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a sketchbook is a moment in time when the urge to create a scribble, a drawing or to try a new art supply is there. I still have 2 books I started last year that are not anywhere near full...at first I kinda got sad and disappointed, yet inspired by seeing tours of them here on youtube but I realized, it's ok for it to be the way it is, cause like the art inside, it is you, you are the creator, the master - do what makes you feel good (part of it is for me to support the arts like your patreon)
For some colourful ideas, I think redrawing a fun picture but with different lighting to create a different mood (like making an idyllic home look like a horror setting, making a mundane cityscape look like a fantasy setting, etc)
I used to have a huge fear of insects. When I faced my first artblock, I almost accidentally decided to draw some spiders and butterflies. Now it's a thing I use to do to practice, and even draw insects from my yard too! My main theme is fairies and magical girls, but man... drawing something so complex and unique such as insects now, helps me so so much to improve! You did a great job for once more!❤
I'm so encouraged by how you talk about the importance of the maintenance of artistic practice - I'm literally years out of "fighting trim" when it comes to painting, drawing, and creating comics, but it gives me hope that it's a state I could build back to.
Okay here's how I get my moths to be even. You take a piece of paper, fold it in half.... can you see where I'm going with this? -you sketch out half a moth, cut it out, open it up and then trace that shape on to your canvas. It's the only way I can do it. When I was little I wanted to draw the most perfect hearts and that's how I would do it. Still works.
I've done small colored stuff in my sketchbook where I draw a character based on the first 3 images I get on Pinterest- And then add the most vile colors possible to see if I can manage it to look nice. Usually I fail but it is fun to see which colors I dislike most from week to week! I hope you find some other fun ideas for your sketchbook, I love your artwork!
I painted the cover of my sketchbook to look like the Gravity Falls journal three that Dipper has. It turned out pretty well and feeds the nerd inside me.
So stoked to see some more sketchbook content!! As for a fun exercise to do in it I like collecting a ton of photos of animals or figure poses and doing a bunch of two minute sketches of them over lapping on one page using various coloured pens! It creates a very scribbled fun trippy look!
I am in love with your editing, IN LOVE! You my dear have such an amazing personality and your creativity is off the roofs and I freaking love it ❤ many hugs to you!!
I was about to comment, "hey! You should do some Buffy art!" and then you said you have a whole dedicated studies to Buffy in your sketchbook. Buffy's what I turn to whenever I have art block. Really excited to see what you've done with the cast of TV's greatest characters. Also, you've kicked ass this year, even if it kicked your butt back a little. Just amazing work all around.
I didn't realize how much I missed your traditional painting content until I watched this video!! Something about it is just so inspiring and makes me want to PAINT THINGS. Also yay the audio is fixed!!
A warm-up exercise I like is 'stars and spirals'. Draw some stars on the page in a random arrangement to warm up drawing straight lines, then some spirals (curling out from the centre, curling in from the perimeter, clockwise and counterclockwise) to warm up drawing curved lines.
Omg i really Love how you put random things on the cover all together even though they don't connect with eachother much but each still have a special meaning. I think messy art often turns out really pretty!
When I’m art blocked I like to paint screenshots from my favorite movies. That way it gives you everything and you can study the background the lighting and get new ideas from something that already inspires you
Your art is always lovely. But GOSH do I love this piece you made!! It looks absolutly stunning and both the piece itself and seeing how you made it fills me with so much joy. Thank you for sharing your wonderful work with us!!
you said you’re looking for finished art inspo. i struggle with the same thing and my best motivation for finishing a piece has always been trying to draw fae. because it’s just….off-kilter enough to hold my attention so that it isn’t pressuring and is still fun. i just find it super enjoyable and if it helps anyone that’s great
whenever i need to fill in spaces i draw very shapely animals. foxes, cats, mice, cockatiels, labradors, etc. push the shapes. make them in funny poses. cats are especially slinky so putting them in places after u have done main sketches is rly fun.
i treat my sketchbook like an artwork in itself, i just love making aesthetically pleasing pages between sketches and more finished illustrations, i do that by choosing maybe a specific set of art supplies or color palette i wanna use for each page (entire pages drawn with acrilic markers, or maybe a spread with a common theme of like a specific highlighter, which i abuse btw), or like a specific page setup (all colored pencil sketches, or completed sketches made with mutiple colored ballpoint pens, etc) either way, just literally have fun, draw what your heart desires, and remember that you can always start again by simply putting a colored post it note on top
Fun excercises with colors: Silhouettes! Just draw random stuff, but start with the silhouette with a real chunky colored marker. Then lineart on top :D Negative space! Like the silhouette, but draw shapes around the characters instead! Pretty good for improving shapes and imagination. Fun way to draw buildings and objects too. Only-the-dark-colours! Step--up from the two last ones, a more intuitive way to do it too! Just draw all the darkest stuff, like dark clothes, dark hair, occlusion shadows, eyes, dark backgrounds, whatever! Just try to do it without a sketch and without any lineart. I normally do this digitally with the lasso tool, but I'm sure it works just great with a brush pen as well! Colour blocks! Similar to the above, but with colours this time! Pretty intuitive. Lastly, random colour palette generator! Self explanatory. Go to a colour generator, get two to five colors from there, and do a piece with only those! If you feel up for it, you can even exclude black and white entirely.
