Cozy Cafe Sketch | Tiny Ink & Watercolour Tutorial for Creative Inspiration

We had the warmest and wettest February in the record-keeping history of the UK. But when you can't get outside to paint, you can go to a cafe to paint! Here, I've painted the view of a beautiful, Victorian building that I could see from the window. I offer tips for how I sketch in a composition quickly (I had less than an hour!) and add pops of colour with a limited palette and limited time! I hope you come along and enjoy a cup of tea while you watch me paint for you.
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SUPPLIES:
US:
Pentel Graphgear 500 Mechanical Pencil .03: a.co/d/3XK02pZ
Pentel Aquash Brushes: amzn.to/3Cd398M
Kaweco Liliput Brass (Extra Fine Nib): a.co/d/cBcvjbB
Daniel Smith Essentials Set: a.co/d/56YDqV4
Daniel Smith Transparent Red Oxide: amzn.eu/d/5QM8PYL
Daniel Smith Transparent Yellow Oxide: a.co/d/7ydv9rL
Athletic Wrist Band: amzn.to/3Ih3ta5
View Catcher: a.co/d/4aQvhBM
Clip for Attaching Palette: a.co/d/3Ki3B9w
GoDraw Worldwide Store: www.inspireuplift.com/shop/GO...
Sendak Artist Wrap: pegandawlbuilt.com/products/w...
UK/EU:
Pentel Graphgear 500 Mechanical Pencil .03: amzn.eu/d/fJlQQ17
Pentel Aquash Brushes: amzn.eu/d/1Pnpgpa
Kaweco Liliput Brass (Extra Fine Nib): amzn.eu/d/06B236W
Daniel Smith Essentials Set: amzn.eu/d/7O1PUDd
Daniel Smith Transparent Red Oxide: a.co/d/5Vku6b2
Daniel Smith Transparent Yellow Oxide: amzn.eu/d/8ZVQQgH
Athletic Wrist Band: amzn.to/3Cfcblz
View Catcher: amzn.eu/d/283B4bU
Clip for Attaching Palette: amzn.eu/d/c9CMqnB
GoDraw Worldwide Store: www.inspireuplift.com/shop/GO...
Sendak Artist Wrap: pegandawlbuilt.com/products/w...
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Let's Connect!
•Website & Shop: lesliestroz.com
•Tiktok: tiktok/@lastroz
•Instagram: / lesliestroz
•Facebook: / lesliestrozart
•Patreon: / lesliestrozart
Thanks for visiting my channel!
Music by Epidemic Sounds
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Chapters:
00:00 Packing to go
00:41 The Journey
02:25 Setting Up
03:08 Choosing the Composition
03:25 Sketching
04:05 Inking the Sketch
05:42 Adding Watercolour
09:12 Reveal
09:20 Final Thoughts

[@mmwalton9142]

Thank you for showing us that it's ok to go out even in not ideal weather situations and still create something meaningful.

[@LeslieStroz]

Most days aren’t ideal in winter. There are ways to get out there in relative comfort! 😊

[@plan4life]

I had to replay that bit when you said you give Poppy treats when she is naughty! So she knows exactly how to behave to get her treats.. lol 😂

[@baked_potato_0-0]

Just wanted to let you know that I absolutely adore your long-form content! I love how calming it is to draw along with you. Thanks so much for creating such wonderful content! 😍😍☺☺

[@LeslieStroz]

Thank you so much! I nearly didn’t post this because the lighting and shortness of it wasn’t what I set out to create, but I think this type of situation is more realistic for an average day. 😊

[@hollyblossomWH]

I'm sick in bed, so even if it wasn't ideal, I still loved getting out and painting vicariously through you! ❤

[@LeslieStroz]

Oh no, I hope you feel better soon! ❤

[@hollyblossomWH]

@@LeslieStroz Thank you.

