Jamie's Sketchbook

SBD Unfinished Pages

The assignment is to have a collection of unfinished pages so we can add elements to them to finish them off in the future. We are encouraged to go back and use older sketch pages, but I have a tendency to prefer very full pages without a lot of white space. Plus, once I’m done and moved on I don’t generally like to go back. Let the page sit as it was, that better captures what the moment was. However, knowing this assignment was coming up I did make sure to leave white spaces, or not otherwise finish off some pages for this exercise.

Additionally, I’m not actually sketching things or objects that much right now, which makes it even harder to select good examples for class. The class seems to assume you have a sketch first, and need to finish the page. Lately I’m more, I have my weather cards, and some notes, but no sketch, how can I finish this page. Slightly different angle. I tend to add color blocks a lot. I love to fill in with abstracts, and color charts. The color charts are usually documenting whatever new art supply I have either ordered, or found again in the dusty bins.

I collected a number of unfinished pages, wondering what I can do with them. And I definitely am adding more text this year, aiming for more documentation, and memories.

Unfinished sketchbook spread with Intense color swatches, lines for handwriting, and a weather card. — Unfinished page dated 14 August 2026

Unfinished sketchbook spread for 24-25 August with weather and notes on Write Away. — Unfinished page dated 14 August 2026

One of these I finished and it became my “Current Sketch”

The rest are still waiting.

I will confess it brings me a surprising amount of stress to have these unfinished pages waiting for so long! I am a completist at heart, and I’ve been itching to get them done, and move on to the fun new things I want to do!

SBD Materials

Sketching the Materials exercise over the years.

January 2021 Sketchbook Design Handwriting and Materials

How I sketched my Materials before any Sketchbook Design courses whatsoever!

October 2024 Sketchbook Design Materials

September 2026 Sketchbook Design Materials

I’m currently working in a Stillman and Birn square softcover 7.5-inches. I’m mostly using the Rotring Isograph Fineliners with Rapidiograph Ink. I also use my TWSBI fountain pens, of course. This is the watercolor palette I’ve been using for ages. Keeping it simple. And since I’m also doing a lot of measuring so far, my new favorite pencil for that is the Tombow Mono100 in 3H. It goes on smoothly, and erases easily.

SBD Handwriting

Sketchbook spread of alphabet, handwriting, and calligraphy samples mixed with collaged junk journal alphabets

I am going through the current Live run of Sketchbook Design, and as often happens, I really begin to wonder what did I do for the same exercises in previous years? The Handwriting exercise from the Intro Week is one of the few where I did the page every single time I began the course. Various years have differing levels of participation and completion, but I have always done the handwriting page. Here they are…

January 2021 Sketchbook Design Handwriting Lesson

In January of 2021, I took the first Sketchbook design course, but I apparently did not do many of the exercises. I remember watching all the videos, and livestreams, however.

August 2021 Sketchbook Design Goals and Handwriting

August of 2021 is when I did the best in the Sketchbook Design Class, and it was a real watershed course for me. The lessons began to click, and I really enjoyed the work I did. I’ve long since considered this my “best” and “prettiest” phase of my sketchbook.

January 2023 Sketchbook Design Handwriting

The January 2023 run of the course, I continued with a solid effort to do more of the assignments.

October 2024 Sketchbook Design Handwriting

October 2024 was a group run of the Sketchbook Design course. Well, I think it was supposed to be a group run, but then got cancelled, but since I love this course so much, and every time I go through it I feel like I level up, I did it on my own anyway. This is the year I managed to do the most coursework.

July 2025 Sketchbook Design Goals and Handwriting

July 2025 was a group run, and since life got difficult, I only did a few of the exercises.

This brings us to the 2026 Live run of this course, and I am, as ever, super excited about it. I’m determined to do all the exercises! Especially if this course is only going to have a live run every three years! I always level up, and I always get so inspired by the ideas of others.

I had so much fun doing this year’s handwriting page. I am currently using a lot of collage in my sketchbook, so I carried that into this page. I also am working with different lettering styles. As with previous years, I tried to stick with what I actually do, or want to do. I’d love to do more calligraphy right now, for example, though I rarely take the time. And this page took a LOT of time. I think I spent over three hours doing this, not including the scanning and uploading time. However, I love this page so much, it is utterly worth it!