this is genuinely my FAVORITE genre of video from you, I absolutely relished in seeing the painting process!! my heart would sing if you’d make more videos like this🔮🔭
random shapes challenges where u have to make art out of a buncha small random shapes is a really fun n good warm up that also fills pages, helps with burnout sometimes n can be really colourful!! other small doodle challenges are also really good for this!
My favorite spread in my sketchbook is from when the power and internet went out. I couldn’t look up references so I took pictures of myself doing silly dances and goofy poses. Then I sketched them with ballpoint pen and added watered down gouache to color. It is a very dynamic, funny, full spread
whenever I'm stuck I like to draw those like, tiktok meme ones. you know, the "draw this feature if you have blue eyes" and etc. I hope you give yourself some good resting time. I love your work!
Just hoping you with time can achieve the industrial oven so you can get as much creative juices with all you love, but we all know that being an artist always means a little chaos and that’s awesome too😉
I also don't have as much time as I would like to draw but one thing I've found that helps me fill out a sketchbook and maintain my skill, is I'll batch drawings. Like I'll do like 2-3 pages of ruff sketches and then throughout the week will work my way through them, refining as much as they need and then start over the next week. This way I can be creative and warmed up every day without having to commit the time and energy to take a piece from start to finish every time.
One of my absolute favorite low-effort, low-commitment things to do in my sketchbook if I'm trying to throw more color onto the pages(and ur gonna love this) is sketch in at least 3 different colored ballpoint pens(like, different colors for each sketch, not 3 colors on one sketch unless ur into that), then use a different color highlighter or marker to block in the shading(I also like the Crayola SuperTips, I got more into them bc of your channel actually, but regular highlighters, stuff like the Tombow brush markers or even a quick wash of watercolor works amazing too). It's not adding much extra work if you're just looking to practice or warmup or whatever, but just slapping on some cell shading instantly makes it look like you put more thought into it than you actually did. I personally always have a couple of those multi-pens on me, Bic makes one with the pink, light green, light blue and purple, and you can find the standard black blue red green ones everywhere. I also really love those brush tip highlighters BIC makes bc they're shorter and thinner than a Tombow so they fit in my pencil bag easier(plus, idk what it is about a tip, but they're way less likely to bleed through the page? Tombow and the Crayola markers are good about this too, where you can go over an area several times without getting shadowing, but some of those cheaper water-based brush markers still bleed through after a few swipes). I also do my under sketches in colored pencils sometimes, but this one is more bc I have a bunch of short/broken ones knocking around my bag so I just use them bc I have them, the pen/highlighter one looks way better imo. Sorry for the text wall, lmao, oops *laughs in Too Much Gene*
I totally get the wanting to build an industrial oven for more pies! I've picked up so many hobbies! When I did a watercolour for my mom recently I was rusty as hell, and spent a while warming up to relearn how to hold everything! I love the chaos and colours in this painting, and I look forward to seeing more of your art!
I would love a comic from you I would read it I love your story telling and the time you put into details when you make characters it has helped me with my art block. Also take time for yourself since your burnt out maybe a massage, yoga, walk outdoors and spa day keep yourself healthy. Also one day at a time❤🤗
I’m glad you realized how insane your schedule has been this year. Like I’m definitely not complaining whatsoever it’s made many of my weeks this 2023, but the amount of time I’ve told people “how tf has she done aaaall this just the past month?!!” are not few😂
YESSSS!! SKETCHBOOK CONTENT!! Im so so so happy this is coming back, ofc I love everything you do but for me your sketchbook sessions and painting sessions were my favs. PLEASE BRING BACK SKETCHBOOK SESSIONS T-T
i chronically draw and paint jellyfish in my sketchbook and each time i try to include something else into one to make it more interesting , cus they’re soooo pretty but so easy to draw , so jellyfish are always fun to paint !
i dont sketchbook alot but i like making like diaries of my oc's days & just having them answering questions or drawing polaroids i've taken with them instead of me & my friends
Sometimes, when I have some left oover of paint (I use acrylic), I like putting it in my skechbook, and when it's dry, draw my ocs with a bic, and I draw the outline with white posca.
