My FIRST SKETCHBOOK 😁 + ART JOURNALING TIPS for Beginners

[@melodygood2380]

everything you do is FANTASTIC! enjoy it all, you are amazing !!!

[@ez1.global186]

Yet another positive, insightful video, Anne-Laure. Thx for sharing! Such a pleasure to watch.

[@smchalk3535]

The "old" sketchbook was fun to see. I thought all the pages were lovely. thanks for sharing that and your infectious enthusiasm

[@carrieannkouri2151]

I love your sketchbook! Merci beaucoup!

[@katherinesimonds622]

Your first watercolors are far better than my current paintings! Lol Ty do much for sharing your journey with us. I am encouraged and inspired.

[@jasonmullins4826]

Thanks for sharing your creative journey from the beginning. Really neat stuff and you can definitely see your abilities getting stronger with every turn of the page. I love your emphasis on different techniques. You are wonderfully talented Anne-Laure, not just in terms of drawing and painting but also with your ability to convey your passion and creativity to others. Take Care!

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you so much for all these compliments, Jason! ☺️ 😃 I can't help being always a bit stressed out when I upload a video (it could always have been better, I always fear something went wrong and I didn't notice, or that I made or said something that could seem inappropriate, I don't know 😅) so it's such a relief to get my first positive comments like yours, encouraging and "validating". 😌 Thanks a lot. I am glad you liked what I tried to convey in the video! 😊

[@weishaark]

As usual, the stories & experiences & insights you share are particularly relevant to me, & the timing is kind of magically serendipitous as I continue to struggle with establishing & developing a "discipline" around my creative output. The idea of using different media & techniques & using the journal to *experiment* & *try* things helps me a lot with the abiding self-consciousness & *pressure* I put on myself to achieve a consistent level of expertise with every journal entry. I especially appreciated that you started your first journal with colored pencil as that (& colored markers) are a medium I'm much more comfortable with from my years as an interior designer. It occurred to me that rather than continuing to struggle with a new medium while at the same time trying to build a new discipline, maybe if I tackled the discipline part first, working with a familiar medium & *then* once daily drawing has become routine, I could begin to add watercolor practice. I also *loved* your thoughts on focusing on different media on different days as sometimes I get frustrated trying to fit in a little of everything (writing, reading, painting, sewing, hiking, cooking) every day! Afterall, I'm supposed to be retired & living a life of leisure! Thank you, again, for your wonderful insights!

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Hi Kathleen! Thanks a lot for your comment and sharing your own struggles too. 😌 I think we probably all struggle with what you are talking about, each of us at a different level. I admit I can relate too! 😅 I am happy the video brought to you a few things to try to implement in your practice, hoping to make it more consistent and maybe more enjoyable, with less frustration. As you said, we put so much pressure on ourselves! 😟 😅 So, yes, practice what you are confortable with most of the time and, only when you feel like to or because it seems to go nicely with the subject, experiment with another technique. 😌 Colored pencils always seems like a safe medium to me. When I am suddenly scared by watercolor for some reason, I go for pencils. 😁 😉 Wanting to make everything everyday is also one of my issue so I try my best lately to follow my new rule : "Don't think about what you are NOT doing that day"!! 😅 I figured out we could sometimes spend our own life regretting not to work on this project this day, not to paint that other day, not to be able to enjoy this or that activity another day..." When you think about it, that's a bit absurd. Let's try to focus on what we are doing for real, lol! 😁 That's what I try to live by and work by, as I do so many things and I can't do everything everyday. 😊 Yeah, enjoy and create!! See you! 👋 😘

[@sabinekonig5181]

Thank you so much for all the videos. I am starting to doodle and sketch - I never did it before in my life - cause everyone told me that i can not sketch or paint. You inspired me and hopefully I will hold it. Looking forward to your next video, trip or other news. Have a great time thanks Sabine

[@ginettelachance3280]

J’aime beaucoup ton blog! ✨✨✨🎨

[@o8rufus]

Your sketchbook is amazing you showed great talent from the beginning.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you so much o8rufus! 😃 😘

[@beheshtah.3091]

So inspirational. Sometimes I find myself experiencing a creative paralysis because I find that in social media certain kind of watercolor paintings are trendy. But your video has shown me that it doesn't always have to be about that - maybe by focusing on painting what's around me and what makes me happier will give my art more meaning and will make me more satisfied. Thanks again for your amazing video and your artwork even then was amazing

[@liahsaunt1]

Very artistic, even in the beginning. Thank you, Anne-Laure, because with you the most insignificant thing becomes marvellous. Your enthousiasm and joy are wonderful to watch. Maria