SBD Goals

My goals for Sketchbook Design have not changed much over the years. I always want to establish that daily sketching practice, capturing life in the sketching of objects and moments. I always want to improve my drawing skills. I always want to improve my page design.

As I’ve mentioned I have taken this course multiple times. I do not always finish, but I have done several of these Sketchbook Goals pages.

This year I am adding in the focus of style elements and the “Grail Method” style of notes. I watched a trio of You Tube videos on The Grail Method by Perry Daniels which inspired me to begin to include thinking on the page and more notes and feelings and comments. An all-in-one approach. Perfect timing for class, and working with these ideas for how to make it all flow and look cohesive, as as sketch more and capture more of real life, even when it’s subtle.

For example, those flowers are made with highlighters which are color matched to the Hobonichi. The page after this one, in the sketchbook, is the color chart for those pens. I’ll share that in a future post.

SBD Before

I went through and looked up all the times I’ve taken, or partially taken, Sketchbook Design. Every class with Liz Steel begins with posting one’s current sketch. A sample of where their style and skills are before beginning the course. I was curious what had I posted before each run, and it always is so interesting to look back and review.

Sketchbook spreads with watercolor of yard on one page and pen and ink sketch of cluttered staircase on the other. Dated 31 Dec 2020

Sketchbook spread with handwritten notes and painted greyscale ocean waves.

These are from the years 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

This year, it seems I’ve mostly just made pages with weather cards on them, so that is most definitely my “current” style of page!

This is also one of those unfinished pages from my previous entry. Obviously another week passed, so I added yet more date and weather cards. Then I decided it was a good page to finish off by documenting this year’s planner season, and Hobonichi purchasing. Just like that, it’s a page about current life!

August Tidbits

Soft loose ink and watercolors of a summer sky.

I finally scanned my sketchbook again. I hadn’t scanned pages since 27 June! I begin again. I did just post an entry for July, that I’d written the first paragraph in the beginning of July, then never finished. Now I fill in with August. These pages mostly just capture the weather information. Very, very little sketching. But even when there is very little, that says something when you go back and look.

Sketchbook spread with loose sky watercolor painting, and weather notes for 28 July to 12 August 2026, and a handwriting. — Soft summer skies and a lot of hot days.

Sketchbook spread, with color background, and sunflower collage junk journal ephemera. — Sunflower Collage

Sketchbook spread with swatches of Senneier Neutrals palette and a selection of Luminance Neutral pencils. — Sennelier Neutral Palette, and a selection of Luminance pencils.

I am rather loving that Neutrals palette by Sennelier and I hope to do more with it. Plus, I finally ordered some Luminance pencils. I’ve long resisted because I don’t generally love dry media, and the line is fairly costly. However, I just could not resist these percent tones in the neutrals. So I will now find out if these pencils are worth their hype. So far, they felt lovely to swatch them. And the ink wash over them worked out very nicely.

Sketchbook Design begins in September. That is by far my favorite course with Liz Steel at Sketching Now. I had hoped to get a strong head start and begin in August. I know the course load is hefty, and I’m a completist, so only doing some of it feels so wrong! However, the month has just flown by.

I do have a number of unfinished pages for the second half of August, which conveniently is something the intro week recommends we have, so I’ve scanned those. They are pretty barren, but that’s the intention isn’t it?

Unfinished sketchbook spread with ink washed UFO sketch, and earth colors swatched in Derwent Drawing pencils. — Unfinished page with sketched UFO and Derwent Drawing Pencils

Sketch of UFO "sport model" in Sailor Shikiori Suberakashi ink wash — UFO “sport model” sketch with Sailor Shikiori Suberakashi ink wash

Anyone else following the monthly PURSUE releases on the UAP files? Fascinating stuff! I have watched a few other documentaries on the subject. I used an ink wash for this flying saucer. I am pretty sure this is the Sailor Shikiori Suberakashi ink. It’s a black ink with a greenish undertone, which seemed perfect.