I’ve had an absolute terrible time dealing with a stomach virus (on winter break, no less) thank you so much for this video, I needed whimsical vibes 😭💕
Love love love you and your work plz Don't worry to much about what content we would and 'fixing' your sketches cause we love your art and you no matter in what shape or form, so take time for yourself to rest and take care of yourself 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
To add more color to my sketchbook, I often use paint swatches from like the home Depot and either do posca paintings on them or draw on them. Also stickers!!
ahhh i really love your character design videos, but it would be so awesome if you did a fun lil video on world building and do some paintings on that! especially with traditional painting or sketching (since for some reason digital painting streams give my eyes fatigue hahaha) like lil world building exercises where you do lil doodles of say a bird in X world, or a cafe or library here, or where one of your OCs works or lives, etc. Idk, i think it would be really darn cute :D
The amount of shear, raw serotonin I get from watching sketchbook content from this channel is mildly concerning and it's great ✨️😍✨️😍hope you and your executive producer have a wonderful Christmas season 💕🎄
i've done some paper collage illustrations this year, using colored paper and an xacto knife to make super graphic pieces. it's fun to give up the rendered look of paint or pen and focus more on silhouette and proportion in character design.
Some stuff I do to add more color in my sketchbooks is to do highlighter art :D Basically you sketch with a pale highlighter and no pencil, then line with a highlighter and color with a highlighter Its very fun and helps with anatomy
two things mention in this video that immediately made me sparkly eyed LOL ummm 1. i was literally JUST coloring with posca markers?? absolutely love those bright opaque girlies!! Sometimes the texture can get a little odd and you have to make sure they're shaken up and ready to go, but overall i love using them in my sketchbook to color block around sketches or add fun bright elements to a dull spread. I hope you get to enjoy them soon! as for the 2nd thing oooomggg i can totally vouch for a secret messy sketchbook, she does wonders. Something about it taking off the pressure of having to show anyone or make it look nice just really brings out unexpected but cool drawings?? it's also great for experimenting with what kinda spreads you might like ^^ and if it goes well, it could be another patreon perk 😌 I've been enjoying all forms of your content this year! But definitely give yourself time to recover lol consistent creativity is very hard. I'm excited for future content as well
You've inspired my sketchbook journey so much! When I tend to struggle to get going on a page, I put on some media that I enjoy and try to create a piece based on how it makes me feel and what vibes it gives off. Hope this comment helps in anyways
One of my favourite things to draw with poscas is birds… birds are so much fun in a chunky opaque style, and they can fit into the blank spots on other pages. Looking froward to seeing what’s in your sketchbook - the cover art is a great teaser.
I love you talking & painting a sketchbook,I never thought of exactly using a sticky note of drawing characters/or a random person,then sticking them to your sketchbook,Apparently I can’t afford Sketchbooks especially like the ones y’all use,so I basically draw/color in my lined paper journal aka a notebook from the store,and I can’t even decorate my covers on my journals,I just found out that I could try to cut a peice of paper to the size of my journal ,though I can add stickers to them/also tape some paper that I drawn on and tape it on the top cover of my journal,also been dealing with Art Block but for the longest time,and then I just get bored of it all & leave it unfinished lol,but this has inspired me to do some art again 🖼️
Honestly I think your perfectionism is a true reflection of your drive as an artist. You won’t stop until your art is what you in-vision! And it always turns out so beautiful! ✨🍄🪲🐍🧋🪻🐈
When I saw the community post about what we wanted more from your channel I was disappointed to find that sketchbook sessions were losing heavily but this painting on ur sketchbook video makes me happy since it’s pretty close 🤎
I may bring back sketchbook sessions once in a while since so many people like them 😅 I just don't know where to put them honestly. I feel like they would be really out of place on my main channel so I may start a second channel for those or put them on Patreon? We'll see!
yay a new sketchbook video! Been really implementing that whole planning out paintings thing in my own art this last year and it really does help. Love, love, love this cover! It's such a cool ensemble and an amazing colour balance!
for me my sketchbook has to be pretty inside and out for me to feel even slightly motivated to work in it so I understand the need to paint the cover (looks insanely gorgeous by the way- the lighting effect on the lanterns and the flower details is so good I need to consume it) and the urge to cover up art I personally do not like or am not proud of. Other artists have tried to put me down for being too "instagram" at times but I find that is what helps me. also- your physical and mental well being are far more important than a video. I know theres a lot of pressure to upload but you are a human who needs and deserves rest. take more than a few weeks off if you need. Heck, take a few months off if thats how you are feelin
watching all the details come together was soooooooo satisfying oh it's so pretty coming from someone who currently can only handle making at MOST one video a month, the pace you produce your work at is absolutely unfathomable to me. i hope you get a good solid recharge out of your break!! (additionally: can anyone tell me what the names of the songs at 4:10 and 23:50 are? i'm assuming they're on epidemic sound and i want to Find Them)
My old friend used to take sticky notes and cut them to different sizes and shapes and paste them to the page and then just draw as usual Sometimes they'd use the sticky notes to cover the mistake I always thought it was pretty cool and it added some dimension to the different spreads They'd also do little doodles and use highlighters in between pieces to connect everything across the pages, so everything looked cohesive and not singular
For me, I often will kinda do practice by redrawing black and white ink sketches by some of my favorite artists, but I color my renditions. Like, for example, I've been referencing the ink sketches of characters by Bruce Timm and coloring them, so I practice a different style while also practicing with color and stuff.
