Aesthetic Sketchbook Art Ideas and Inspiration

Welcome to this guide on creative and aesthetic sketchbook art ideas and inspiration! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, your sketchbook is a canvas waiting to be filled with creativity.

In this post, we’ll explore a variety of beautiful and imaginative sketchbook art concepts to fuel your artistic journey. From whimsical illustrations to captivating doodles, get ready to discover endless possibilities for your sketchbook. So, grab your pencils and let’s dive into the world of aesthetic sketchbook art ideas!

Collage

Explore the world of collage in your sketchbook by layering different textures, colours, and images to create visually stunning compositions. Cut out images you like from a magazine or print them off and paste them in your sketchbook. Then, draw or doodle around them.

Insects

Delve into the intricate world of insects as a theme for your sketchbook art. Capture the delicate beauty of dragonflies, the industrious nature of ants, or the fascinating patterns of beetles. Experiment with different mediums and techniques to bring these tiny creatures to life on the pages of your sketchbook, and let their unique characteristics inspire your creativity.

Metallic Pen on Black Paper

Explore the striking contrast of metallic pens against black paper in your sketchbook art. Let the shimmering pigments dance across the dark background as you create intricate designs and patterns. Experiment with different strokes and techniques to achieve mesmerizing effects that catch the light and add depth to your artwork. Whether you’re drawing celestial constellations or intricate mandalas, the combination of metallic pens and black paper offers endless possibilities for stunning compositions in your sketchbook.

Mushrooms

Dive into the whimsical world of mushrooms in your sketchbook art. Capture the intricate details of these fascinating fungi, from their delicate gills to their whimsical shapes and textures. Experiment with different drawing techniques to bring your mushrooms to life on the page, whether you’re sketching realistic portrayals or adding a touch of fantasy to your creations. Let your imagination run wild as you explore the diverse forms and colors of mushrooms, creating enchanting scenes that transport viewers to magical realms within the pages of your sketchbook.

Animals

Explore the animal kingdom in your sketchbook art, from majestic owls to playful dolphins and everything in between. Whether you prefer realistic depictions or whimsical interpretations, there’s endless inspiration to be found in the animal kingdom. Experiment with different styles, techniques, and mediums to bring your favourite creatures to life on the page. Whether you’re sketching from life, referencing photographs, or drawing from your imagination, each animal sketch is an opportunity to hone your skills and express your unique artistic vision. So grab your pencils, pens, or paints, and embark on a creative journey through the fascinating world of animals in your sketchbook.

Abstract Shapes, Patterns and Colours

Dive into the world of abstract shapes, patterns, and colors in your sketchbook. Experiment with bold designs and vibrant hues to create visually striking compositions. Whether minimalist or intricate, unleash your creativity and explore endless possibilities.

“Zen” Art

Discover the tranquility of Zen art as you transform everyday objects into serene compositions. Embrace simplicity and harmony, infusing ordinary subjects with a sense of calm and mindfulness. Let your creativity soar, just like this hot air balloon floating peacefully across the page.

Colourful Doodles

Unleash your imagination with vibrant and lively colorful doodles. Dive into a world of endless possibilities as you explore a spectrum of hues and playful designs. Let your creativity run wild, filling the page with whimsical patterns and cheerful motifs. Embrace the joy of doodling as you infuse each stroke with bursts of color, creating a kaleidoscope of visual delight.

Body Parts

Dive into the fascinating world of sketching body parts, from the delicate curve of lips to the expressive depth of eyes. Each stroke brings anatomy to life, capturing the intricate details and emotions of the human form with skill and precision. Sketching body parts like lips and eyes allows artists to explore the intricacies of form and emotion, creating compelling visual narratives with every stroke.

Mandalas

Delve into the meditative world of mandalas, where intricate patterns and soothing symmetry converge. Let your creativity flow as you craft circular designs that radiate harmony and balance. Explore different styles and techniques, from traditional motifs to contemporary interpretations. With each stroke, find peace and tranquillity, as you immerse yourself in the rhythmic beauty of mandalas.

