Recent Art {Sketchbook Tours}

| Allison

Hello, dears!

Wow, I haven’t done a recent art post in ages! I’ve been making a TON of art in the past few months, and I’m excited to show you guys what I’ve been up to. Today I’ll be showing you a couple of sketchbooks/art journals I’ve been working on, plus some Etsy art and other miscellaneous pieces. Enjoy browsing through these pictures! Hopefully you’ll gain a little inspiration for your own art as well – I know I always do after reading art posts. 🙂

Alrighty, shall we begin?

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Let’s start with some Etsy art updates. (To see all my new art, check out my shop here.) I made this printable not too long ago and really like how it turned out. I love succulents and watercolor, so how could I not like this piece? 😛

As you might guess, I drew this printable around Valentine’s Day. 😉 Making the balloon was pretty fun, especially adding in the details with white gel pen.

These color-your-own mandala envelopes are my most recent addition. They took a while to perfect, but I like the results! In case you’re wondering, I don’t illustrate each individual envelope: I draw an original piece of art, scan it, digitize it, then send it to Vistaprint to get the design printed on as many envelopes as I need. 🙂

I had fun coloring one of the extras for a sample photo and ended up using it for one of my pen pals. (Don’t worry, that’s not her address :’D)

The nice thing about colorable envelopes is that each one turns out differently. This is the same design as above, but filled in with gold ink and blue colored pencil. I LOVE how it turned out!

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Now for a change of scenery. Remember the brown paper sketchbook from my last recent art post? Well, here it is again!

The spread below is rather messy, but that’s okay. I want this to be a “just for fun” art journal where I can tape things in or do unpolished sketches. On the left, I started with an “I Voted” sticker from the first time I got to vote, then filled the rest of the page with voting-related doodles.

On the right, I taped in a pretty cutout one of my pen pals sent me and doodled some flowers around it with a white gel pen.

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As you can see, I made this page a while ago. 😉 First, I cut and taped in a wintry photo I took ages ago. The silver washi tape was REALLY fun to use, so I just kinda stuck it all over the page and then turned the stripes into tree trunks. I added a tiny, rather depressing poem to complete the spread. Heh.

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I felt like using more washi tape after that, so I just laid down simple stripes and wrote lyrics from Switchfoot’s song “Hope is the Anthem” between the lines. If you can’t read the lyrics… well, go listen to the song! 😉 (Also I just spent several minutes researching “lay vs. lie” for the fiftieth time. I think I FINALLY got it stuck in my brain now. :’D )

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This strange-looking gouache painting is an illustration of one of my poems. (Speaking of which, I hope to make another poetry post soon!)  I think the semi-opacity of gouache interacted with the brown paper in an interesting way.

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Hee hee, more Switchfoot lyrics. 😛 They’re probably my favorite artist, and “I Won’t Let You Go” is one of my favorite songs by them. Inspired by the “torn” part of the lyrics, I ripped up a couple scraps of painted paper and stuck them on the page; then decorated the rest of the spread with a purple paint pen, a micron, and some marbled washi tape.

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On the left, I was in the mood to draw an eye (how shocking), but it turned out a little fuzzy since my brush pen was dying. I rescued the situation by defining some lines with a Micron pen and adding a little overly-brilliant colored pencil to the iris, after which it looked acceptable.

On the right, I taped in the pass/ticket thingy from a tubing night with some family and church family, and drew snowy doodles around it. I’d never been to a resort before, but it was a lot of fun! And a lot of waiting in line. :[]

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As you can tell, I love drawing with a white gel pen. 😛 The doodle on the left was fun to make, but turned out pretty ugly. *shrugs* I don’t mind that much since again, this journal is more about enjoying the process than the finished result. I love the doodle on the right, though!

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That wraps up the art journal for now. Onwards to my actual sketchbook! I’m so happy that I finished it yesterday and can start a new one after this. 😀

Okay, this first drawing is REALLY weird. I drew it at my friend Aria’s house with advice from her younger brother. That’s why one hedgehog is holding a carrot wand which is electrocuting another bubble. *throws up hands* Don’t blame me! It wasn’t my idea! :’D :’D

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Skipping past some Etsy art I showed in another post… Ah yes. I painted these two pieces as practice for some calendar pages. My cousins and I made a calendar for our grandparents for Christmas, which turned out pretty well! Thankfully the fox on the finished calendar page doesn’t look so… I don’t even know. Pained? Bored? Depressed?  :’D Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of the finished calendar. :/

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Here’s another concept candidate for the calendar (aha, alliteration!). I didn’t end up using it, but oh well. It still looks nice in my sketchbook. 😉

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Okay, here’s an example of why I’m not very satisified with how I filled this sketchbook: about half of it contains practice sketches or scribbles where I used it as a scratch pad. (Most of those instances look far sloppier than the one on the right.) I don’t expect to have a perfect sketchbook, by any means, but when I page through this journal, I’m just disappointed. The scribbles detract from actual finished pieces which I’m proud of. That’s one area I’m hoping to improve in my next sketchbook.