I’ve been doing this thing with my sketchbooks where I look through them and find something from exactly a year ago and redraw it and I don’t know it’s been so incredible to see the progress. I’d love to see something like that done by other artists to see how they handle growth. Love the video Kira, looks amazing as always
I like to put down some colored blobs or wavy lines of color with markers, between and in the background of my sketches, then doodle all over them with fine liners. It adds color and kinda unites disjointed sketches by having a cool background
Oh that is a gorgeous sketchbook cover! As soon as I finished your video, I just had to do some sketching myself. Your work just makes me want to join in and be braver with colour honestly. Regarding exercises/ things to do that help me, I've found that getting a stack of blank stickers (you know, like the small labels for stickers or name tags) and using them as paper has done wonders for me. If they don't work out, you can just use paint pens over them and try again, or just throw them away; much like you've said with post it notes. If they go right, hey! You've got a sticker that you can put anywhere. Just small drawings in general where you don't necessarily have to do a ton of detail for them and it feels so satisfying. I try to go as small as possible; for example, I've drawn a full body picture of David from The Lost Boys where his face was smaller than a penny and I don't know. Maybe it's the size but it stresses me out way less and just kind of helps get me into the groove I guess? And drawing fan art (whether that's fan art of OCs or shows/ films I love). I personally lean towards 80s/90s films so the screenshots have that soft kind of fuzz to them, then just focus on the shapes; not details and it really does turn my brain around a bit and just helps so much. And I use a blunt pencil with a soft touch to knock out the initial shapes then build up the details with a sharper pencil. It just feels like less stress is involved. It's way easier to erase and little to no pressure. Like, I don't know if any of that will help someone else but I hope it does. Awesome video again. I hope you enjoy your break! You've totally earned it.
I think it would help to set a rotating schedule of working in your sketchbook, digital designs, clothing, and props. If you still want to do a video a week it could be you do one of each type during the month or maybe you split the seasons into a month of one, then another etc. Whatever you do I can't wait to follow and encourage your growth!
my go to sketchbook thing lately has been gel pens, like I'll fill a page with head studies each done with a different color and then I'll go back over each of them with a different color to do line art oh and filling things in with waterbased markers. It's reached the point that I hardly use graphite any more because I just like how colorful everything is. I also find that I like spiral bounds best because it feels less "important" like it doesn't matter if there are crappy pages I can always tear them out, hard bound makes me feel like every page needs to be it's own finished illustration for some reason
Obsessed with your art style! Several of my characters' main outfits are based on stuff I've seen you draw. (Though some don't quite fit because I was a character design noob... one is a 3000 year old immortal who has had any joy for life thoroughly beaten out of her by time and her inability to die... who typically wears twin red braids, a bright green sweater, and very colorful overalls embroidered with cute little mushrooms)
In my sketchbook I like to do grab 2 colors (like red & blue) & do some lighting studies. It good practice & add some visual interest to my sketchbook🌻
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Ho just help is that how can I CAs play as Voil aoi and some tips about him
Owls are something I haven't seen from you yet, so I'mma wait for those
We haven’t seen the illustrious sketchbook in years 🙏 thank you, oh benevolent goddess, for revealing to us the holy book
BABE WAKE UP PRICKLY ALPACA POSTED ANOTHER GREAT VIDEOO
a sketchbook is a moment in time when the urge to create a scribble, a drawing or to try a new art supply is there. I still have 2 books I started last year that are not anywhere near full...at first I kinda got sad and disappointed, yet inspired by seeing tours of them here on youtube but I realized, it's ok for it to be the way it is, cause like the art inside, it is you, you are the creator, the master - do what makes you feel good (part of it is for me to support the arts like your patreon)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE CHAOS IN EVERY SINGLE PRICKLY ALPACA VIDEO SO MUCH
Remember to take breaks, Kira! We don't mind waiting for videos, don't burn yourself out while doing things you enjoy!!!
For some colourful ideas, I think redrawing a fun picture but with different lighting to create a different mood (like making an idyllic home look like a horror setting, making a mundane cityscape look like a fantasy setting, etc)
SKETCH BOOK VIDEOS ARE NOT TOTALLY GONE LESGOOOOOO 🎉
Wow, it turned out so beautiful. I love the point where you add the final highlights to everything. It feel like it gives it so much life!
I used to have a huge fear of insects. When I faced my first artblock, I almost accidentally decided to draw some spiders and butterflies. Now it's a thing I use to do to practice, and even draw insects from my yard too! My main theme is fairies and magical girls, but man... drawing something so complex and unique such as insects now, helps me so so much to improve! You did a great job for once more!❤
I'm so encouraged by how you talk about the importance of the maintenance of artistic practice - I'm literally years out of "fighting trim" when it comes to painting, drawing, and creating comics, but it gives me hope that it's a state I could build back to.
