Sketchbook Challenge 2025

[@Luma994]

Do I have sketchbooks?!? I do! Several! And I also have a stash of sketchbooks waiting to be used. I would like to finish at least one of them this year. The best way I know how to do that is studies and I have decided to study birds. I have been feeding birds all winter and it makes me so happy to see them. I’m bringing that joy into my sketchbooks.

[@DocumentedJourney]

This is awesome and it made me remember that right now on IG they are have a bird fest challenge. So I went over there and even though it’s more than half way through the month. I started on day one and have been working my way through the challenge. It’s been so fun!

[@katryalls6323]

Love the video Brie! I'm super excited and I'll have my stack video ready to go next week and excited to share more videos to help keep us all motivated! I'm definitely feeling inspired by this video, thank you! I have a handful that have just a few pages blank which I will tackle first so I can move them out of the way.

[@DocumentedJourney]

Yay! I am looking forward to seeing your videos. I am jealous that you will be close to filling some of your sketchbooks. I wish I could say the same. However, maybe I can convince you to do a sketchbook tour when they are finished.

[@libellula3313]

Great idea. I just heard "Birdtober" and i e never do e a challenge of any sort, but i'd be too far behind doing Birdtober. Maybe i'll do Sketchbook challenge as i have also never finished a sketchbook, except when preparing for art exams in the UK in 1971!! Yes, i'm old, but still painting watercolours. A sketchbook challenge might inspire me to use other media. Go for it!

[@DocumentedJourney]

Birdtober and birdfest are two great prompt lists. I’m excited for you to finish another sketchbook 2025 is your year!!

[@karenharmer519]

Yes i do have plenty of sketch books, however i can say i did my own sketch book challenge last year, which was mixed media book, it was intended for sketch & painting also aider pages which is used for Cross stitch, i couldn't do the Cross stitch into the book,so made them separately and bouned them inside. I did finish the book & i gifted it to my cousin for Christmas, so i put a time to it which worked really well it made me focus to get it completed. So i will be joining you, thanks so much for doing this i love, love, your art.❤😂🎉

[@DocumentedJourney]

That sounds like such an amazing gift. I bet your cousin was thrilled!! So glad you decided to join us this year. I hope we all finish another sketchbook.

[@sirenu-eveart6246]

Lovely sketchbook tour and some opinions on how the pages hold up for watercolour. I am currently in the process of trying to complete one of my royal talens sketchbooks, the yellow one specifically and am so close, but sometimes struggle with wanting to use it as I love to add watercolours to art pieces. But the paper is just not the best when wanting colours to blend and not make the paper either buckle or start literally disintegrating 😂💕. Will have to look into the other sketchbooks as the one you did your whale and sea scene looked like a lovely sketchbook. I usually am a sucker for seawhites sketchbooks and my stationary watercolour sketchbooks as they usually are a bit better at holding watercolours but also aren’t too expensive for when I just want to doodle and have fun. 💕💕 lovely video 💕💕

[@DocumentedJourney]

Thank you!!! I have never tried a seawhite sketchbook. I struggle with the royal talens paper too. I have added gouache into my watercolors and that helps the paper hold up.

[@EmoraDesigns]

Yes! I definitely have sketchbooks that I want to fill! I have not been in my sketchbook very much in the past year, but I want to be.

[@DocumentedJourney]

Me too! Excited to get back to it

[@kindmeanbristol808]

Great vid, Brie! I have 7 sketchbooks on the go. Lucky 7 😊 They are a good mixture of papers and sizes [landscape B6 to portrait A3] I won’t finish them all this year but I am going to join you in this the fab creative ride. Let’s do this XXX

[@DocumentedJourney]

Yay!! So glad you are going to join us. I like having a few sketchbooks on the go too.

[@robertadrsvensson]

Really exciting and yes I do have many sketchbooks! I love your art 🤍

[@DocumentedJourney]

Most people do, you’re not alone. Thank you 😊

[@katethedimensionexplorer273]

I can't havd multiple sketchbooks, moneh reasons. But I made it by hand. My challenge is to draw 100 of anything😅. For practice, finding my art styles, & keeping my creativity going.

[@DocumentedJourney]

That is such a great way to challenge yourself! Please keep me posted on how your challenge is going.