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you so much Maria. ☺️ 😊 😘 Some days, I feel that what you are talking about may be the most important thing I have to share : this ability to wonder, to watch the world with positive and full of beauty eyes and to turn things into joy and poetry... ☺️ I will keep trying my best!! Thank you! ❤️

[@liahsaunt1]

Indeed. You are so right. But your art is also a result of it., ergo it is as important as your capacity to positive and marvel. It is a rare quality, and you do the utmost to keep it, in this dark world. Bravo, and thank you, because my days are a little brighter thanks to your videos.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you my dear ❤️

[@liahsaunt1]

You are most welcome. :o)

[@寅-m2t]

Like your video. Good idea to use old text books. I have so many text books left and don't know what to do. And you are very interesting.

[@favorablyimpressed]

This was WONDERFUL! I needed this inspiration, because I don't see an impressive improvement at I approach my one-year anniversary. Seeing what you've achieved in a short 5 years gives me hope. I'm going to try harder. I'm so looking forward to the next installment in your art journey. Thank you so much.

[@sincostanian]

I love your handwriting!

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you !! 😁 😉 🙏

[@piefjep9508]

Aren't old sketchbooks little treasures? I love flicking through my old ones too. It is so motivating to see the progress of this art journey.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Hi Piefje! I realize I don't do it often enough! 😅 😁 It really inspired me, for real, to browse this old sketchbook!! ❤️ Thanks for your kind comment! 🤗

[@LeslieNikulka]

I so enjoyed this video. Thank you for sharing.

[@androandro7179]

Lovelyyyyyyyyyyy sketchbook! You were professional from day one :D yaaaaay so intrigued about your artistic journey series .

[@PShorten2]

I love this blog post!

[@angelaandreaespinalsanchez8747]

Super wow! Tus dibujos como la caligrafía son hermosas

[@leajeanne343]

Merci d’avoir partagé avec nous votre premier sketchbook que j’ai aimé dès les toutes premières pages. Quelle source d’inspiration! Merci aussi pour votre joie de vivre et votre gentillesse. Bonne continuation, Anne-Laure!

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Un grand merci Lea !! Je suis ravie que mon carnet vous ait plu, ainsi que l'esprit de mes videos. 😊 ☺️ Merci pour ces beaux compliments !! A très vite ! 😘

[@irisflower4366]

Fun to see the development and growth you went through.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks Iris! 😃 😘

[@kisiwa82]

So fun to see the journal flip. I've kept a written journal since I was a kid. Then started adding collage to the pages. Over the years have played with various supplies, and find that pen and ink and watercolors are the most portable, so use those more than anything. You can see some of my journals on my page. I always enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you Kisiwa! It's nice to discover your work too! 😊 There are so much things we can do in a journal, so many ways to record our lives an artistic way! 😌 When I was a kid, that was more writing and ephemera collage, I was not confident enough, probably, for sketching. 😉 See you, Thanks for your comment! 😘

[@cherylclough4309]

First, I must tell you that I just finished making a sketch board to hold my sketch book and palette. I just followed your video, found the materials, and did it! I had to have local lumber folks cut it b/c I was struggling and they didn't follow my lines as they should have, but I think it will work! Thank you so much for sharing that idea. I'm trying to get my sketch supplies pared down to the essentials b/c a friend and I are going to England in October. And I really enjoyed this video showing your first sketch book/journal. I think you were excellent in the very beginning. Those shoes, the fork(!), the eggs! I'm going to keep working. You've been an inspiration!

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks a lot Cheryl! 😃 I am so happy you prepared all this gear with the help of my video! I hope it will be perfect for you to bring in England!! 😝 👍 Thank you so much for your compliments. 😘

[@Karla_Smith]

You have so much happy energy..... I got a bit dizzy with watching this today as the video was shaking my brain up a bit. Fun to see your old sketchbook as it gives me inspiration to start mine since I'm afraid to mess up my pages but I can always cover it up with paint or paper, right. Anyway, thanks for the tour... ~ Good Day, ~ Karla

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Hi Karla! I am sorry I shook your brain! 😅 😳 Is it because of the handheld camera while I was talking?... I am not sure if it's kind of dizzy for real or more about the ideas and inspiration for sketching... 😅 I am glad I inspired you to start your own sketchbook. Go for it!! You can always paste something on it or use opaque paint to cover something too ugly if needed but, mainly, keep the process apparent, that's even more fun and add funny notes about your mistakes and progresses! 😁 😉 Happy sketching!! 😘

[@sallyreff2574]

Thank you for sharing your journey! Always enjoy your channel . . Inspiring!👏👏

[@cindyhorton6980]