Anyway, the picture on the left is a coloring page design my sister “commissioned” for her pen pal kits. 🙂 They turned out well, but the drawing got super smudged in my sketchbook somehow. :/

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Now this is the type of drawing I want to do more of in my next sketchbook! Not masterpieces, but just fun, finished drawings. The mandala is by no means my best work, but I really like the left page. I want to draw more interesting concepts like it and maybe draw in that style more often.

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I’m really happy with the next drawing! I don’t usually push myself to make full, realistic colored pencil pictures like this, preferring quicker, more stylized pieces, so I’m quite proud of myself for finishing this! There’s definitely still room for improvement; maybe I’ll try another realistic piece soon for more practice. Oh, and if you’re wondering, I drew this from a photo I liked on Shoot and Share. 😉

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The painting on the left was a quick concept painting for this finished piece. The page on the right was… I’m not sure. XD I felt like drawing people? And shapes? I’m pretty awful at drawing faces (especially profiles) without a reference, so I guess I was practicing that. Doesn’t the boy at the bottom of the page remind you a bit of Reynie Muldoon from The Mysterious Benedict Society?

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I drew this messy but cute picture of my rabbit, Willow, because… I have some sad news. Willow is gone. 😦 I’m pretty sure she died of old age and not an injury or anything, so that made it less sad. Still, I will miss my sweet fluffball. ❤

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Moving onto happier things… like this beautiful Bible verse! I did this piece of hand lettering for one of my friend’s online magazines. It’s a little dizzying, but I like it. 🙂

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I made this simpler piece for the same destination. I love how succulent and juicy the words look. 😛 Would you guys like to see another post specifically about hand lettering?

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Welp, we’ve come to the end of that sketchbook! I didn’t show you every page because I don’t have room in one post, but I hope you enjoyed what I did show!

The first page had “hello” on it, so I finished up with “goodbye.” So original, right? XD I love adding vines to the first letters like this!

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Just two more pieces of non-sketchbook art before I close. I’m going to partner with Aria to offer simple watercolor portraits from photos for her customers, which I’m really excited about! I painted this portrait of my parents for practice, and for their anniversary. 🙂

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I drew this from another of Aria’s photos so I could practice drawing a whole family. It took a looong time, but I do enjoy drawing in this style.

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And that, my friends, is all for now! I hope you enjoyed seeing what I’ve been up to, art-wise. 🙂 Tell me…

What is your favorite piece of art in this post? What’s YOUR favorite art style or medium (realistic, stylized, mixed media, watercolor, etc.)? Are there any specific art posts you’d like to see in the future?

Thanks so much for reading, dears, and have a lovely day!

***Allison***

57 thoughts on “Recent Art {Sketchbook Tours}”

  1. Girl, your sketches are amazing! I love gel pens! 😍 And who doesn’t draw lyrics everywhere? Lol. 💕 Thanks for sharing! It’s very good. “In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found” is probably one of my favorites, it is so cute. I am literally fangirling over your drawing, lol, jk. 😂

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  5. Willow is gone? 😢 😢 😢 I’m so sorry, Allison! She sure had an amazing bunny life, being an online celebrity and all. 😉 I always loved seeing photos of her! *sad sigh* 😦
    On a happier note… OH MY GOODNESS, this is probably one of my favorite art posts yet! The drawing of the woman inspired by the Shoot & Share photo is absolutely incredible – I’m so impressed! 😮 I also really love the drawing of your parents! (Will you be offering that service in your Etsy shop? Because I would love to give my parents one for their anniversary. 😀 ) A few other favorites are the watercolor succulent, the mandala envelopes, the vibrant blue eye, and the adorable drawing of Willow. 🙂
    I can’t wait for your next art post!

    -Clara ❤

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    1. *sniff* Yeah… 😦 Ha ha, I know, she certainly got the most out of her life with her “internet fame” (not really). 😛
      Anyway, EEEEEEP REALLY? Thank you so much! I really like those too! 😀 (I’m still figuring that part out, but I’d LOVE to do a portrait of your parents! 🙂 ) Thank you ever so much for the incredible comment, Clara! 😀 ❤

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  6. WOWWW. How??? Okay, first my favorite is definitely the watercolor sketches of families. How did you learn to do that? The colored pencil drawings are amazing, and the envelopes are so fun. Wonderful job, Allison! ❤ Btw, the adorable bunny envelopes came–yay! Did you get my letter yet?

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    1. D’aww, you’re so kind. ❤ THANK YOU! I love those too! How did I learn? Well, years of practicing art, mostly. 😉 But I open the picture in Photoshop, turn on the "grid view," and draw a corresponding grid on my paper. That really helps get the sketch accurate, and once I have a good foundation, the rest of the picture is much easier. 🙂
      Yay, I'm glad you got the envelopes! And YES, I got your letter and absolutely LOVED it! Thank you so much! ❤

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  7. Ahh, I do love your art posts Allison! 😊 Ooh you’re so good at mandala art, my attempts turn out just plain bad XD! Yass I love Switchfoot too. Wow, I Won’t Let You Go is one of my favs too, it means so much to me. Your realistic art is pretty good. You should definitely keep it up! That’s a great idea to partner up with Aria in that way. All the best!

