Sketchbook

Drawing practices from my sketchbook. 

Soul Journal Page

 

~Ansota~ 

Be Gentle to Yourself.

Double page spread from my art journal. Be gentle and kind to yourself.

~Ansota~

Search for Meaning

SearchforMeaning, a photo by Ansota on Flickr.

I have been reading the book by Frankl, Man's search for meaning. Raised all kinds of questions and I have been searching within to find some answers too. Wonderful book about the human nature.

Focus

Sometimes you need to go for a walk early in the morning to set your equilibrium for the day ahead. It helps you to focus on the things that are important.

Page from my Moleskine Watercolor journal.

Ansota

Pending

Page from my Moleskine Watercolor Journal.

Ansota

Forsaken

I use this image as a screensaver on my computer. I did the drawing of her with ballpoint pens and the background with a watercolor wash.

Ansota

Butterfly with Ballpoint Pen

Done in only ballpoint pen.

Ansota

Lighthouse

Black ballpoint pen in A4 Moleskine Watercolor Journal. The paper in my Moleskine is perfect for ballpoint sketches. I completed the sketch first and then did a layer with sepia ink colorwash.

I completed this sketch a while back and didn't quite know what else to do on the page so I just let it be. Today while I was pageing through my journal I heard the song Lighthouse playing on the radio which gave me the idea to finish this page with the lyrics which fits my sketch perfectly.

Ansota

Shoes

From my Drawing Journal and done with Lyra Rembrandt-Polycolor pencils. I don't get the chance to wear these shoes often but I  love them!

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Madame Zingara

Me and all my co-workers went to see Madame Zingara last Wednesday night and had a great evening! Great show and good food and only came back after twelve. We all went with a mini-bus and these two pages illustrate the evening. From my Illustrated Daily Journal.

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Getting Whimsical

Just playing a bit with watercolors and markers. Doodling is good for you! :)

Ansota

Moleskine Drawing

From my small A5 size moleskine and done with pen and pencil.

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Art Journal Pages

Random pictures off pages from different journals I am currently working on.
Owl was done with colored pencils on paper. I cut it out and glued it onto the pages.

 

Watercolor pencils

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Ballpoint pen and colored pencils

The two pages above were done with an ordinary ballpoint pen.

©Ansota

Drawing with Pens

Pen and colored pencil.

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Pages From My Everyday Matters Daily Journal

Wow, time flies! Can't believe my last post was on the 6th of March. Following are some of my pages about everyday life. My way of visual journaling about me, my day, things around me and things that I read, hear or do.

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What is an Art Journal?

There are so many ways one can look at an art journal and to every person it has a different meaning and they also treat their journals differently. I think one thing we all have in common is that our art journal is a place where we can explore our own creativity in our own unique way. 

There are so many different things one can do. You can paste pictures and objects, you can draw, paint, collage and really do anything your heart desires because there are no rules.

I think the biggest obstacle to overcome is to try and create the perfect page. Art journaling should never be about creating perfect art.  It is about experimenting, working out feelings, exploring different techniques, discover how different colors communicate with each other, shapes, forms, shadows, and all of this in a way only you can do it. 

We get so discouraged when we look at other people's art and then we get so demotivated because we think we will never be able to create those masterpieces but we are wrong! Don't get too hung up about your work and don't worry about the outcome. Simply keep exploring! Keep playing and don't you ever stop because beauty is just an illusion which there is no answer to. What makes something beautiful or ugly? Is there a correct answer for this? No! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder is it not? 

I have seen many online journal pages. Some with the most beautiful layouts and some with the most beautiful paintings or drawings but then there are some with only a picture from a magazine or maybe a small sketch and some writing to accompany it and sometimes it is those 'imperfect'  pages that touches my soul. The ones that tell me something about the feelings that person was feeling on that specific day or a place they have been.  It can be the color of the page or just one word but the bottom line is the emotion a page projects and that is what really touches me. I think that is what art journaling should be. It must be a book that tells as something about the life with all it's struggles and laughter. It is a journey through life in a creative way.

So keep on doodling, make lists, paint, collage, write and express yourself. Fill your pages with your way of doing it. Make your own rules, create your own sacred place within these pages and leave your marks because it is your way of doing it and no one on earth can do it the way you do it and that my friends is what makes you unique! You are the king of your own castle so enjoy the process. Live your life to the fullest and do whatever you want to do in your journal.

Happy journaling!

Here are some of my pages that I have been busy with  this week. 

©Ansota

Creative Doodling

More of my doodling pages.

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Everyday Matters #6

 During lunchtime and she was totally unaware that I was sketching her. I love these quick little sketches because I have limited time and it forces me to just trust my ability to draw without thinking about the end result.

And another quick one which I did the other night while watching the president's speech on TV.

©Ansota

Everyday Matters #5

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