Flowers

Indulge your senses in a garden of artistic delights with floral sketches blooming with color and life. From delicate petals to vibrant blooms, flowers offer a timeless muse for artistic expression. Whether you’re capturing the elegance of a single rose or the exuberance of a wildflower bouquet, let your creativity blossom on the canvas. Explore the intricate details of each petal and the graceful curves of each stem as you bring nature’s beauty to life with your artistic touch.

gelly roll pen flower drawing in black paper sketchbook

Maps

Embark on a cartographic journey as you reimagine maps through artistic expression. Explore the contours of the world, from sprawling continents to intricate cityscapes, through your unique artistic lens. Capture the essence of place and wanderlust as you blend geography with creativity. Whether you’re sketching fantasy realms or tracing real-world landmarks, maps offer endless possibilities for artistic exploration.

Conclusion

Incorporating a variety of styles and subjects into your sketchbook can fuel your creativity and enhance your artistic skills. From intricate mandalas to whimsical doodles, and from abstract patterns to detailed body parts, the possibilities are endless. By exploring these aesthetic sketchbook art ideas, you can create a rich tapestry of visual art that reflects your unique perspective and inspires continuous growth in your artistic journey. Keep experimenting, keep creating, and most importantly, enjoy the process of filling your sketchbook with beauty and imagination.

Cheers,

The Best Aesthetic Mandala Art Ideas and Inspiration

~ Julie ~ 4 Comments

Welcome fellow mandala art lovers! If you’re seeking some fun and aesthetic mandala art ideas and inspiration, you’re in the right place. This post is your gateway to a world of creative and accessible mandala art drawing ideas that are sure to spark your imagination.

What is Mandala Art?

Before we dive into these awesome mandala art ideas, let’s take a quick look at what exactly defines a mandala. A mandala is a symbolic geometric design that represents harmony, unity, and balance. You can read more about mandalas in this blog post.

Now, without further ado, let’s dive into this list of aesthetic mandala art ideas that will surely ignite your artistic spirit.

And if you’re eager to take your mandala drawing skills to the next level, don’t miss out on my mandala drawing class – a wonderful opportunity to enhance your craft!

Aesthetic Mandala Art Ideas and Inspiration

*Note: all mandalas shared below were drawn by me, unless otherwise stated

Begin by embracing simplicity. Opt for a straightforward design and employ a contrasting, complementary color scheme to achieve a bold aesthetic impact.

blue and yellow contrasting color mandala art drawing

Experiment with creating mandalas on black paper using metallic or gel pens.

silver and gold mandala on black paper, Aesthetic Mandala Art Ideas

Explore the fusion of intricate mandala patterns with animal forms for a captivating and artistic result.

Divide the mandala down the center and infuse one side with florals or an entirely contrasting element for a unique touch.

Speaking of flowers, you can integrate blossoms into your entire mandala design to create a breath-taking impact.

hand drawn beautiful floral mandala drawing

Explore a unique approach by transforming unexpected objects into mandalas, like these ice cream cones.

ice cream cone food mandala, Aesthetic Mandala Art Ideas

Experiment with embedding a scene within your mandala artwork, like this example featuring a mountain and forest design.

black and white mountain scene mandala drawing

Explore color variations and overlaid shapes, as demonstrated in this cloud-themed mandala design.

sky mandala with clouds, Aesthetic Mandala Art Ideas

Get creative by crafting mandalas in unexpected locations or materials, such as etching them onto seashells or drawing them in beach sand.

Explore diverse materials like gel pens to add variety and texture to your mandala creations.

succulent mandala drawing with gel pens, Aesthetic Mandala Art Ideas

You can also try making your mandalas digitally using apps like Procreate. Watch my video on creating mandalas in Procreate for a helpful tutorial.

Aesthetic Mandala Art Ideas - pink digital mandala

Consider placing mandalas within other objects, such as this example of a hot air balloon mandala design.

Alternatively, keep it minimal with black and white. Add shading or use varied pen thickness for a bold impact.

black and white mandala, Aesthetic Mandala Art Ideas

Add an element of surprise by placing unexpected objects within your mandala, like this captivating Jupiter-themed design.

You can see even more examples of aesthetic mandala designs in my sketchbook tour video below.

For even greater mandala art inspiration, you might find my mandala drawing workbooks with prompts truly enjoyable!