23:12 it's like you painted your own universe on your sketchbook
Okay here's how I get my moths to be even. You take a piece of paper, fold it in half.... can you see where I'm going with this? -you sketch out half a moth, cut it out, open it up and then trace that shape on to your canvas. It's the only way I can do it. When I was little I wanted to draw the most perfect hearts and that's how I would do it. Still works.
Please take all the time you need. If that means longer waits between videos I will still be cheering you on.
Hey this chaos looks happy! Like, it's your soul! Pretty! Cool! Mysterious! This is beautifuuul🤩🤩
Beautiful cover!!! I love the colors you chose
I've done small colored stuff in my sketchbook where I draw a character based on the first 3 images I get on Pinterest- And then add the most vile colors possible to see if I can manage it to look nice. Usually I fail but it is fun to see which colors I dislike most from week to week!
I hope you find some other fun ideas for your sketchbook, I love your artwork!
to have this many random subjects in a painting and still keep such a cohesive color pallet is SO impressive
I painted the cover of my sketchbook to look like the Gravity Falls journal three that Dipper has. It turned out pretty well and feeds the nerd inside me.
this design would make a killer mouse pad
So stoked to see some more sketchbook content!! As for a fun exercise to do in it I like collecting a ton of photos of animals or figure poses and doing a bunch of two minute sketches of them over lapping on one page using various coloured pens! It creates a very scribbled fun trippy look!
Your process for painting is so cool and it always amazes me. I love how this turned out! P.S. Don't worry, the pie analogy worked and made sense lol.
I am in love with your editing, IN LOVE! You my dear have such an amazing personality and your creativity is off the roofs and I freaking love it ❤ many hugs to you!!
Danm! Talk about a good artist!
I was about to comment, "hey! You should do some Buffy art!" and then you said you have a whole dedicated studies to Buffy in your sketchbook. Buffy's what I turn to whenever I have art block. Really excited to see what you've done with the cast of TV's greatest characters. Also, you've kicked ass this year, even if it kicked your butt back a little. Just amazing work all around.
They way you instantly drew me into to watching your video is amazing! I love your vibe and art
I didn't realize how much I missed your traditional painting content until I watched this video!! Something about it is just so inspiring and makes me want to PAINT THINGS.
Also yay the audio is fixed!!
OMG YAAAASSSSS FINALLY A SKETCHBOOK VIDEO 😭😭🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
Studying can wait 🙄☝🏻
A warm-up exercise I like is 'stars and spirals'. Draw some stars on the page in a random arrangement to warm up drawing straight lines, then some spirals (curling out from the centre, curling in from the perimeter, clockwise and counterclockwise) to warm up drawing curved lines.
Omg i really Love how you put random things on the cover all together even though they don't connect with eachother much but each still have a special meaning. I think messy art often turns out really pretty!
Ready to cry over the Buffy pages 🙏 there has to be some vampires and demons in there too!! Looking forward to it 😊
When I’m art blocked I like to paint screenshots from my favorite movies. That way it gives you everything and you can study the background the lighting and get new ideas from something that already inspires you
Your art is always lovely. But GOSH do I love this piece you made!!
It looks absolutly stunning and both the piece itself and seeing how you made it fills me with so much joy.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful work with us!!
Amazing!!! The colors!!! The detail!! I missed your traditional art/ painting
you said you’re looking for finished art inspo. i struggle with the same thing and my best motivation for finishing a piece has always been trying to draw fae. because it’s just….off-kilter enough to hold my attention so that it isn’t pressuring and is still fun. i just find it super enjoyable and if it helps anyone that’s great
whenever i need to fill in spaces i draw very shapely animals. foxes, cats, mice, cockatiels, labradors, etc. push the shapes. make them in funny poses. cats are especially slinky so putting them in places after u have done main sketches is rly fun.
i treat my sketchbook like an artwork in itself, i just love making aesthetically pleasing pages between sketches and more finished illustrations, i do that by choosing maybe a specific set of art supplies or color palette i wanna use for each page (entire pages drawn with acrilic markers, or maybe a spread with a common theme of like a specific highlighter, which i abuse btw), or like a specific page setup (all colored pencil sketches, or completed sketches made with mutiple colored ballpoint pens, etc) either way, just literally have fun, draw what your heart desires, and remember that you can always start again by simply putting a colored post it note on top
Landscape thumbnails is something that I really love doing in my sketchbooks, four per page so they're smaller and not a huge commitment
Fun excercises with colors:
Silhouettes! Just draw random stuff, but start with the silhouette with a real chunky colored marker. Then lineart on top :D
Negative space! Like the silhouette, but draw shapes around the characters instead! Pretty good for improving shapes and imagination. Fun way to draw buildings and objects too.
