sketchbook ep 43✏️ | I made a sketchbook! daily sketching habit is back 📓 | pencil sketches + illustrations | 🌼March theme announcement🌼 | updateees! | long post☕ (Patreon)

Hi! ♥︎

There’s a lot to catch up on, so let’s gooo!

Starting today I’ll be posting twice a week – on Tuesdays you can expect blog posts like the one you’re reading, on Fridays I’ll share phone wallpapers or coloring pages from previous months!

I spent the last few weeks catching up on sending physical rewards.

This morning I shipped a big batch of February’s mail, yayy!

Now I’m waiting for the ink to arrive so I can continue with printing and shipping out your rewards.

I don’t talk about it often but I make them at home, which I absolutely love!⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚

Thank you so SOOOO MUCH for sticking around in these quieter months.

I don’t want to make this post a therapy session and honestly I don’t even know how to talk about it, but last month I learned that I’m autistic and it brought a loooooooot of things to process.

The diagnosis process lasted a few months and was emotionally drainiiiing.

Then I went through some kind of grief, which, from what I’ve learned is pretty normal after receiving such diagnosis, especially later in life (I’m in early 30s)

I think I finally accepted it and it somehow makes me feel relieved (??)

I don’t know (yet) how to put that in words but it’s somewhat liberating.

I even feel the change in my art but I can’t put my finger on it!

Oh, I was also diagnosed with adhd, but it came as absolutely no surprise to me, so I didn’t have to process that information.

Luckily I have a lovely people around me and some systems to help me manage life more smoothly!

I think posting here on schedule could be helpful for my neurodivergent brain.

The last time I tried it it worked really well, then I fell out of track, had some things going on in personal life, diagnosis and weellll here we are. I’m so deeply sorry for not delivering things on time!

I’ll do my best to catch up on everything and provide new things for you!

Okay, I think that’s about it for the intro! Now let’s see some illustrations!!!⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚

Last month I DIYed a sketchbook! I don’t consider myself a crafty person (that’s a topic for another post??) but I managed to do it and would recommend it to anyone. It’s a fun little project!

I followed this tutorial (as always – it wasn’t my first time making a sketchbook)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2FRKbQI2kY

For the cover I used binder board I normally use to protect the envelopes from being bent! 100/10, would recommend.

With that sketchbook the daily sketching habit is back!

I took a break for about a week, when I was visiting my parents about two weeks ago.

Other than that I sketched even on days when I didn’t feel like it.

Today I’ll show you only a few spreads and I’ll be sharing the rest of them in the next posts.⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚

Blueberries – comfort zone doodles and my first time drawing pomegranates! They later became a theme of the month!

And again it’s a mix of comfort zone (strawberries) and new things.

Colorado columbine is such a beautiful flower!! I’ll definitely make some illustrations of it in the future.All columbine flowers are gorgeous, but there’s something magical about this particular one. Probably colors – a combination of white and periwinkle (not pictured in the sketch, lol)

I was thinking about Valentine’s day – hence I sketched anthurium, the plant that looks like hearts!

(moment of appreciation to my wonderful sketchbook that lay completely flat! yay!!!)

Most people know how snowdrop flowers look like, but to draw them I have (want to) learn how they look from different angles, how they’re built etc! It actually applies to everything I draw. Such a nice exercise!

The left page was made in the train/in the waiting room, the right page was made once I got home. Notice how the plants are bigger on the right side – honestly I wanted to fill the page quicker!

I don’t have much thoughts on this spread, other than I just love drawing climbing plants and would love to do more of that in the future!

As I said, I’m sketching daily and most days I manage to fill an entire page, so there’s a lot to share!

But now I’d like to show you some finished illustrations.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚

Last month’s theme were pomegranates, so of course I made a lot of illustrations of them.

By the way, I reallllllyyyy want to get better at sharing these designs on time!

Hopefully this month I’ll be able to do that!

I’ve been really enjoying making these small washi tape style designs.

Some of my markers dried up when I was working on these drawings.

Yet another reason to draw in a smaller scale!

Oh wellll I should’ve started with sharing January’s designs.

Often (almost always!) I make themed sketchbook spreads but this time I didn’t. It’s kind of nice to see the cool toned drawing next to warm toned. Such nice contrast!

Making such illustrations is always fun - my goal is to fill as much space as possible on the page, without touching its edges or the middle of the sketchbook.

Now I’m working on some random illustrations, like these berries:

Actually I promised one of you to share unedited scan, so you can see how some colors aren’t very accurate and I have to adjust them.

Here I adjusted levels (ctrl+l in Photoshop) and corrected the red tone a little bit.

Unfortunately I can’t really explain the process as it’s just a trial and error for me!

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚

I’m also working on March rewards.

This months theme are DAISIES!!!

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡⋆✴︎˚

I have so much more to share, but I’ll keep some of it (including spring flowers hunt and progress on daisy illustrations) for the next post.

I hope you like today’s post!

Thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate you!I’m not sure yet what I’ll share this Friday, as I have a few things ready, so stay tuned!

Love,

Marta ♥︎