sketchingnowwatercolour – Jamie's Sketchbook

Watercolor 2026

This is my 6th run through this course! Sketching Now Watercolor was my very first Sketching Now course, back in 2018. I also did it in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024

Here are all the exercises I did this year for it. I used a handmade paper for some of the assignments that was so very different to work with. Colors are luminous on it, and it is highly absorbent. It takes forever to dry, and so colors really merge and blend. Detail is lost and I was too impatient to go back and try to add more details after it had dried, so my work has a very soft, and blended look. It has taught me a lot about the paper, and how much of impact paper really does have on watercolor. With each new practice I’m getting better and better at it.

My biggest takeaway this time through was the effect of paper on how watercolor performs. I think if I use that handmade paper my sketches will need some lines to bring out the subjects, but for class, I enjoyed experimenting with direct watercolor, no lines.

Next up with be Edges and I’ve never done that course. I think I did the first half of lesson one the last time it was run live, in 2021. I’m really looking forward to shifting my focus from watercolor, to line and practicing my drawing.

Watercolor 2024

My fifth run through Sketching Now Watercolor. I had fun this year, and made a page design formula. I also did this year on loose watercolor paper, Fabriano 1264, which is a student grade watercolor paper I had in stock.

My previous runs through this course were in 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Watercolor Intro 2

Testing the Rosemary & Co. R16 brush for Sketching Now Watercolor Class. Paper is 1264 Fabriano 140lb 300gsm. These kinds of tests are always so fun to do!

Watercolor Intro 1

Starting my Watercolor class at Sketching Now with Liz Steel. Thus will be my fifth time taking it! I swear I learn more every single time! Last time I tested the exercises with two different palettes. This time I think I’ll add page design to my efforts. I’m keen to work on shadows and dimension as well. I know from experience I tend to run short on time, so wish me luck!

My 12 color palette for this class. Same as my last round through this course. I think I’m finally settling on some favorite pigments. I do find I like the transparency and granulation best. This 1264 Fabriano watercolor paper (9×12) is new to me. Very textured, and very thirsty, but the results are quite nice. I’m experimenting with a dip pen and a G nib here. Worked better on the watercolor paper than I expected. The ink is Dr Ph Martin Black Star Matte. According to the ink tests I did last week, it is the most brush proof as well as waterproof.

Watercolor 2023

My fourth time through the watercolor course. Previously I’ve taken it in 2018, 2021, and 2022.

This year I wanted to add the Big Impact palette to my work, because I had no idea how this palette would work, and this course is perfect for that.

Watercolor 2022

This my third run through Sketching Now Watercolor. Previously I took this course in 2018 and in 2021, though I did not finish it the last time. I can really see how much my watercolor has improved since I first took this course!

Here are some better views of those landscapes.

Value & Color Studies

These value and color studies were harder than I thought they would be! Especially Edinburg! Such a valuable exercise to train the eyes into seeing values and how to achieve those values with color!

Master Palette

For my Master Palette exercise I decided to take “local color” quite literally. I took a walk around my Phoenix, Arizona neighborhood looking at the colors and taking some photographs. (A very short walk, it was 106F/41C!) What IS the color of the tile roofs, the stucco, the cactus, the palo verde, the bougainvillea? I could call the results my Phoenix, Arizona Palette! I really enjoyed doing this. It took some work and a fair amount of trial and error to get the right shades of green, but I really was able to get both the bright greens of the leafy plants, and the muted greens of the cactus.

R1 Wardrobe

I focused on achieving patterns, so my colors are off. I tried to use the granulation of Lunar Black to make the all black items have a little life in the sketch. I’m pretty happy with my results.

Pigments

For this class I’m using Jane Blundell’s Ultimate Mixing palette. I was surprised how few of these colors are transparent. Almost all of them are staining, as well. Fascinating. I’ve long been interested in pigments and I have really loved this lesson.