Conclusion

Mandalas are like your artistic playground – experiment, explore, and enjoy! Whether you love simple designs or want to try something unexpected, the world of mandala art is full of possibilities. So, grab your tools and start creating your own unique mandala masterpieces!

If you were inspired enough to create your own mandalas from these, share it on Instagram make sure to tag me @julieerindesigns.

Cheers,

How to Write an Art Business Plan

~ Julie ~ Leave a comment

Running a successful art business requires more than just creativity and talent. It also requires a solid plan that outlines your goals, strategies, and resources. An art business plan can help you stay focused, organized, and motivated as you navigate the ups and downs of running a business. Whether you’re a seasoned artist looking to take your business to the next level, or a beginner just starting out, this guide will help you create a roadmap for success.

As an artist who has turned my passion into a successful business, I understand the importance of having a well-crafted business plan. Over the years, I have honed my skills and learned what it takes to make an income as an artist, and I want to share my knowledge with you. By following the steps outlined in this post, I believe that you too can create a solid art business plan that will help you achieve your goals and build a sustainable career.

Why You Need an Art Business Plan

An art business plan is a roadmap for artists to achieve their professional goals. Whether you’re just starting out or have been selling your art for a while, having a solid business plan is crucial for success. Think of it as a roadmap that will guide you towards achieving your goals and making your art business dreams a reality. Don’t worry if you’ve never written a business plan before, it doesn’t have to be super complicated or intimidating. You can make it as detailed or as simple as you like, just start somewhere!

As we go through this post, make sure to take notes on all the sections we cover. You can keep your art business plan in a notebook, a Google doc, or a Word document. I also have a Notion template that you can use as a starting point.

What to Include in Your Art Business Plan

When it comes to creating your art business plan, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Your plan should be customized to fit your unique goals, vision, and circumstances. However, there are certain elements that most art business plans have in common. Here are some key sections to include:

Business Summary: This section should include a brief overview of your business, your mission statement, and your unique selling proposition.
Market Analysis: Here you will conduct research to gain an understanding of your target audience, your competitors, and the overall market.
Products and Services: Describe the products or services you offer, and what makes them unique.
Marketing Strategy: Outline how you plan to market and promote your art business to reach your target audience.
Financial Plan: This section will outline your projected income and expenses, as well as your funding sources and financial goals.

Remember, your art business plan can be as detailed or as simple as you like, depending on where you are on your art business journey. The most important thing is to just start somewhere, and make adjustments along the way as your business grows and evolves.

Now that you have a basic understanding of what should be included in your art business plan, let’s dive deeper into each of these points and discuss how you can create a plan that will help you achieve your business goals.

A Summary of Your Art Business

The Business Summary section is where you’ll give a quick and easy rundown of your business. It’s important to include your mission statement, which is essentially what your business is all about, as well as your unique selling proposition, which is what sets you apart from your competitors. Think of this section as an elevator pitch – it should be short, sweet, and to the point!

Identify your business’s purpose and goals: Ask yourself what your business is about and what you want to achieve with it. Write down your answers and summarize them into a few sentences.
Define your target audience: Think about who your ideal customer is and what they’re looking for. This will help you create a more targeted and effective summary.
Focus on your unique selling proposition: What sets your business apart from others in your industry? Highlight your unique strengths and what makes you different.
Use simple language: Your summary should be easy to understand and concise. Avoid using technical jargon or complex language.
Get feedback: Share your summary with others and get feedback. This can help you refine your message and ensure it resonates with your audience.

concentrated couple working on their art business plan

Conduct a Market Analysis

The market analysis section is all about doing your research to gain a deep understanding of your target audience, competitors, and the overall market. It’s important to know who your customers are, what they want, and how you can differentiate yourself from your competition.

This section can include data on your target market’s demographics, interests, and purchasing behaviors. You’ll also want to research your competitors and identify their strengths and weaknesses. By analyzing the market, you can better position yourself to succeed.

How to conduct a market analysis?