[@Narja23]

I have three sketchbooks to fill and definitely am there for the challenge ! A big square one with white sketching paper that is halfway and should be filled soon enough (it's my go to), a medium one with tan watercolour paper (love it, but I don't paint often enough to my liking) and a small one with white cotton watercolour paper that i'm always a bit afraid to use because it's so expensive (yes, the reasoning is a bit dumb because a sketchbook not used is just as expensive as one used, so might as well have fun painting on it! 😅)

[@DocumentedJourney]

I totally get the afraid feeling. That’s half the reason why I haven’t used my recovered etcher book. It’s expensive and I don’t want to mess it up.

[@melissabridge5687]

I have 3 sketchbooks going right now. I am on a no buy until I fill them. One of them is a perpetual journal so that one doesn’t need to be filled up will be using it for 3-5 years. Then I have my basic sketchbook ( 8x5 stillman and burn) and my A6 Hobonichi that I doodle in everyday.

[@DocumentedJourney]

I love the idea of a perpetual journal! I’m on a no buy too. I want to try out the sketchbooks Kat gave me before I go buying more.

[@R_H21]

Hi Brie. Hope to see more of you (and your sketchbook art, of course) this year!

[@DocumentedJourney]

Thank you!! I hope to be more consistent!

[@kathyhackney7950]

I've heard a lot of people hate on the epsilon and zeta series. (Not saying YOU are), but i absolutely loved it. SPECIFICALLY FOR watercolor. That said, i much prefer hot press paper in general for watercolor, and I'd buy them exclusively, except I've started using colored pencils, and i like a light texture for that. So, for my daily journal/art journal, im currently using the leda art supply, and she's crinkly, but i dig it. And because it is only 120 gsm, when i want to do really detailed watercolor, i use one of my other fancier sketchbooks that i need to fill. I still have an etchr landscape (i prefer portrait) that I've had since summer 2022 bc it's such nice paper, i dont want to waste it, but I also have a hard time with that orientation😂

[@DocumentedJourney]

I love the stillman and birn zeta series for watercolor. Not a huge fan of the glue in the binding but I understand why they do it, plus I love how they tackle the front page of the book. It’s doesn’t have that weird first page. It also reminds me of the strathmore mixed media 300 series and I love that paper too. I prefer portrait sketchbooks too.

[@laureygreider7617]

Link to tarot/composition video? Thanks! Wonderful tour!🌸🌿🦋💕

[@DocumentedJourney]

Thank you. Here it is! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYubdZWimt13hLssi=YCHyCa0Z3Pywn6q9

[@marzibeast]

The royal talens small sizes have really been a favorite for me- another sketch book (I don’t think they lay as flat though) is the Pentalic Travel Journals :)

[@DocumentedJourney]

I love the pentalic aqua journals. Haven’t tried the travel.

[@bernettejones5305]

Love your channel! What rollerball pen is that you are using that uses fountain pen ink and what green ink did uou use? I love that color ink and need that in my life❤ thank u!

[@DocumentedJourney]

Thank you so much!!! Here is the pen: amzn.to/4hmHop6 Here is the ink: amzn.to/40qmvlU

[@olydraws]

I also have 4 sketchbooks going right now! This month I’m focusing on one of them in particular (A6 Sakura) because I’ve been carrying it everywhere with me and it won’t survive another summer of daily walks. So I want to finish it first.

[@DocumentedJourney]

I love having multiple sketchbooks going at once! I look forward to the comment when you tell us that you have finished the a6.

[@jodycourt]

Yes, I have sketchbooks. I tend to experiment in one of them (my cheapo workbook) and others I try a little harder to sketch/paint that is "better" because it's a better book with better paper. Is that ok? Is that what some of you do? Or do you always work on good paper? I'm curious. I'm in for the challenge! Thanks Brie!

[@DocumentedJourney]

It’s exactly what some of us do. But the way I see it, do what works for you!! I like having a variety of sketchbook papers and sizes.

[@mekagooden4915]

Yes I do and I’m going to join you with this challenge!

[@DocumentedJourney]

Yay!!! Let’s fill those sketchbooks!

[@katsmith8263]

I like your work

[@DocumentedJourney]

Thank you!

[@PennysCraftyCreations]

your work is so beautiful.

[@DocumentedJourney]

Thank you so much!☺️

[@katsmith8263]

1:42 I don't have spare sketchbooks

[@DocumentedJourney]

I dream of that day!