Only-the-dark-colours! Step--up from the two last ones, a more intuitive way to do it too! Just draw all the darkest stuff, like dark clothes, dark hair, occlusion shadows, eyes, dark backgrounds, whatever! Just try to do it without a sketch and without any lineart. I normally do this digitally with the lasso tool, but I'm sure it works just great with a brush pen as well!
Colour blocks! Similar to the above, but with colours this time! Pretty intuitive.
Lastly, random colour palette generator! Self explanatory. Go to a colour generator, get two to five colors from there, and do a piece with only those! If you feel up for it, you can even exclude black and white entirely.
this is genuinely my FAVORITE genre of video from you, I absolutely relished in seeing the painting process!! my heart would sing if you’d make more videos like this🔮🔭
This video came at just the right time, I just finish my sketchbook and was decorating the new one most of the day!
you always make me want to draw. ♥
18:40 fantastic tip! I remember I was doodling my hand onto sticky notes in class and I’m still really proud of those so noted (pun unintended)
random shapes challenges where u have to make art out of a buncha small random shapes is a really fun n good warm up that also fills pages, helps with burnout sometimes n can be really colourful!!
other small doodle challenges are also really good for this!
My favorite spread in my sketchbook is from when the power and internet went out. I couldn’t look up references so I took pictures of myself doing silly dances and goofy poses. Then I sketched them with ballpoint pen and added watered down gouache to color. It is a very dynamic, funny, full spread
whenever I'm stuck I like to draw those like, tiktok meme ones. you know, the "draw this feature if you have blue eyes" and etc. I hope you give yourself some good resting time. I love your work!
Just hoping you with time can achieve the industrial oven so you can get as much creative juices with all you love, but we all know that being an artist always means a little chaos and that’s awesome too😉
I also don't have as much time as I would like to draw but one thing I've found that helps me fill out a sketchbook and maintain my skill, is I'll batch drawings.
Like I'll do like 2-3 pages of ruff sketches and then throughout the week will work my way through them, refining as much as they need and then start over the next week.
This way I can be creative and warmed up every day without having to commit the time and energy to take a piece from start to finish every time.
One of my absolute favorite low-effort, low-commitment things to do in my sketchbook if I'm trying to throw more color onto the pages(and ur gonna love this) is sketch in at least 3 different colored ballpoint pens(like, different colors for each sketch, not 3 colors on one sketch unless ur into that), then use a different color highlighter or marker to block in the shading(I also like the Crayola SuperTips, I got more into them bc of your channel actually, but regular highlighters, stuff like the Tombow brush markers or even a quick wash of watercolor works amazing too). It's not adding much extra work if you're just looking to practice or warmup or whatever, but just slapping on some cell shading instantly makes it look like you put more thought into it than you actually did.
I personally always have a couple of those multi-pens on me, Bic makes one with the pink, light green, light blue and purple, and you can find the standard black blue red green ones everywhere. I also really love those brush tip highlighters BIC makes bc they're shorter and thinner than a Tombow so they fit in my pencil bag easier(plus, idk what it is about a tip, but they're way less likely to bleed through the page? Tombow and the Crayola markers are good about this too, where you can go over an area several times without getting shadowing, but some of those cheaper water-based brush markers still bleed through after a few swipes).
I also do my under sketches in colored pencils sometimes, but this one is more bc I have a bunch of short/broken ones knocking around my bag so I just use them bc I have them, the pen/highlighter one looks way better imo. Sorry for the text wall, lmao, oops *laughs in Too Much Gene*
I've missed just her painting and sketch videos . Glad she posted this ❤
I totally get the wanting to build an industrial oven for more pies! I've picked up so many hobbies! When I did a watercolour for my mom recently I was rusty as hell, and spent a while warming up to relearn how to hold everything!
I love the chaos and colours in this painting, and I look forward to seeing more of your art!
I would love a comic from you I would read it I love your story telling and the time you put into details when you make characters it has helped me with my art block. Also take time for yourself since your burnt out maybe a massage, yoga, walk outdoors and spa day keep yourself healthy. Also one day at a time❤🤗
I’m glad you realized how insane your schedule has been this year. Like I’m definitely not complaining whatsoever it’s made many of my weeks this 2023, but the amount of time I’ve told people “how tf has she done aaaall this just the past month?!!” are not few😂
YESSSS!! SKETCHBOOK CONTENT!! Im so so so happy this is coming back, ofc I love everything you do but for me your sketchbook sessions and painting sessions were my favs. PLEASE BRING BACK SKETCHBOOK SESSIONS T-T
I got introduced to your channel through your sketchbook videos, so this is a nice throwback!
i chronically draw and paint jellyfish in my sketchbook and each time i try to include something else into one to make it more interesting , cus they’re soooo pretty but so easy to draw , so jellyfish are always fun to paint !
i dont sketchbook alot but i like making like diaries of my oc's days & just having them answering questions or drawing polaroids i've taken with them instead of me & my friends
ive been here since kira had like 70k and its so cool how her audience and art has grown.