Here are some actionable tips for conducting market research as an artist:

Identify your target audience: Think about who your art is meant for, what their interests are, and where they spend their time. Look at demographic data, such as age, gender, location, and income, to get a better understanding of your target audience.
Research your competition: Look at other artists in your niche and see what they are doing. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What makes your art unique compared to theirs? You can also look at their pricing, marketing strategies, and social media presence to get an idea of what works well.
Understand the overall market: Look at trends in the art market to see what types of art are popular right now. Consider the economic climate and how it may affect the art market. Look at art publications and websites to see what topics are being covered and what people are interested in.

Describe your Products and Services

In this section, you’ll want to provide a detailed description of the products and services you offer as an artist. Be sure to include information about the materials you use, the types of art you create, and any special techniques or processes that set your work apart. You can also talk about any additional services you provide, such as commissions or custom pieces. Don’t be afraid to get specific and really showcase what makes your art unique and desirable to your target audience.

Some examples of what you could include in this section are your original paintings, prints, commissions, workshops, or even merchandise like stickers or tote bags featuring your art. It’s important to be specific about what you offer, so your potential customers can understand what they’re buying and what sets your work apart from others.

Develop a Marketing Strategy

Now that you have a good understanding of your audience and products/services, it’s time to develop a marketing strategy that will help you promote your business. Some effective strategies for artists include social media marketing, email marketing, collaborations with other artists or businesses, and participating in local events and markets.

Choose the strategies that best fit your business and audience, and be sure to set goals and track your progress. For example, you could aim to grow your social media following by 100 followers each month, or to send out a monthly newsletter to your email subscribers. By developing a clear marketing strategy and tracking your progress, you can ensure that you’re reaching your target audience and achieving your business goals.

Come up with a Financial Plan for your Art Business

Managing the financial aspect of your art business may seem intimidating, but it’s a crucial step in achieving your goals. First, identify your start-up and ongoing expenses, as well as potential income streams, to determine your break-even point and set reachable financial goals.

You can use online accounting tools or create a budget spreadsheet to monitor your expenses and income regularly. It’s essential to have a clear understanding of your finances, so you can make informed decisions about pricing, marketing, and investments. In my Art Business Toolkit Notion template, I’ve included a budget tracker to help you get started. By tracking your expenses, you’ll be able to make strategic decisions that contribute to the growth and profitability of your business.

Conclusion

In conclusion, writing an art business plan may seem overwhelming, but it is a critical step in achieving your goals as an artist. By breaking down the process into manageable sections, you can create a plan that reflects your unique vision and sets you up for success. Remember to use the tips and tools provided in this post, and don’t be afraid to start small and revise as you go. Once you’ve completed all of the sections, put it all together into a cohesive plan that will guide you as you build and grow your art business. With dedication, persistence, and a solid plan, you can turn your passion into a thriving business.

Cheers

How to Paint Dreamy Landscapes in Procreate

~ Julie ~ Leave a comment

dreamy landscapes in procreate skillshare class

Do you want to learn how to create dreamy digital landscapes in Procreate, while learning the basics of the app? Then this class is for you!

Join me as I teach you how to paint these 4 different stunning digital landscape paintings in the Procreate app for Apple iPad. This class is great for both beginners and more seasoned Procreate users!

Watch the class introduction below:

In this class, I will guide you through each step of the process of creating these beautiful digital landscape paintings while demonstrating some of the basic tools and functions of the Procreate app.

I’ve also created some custom brushes and a colour palette exclusively for the students of this class!

This class is perfect for beginners, or already established Procreate users who are looking for a fun and beautiful project to share on social media or elsewhere.

If you have your iPad charged up and ready to go, then you’re ready for this class.

So let’s get started!

Click here to watch Dreamy Landscapes in Procreate: Create 4 Stunning Digital Landscape Paintings – and get 1 free month of Skillshare membership!

For the class project, you can share one or more of the digital landscape paintings we created in this class. If you share your project on Instagram, be sure to tag me @julieerindesigns and I will share it to my Instagram stories!

digital landscape paintings in procreate

The supplies you will need for this class are:

an Apple iPad
the Procreate app
an Apple pencil
the brush pack and colour palette provided in the Resources section of the class

Easy Pattern Design in Procreate – Ogee and Argyle Pattern Tutorial

~ Julie ~ Leave a comment

I recently created this fun and easy pattern design tutorial in which I teach you how to make an ogee and an argyle pattern with the Procreate app for Apple iPad.