[@teresak1177]

Just FYI - I ordered a Sendak (among other things) from Peg&Awl and you are right, it is an amazing piece of work. I am so glad I spent the $ on it (it was for my birthday so….lol😅). I love how you included the electric wires in your little painting. I struggle to put those things in sometimes. ❤ to Poppy! She’s a very good girl and deserves all the treats!! ~~your midwestern admirer from Indy

[@LeslieStroz]

I’m glad you’re loving your Sendak too! Happy Birthday! With electrical wires you just need to go for it! 😊

[@martinaanagnostou7422]

This was wonderful Leslie! I’ve missed you I know what I’ll be binge watching in the coming days 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👩🏼‍🎨🎨

[@Oldzampire]

I really enoyed this vlog. It didn't have to be "perfect" with gorgeous weather and stuff. There's beauty in simplicity too:)

[@LeslieStroz]

Awww thanks so much!! That means a lot. I was so sad about it I nearly didn’t post it! 😊

[@-MEL16-A.O.C]

That was short but great to see you in action in a "café" and even you had to fight again the time it's beautiful 😉😁 I love how the people interac with Poppy she's so cute 😊 Thank you, bises 😉😘🙏🏼

[@LeslieStroz]

Poppy is definitely a crowd pleaser! I live in a dog friendly county. 🐶

[@-MEL16-A.O.C]

@@LeslieStroz She deserves it 😉😁👍

[@annesilver8387]

That was really good. You seemed disappointed, but it's great to see what you can do with limited items, in a cafe. I really enjoyed it. Thank you. I am enjoying your longer videos.

[@LeslieStroz]

Thanks so much. I debated about whether or not to post this one, but in the end decided it was a realistic experience!!😊

[@bahardavutoglu6225]

I‘m also Sitting in a Café With my sketching kit Right now, pushing myself to Sketch 😅 your vid motivated me, thanks ❤ please please Leslie, Show us More of this Kind of videos 🙏❤️

[@LeslieStroz]

How lovely that you’re cafe sketching right now. I’m glad this helped motivate you. You’ve got this! I’ll do more in the future. 😊

[@reedebrown6006]

Still find it amazing how much detail you get in these tiny sketches, even when like today, you were very short on time. On just starting out on my sketching journey, and also being in the UK, haven’t ventured out to sketch yet. However, I do have to say that it’s never too late to nip out and treat yourself to a coffee😊Thanks for sharing.

[@LeslieStroz]

Thanks so much! The more you practice the better you get at details. My early sketches were so much simpler. I’d recommend taking a sketchbook and pen to your favourite coffee shop and sketching the scene over a warm drink. We need to do all we can to lift our spirits in this weather! ☺️

[@reedebrown6006]

Haven’t plucked up the courage to get my sketch book out in public even though I always have it with me🤷🏻‍♂️I will get the confidence at some point.

[@mildredmassey4742]

I can’t tell you how many times my sweet kitty guilts me. Your Poppy is adorable.

[@LeslieStroz]

It’s all in the eyes. I think they take classes on how to instill guilt. 😅

[@sharonsunshine2532]

I don't know how it happened 😢 I was waiting for a new video and just discovered I had been unsuscribed from your channel. ❤❤ So glad I decided to check up. 🙏🙏😘 And your work is amazing as usual.

[@RhiNoSeriously]

Can i possibly love your videos any more!❤️❤️

[@LeslieStroz]

Awww 🥰❤️

[@nataliedavies69]

I really got a sense of what a time crunch you were under in this painting and you still produced a beautiful piece! I am enjoying seeing you use your Sendak too.

[@LeslieStroz]

Oh my goodness, that was my ADHD, thinking I had more time than I did until I was actually there. I should have gone an hour earlier! 😅

[@nataliedavies69]

Totally sounds like something I would do too :D @@LeslieStroz

[@buddhabro.9130]

OMG, Poppie is so adorable! 🥰 I think your drawing turned out well considering all you had to deal with. Your video has brought my mind back to a vintage building facade details it been wanting to draw and paint for some time. Time to go out and do some drawing soon, Aye.