I love the chaos 😭
How- I could never do that even with the help of Vincent Van Gough😭😭it looks so good💖
Lmao fr
Sometimes, when I have some left oover of paint (I use acrylic), I like putting it in my skechbook, and when it's dry, draw my ocs with a bic, and I draw the outline with white posca.
I’ve had an absolute terrible time dealing with a stomach virus (on winter break, no less) thank you so much for this video, I needed whimsical vibes 😭💕
Merch idea: This cover would make an AMAZINGLY satisfying puzzle. Please and thank you!
Love love love you and your work plz Don't worry to much about what content we would and 'fixing' your sketches cause we love your art and you no matter in what shape or form, so take time for yourself to rest and take care of yourself 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
To add more color to my sketchbook, I often use paint swatches from like the home Depot and either do posca paintings on them or draw on them. Also stickers!!
ahhh i really love your character design videos, but it would be so awesome if you did a fun lil video on world building and do some paintings on that! especially with traditional painting or sketching (since for some reason digital painting streams give my eyes fatigue hahaha) like lil world building exercises where you do lil doodles of say a bird in X world, or a cafe or library here, or where one of your OCs works or lives, etc. Idk, i think it would be really darn cute :D
So so happy to see traditional art again!
The amount of shear, raw serotonin I get from watching sketchbook content from this channel is mildly concerning and it's great ✨️😍✨️😍hope you and your executive producer have a wonderful Christmas season 💕🎄
I'd love to see another painting over sketches video
The holidays are delaying the heck out of us watching this, but I can't wait for a delightful Kira art video once we're past all the family visits!
i've done some paper collage illustrations this year, using colored paper and an xacto knife to make super graphic pieces. it's fun to give up the rendered look of paint or pen and focus more on silhouette and proportion in character design.
Some stuff I do to add more color in my sketchbooks is to do highlighter art :D Basically you sketch with a pale highlighter and no pencil, then line with a highlighter and color with a highlighter Its very fun and helps with anatomy
God I love your video's there so peaceful educational and beautiful. I love them. Keep up the great work excited for your next video
two things mention in this video that immediately made me sparkly eyed LOL ummm 1. i was literally JUST coloring with posca markers?? absolutely love those bright opaque girlies!! Sometimes the texture can get a little odd and you have to make sure they're shaken up and ready to go, but overall i love using them in my sketchbook to color block around sketches or add fun bright elements to a dull spread. I hope you get to enjoy them soon! as for the 2nd thing oooomggg i can totally vouch for a secret messy sketchbook, she does wonders. Something about it taking off the pressure of having to show anyone or make it look nice just really brings out unexpected but cool drawings?? it's also great for experimenting with what kinda spreads you might like ^^ and if it goes well, it could be another patreon perk 😌 I've been enjoying all forms of your content this year! But definitely give yourself time to recover lol consistent creativity is very hard. I'm excited for future content as well
You've inspired my sketchbook journey so much!
When I tend to struggle to get going on a page, I put on some media that I enjoy and try to create a piece based on how it makes me feel and what vibes it gives off.
Hope this comment helps in anyways
Ooh ooh ooh!! You could do a character face study of the characters from Firefly!!
One of my favourite things to draw with poscas is birds… birds are so much fun in a chunky opaque style, and they can fit into the blank spots on other pages. Looking froward to seeing what’s in your sketchbook - the cover art is a great teaser.
I love you talking & painting a sketchbook,I never thought of exactly using a sticky note of drawing characters/or a random person,then sticking them to your sketchbook,Apparently I can’t afford Sketchbooks especially like the ones y’all use,so I basically draw/color in my lined paper journal aka a notebook from the store,and I can’t even decorate my covers on my journals,I just found out that I could try to cut a peice of paper to the size of my journal ,though I can add stickers to them/also tape some paper that I drawn on and tape it on the top cover of my journal,also been dealing with Art Block but for the longest time,and then I just get bored of it all & leave it unfinished lol,but this has inspired me to do some art again 🖼️
Honestly I think your perfectionism is a true reflection of your drive as an artist. You won’t stop until your art is what you in-vision! And it always turns out so beautiful! ✨🍄🪲🐍🧋🪻🐈
When I saw the community post about what we wanted more from your channel I was disappointed to find that sketchbook sessions were losing heavily but this painting on ur sketchbook video makes me happy since it’s pretty close 🤎
I may bring back sketchbook sessions once in a while since so many people like them 😅 I just don't know where to put them honestly. I feel like they would be really out of place on my main channel so I may start a second channel for those or put them on Patreon? We'll see!
yay a new sketchbook video! Been really implementing that whole planning out paintings thing in my own art this last year and it really does help. Love, love, love this cover! It's such a cool ensemble and an amazing colour balance!