In this tutorial I take you step by step through the process of making these 2 easy seamless pattern designs, an ogee and argyle pattern, right on your iPad in Procreate. Watch the video below!

Check out my other digital art tutorials over on my Youtube channel.

In this video I take you through the following steps:

Creating an argyle pattern using simple shapes and lines
Creating an ogee pattern using symmetry tools
Testing both patterns to ensure they repeat seamlessly using the snapping and magnetics tool

You can make all sorts of variations of these patterns to use for backgrounds, print on demand products or anything else you can think of.

Pink Argyle Pattern Socks in **my Redbubble store**

I hope you’ve enjoyed this easy and fun Procreate pattern design tutorial. You might also like my other tutorial on how to create seamless patterns in Procreate, which you can see here.

I’ve also got a video for Procreate newbies which includes several tips and tricks to help you get started with the app.

I’ve been kind of obsessed with creating designs and patterns in Procreate over the past year. So I’ll likely be creating more tutorials and videos on this topic in the near future.

Let me know in the comments below if this is something you’re interested in, or if there’s something else you’d like me to cover!

Thanks for stopping by, have a great rest of your day.

Cheers,

The Quick Start Guide to Creating and Selling Your Artwork

quick start guide to selling your artwork

~ Julie ~ Leave a comment

Creating and selling your own artwork has never been easier. There are multiple selling platforms, a range of products to choose from and more accessible mediums than ever before. So, whether you’re a traditional artist or a digital whizz, we’re going to explore a few ways you can get in on the trend.

From Art Fairs to NFTs, read on to find out how to get involved and be inspired to create and sell your artwork…

Selling your artwork: Traditional art

Back in the day, artists often had to create their own paint, stretch their canvases, and have models standing by for days. Thankfully, those things are in the past, and a variety of traditional mediums are widely available at good art supply stores.

We all have our favourites – some prefer sculpting, others love gentle watercolours, but there are markets and audiences for all. If you’re unsure which medium would be best for sellable art, look at the places you could sell it and work out what sells best. Check places like:

Etsy
Local craft fairs
Local galleries
Any local pop-up shops
Any shops that sell on consignment
Your local government website for street-selling rules

quick guide to selling your art - sculpture

Traditional artwork is often regarded as top-tier with the time, effort and quality often considered in the price, so it’s less likely to be found online outside of sites like Etsy and your website if you have one.

The marketing and selling process is simple as there are limited places to sell actual physical artwork, and most people like to see pieces upfront before confirming a sale. It’s just a case of displaying your art and enticing a buyer with a one-of-a-kind piece via word of mouth, social posts, and blogs on your website if you have one. It is a more challenging market but does carry a premium price.

Sculpture and moulded artworks like acrylic placemats, decorative cups, figurines, and decorative trays are still technically traditional art, but they are significantly easier to mass-produce and keep consistent. Card-making is similar to these, especially if you use stamps or Cricut machines alongside the huge range of card-making materials available in the market. The material accessibility and easy processing make these an ideal option for someone looking to be creative and more time or cost efficient overall. Unfortunately, this also means the market is a bit saturated with similar products, so make sure you find your niche and stand out from the crowd.

Selling your artwork: Digital Art

With the recent advances in technology, it’s no surprise that art has turned more and more digital in recent years. It offers significant efficiencies such as less clear-up, more mobility, and you can replicate a variety of techniques on screen. The most recent artwork craze is NFT and AI art.

quick guide to selling your art - digital art

What is NFT art?

NFT art is what’s called a Non-Fungible Token. The idea is that it’s a unique piece of digital art that’s rooted in cryptocurrency – sort of like trading cards, but digital. The difference is that when you buy an NFT, you own the copyright, and there shouldn’t be duplicates anywhere, though there have been high-profile cases of NFT theft.

They can be GIFs or jpegs, even videos, and you can sell them on dedicated NFT marketplaces like Rarible, OpenSea and SuperRare.

What is AI art?

AI art is another new market contender. It’s created using purpose-made apps like Dall-E and starryai that are coded to use algorithms to interpret your prompts and create art based on them. These are typically weird and funny pieces of digital art, but their selling ability isn’t very high, though more professional AI-aided and inspired art has made money in the past.