Your sketches are beautiful and very realistic! I enjoyed it and what you had to say. Inspiring! Just what I need!! THANK YOU!!❤😘

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks a lot Cindy! 🙏 😘❤️

[@elainemagliacane]

So inspiring... you've really made progress in your art by leaps and bounds...I really enjoyed this look at your first sketchbook.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks a lot Elaine! 😃 That's really kind of you. ☺️ Sometimes you seem to make great progress and it's kind of stagnant or you go a bit backwards and then makes progress again. 😊

[@blondelebanese9922]

Thank you so much for sharing this video on KZbin! You have shown everyone who needs some inspiration exactly how to make progress in their sketchbooks by starting slowly and improving page by page! Your enthusiasm and dedication are wonderful and I hope to continue learning your techniques so that I be as fearless as you!! Annie from Tennessee

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Hi Annie! Thanks a lot for such a compliment about my video! 😃❤️ I really hope watching this can help! Browsing this old sketchbook inspired me for real as well and showed me again the path to follow. 😌 ☺️ Good luck for your own journey, I am sure you will become as fearless as I am! Be brave my dear, and don't put pressure on you, that's only paper and leisure! 😁 👍 See you! 😘

[@maryalgar8779]

And the Japanese book pages (I think you said) - really adds interest! Awesome.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you Mary, I am happy you liked it! I like it too. 😊

[@debsmith7050]

Wonderful !!! Thanks for sharing your journey

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you Deb! You're very welcome! 😊 🤗

[@maryf.1956]

Your first sketchbook is absolutely lovely. Seeing the stamping is a great way to memorize a shape. Obviously it has worked well for you. I will not be afraid to try it. Love all the food sketches and colored pencil work. I find ink always makes my sketches look better. Watercolor is beautiful but with ink there is such a contrast and the color really pops. Seeing your progress is inspiring to keep on sketching and painting ✍🏻🎨

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Hi Mary! Thank you so much fr compliments about the sketchbook and video. 😊 It's easier to get a strong contrast using ink, indeed. When doing watercolors, do you use tube paint? Do you spray them before use? You you have strong darks like Perylene Green, Indigo or Moonglow? This could help to get a stronger contrast. Use it pure on the page, try to be bold! 😛 😉

[@maryf.1956]

Following the White Rabbit Thank you for the tip. I have pan paints and tubes. But mostly use the pans. I am going to try using tubes with the freshly squeezed color. I do have artist grade watercolor, Qor, Schmincke, and Winsor N., but really want to try some Daniel Smith. Just feel like a watercolor hoarder if I purchase any right now! Don’t really need them just want them 😵! The colors call to me🙈. Anyway mayb just a few won’t hurt. Thank you and look forward to the next post.

[@ninart5899]

Fabulous! You are so right, keep at it in one sketch book still its done. It's so memorable to look back! Your letting was really good from the start, even the drawings are such an excellent beginning to a great adventure with journal-ling.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks a lot for your compliments Nina! I am happy you liked the video! 😃 I should definitely browse my old sketchbooks more often indeed. 😊

[@louisaellingham602]

ANNE-LAURE~thank you! I am SO inspired by your sketchbooks. For years, I have been too much a perfectionist and thanks to your examples, I will be more free and less critical. Love the way you set up your pages--they are so stimulating and full of joy and freedom. Just wondering--how long did it take you to learn the calligraphy script I see here? Very effective.

[@michel_p5021]

Bravo Lapin Blanc j'aime vos sketchbooks vos conseils vos rencontres et tout, du même coup je progresse en anglais !!! Si, si !!! Merci !

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Merci, c'est très gentil !! ça fait "package" comme ça !!! 😁 Bon, toutes les erreurs que je fais en anglais, ce n'est pas obligé de tout retenir, par contre !! 😅 😂 😜

[@azzuparis]

I love your first sketchbook! It has so much variety in it. J'adore!! :D

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Merciiiiii Azzu Pariiiiis! 😁 😘

[@karenjohnson6487]

I just loved your first sketchbook. It gives me a lot of inspiration. Thanks for sharing. I am looking forward to the up coming videos of your art journey.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you so much Karen! I am happy you liked the video. 😊 I will keep working on the artist journey series! 😌 😘

[@laurietrayers]

Your journal is beautiful!

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks Laurie! I am really happy you liked it! 😃 😘

[@mariepeillon2037]

Bonjour, j'aime beaucoup votre travail, je reste admirative par votre inspiration !