Ive missed the traditional art I absolutely love this !!!
for me my sketchbook has to be pretty inside and out for me to feel even slightly motivated to work in it so I understand the need to paint the cover (looks insanely gorgeous by the way- the lighting effect on the lanterns and the flower details is so good I need to consume it) and the urge to cover up art I personally do not like or am not proud of. Other artists have tried to put me down for being too "instagram" at times but I find that is what helps me.
also- your physical and mental well being are far more important than a video. I know theres a lot of pressure to upload but you are a human who needs and deserves rest. take more than a few weeks off if you need. Heck, take a few months off if thats how you are feelin
watching all the details come together was soooooooo satisfying oh it's so pretty
coming from someone who currently can only handle making at MOST one video a month, the pace you produce your work at is absolutely unfathomable to me. i hope you get a good solid recharge out of your break!!
(additionally: can anyone tell me what the names of the songs at 4:10 and 23:50 are? i'm assuming they're on epidemic sound and i want to Find Them)
My old friend used to take sticky notes and cut them to different sizes and shapes and paste them to the page and then just draw as usual
Sometimes they'd use the sticky notes to cover the mistake
I always thought it was pretty cool and it added some dimension to the different spreads
They'd also do little doodles and use highlighters in between pieces to connect everything across the pages, so everything looked cohesive and not singular
For me, I often will kinda do practice by redrawing black and white ink sketches by some of my favorite artists, but I color my renditions. Like, for example, I've been referencing the ink sketches of characters by Bruce Timm and coloring them, so I practice a different style while also practicing with color and stuff.
Help the pie analogy has called me out so much
I’ve been doing this thing with my sketchbooks where I look through them and find something from exactly a year ago and redraw it and I don’t know it’s been so incredible to see the progress. I’d love to see something like that done by other artists to see how they handle growth. Love the video Kira, looks amazing as always
Honestly im just here for whatever art your whimsycal mind comes up with
I'd love to see your use of colour on a Monet's Waterlilies-inspired piece. Love your work xx
I like to put down some colored blobs or wavy lines of color with markers, between and in the background of my sketches, then doodle all over them with fine liners. It adds color and kinda unites disjointed sketches by having a cool background
Oh that is a gorgeous sketchbook cover! As soon as I finished your video, I just had to do some sketching myself. Your work just makes me want to join in and be braver with colour honestly.
Regarding exercises/ things to do that help me, I've found that getting a stack of blank stickers (you know, like the small labels for stickers or name tags) and using them as paper has done wonders for me. If they don't work out, you can just use paint pens over them and try again, or just throw them away; much like you've said with post it notes. If they go right, hey! You've got a sticker that you can put anywhere.
Just small drawings in general where you don't necessarily have to do a ton of detail for them and it feels so satisfying. I try to go as small as possible; for example, I've drawn a full body picture of David from The Lost Boys where his face was smaller than a penny and I don't know. Maybe it's the size but it stresses me out way less and just kind of helps get me into the groove I guess?
And drawing fan art (whether that's fan art of OCs or shows/ films I love). I personally lean towards 80s/90s films so the screenshots have that soft kind of fuzz to them, then just focus on the shapes; not details and it really does turn my brain around a bit and just helps so much. And I use a blunt pencil with a soft touch to knock out the initial shapes then build up the details with a sharper pencil. It just feels like less stress is involved. It's way easier to erase and little to no pressure.
Like, I don't know if any of that will help someone else but I hope it does.
Awesome video again. I hope you enjoy your break! You've totally earned it.
I think it would help to set a rotating schedule of working in your sketchbook, digital designs, clothing, and props. If you still want to do a video a week it could be you do one of each type during the month or maybe you split the seasons into a month of one, then another etc. Whatever you do I can't wait to follow and encourage your growth!
So excited for the sketchbook tour
my go to sketchbook thing lately has been gel pens, like I'll fill a page with head studies each done with a different color and then I'll go back over each of them with a different color to do line art oh and filling things in with waterbased markers. It's reached the point that I hardly use graphite any more because I just like how colorful everything is. I also find that I like spiral bounds best because it feels less "important" like it doesn't matter if there are crappy pages I can always tear them out, hard bound makes me feel like every page needs to be it's own finished illustration for some reason
Obsessed with your art style! Several of my characters' main outfits are based on stuff I've seen you draw. (Though some don't quite fit because I was a character design noob... one is a 3000 year old immortal who has had any joy for life thoroughly beaten out of her by time and her inability to die... who typically wears twin red braids, a bright green sweater, and very colorful overalls embroidered with cute little mushrooms)
I’m fond of colored lead mechanical pencils for sketching and using colored paper to get out of my own head
It came out so cool! I love how you paint flowers!! ❤
In my sketchbook I like to do grab 2 colors (like red & blue) & do some lighting studies. It good practice & add some visual interest to my sketchbook🌻
I'm getting metal rock album cover vibes. Would be totally cool to get your take on those 80s rock album covers.