[@LeslieStroz]

Yes! Go draw it!! And thanks! ☺️

[@margueritemitchell1829]

❤😂🎉 Hello from Beautiful British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦

[@LeslieStroz]

Hello!! 👋 😊

[@ChantelleArts]

I usually paint outside and have wanted to get into urban sketching but could never find a location that wasn't super busy, you've got the perfect spot! maybe I should be looking for cafes and their views instead aha 😍

[@LeslieStroz]

Cafes are really good because they have warm drinks and bathrooms and the customers are usually too engrossed in their own lives to notice you. 😊

[@ss45247]

I love your videos. Such a joy to watch you paint

[@LeslieStroz]

Oh, thank you so much!! 🤗

[@ritza2402]

I hope I can paint as great as you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@LeslieStroz]

Keep practicing! You can do it! 😊

[@PoeticallyPainting]

I'm so mesmerized by your organization! I'm a mess

[@LeslieStroz]

I get messy too. It’s a constant battle of tidying. But I’ve found that I’m more inspired to draw and paint (and do better work) when I keep things organised. This pencil wrap has been great for that! 😊

[@pootlingalong8928]

Glad I’m not the only one struggling with the weather at the moment. I’m in Northamptonshire and walk or cycle most days. I usually take a flask of hot chocolate or coffee on my winter forays but the last month it has just been SO cold and wet I’ve had no desire to stop and have hurried on my walks to get back to the car. I’ve been hoping to do some tiny paintings outside but so far I’ve been waiting til I get home and back in the warm. I don’t know how you get so much detail into your tiny paintings - they are very lovely and I hope if I keep practising I will one day be as good as you or nearly! I ordered the little Go Draw palette 8 wells but think it will take a while to arrive. Poppy, as ever, is completely adorable ❤️

[@LeslieStroz]

Yes, this weather has been terrible for so long now! I’m like you… even the little things like a thermos seem too much in this relentless rain. But I have managed to do a few car paintings through it all. I never want to get out but am always glad when I do. I’d recommend trying it after a walk and before you head home. You can turn your car heater on! 😊

[@pootlingalong8928]

Never sketched from the car yet but will give it a go 👍🏻🤗

[@ralphherrick596]

Still fantastic 😊

[@LeslieStroz]

Thank you! 🙏🏼

[@EvelineUK]

Loved this so much. You have inspired me to get a tiny palette for my upcoming holiday, eventhough I've never really painted in public before. (I'm going on my first ever cruise, so there will be people around us all the time). What I am intrigued by, where is your camera when you're filming yourself painting? Have you got it attached to your clothing somehow?

[@LeslieStroz]

I’ve used all sorts of methods from a scarf to a chest harness, but lately I’m using a magnetic necklace harness for my iPhone, which works great!!! 😊

[@teresak1177]

@EvelineUK enjoy your cruise! I can tell you that painting in public is challenging (for me) and people will come up and ask you about it, want to see your set up, etc. I don’t mind them asking but I feel like my paintings are not good enough to show, but really I am just not comfortable with the attention. So I try to make my area very small so they are less likely to notice, ha ha. Leslie is smart and has a fuzzy distractor, and when our weather is better, I will be taking my distractor out with me 😊 ~~love from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

[@EvelineUK]

@@LeslieStroz oh how clever!

[@EvelineUK]

@@teresak1177 thank you. I still have a few months, so am trying to build confidence. ;)

[@joannephillips5991]

I am also going on my first cruise in 2 weeks. I wanted to learn small painting from Leslie. She is so great about getting out there and painting. I just did my first plein air painting of my yard. I learn a lot doing it. I am taking my art supplies with me. I’m doing it!!!!

