Sketchbook Tour: 100 Days of Painting Progress!

[@tinakoyama8258]

I'm enjoying seeing your journey! You remind me of myself about 13 years ago when I decided I would draw every day (indefinitely) to improve my skills (before that, I had not studied art at all, so had no skills). Like you, I drew mostly from life, ordinary things, life around me, and I became so engaged with the "seeing" part that the exercise was self-motivating. I have not yet stopped drawing daily! Keep it up!

[@paintandjournal]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[@margaretpinsent6388]

Ink and watercolour sketches are my favourite. Your 100 days progress is impressive! Thank you for sharing.

[@marielouiseweeksb33attitud33]

I love the diversity of your subjects and that you didn’t use references but the real thing. Great

[@paintandjournal]

Thanks

[@perrykim5]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing

[@jezza_wut]

❤❤❤❤

[@AliMacDonald1]

Oh wow, You really put the effort in! Great range of subjects, and some really lovely work. Your Mum is going to be over the moon when she receives them!

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you so much!

[@mklarson2980]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. I want to paint or sketch daily, but keep stopping and restarting. I think the smaller format could help. Your work feels so fresh and honest, it’s inspring. Looking forward now to catching up on you previous videos. Thank you for this post.

[@paintandjournal]

Good luck. You can do it!

[@joywhitley3141]

Extremely cool!

[@paintandjournal]

Thanks

[@debrawalters9746]

Nice job James! You are clearly talented and I can see the progress in the one hundred day painting journey. This summer, I also began my daily painting journey starting 1 June through today. I’ve decided to continue my daily painting for many reasons, the main being i thoroughly enjoy it. I haven’t picked up a paintbrush in about six years and this time it feels different to paint. I’ve identified what I love to paint now and I have dedicated myself to it. Painting is a joy, it is also meditative. Yeah it’s great. Good luck to you James, in your art journey.

[@paintandjournal]

Inspirational story. Thanks for sharing. Keep it up and good luck!

[@veronicagreen6180]

Fantastic, I really enjoyed this video..greetings from Mexico

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you. Wow, Mexico!

[@artjojo52]

I’m enjoying this video. Just discovered you. Love your style and really like people without too much detail. Really nice. Look forward to following your journey.

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you.

[@alexch5106]

great looking the improvement of your drawings. congrats

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you so much 😀

[@pattymynczywor]

What a precious gift to your mother! Thanks for sharing your work and progress. It is very inspiring.

[@paintandjournal]

Thanks

[@privatename8228]

Wow! So impressive... the quality of your work as well as your commitment to art and creating. So far I'm just watching art videos and I'm only an artist in my imagination and not reality. But I have ordered a sketchbook so maybe I will begin. Thank you for your inspiration.

[@paintandjournal]

Well done for starting. Keep it up.

[@pjlewisful]

Well done! Hello from Tennessee. Love the devotion and honesty in which you are reembracing your creative side. I'm a retired 76 yr. old makeup artist turned portrait artist who was really impressed this and enjoyed it so much.

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you.

[@janbarriault4494]

i've big appreciation for the concept of smaller book. really really thoughtful gift, perfect!

[@paintandjournal]

Great. Glad to be of help. Smaller sketchbooks are somehow less daunting for me. They have their disadvantages too…!

[@WilmaBadenhorst-i8u]

Lovely sketches! Yes, practice brings progress 😊 Keep going! And thanks fot sharing.

[@paintandjournal]

Thanks. Will do.

[@donnamullis3138]

Hi I enjoyed watching your video paint and journal ❤

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you so much!

[@suzannemarshall7458]

Delight ful sketches I also send my sketchbooks to my mom who has dementia. She enjoys them I think

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you. I am sure she does. I wish her well.

[@andreatorraca8755]

Like the square format also,super still life paintings!!

[@paintandjournal]

Thanks

[@WatercolorwithMegan]

So impressed, especially since you have kids! Just subscribed. I've been painting what I'm grateful for this month. I'm trying to paint something for each day although I sometimes paint more than one in a day and skip the next day. I was really just doing it to focus on gratitude, but I like how it has affected my painting routine. 😊 Especially since I'm painting items in my life rather than images online as you mentioned.

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you. Well done on your painting routine and mental wellbeing. Keep it up!

[@liz-anna2365]

I loved seeing your sketchbooks!

[@paintandjournal]

Thanks

[@carolwilliams3599]

So interesting to follow your progress. Remarkable improvement! Thanks for all of your insights into sketching. Will you be posting while on your trip? Hope so!

[@paintandjournal]

Thanks. Yes I hope to post regularly when travelling. Let’s see.

[@peckerdecker]

Great artwork. It's original. Your working from real life. Brilliant. Keep sharing. Stay happy everyone:)

[@paintandjournal]

Thank you so much 😀

[@rashone2879]

Really nice work. I like the simplicity, but you’ve captured an inviting aspect of each scene or object. Shoes you don’t need some elaborate scene to make a very appealing sketch.

[@paintandjournal]

Thanks. Kind words

[@johnbryant_]

Great progress! I started painting earlier this year but am way behind, lol.

[@paintandjournal]

Well done. It is not a race!

[@markdonovan1540]

A great video with an honest account of your watercolour journey so far, long may it continue. I've filled a few sketchbooks myself, although I have more empty ones than full ones! What was the brand and product name of the small square sketchbook you showed at the beginning? I have a Royal Talens one, but it is made with 100% cellulose paper, 140g/m2, which can't handle a lot of water. You said your one was 300g/m2, but I couldn't catch the name.

[@paintandjournal]

Hi Mark. Thanks for the comment. The square sketchbook is by potentate - ordered online in Cape Town.

[@JGalegria]

There are lots of ways to challenge yourself whilst working with photo references. 1 use your imagination to interpret the story of your photo (obviously much more meaningful if you take the photos yourself) 2 simplify and compose as you paint choosing only the information you wish to include and where you want it to be 3 use multiple photos as sources of information for the one painting (see UK contemporary oil painter Flora Yukhnovic) 5 use technology to create your reference by altering or exaggerating elements to enhance the mood or message etc etc we could go on forever. If you want to free yourself up, there's absolutely no need to limit the scope of subject matter to those that you can paint in situ. 🙏🤎🦋