Unfinished sketchbook spread with Weather cards for 17-22 August 2026, Notes and sketches on the Grail Method, and other subjects. — Unfinished sketchbook spread, The Grail Method and various notes.

I watched a video on You Tube called the Grail Method by Perry Daniels and I was quite inspired by it. It gives me the idea of perhaps a less perfect sketchbook, and including more life things, more notes in the same book, rather than keeping so many subject specific notebooks might be a great idea. This is the page I sketched after watching his trio of videos on the subject.

Ink sketch of notebook with baby dragon. — Ink sketch of notebook with baby dragon

I just have to mention these adorable little baby dragons. I’m trying to learn how to draw these. I had them on my bookshelf in June, and here is another one. I am currently copying these from AI generated art, as I know nothing about illustration techniques. But they add a light-hearted whimsy that seriously brightens my days. I hope to keep drawing many more of these little guys until I can actually draw them myself, instead of copy them. Can’t wait to get this guy painted!

Unfinished sketchbook page with weather notes for 26-29 August 2026 — Unfnished sketchbook page with weather notes for 26-29 August 2026.

And here we are, back to scorching heat and breaking records. These temperatures are usually in early July, not the end of August! I’m hiding in the A/C while I prepare for the Sketchbook Design course. I’m ramping up some spreads, if not too many sketches yet. I am thinking of some abstracts for these empty spreads? More ink washes?

Speaking of ink washes, how about I just share the accumulation of swatches I’ve been testing as well. I don’t have much to say about these.

Ink swatches on handmade watercolor paper

Ink and colored pencil swatches on handmade watercolor paper — Ink swatches on handmade watercolor paper

This catches me up and now I get to swing into Sketchbook Design again. I have a tag for previous courses at sketchingnowsketchbookdesign.

Fireworks and Sirius

Americana collage and weather information for 4-5 July 2026, with painted fireworks.

Time is moving swiftly this summer, isn’t it? We are in the Dog Days of Summer now. I love that phrase. The Romans and Greeks considered a time of madness and insanity. Here in Phoenix, when the temps are over 110F, people do indeed go a little crazy. Me? I’m just hiding the in the A/C. And buying way, way too many books!

I had written the above paragraph ages ago, and then… the summer happened. So here are the July Pages:

Sketchbook spread with Americana collage, note cards, and weather notes for 30 June through 5 July 2026 on top of a handwritten background. — Americana collage for the 250th 4th of July celebration.

Sketchbook spread with americana note cards with handwriting, and junk journal ephemera. — Collage with Americana and Magical Herbalism images.

Dates and weather for 6-25th of July. Mercury retrograde dates, and Northlands Collage. — Weather and Collage for July.

Sketchbook spread with pencil swatches, date and water for 26-27 July 2026, and a Draw Your Day style with collage and text. — Pencils, and Draw Your Day style page.

(Posted on 30 August 2026. Backdated to 28 July 2026.)

Books and Dragons

A whimsical ink and watercolor sketchbook spread celebrating Midsummer as a cozy bookshelf scene. Two wooden shelves are draped in climbing vines with white daisy-like flowers. The top shelf holds hand-lettered book spines in two clusters: witchcraft and herbalism titles on the left (Leechcraft, Saxon Sorcery, Herbal Lore, Wild Magic, House Witch) with a steaming black cauldron at centre, then psychology and self-help titles on the right (The Happiness Trap, A Liberated Mind, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, Disentangle, Set Boundaries, Disease to Please). Small black soot-sprite creatures peek from behind the spines, and a contemplative teal dragon with a question-mark speech bubble perches at the far right. The second shelf holds writing craft books (Million Dollar Outlines, Outline Your Novel), a cup of pens, and a rolled yellow scroll. Below the shelves, a bunting banner spells out MIDSUMMER in teal and multicolour letters, flanked by two crumpled weather-note tags recording Friday 20 June 2026 and Saturday 27 June temperatures. At the bottom of the page, a blue dragon sleeps curled at lower left, a green dragon dozes on an open book at centre with ZZZ drifting upward, and soot sprites cluster at lower right with tiny stacked books. The mood is warm, witchy, and softly celebratory.