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    1. I’m so glad you like them, Sarah! 😀 Ha ha, well THANKS! Mandalas are really tricky, I know. :/ They take practice, I guess. YESSS Switchfoot is the best! That’s amazing – really? Thanks so much for the lovely comment, dear!

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  8. EEEP WOW THESE ARE ALL SOO GOOD! I have to say, your art posts are probably my favorites. I love the left picture in this one https://farmgirlslifebackup.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/art-16.jpg?w=765&h=510&zoom=2, and I LOOVE this! https://farmgirlslifebackup.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/art-8.jpg?w=765&h=510&zoom=2 Also, the family portrait turned out great! It’s so cute! And the ShootandShare portrait turned out great too…I pretty much love ALL of these. Also, I think you should sell coloring books. *nods*

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    1. AWW REALLY? THANK YOU! I really like both of those too! 🙂 Yay, I’m so glad you liked it! Ha ha, WELL THANKS. Hey, that’s an idea! Not really sure how I’d make them, but that would be fun. 🙂

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  10. I am so so sorry about Willow! 😦 Also, the drawing of the girl from shoot and share is AWESOME!! 😀 Great post! I loved all of your art! 😀

    -Laura ❤ 😉

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  12. All of these are SO AMAZING! How did you get the bears’ balloon look like real shiny plastic?! It’s so realistic!
    And I LOVE the coloring page envelopes! I love my gold and blue one!!!!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
    The lyric/washi tape thing you did is so cool too! I like the simplicity of it. 🙂
    And that is like the most beautiful eye drawing I have ever seen!! I really like that the blue is so vibrant!
    Snow tubing sounds SO fun! I wish I could go, but now all our snow is melted. XD But your little doodles of the people doing it are so cute! 😀
    And OH THE HEDGEHOGS!!! ❤ 😀 They're so adorable! I actually got to meet a real one for the first time last week when someone brought the one they just adopted as a pet to Bible Study! Her name was Henrietta! ❤ She was SO CUTE!
    Oh I LOVE the calendar pages! It makes me want to make something like that. 😉
    Oh I actually like that practice Job verse better than the original! But you know me, blue and white are just my aesthetic, just look at my blog! XD
    Oh no! Not Willow! :,(
    YES! You should totally do a hand-lettering post! I never know how to do stuff like that. XD
    Oh wow! The pictures of your parents and that family are so cute and SO GOOD! I know I say this all the time, but you really are such an AMAZING artist! ❤
    Idk, I've really been enjoying getting into watercolor lately, and using my glitter gel pens. 😀

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    1. OHHHHHHHH my goodness, thank you for the super amazing, long comment, Heather! I LOVED reading it! 😀
      I’m honestly not sure how to explain the balloon because I didn’t really know how to do it either. XD It really helped to look off of a photo, choose a range of dark and light variations of the same color, and blend everything well.
      THANK YOUUUU! I like your envelope too, hee hee!
      Yeah, that was a fun one to do. 🙂
      Oh my goodness, that’s so kind! I’m so glad you liked the eye drawing. I dunno, I just love drawing eyes so I do it all the time. XD
      YES, snow tubing WAS fun! It was like a roller coaster except you got sprayed with icy snow from the snowblowers at the bottom. XD
      AWWWWW I wish I could have seen Henrietta! She sounds adorable!
      Thanks so much! 😀
      Really? Ha ha, that happens to me sometimes too – liking the practice picture better.
      I know, poor Willow. 😦
      I’d love to do a hand lettering post! 😀
      Ahh, THANKS! YOU ARE SO SWEET THANK YOUUU. I’m so glad you’ve been getting more into art lately! So fun. 😀
      Thanks again for the stupendous comment, dear!

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  16. I love the realistic portrait you drew! It was simply amazing! Aww, I’m so sorry about Willow. 😦 That portrait of your parents is wonderful along with the family one! Great job!

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  17. THAT DOES REMIND ME OF REYNIE!!? Wow. (:
    Your artwork is stunning, Allison! You are amazing. I love the painting of your parent, and the realistic woman. Oh! and the succulent. We can’t forget all the lettering, either Oh! and maybe th….

    😘~theJunebugblog

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  19. 1. NOOOOOO POOR WILLOW!!!
    2. I want my portrait done by you. BC OMG, HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD?
    3. I love the quotes!!!
    4. I need to read the Mysterious Benedict Society again….

    you give such joy and light to people’s lives!

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    1. 1. I KNOW. 😦 *sniff*
      2. AWW. I would love to do a portrait of you! 😀 You’re so kind! ❤
      3. Thanks!
      4. You sure do. *nods*

      Oh my goodness, that's extremely nice of you to say. ❤ THANK YOU!

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  21. These are simply AMAZING!!! My art compared to yours is… well, cringy? But these works of art are simply beautiful, and I especially like the woman that you did with colored pencils!

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    1. Aww, well THANK YOU! Ha, in my experience the artist usually thinks their art is bad even if other people don’t share their opinion. 😛 But hey, keep practicing – I know that’s a boring tip, but it sure helps! Thanks again! I like that portrait as well. 🙂

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