In this article we are going to give an overview how to use watercolor sketchbook full of ideas and to grow your painting practice.
If you are a student or an artist with limited time, then watercolor sketchbooks can be one of your best investments.
What is watercolor sketchbook?
Using sketchbooks with watercolor papers to produce small paints practice and to get to know your paints and find more about the colors you have in your stash.
What to look for when buying a watercolor sketchbook
Despite you buying just sketchbook in watercolor it’s important to check the quality of the paper.
The good thing is that they mostly made these books with a paper slightly more absorbent than what you usually find in any sketchbooks.
If there’s nothing else to it, watercolor sketchbook should be handled the same way as normal aquarelle or mixed media notebooks.
Why you should start a watercolor Sketchbook
Maybe you ‘re wondering why you should start a watercolor sketchbook practice and how would that helps you:
- practice – whatever you want to get better at, regular practice helps you to learn and do better art.
- try different things and discover your style what you like, and what you don’t like
- color combos: try a different combination and learn what color combos are you attracted to and want to explore further.
- Art strength: watercolor sometimes can be challenging learning to control this medium builds strengths.
- relaxation: watercolor is one of the most relaxing mediums .
Ideas for your Watercolor Sketchbook
- Practice with your brushes: there are many watercolor brushes. I use my watercolor sketchbook specially to practice with my soft brushes that require some work to learn how they control the paint and the water. It’s essential to create good watercolor paints to learn how each specific brush work and we just get to that point practicing a lot.
- Practice your subjects: what do you want to learn to paint? Flowers, animals, landscapes or abstracts? To know if you want one subject or more can help you aim what techniques you want to concentrate. Flowers probably work with different technique than landscape pieces.
- Practice shapes, practice washes and see and learn how the watercolor behaves and blends: You can layer shapes, practice how to create washes, what granulates what doesn’t and how colors move with each other. This will increate tremendously your knowledge of watercolor painting.
- Color Mixing: Create your own colors mixing colors create your own pallettes to make your art unique.
- Painting techniques: there are tons of watercolor techniques we can experiment you can create a whole watercolor journal just about techniques.
In this video, you can see 2 of my sketchbooks and how I practice a lot of different things that don’t end up to what is my style but I have fun practicing things that are out of my comfort zone it expands my knowledge of watercolor.
Watercolor Sketchbook Recommendations
- if you can spend more money, the speedball watercolor journal is really a great option
- Arteza has a great set of watercolor journals if you want one with coils.
- Another great set of watercolor is from Strathmore
Watercolor to Reduce Stress
When you practice with watercolor and work in your sketchbook, you will feel disconnected from any stressful thoughts you may have that day. The simple act of playing with colors and painting the watercolor will help you be in the present moment. If you tied that with the benefit of things like essential oils or a candle you tie color + smell two things that helps tremendously with relaxation.
Here some examples inside of one of my sketchbook
Painting in my watercolor sketchbook
Overall, we covered how simple it is to start your practice with a sketchbook, it’s easy, it helps you to relax, practice skills and grow as an artist.
If you like watercolor grab my free watercolor printable, put in a frame and enjoy the beauty and relaxing properties of watercolor.