So the question comes up, how do I document that I’m buying books, when I buy ebooks, and don’t really have anything to actually sketch? I could sketch the covers. I could sketch the kindle or the kobo. Or I could venture out of the world of observational sketching only, and venture into illustration. Gasp!

Well, if I’m going to venture into illustration, might as well add soot sprites and dragons then! Ha! So here is my illustrated bookshelf. the books are real and purchased, and I really am working on Homestead and Haven. The shelves, the vines, the flowers, the soot sprites, and the baby dragons are just for delight.

Done with ink and watercolor wash, using my standard watercolor palette.

I think my favorite is that poor soot sprite trying so hard not to fall off that weather card! He is having a struggle moment, for sure!

Date and Weather Notecards

A sketchbook spread with a clean white background. Three small handmade weather diary cards in pale yellow are arranged vertically along the left margin (Saturday June 20, Sunday June 21, Monday June 22), and three more along the right margin (Tuesday June 23, Wednesday June 24, Thursday June 25). The center two pages are occupied by two large collaged prints: on the left, an ornate botanical mandala with a sunflower-like starburst in black, white, and gold, surrounded by small decorative flourishes; on the right, a botanical illustration plate showing detailed flowers and foliage in black ink and amber tones, with scientific-style annotations. Temperatures on all six cards range from 105°F to 114°F.

If nothing else this month (or two), I finally attempted to draw little aged note cards to give my weather pages a bit more design. Even when I’m not sketching, or doing much of anything else, I like to keep the weather notes and dates in my sketchbook to mark the passage of time. They serve as a record of when the going was more pitted gravel than smooth highway.

A sketchbook spread on white paper. The left page shows a handwritten weather diary for seven days (Wednesday May 20 through Tuesday May 26, 2026), with each entry recording the date, high and low temperatures in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, and a small hand-drawn weather icon — sun, partial cloud, or crescent moon. Temperatures range from 95°F to 98°F for highs. At the top right of the page, handwritten notes read "GoFun White No 101" and "Flax Beige No 401." The right page features a collage of three tarot-style cards at the bottom left — one showing a rose, one showing roses with swords, one labeled "Blades of Destiny" with a skull — and a large decorative print in the upper right: an intricate compass rose surrounded by botanical illustrations, pressed flowers, and heart motifs in black, grey, and dusty pink. — Weather diary, May 20–26.

I’m currently working in a new Stillman & Birn 7.5″ square Alpha. Remarkably, this page marks only the fourth spread in volume 30. Thirty!

Recently, my printer stopped working, (too old for modern networks!) which forced me to pivot. I ended up getting a new one, and since I had a junk journal kit on hand, I decided to test print with it. When I didn’t end up sketching anything else to capture the days, I used those pages for collage. I became captivated by that specific shade of aged paper and wondered if my Gansai Tambi paints could match it.

Gofun White 101: A perfect match for the natural shade of the Alpha paper.
Flax Beige 401: Has great potential for an “aged” look, but didn’t quite match these specific printed sheets.

Shifting Plans & Playing with Color

A sketchbook spread dominated by a vivid, mottled watercolor background in loose washes of yellow, green, teal, blue, purple, and red-orange. Scattered across both pages are twelve small handwritten note cards, each recording the date, high temperature, low temperature, and weather icon for one day from Wednesday May 27 through Sunday June 7, 2026. Some cards also note a wake-up time. The cards appear slightly irregular, as if hand-torn, and are drawn to look aged, with outlined borders. Temperatures climb from the mid-90s°F into the low 100s°F — Weather diary, May 27–June 7.

I had plans for sketching, but as the days slipped away, I simply played with watercolor and stencils. I used the Holbein watercolors that I assembled into my Travel Sketching palette (which I talked about in my last post). The dark blue spots were stenciled with watercolor over the color blocked background.

Crafting the Aged Look

A sketchbook spread with a dark, smoky purple-grey watercolor background on the left page, and a soft solid yellow on the right page (left blank). Scattered across the dark left side are twelve small handmade note cards in warm amber-yellow tones, each recording weather data for one day from Monday June 8 through Friday June 19, 2026. Several cards note a wake-up time (5:30, 4:50, 4:00, 4:45, 3:30). The cards are hand-drawn to look aged and yellowed, with dark outlines. Temperatures range from 103°F to 112°F. — Weather diary, June 8–19.

