May 26

May 26 Pushing Through the Discomfort

Some sketchbooks flow effortlessly, and this one was not quite like that.

The Etchr sketchbook with 100% cotton hot press watercolor paper looks beautiful and feels great in the hand. Still, I didn't love it. My favorite fountain pen that usually flows in a juicy way, felt dry and kind of scratchy. I also noticed that the ink from my brush pen bled when I added watercolor, even after letting it dry for a while. Not ideal when you're impatient like me.

What surprised me though, is what came out of working around those limitations. Reaching for materials I wouldn't normally reach for, pushed me to experiment.

Some pages turned out really great because of it. Crayons worked beautifully on this paper. Colored pencils too. Sometimes constraints are great for your creativity, and for thinking out-of-the box.

A big part of this sketchbook was filled during a week-long color workshop in Spain that I followed: Pushing Your Sketchbook Boundaries. It was taught by three fantastic teachers: Isabel Sidell, Olivia Marcus, and Isabel Carmona. It was intensive, fun, and very colorful. A few pages were also sketched alongside 50+ urban sketchers, which is such a special experience, being surrounded by sketch enthusiasts.

I may not buy a sketchbook like this again (never say never though!), but looking back at the pages, I'm glad I pushed through it. Sometimes the sketchbooks you don't love, can teach you the most.