Other digital art options

The more common kinds of digital art are things like:

Logos
Print-on-demand ideas like t-shirts, posters and other merchandise that use dropshipping services
YouTube covers, thumbnails and icons
Fonts
Stationary Templates (Invites, letterheads, etc.)
Illustrations

These are all pieces of art you can create and sell over and over if you wanted. They’re far more time-efficient as you create them once, then you can sell them repeatedly on different marketplaces like Etsy, Redbubble, MyFonts, social media and more. Because they’re so mass-produced, the price you sell at is lower, though if you’re doing commissions, there are more earning options.

There are multiple opportunities for selling your art, both digital and traditional, it’s just up to you to find the niche and material choice that suits you best. So, do some market research, see where your skills lie and start exploring the money-making world of being a professional artist and entrepreneur.

Guest Post Author Bio:
Debbie is an experienced writer currently based in the UK working for Affinity Agency. Her main goal is to help others learn and develop through well-researched and informative content.

Interested in publishing content on the Julie Erin Designs blog? Read my blog submission guidelines here.

How to Draw a Mandala in Procreate

~ Julie ~ 1 Comment

Want to learn how to draw mandala art in the Procreate app for Apple iPad? You’ve come to the right place because I’ve posted a tutorial on my Youtube channel showing you how to do just that!

The symmetry tools in the Procreate app make it super easy and fun to create beautiful mandala designs on your iPad.

I figured the easiest way to explain how to draw mandalas in Procreate is to just demonstrate in this quick video tutorial! However, keep scrolling if you prefer to read the instructions in a list format.

In this video I demonstrate the following:

Two types of symmetry tools to draw mandalas in the Procreate app.
A few mandala drawing tips and tricks.
How to use gradients to get different color variations.
How to make your own gradients.
Using hue/saturation for even more color variations.

How to Draw Mandalas in Procreate Step by Step

Create a new square canvas. Ex. 3000 x 3000 pixels.
Go to Actions > Canvas > Drawing Guide > Edit Drawing Guide
Click on Symmetry > Options > Radial
Toggle Rotational Symmetry on or off as desired.
You can change the color of the drawing guide with the colored line at the top of the screen.
Click Done.
Start drawing your mandala from the center of the canvas and work your way out.

I hope you will see how quick and satisfying it is to draw mandala art in Procreate!

To add further complexity to your mandala art, download my Mandala Drawing Templates for Procreate:

mandala drawing templates procreate brush set

Don’t have Procreate but want to learn how to draw mandalas on paper? I have a Skillshare class for that!

Modern Mandala Art: Draw and Color 2 Stunning and Unique Mandalas with Julie Erin Designs on Skillshare

Looking for even more mandala content? I have some other blog posts you might enjoy:

I’ve also got more Procreate tutorials including how to make seamless patterns in the app.

I hope you’ve found this tutorial helpful, and I’ll see you in my next blog post. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Cheers,

New Skillshare Class: Modern Mandala Art

~ Julie ~ 2 Comments

Hey guys, I just waned to let you know I’ve published a mandala drawing class on Skillshare! In this class we draw and colour 2 stunning and unique mandalas.

Click here to watch my mandala drawing class – Modern Mandala Art: Draw and Color 2 Stunning and Unique Mandalas

You can watch the intro video below:

Do you want to create some stunning mandala art today? Then join me as I take you step by step through drawing and coloring 2 beautiful and unique mandalas that you can hang on your wall, gift to friends and family or share with your followers online!

This is a traditional art class using paper and pens, but you can also follow along digitally if you prefer.

In this class, I will guide you through the following steps:

Practicing some basic mandala patterns.
Drawing a simple mandala design.
Drawing a more complex and detailed mandala design.
Coloring in the simple mandala in a complimentary color scheme.
Coloring in the complex mandala with a monochromatic color scheme with metallic accents.

This class is perfect for beginner artists, or anyone who loves mandala art and easy therapeutic drawing exercises which produce beautiful results.

I hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Aesthetic Art Journal Page Ideas and Inspiration

~ Julie ~ 5 Comments

Are you looking for art journal page ideas? I’ve got some fun and easy aesthetic art journal page ideas and inspiration in this post.

