by Traci Bautista February 11, 2023

INSPIRATION SKETCHBOOK: warm up sketches

Struggling for creative inspiration? One of my favorite ways to jumpstart a painting session is by working on warm up sketches. They are a great way to get your creative juices flowing and practice your artistic skills.

In this video, I share a BTS tour of a creative PLAY session where I worked on multiple substrates and journals creating quick paint mixed media sketches of abstract landscapes. I talk about how you can use warm up sketches to inspire your artwork, with easy to follow tips and techniques. From freestyle mark making, scribbled line drawings and abstract doodles to more complex color layers, I cover a variety of ideas to help you get in the creative mindset.

I’m back in the studio working on a new body of work inspired by my love for travel and the abstracted landscape and inside my INSPIRATION SKETCHBOOK. I give you a peek at a few of the results from my 5-15 min warm up sketchbook exercises. I encourage you to start your studio sessions with a series of short warm up paintings to get you in the flow and ready to paint larger pieces.

So grab your sketchbook, single sheets of paper and mixed media supplies, and let's dive in! Thanks for watching!! 🥰 xo~Traci

JOIN ME for my NEW INSPIRATION SKETCHBOOK course + retreat

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SKETCHING CREATIVE PROCESS

1. Set timer for 5-15 min

2. Grab your materials

3. Select a color palette that toes in with your project theme

4. Spray paper with water or brush on water, then paint watercolor wet in wet

5. Drop ink into the wet layer

6. Scrape a mixture of Titanium white paint mixed with Golden Super Matte Medium

7. Scribble marks into the wet paint with water soluble pencils and media

TIPS:

- Work on multiple pieces at a time, and move from piece to piece as you make marks

- Don’t waste your time using a hair dryer instead move one painting aside to dry and keep working

- Experiment with different color palettes 🎨

- I like to use different substrates and sketchbooks to test the papers

- You might want to use a spray fixative like Spectrafix to coat the page if you use loose pastels

- Hang these practice pieces on your inspiration board

INSPIRATION SKETCHBOOK COURSE

NEW FOR 2023!! INSPIRATION SKETCHBOOK course guides artists and designers through a proven step-by-step CREATIVE PROCESS & roadmap to create their next body of work or collection with confidence.

You’ll spend your time diving into video tutorials, Q&As, artist mindset, painting sessions, ideation, and exploring sketchbook exercises to jumpstart your creative project. PLUS get BONUS access to the 3-hr virtual retreat!

By the end of this course and retreat, you will have brainstormed an idea for your next creative project. Mind mapped your collection idea, researched your theme, created a color palettes with paints & inks, digital color palettes from photos, explored mixed media techniques and sketchbook prompts, designed a digital mood board in Procreate…and so much more!

You’ll walk away with a series of sketches, ideas and strategies to create a consistent art practice and a plan to complete your next artwork series.

MOST OF ALL...you'll have a creative ROADMAP to guide you as you create your project or collection!

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