☕ (Patreon)

Hi!!

Today I have a lot of sketches and a few illustrations to share with you!

Each page is different and tells a diffent story and I hope you're ready for this journey. Let's go!∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙This page was made in March, when I was working on the tulip theme. The left side was a practice for that theme and it’s honestly nothing special, a typical warm up page. The right side, from the other hand is quite different from what I usually do (am I right?!)

I just felt the need to draw something for no reason and no purpose.

I started by drawing the lady sitting with a bouquet. As a pose reference I used one of a Harper’s Bazaar magazine cover but unfortunately I don’t remember exactly which one and I didn’t save it (that’s the main reason why I usually won’t use Pinterest as a source of inspiration/reference pics)!

Then I drew the girl standing, not using any reference photo. I used to draw people all the time +/- 5 years ago and I apparently still remember some basics of drawing a body :D

I feel like these bouquets and a sunflower in the right corner are kind of a bridge between the old me (who used to draw girls) and who I have become. Or am I being too dramatic? lol.∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙Oh boy, that day I felt SUPER uninspired. So I just illustrated things that were in front of me.These things are always on my desk. If you wonder what’s that circle shaped thing is – it’s a coaster! :DOn the right side I was doing warm up before another day of drawing tulips. Here I was warming up before making a page full of smaller illustrations (I’m editing the process video and it’s been taking forever but I’m on it!!)

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Let’s just say it - I think this spread is just way too nice for the pencil sketchbook!

Technically it’s super simple. I was just practicing drawing some flowers I’m not that familiar with (I mean, I’m super familiar with these common flowers but had almost zero experience drawing them)Maybe it’s the typography that makes it look so nice and complete. I have no idea but it looks good!I definitely need more practice drawing these flowers but what’s the better place to practice than a sketchbook?!∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙Doodles!! Good old doodles. It’s been a while since I drew some random, made up flowers! (and cookies?!)Since I started to identify myself as a “botanical illustrator” and get paid regularly for making botanical artworks, I find myself worrying about being accurate. What do I mean about that? Like, I really want the plants to look as they supposed to.

Of course with a dose of my style (so not 100% realistic) but I care about number of petals, shape of leaves etc. It’s really important in a botanical illustrations and I love it. I truly enjoy studying plants.But somewhere along the way, the simple joy of doodling plants went missing!So this time I just allowed myself to draw some flowers. Some of them might remain existing plants, some are made up!∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙

Time for illustrations!

Strawberries, AGAIN!

When I was looking through my camera roll, searching for inspiration (does anyone else do that?!), I noticed that every April I draw strawberries. I had to carry on this tradition :D

It’s definitely nothing unique, it look almost exactly like strawberries I drew for the first Patreon rewards, but this time I used more colors like blue and lilac!∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙This one was made a while ago, Siberian squill was the first flower I spotted this spring so I had to dedicate the whole spread to it.It’s not finished but I don’t remember which shade of light blue I was using here…. :D so I’ll just left it as it is for now!∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙The left page was made in December during my failed 100 days project (I don’t think I ever shared this page before?!) and the right page was a spontaneous warm up drawing!

I almost never use a paint in my warm up sessions but this time I just felt like it’s a good idea!

I hope you liked these!!

This time I scanned my sketchbook instead of taking pictures – it’s much easier to edit them this way.

Do you have any favorite spreads?! Any thoughts? Any questions?!

Marta