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

C'est très gentil, merci Marie! 😊 😘

[@geraldinecook7922]

Wow your drawings are super . I liked your drawings of pencils on page that you did with leaf schetchings

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks a lot Geraldine!! 😊 I am glad you liked the drawings. ☺️

[@iruleba]

I would love to hear more about how you became an artist.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you Luri! 😊 I will keep working on this series. 😌 😘

[@dumitrucatalina8195]

I love your accent, so sweeet! Nice work too😊

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Haha, Thank you!! I think my English is terrible but anyway!! 😅 🤣 I am happy you liked the video. 😊

[@fadamoranga4399]

I loved your calligraphic beggining and your eggs are so beautiful! Your evolution was so fast! :-D

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks Fada! 😃 I am happy you liked it! 😊

[@loveandlife4222]

I really enjoyed this! You are very talented!!

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks a lot my dear! 😊 😁

[@SharonCullenArt]

Your level of drawing and difficult perspective was amazing for a “beginner” at the front of your journal but even your eye, like, when drawing the draperies just a few pages into your journal. I am assuming that you were drawing for quite a while before beginning your first journal. Boy when I look back on mine, it was really awful! Ha! May the creative force be with you! Too funny! My drawing skills were very poor when I began in 2012. Just 6 years and I have come a long way to where I am now. I began when I was forced to go onto disability from my career as an RN. I loved my job and miss it but I began painting as a form of pain therapy. i deal with severe chronic pain which is why I haven’t been able to participate in the symposiums like I would love to. i watched you climbing all of those hills and steps and thought there is no way I would have ever been able to do it. When I first began I followed an artist on youtube who had a tv show and her painting was in acrylic. Then she did a combo thing on youtube and facebook where a group of us kept a journal every day for 30 days.My stuff looked like a 5 year old could do better. I am not just saying that. I once showed it on instagram because so many asked and you could definitely see the difference!!! LOL. But in 6 years i have come a long way. I had to close my youtube channel for a year and just came back a week ago. I lost a ton of subscribers but I hope they will come back in time.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Hi Sharon! Thanks a lot for your compliments about my drawings! 😊 I drew as a kid, of course, and sometimes, on and off, afterwards but I was indeed quite surprised that I got such good results without practicing so much. Sometimes we are said that the brain works on it even when you are not practicing... 🤔 😉 I guess all my experience with photography helped me to get this sense of light and to look at things differently. 😊 I am sure it was really difficult for you to deal with pain and I am glad art helped you a bit about it. ❤️ Happy sketching! 😊

[@subhashnisarta8040]

Your creativity of drawing and painting is very interesting.so how many painting have been sale? Is it water colour or which medium you always used and how many solos shows you explore in the exhibition and since how many years you have been doing this journey through up to now?

[@monetspayges]

Amazing sketchbook, it’s nice to see where you started and how your style evolved. Thank you for sharing. Maybe I’ll share my old sketchbook on my Instagram next time too. When I’m not too shy about it hahahha 😅

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks a lot for your compliments ! Yeah, the evolution is really encouraging! 😃 Don't be shy about sharing your old sketchbook on instagram, I am sure it's nice!! Btw, my instagram still includes all the content I shared from the beginning, from this sketchbook, so it can be fun to explore it. 😝 😜

[@barbarazebrowska1923]

Bellissimo!!

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Graaaaaazie! 😘

[@anniefeldman801]

Awesome bravo

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Merciiii Annie! 😃

[@nancywalsh4671]

once again it is wonderful, so full of exciting things to try. I so wish I would speak Dutch though! Guess they have decided at you tube to once again do your captioning for the Netherlanders. Great for them...but sad for Nancy. I do love watching though.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

No Nancy, not even great for Dutch people! What KZbin is only capable to offer is an absurd transcription of what I am pronouncing in English with Dutch words which is absolutely nonsense and useless for everyone... 😟 That's fake translation!!... I keep contacting them about it but they don't provide any useful answer or solution. Apparently, it's my fault because I pronounce English too badly!!!!!! Which is stupid, first because people understand me even with all my errors and accent and it doesn't sound like Dutch when I talk, and second because I set the video as in English so the KZbin engine doesn't even have to recognize the langage, it should just offer the best captions it can in English... I am really upset about it and hope we can end up fixing this...

[@nancywalsh4671]

Something that I just can't understand either Anne-Laure, I can understand you when you are talking to me...no problem. I think your English is wonderful. Certainly the world is full of people who speak English as as second language. I am sorry to write each time, I just wanted to let you know. I would love to have captioning but understand. Maybe we need to do a workshop?

