Pages from two Strathmore Watercolor Notepads

Hi guys!

I know it's been a while so I'll give you two pages from two different sketchpads (from the same Strathmore family). I recently created a Tumblr account and so have been posting a lot of my notebook/sketchbook pages there. I wanted to share with you one of my first watercolor sketchbooks of this year.

Until this year, I would hardly sketch a smaller version of any painting in an actual sketchbook before tackling the larger piece. I would just spend more time on the under-drawing for the actual painting but I had acquired these watercolor sketchbooks last year and decided to hone my drawing skills, play with techniques and actually journal in some of them. It's been SO much fun!

This is an A5 (5 1/2 x 8 1/2) Stratmore 400 Series hardbound sketchpad with 140 lb cold-press watercolor paper. I use this notebook exclusively for exploring flowers in watercolor. I love these so much that I bought two in this size from Michaels, and gave one to an artist friend (they make awesome gifts!)

In one of my larger lettersize Stratmore, I will be doing mainly portrait sketches. I have only done about 10 portraits in all the nine years I have been painting, mainly because I was a little intimidated, to be honest. The way you see people may not be the way they see themselves and I always feared that I would not get the "personality" or "spirit" of the subject just as much as the accuracy of features. I have done two portraits of Bob Marley, one of my sister, one of her in-laws, one of a colleague at the Gleaner and sketches of my parents but little else (ee portraits at www.wandekagayle.com) and yet, I had never finished a self portrait! It was such a strange and interesting way to "see" oneself but I really like this loose sketch I did last night.

Favorite things:

I LOVE the rough texture of the paper. It's cold press but it also feels a little coarser than other paper with a similar weight. It may not be ideal for doing finely detailed work but I enjoy watching the watercolor do it's thing on these pages.

I love the hardcover binding. I also have the small spiral bound notebooks, but those I use as just paper-sources for individual work rather than a journal-type collection of drawings.

Thanks for stopping by:
Also, please check out my YouTube channel for art journaling, watercolor and acrylic demonstrations and my Facebook Art Page.