I started an art journal a few months ago and these are some of my best pages so far.

Art journaling is a fun and therapeutic creative activity. I’ve really loved the freeing aspect of being able to create art with no specific purpose.

Art journaling can be simply a hobby, a way to keep track of ideas, play with new types of art supplies, or even work through emotional trauma via art therapy.

Some of the supplies I used in this art journal include watercolour and acrylic paint, paint pens, and sharpie markers. A variety of other supplies including highlighters, pencil crayons and gel pens were used as well.

psyechedelic trippy rainbow eye art journal page

The journal itself was from Indigo books here in Canada. I wouldn’t say it was the best book for art journaling. I got a lot of bleed through from page to page. Putting down a base of acrylic paint was the best way to prevent bleed through. But I still had to be careful around the edges to not get paint on the other pages.

Next time I will use more of a mixed media sketchbook with thicker pages.

I still really like how these came out though, and even used some of the ideas to create designs for my Redbubble shop.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my best art journal pages and found them inspiring enough to create your own. If you post any of your own art journal pages on Instagram, feel free to tag me @julieerindesigns so I can see your work!

You may also like this video I made showing my sketchbook filled with aesthetic mandalas I created for the Mandalatober art challenge on Instagram:

Cheers,

Looking for even more art or drawing inspiration? You may also enjoy these posts!

Amazing Skillshare Classes for Artists

~ Julie ~ 2 Comments

Today I’d like to share some amazing Skillshare classes for Artists and creatives.

If you haven’t heard of Skillshare before it’s an education platform with all sorts of courses which are created by individal teachers.

I’ve known about Skillshare for a while now, and have done some of their free courses in the past. I wasn’t sure if the premium membership was worth it. I got a deal for 40% off the yearly subscription and decided to give it a try.

I’m so glad I did! I’ve been plowing through courses and found some really excellent ones. It’s helped me improve my skills and turned out to be a great investment for my personal and professional development.

The courses on Skillshare are particularly good for artists and creative business owners. Not only can you improve your artistic skills with classes taught by professional artists, but you can learn all sorts of business and marketing skills which are important if you want to make a living from your art.

I thought I would share some of my favourite Skillshare courses with you today and if you are interested in trying out their premium membership you can use this link for a 1 month free trial.

Skillshare Classes for Artists

If you are anywhere in the Print on Demand space you have likely heard of Cat Coquilette (aka CatCoq). She is very successful with art licensing, and has some amazing classes on Skillshare! These are a couple of my favourites, but honestly they are all good.

This class guides you through several exercises to help hone in on your person illustration style. Below is a sample of some of the illustrations I created in this class.

Find your Illustration Style in 6 Simple Experiments

dragonfly illustrations mixed media art skillshare classes for artists

Want to learn or improve on your watercolour painting techniques? There are a ton of watercolour courses on Skillshare. Here are a few I’ve done recently:

watercolor christmas gnomes skillshare classes for artists

This course helped me re-brand my entire website and social media profiles. It’s a must follow for creatives who want to level up their businesses and have a more professional-looking and cohesive brand.

DIY Branding for Creatives – Your Brand Style Guide

Delores Naskrent has a lot of interesting classes. Many are in Illustrator and Photoshop so if you want to improve your digitial art skills then her classes are for you.

Luscious Digital Marble and Alcohol Ink Using Photoshop & Easy Foil & Glitter Techniques

If you want to be a successful artist then being on social media is kind of a must. You can even find some artist specific social media courses on Skillshare, like this one:

Social Media Marketing: Top Tips for Growing Your Followers & Going Viral

And finally, you can learn to become a professional artist and illustrator with Ohn Mar Win! This is an extremely insightful class that will give you a realistic perspective on what it takes to become a professional illustrator (without immediately quitting your day job).

Transition Into Illustration: Breaking Into The Industry

I’m actually going to be doing a workshop to learn how to make my own Skillshare class! It seems like a great opportunity for creatives to make money by sharing their knowledge and skills.

If you’re already on Skillshare, let’s connect! Here’s the link to my profile.

Let me know in the comments below if you have a favourite Skillshare class I’ve missed.

Cheers,