[@maryalgar8779]

Really enjoyed this video. Stamping with coffee - would like to learn more about that - love the look. And that pink/fuschia boot drawing is fabulous! Did you study art at some point, or are you self-taught? Perhaps you did a video about your background before and I missed it.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you very much Mary! 😊 For the coffee stamping, I used instant power because I had only that but it was sticky, I thing it would be better to use real strong coffee (people say it's difficult to get it dark though). Thanks for your compliments! ☺️ The video about what you are asking will be part of this series about my artist journey but it doesn't exist yet. 😉 I am self-taught, yes. I was drawing as a kid, of course, and then I didn't draw that much. Sometimes, I was practicing it again but never consistently. But probably at some point, it still paid off and my background with photography probably helped for values and colors as well. 😊

[@aartadventure]

Very cool stuff. I just posted a video of my first completed sketchbook too!

[@LovkynaPeral]

´´Hey you know what?´´ i like your Videos 😇😘 ...and now i will watch it 😊😁😎🙋‍♀️👧😏💌❣

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Haha, Thank you so much Lovkyna! 😁 Happy watching, I hope you will like it! Thanks for your enthusiasm. 😃 😘

[@jessy5684]

Do you have any advice or tips for pressing flowers or leaves on the go and on longer trips? At home I usually use the stacked book method, but that doesn't travel easily.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Hi Jess! I just put my pressed leaves or flowers in an old book (story book). If it's a bit big, you have more weight to press the flowers I guess. Just use a book you don't mind about "damaging", as the natural treasures will bring some humidity in it of course. Try to close the book with a velcro thing or a kind of thread, depending of which technique can make it easier to open the book again each time you want to put something in it. 😊 I am not sure you need a lot of weight but you can always try to put your book under something heavy at your location if you like. 😌

[@beinghappy101]

How heavy the papers of your journal are? I want to start art journalling, but I can't decide on the notebook..

[@mouch1954]

Super cette vidéo ! J’ai découvert votre chaîne il n’y a pas longtemps et je suis fan. Je tâtonne en aquarelle et autres techniques.... du coup cette vidéo ci m’a apporté plein de choses. Merci! Je suis Belge et francophone.... donc je comprends parfaitement votre anglais 😉. Alors, Bon Anniversaire à votre « sketch book- art journal ». Je viens d’envoyer cette vidéo à ma sœur pour semer la créativité un peu partout (elle, elle vit loin d’ici, dans le sud-ouest de la France) Juste une question... je comprends le concept de « loose watercolor » mais comment traduire ça en français ? 🤔 Encore bravo et merci pour tous ces partages.

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Bonjour Dominique !! Ravie que vous m'ayez trouvée dans les arcanes de KZbin alors !! (Il y a un truc qui me chiffonne en français, c'est cette question du vouvoiement, pfffff 🤔 😉) C'est très gentil à vous d'avoir participé à mon semis créativité hihi ! 👍 🙏 😊 J'espère que la vidéo plaira à votre soeur. ☺️ J'ai tendance à utiliser "loose" aussi en français, parce qu'effectivement, ce n'est pas évident à traduire... J'emploie aussi beaucoup le terme de croquis (parfois trop) à la fois en français et en anglais, pour exprimer cette envie que le résultat ne soit pas trop réaliste, ce côté "coups de pinceau"... A très vite !! 😃

[@mouch1954]

Haha! Moi aussi j’ai du mal avec ce vouvoiement... alors on peut dire « tu »😄 Ma sœur a aimé mais elle n’a pas tout compris. Pourtant elle fréquente beaucoup d’Anglais dans le Lot où elle vit 😉 Bonne créativité et à bientôt pour ta prochaine vidéo.

[@LovkynaPeral]

i like you Videos - Dear Anne, but this Video is my pure Favourite ❣ Maybe some Day i can draw like you. I didnt really start jet, just one or two... little drawings... but, this Video is amazing.So i will remeber it, and i will draw something and i will share it, and that will be present for your 5 Years Anniversary, ok? Dont wait to much, but i think i can do make something with Nature themed, or so :) will see.. :) i really enjoed this Video 😍😇👌😉👍🌻🐝🍀🍄

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thank you so much for your amazing compliments Loykyna, I am so happy you liked this video so much and it inspired you to draw for real! 😃 I will be a wonderful 5 years anniversary gift, for sure! 😊 😘 I also think that nature themed drawings are really nice and quite forgiving so give it a go and I hope you won't be able to stop anymore and that you will make a video about it in 5 years. 😁 😜 💛

[@margaritaromero6055]

Is beautiful Prety woman 😃😃😘👍🏼👌🏻🙏🏼🌕💐💐🌷🌕

[@FollowingtheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks Margarita!! ☺️ ❤️ 😘💕✨