[@christianebehr138]

❤ dear Leslie , the picture is perfekt it is a charakterfull painting of the house.. very nice 😊( the weather will hopefully change . I would like to tell you what happend to me can you remember showing the mixed paper from cass art the discovery pack of 10 sheets. I acually tried to order 2 of them and the shop does not sell International I was realy disapointed it was the Brexit that couses such problems 😞 The CassArt Shop told me that they are a small shop. I searched the Internet but I did not find anything similar. So I will have to wait until they sell overseas. Jacksons sell overseas but they do not offer something similar. I wish you a nice week with better weather many greetings Christiane 😊😊

[@LeslieStroz]

Oh no! That’s so sad! 😢 Yes, Brexit has been such a loser in so many ways. Send me and email through my website and maybe I can somehow get it for you. 😊

[@user-xy4we1uc5y]

I'm Japanese, so my English is wrong, but if you read it,I would be very happy. It looks very cold there. Do you like cold? Your drawing is so beautiful and amazing😊 I love your pictures very much❤ I want to draw like you someday!

[@RaccoonLaundry]

Could you possibly do a video on watercolor pencils? 🥺 I feel like it just always ends up a mess no matter what I do. I don't know how to lay down the pencil to make the water interact with it nicely without it just smearing around into a huge blob. It genuinely feels like they don't play by watercolor rules at all, they're just colored pencils that smear when wet 😅

[@Dante343]

I really enjoyed this! I felt those 50 minutes through you and it was actually exciting, haha. Had a question on waterbrushes - I'm always wondering if I need to take a cup to clean brushes when I go out to paint (yet to do this a public place. I've painted in hotel rooms). Is it easier to clean and start with a new colour because you're doing tiny paintings with just the water in the brush? I paint A5 sizes usually. I've recently got a tiny palette and have been trying to figure out the water scene 😅 I'm a little embarassed to take the cup and pour it down the sink in the cafe restroom, as weird as it sounds. It feels wrong somehow. And I try not to get noticed and felt the whole cup transportation will draw attention, lol.

[@denisewenke8323]

Perhaps a small bottle or jar with a watertight seal? Then you can take the water with you and empty it in private.

[@Dante343]

​@@denisewenke8323That is an option, yes, but I'm trying to limit the size of items being carried. Right now everything fits inside a travel fanny pack. If I can get away with two travel brushes and a spray bottle, it would be perfect.

[@LeslieStroz]

I hear you. I find that the water brushes are great for A5 and smaller. But I also have collapsible cups and travel brushes I use sometimes. A lot depends on how much time I have (and where I am). As long as your colours are nontoxic it should be fine to dispose of paint water down the commode. But you can always carry an empty bottle to pour it into until you’re home. If you’re feeling anxious about it all start with the water brushes because it’s one less thing to be worried about. 😊

[@Dante343]

@@LeslieStroz Thanks, Leslie! I'll try a couple of trial runs at home with A5 paintings and just water brushes and let's see if I can manage with that. If it works, then it'll work outside too. Saying it out loud in the comments actually cleared my head.

[@denisewenke8323]

@@Dante343 I usually carry water in an empty pill bottle or small sample vial. I can fit everything but my sketchbook in an old flip-phone bag, about the size of a double deck of cards.

[@susanrich6]

Can I ask what type of ink you use. I was thinking I'd quite like a light brown or grey ink for a fountain pen. Also not sure if a fine or medium nib is best.. I hate making decisions. Thank you for the vlog.

[@jessieellwood]

How do you like the new product wrap? Do you notice it’s much heavier than your last zip bag?

[@LeslieStroz]

I love it!! I don’t notice a weight difference unless I’m carrying things I wouldn’t have carried in the other one (because they wouldn’t fit). I like both the regular and the mini Sendak, but the larger one is a bit roomier so it’s probably my favourite. 😊

[@GrayWithMe]

This is off topic but I get anxiety sketching in public unless it’s on my iPad using procreate because then people won’t know what I’m doing. If I pull out supplies I feel pressure to make something look good. I wonder why I have this issue

[@LeslieStroz]

It’s normal to feel self-conscious when drawing or painting in public. It gets easier with practice. Most people are only interested in their own lives. 😊

[@aliakdemir7644]