Really diving into how to make these note cards look aged, I used the Holbein palette:

Yellow Ochre: Used for that weathered, historic feel.
Eurasian Jay Rose Grey: The moody background complementary color to make the cards pop.
Jaune Brilliant 1: The yellowed wash on the facing page.

I originally intended to sketch something specific for the summer solstice, but I suspect now that this solid wash of color will remain as my tribute to the day.

Solstice Collaging

Fortunately, this junk journal page felt incredibly fitting for the solstice, so I collaged it in alongside the Jaune Brilliant 1 note cards.

That opacity gave me some trouble over the text. With opaque paints I should probably paint my background first, or stick to a much more transparent paint!

Even when energy is low, keeping a visual record, an illustrated diary is important to me. I miss it, but at least I’ve captured this era in these small ways.

Missed Travel Sketching

Abstract Watercolor Painting in soft greens and yellows, with dark indigo and red accents.

Once again the autoimmune adventures hit hard, and life piled on. I ended up just not doing any of the Travel Sketching class work except the intro kit building, and the current sketch. Now for the hard work of forgiving all the things I cannot control and just accepting the losses. I have, however, decided that I’m going to rest this summer, and not try for the Watercolor on Location group run. I’m obviously needing the recovery time.

It was hard to let go this time. But so be it. Back to the days and days of just listing the dates and the weather to mark the passage of time. I left some white space. In one of those half pages, I did a watercolor abstract like I used to do, and that turned out really well! (See below.)

Before I lost all oomph, I did get the color charts done for the Tombow Dual Brush Markers:

Circles of Tombow Dual Brush Markers swatching colors 090 Lemon Cream, 947 Burnt sienna, 533 Peacock Blue, 228 Gray Green, 026 Yellow Gold, N75 Cool Gray 3, 569 Jet Blue, 761 Carnation, 990 Light Sand. — Tombow Dual Brush Markers in Travel Sketching Palette

Those colors are Tombow Dual Brush Markers: 090 Lemon Cream, 947 Burnt sienna, 533 Peacock Blue, 228 Gray Green, 026 Yellow Gold, N75 Cool Gray 3, 569 Jet Blue, 761 Carnation, 990 Light Sand.

The Tombows do not seem very reactive to water. The second half of each circle was activated with water, and it shows in a couple colors, but not in most of them.

Color Swatches of Holbein Watercolors. — Holbein Watercolors in Travel Sketching Palette

Still in the grip of my obsession with recreating this Travel Sketching Palette (I blame the brain chemistry from the allergen hits!) I bought these Holbein Watercolors. Aren’t these lovely?

Holbein Watercolors in Travel Sketching Palette: Permanent Lemon Yellow W235, Lunar Eclipse Red WG605, Verditer Blue W295, Green Grey W352, Yellow Ochre W234, Grey of Grey W353, Indigo W298, Shell Pink W226, Jaune Brilliant No 1 W231, Lavender W316, Davy’s Grey W355, Eurasian Jay Rose Grey WG661.

Last year I was doing some of these watercolor abstracts. They are such a lovely way to play with color. I had to test this palette with one. I rather like this one. It ended up looking like an abstract landscape. (Also note: I cannot for the life of me get Posca pens to work! Is my climate just too dry? But there is a hint of white showing my attempt!) These abstracts are so good for capturing mood, or a moment that I find they fit documenting life surprising well. They hold memories and feelings quite well.

The complete spread in my sketchbook. A bit more thought on page design than I’ve used in a while, which feels good.

As for this summer, I have a few half pages with white space along with my dates and weather. Perhaps I will be able to sketch items or scenes. I will definitely make more abstracts.

I want to return to illustrated journaling, and documenting life as it happens. That has always been my primary goal, and what drew me to keeping a sketchbook in the first place. I am missing that in my influences and in my own work, so when I regain some oomph, I shall revisit my old inspirations.

I’m looking forward to the run this upcoming autumn of the Sketchbook Design course. Every time I’ve done it, I end up capturing more life and making pages I love. My sketchbook ends up feeling like me.