Sketchbook

A Foolproof “Day in the Life” Sketchbook Layout Formula

January 2, 2020 by Lindsey Bugbee 14 Comments
Sketchbook

A Foolproof Sketchbook Layout Formula — Today’s tutorial hones in on teaching you how to make this sketchbook layout. In the next TPK tutorial, I’ll show you how to bring this all to life with watercolor and some tea spatters!

I think that more people would keep a sketchbook if they had ideas for content to put in it! With that in mind, I decided to come up with a sketchbook layout formula for today’s tutorial. We’ll talk about what to draw and write, where to orient it on the page, tricks to fill up space, and helpful supplies to have on hand! Today’s layout will take you an entire afternoon to create, so we’re just focusing on doing that for now. Then, next week, we’ll add watercolors, some gold, a smidge of decoupage, and tea spatters to make the page pop!
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TPK’s 10 Best Art Projects for Traveling

November 26, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 71 Comments
Hand-Lettering· Roundup· Sketchbook· Tutorials

Today, we’ll talk about TPK’s top 10 best art projects for traveling. Almost any illustration project — such as this geranium drawing — is easy to do away from home! Consider packing your sketchbook next time you take a trip.

As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, many of us are scrambling to figure out travel logistics. We’re thinking about what to pack, loose ends to tie up before we go, and what to do while we are away! It’s important to remember, though, that the official definition of holiday is “a day of festivity or recreation when no work is done”. This is the perfect chance to spend time with family *and* indulge your artistic side! In today’s post, we’ll go over ten art projects for traveling. All of these projects require minimal setup and minimal supplies! Tackling one (or more) of these projects can help to add to the pleasure and relaxation of your holiday break.
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Inspirational Sketchbook Pages

November 19, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 48 Comments
Sketchbook

This is one of my (fairly) recent sketchbook pages. It was inspired by Samantha Dion Baker’s *Draw Your Day*!

When I was a freshman in high school, I started my first sketchbook. All freshman students in art class got one, so I never really questioned its purpose. As an adult, though, I do look for specific reasons why I sketchbooked then and why I continue to sketchbook now! Today, I’d like to take you through some of the sketchbook pages I’ve made, both old and new. By doing so, I hope to give you inspiration to start your own sketchbook and perhaps prompt you to try some new lettering or art techniques!
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Gift-Worthy State Lettering Map Tutorial

November 14, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 30 Comments
Hand-Lettering· Home Decor· Sketchbook· Tutorials· Wall Art

For some people, giving original art as a gift feels a bit juvenile … like you’re in kindergarten again presenting something to Mom to hang on the fridge. Let me tell you, though, that this state lettering map is not your typical DIY art! It’s a no-fail, eye-catching project that anyone with a special connection to a certain state — or country — will absolutely adore. I’m going to show you how I made this California map, then I hope that you’ll take these instructions and tailor them to a place that means something to you!
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The Botanical Letter Tutorial Reboot!

October 31, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 40 Comments
Floral Illustration Tutorials· Sketchbook· Wall Art· Watercolor Tutorials

In 2015, I wrote the original Botanical Letter Tutorial. When I redo tutorials, I normally completely replace the old tutorial with the new one. In this case, however, I think that it’s important to keep the original tutorial on the site! That way, you can see how I approached making two different letters: a “J” (in the original tutorial) and a “B” (in this tutorial). In this tutorial, we’re going to get much more detailed and — hopefully — you’ll gain better insight into how to make your own gorgeous letter! Read on to learn how to get started.
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Watercolor Henna Cat Illustration Tutorial

April 2, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 52 Comments
Sketchbook· Tutorials· Wall Art· Watercolor· Watercolor Tutorials

This Watercolor Henna Cat Illustration Tutorial is actually a bit of a throwback! I took the photos for it five years ago as part of a guest post for Inkstruck Studio. However, I recently noticed that the guest post pictures no longer show up on the Inkstruck site! It really is a neat tutorial, perfect for any artistic cat lover, so I decided to rewrite the post here on TPK. You may notice that today’s photos are a bit different from those that you normally see on the blog because I took them so long ago!
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