The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us

Blog

Taking Time to Live Well

  • All
  • Chalkboard
  • Christmas
  • Competition
  • could do
  • Eating
  • Escape
  • Escaping
  • Fresh
  • Fun
  • gardening
  • Gathered
  • Gathering
  • Growing
  • Haikus
  • Interview
  • Living
  • Looking back
  • Magazine
  • magical creatures
  • Making
  • Miscellany
  • My Neighbourhood
  • Nature
  • Nest
  • Nesting
  • outing
  • playlist
  • Reader event
  • Reader offer
  • Shop
  • Sponsored post
  • Sunday Best
  • Think
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellbeing
  • Wisdom
Illustration: Jennie Maizels

Illustration: Jennie Maizels

Friday Sketchbook Club | Spring Banner

Iona Bower April 3, 2020

Welcome to Friday Art Club! We’ve teamed up with illustrator Jennie Maizels to bring you a sketchbook project to do every Friday for the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy them.

Jennie started Sketchbook Club because she believes that ANYONE can draw. So whether drawing is a long-lost love of yours or you haven’t picked up a colouring pencil since school, do have a go. Jennie’s principle is that if we treat Art like any other creative pastime and follow simple instructions, just like a recipe, we would all be drawing as much as we are baking, sewing and knitting.

Each module comes with instructions, a ‘How to’ video, reference material and often, templates which you can ‘transfer’. They have been carefully designed to suit all ages and abilities. Young children, grandparents and whole families or groups of friends are all drawing and painting together as a result of Sketchbook Club.
 
A note on materials: Originally designed to introduce a plethora of different paints, collage and methods. All modules can be altered to use what you have available - Just substitute as you like / need.

Let’s get started! You can watch the Spring Banner video tutorial and use Jennie’s references to copy or trace. There are flowers and wreaths references, rabbits and birds references and references to trace and copy for the lettering all here. Just click to download and print.
 

You will need (if you have them):

HB pencil
Rubber
Size 1 and size 6 paintbrushes
Watercolour paints
Coloured pencils
White gouache paint (optional)

How to create your Spring Banner picture

  1. Start by transferring your chosen lettering to your Sketchbook by drawing over the whole of the reversed text image with a firm HB pencil.Turn the paper over and position the text on your page and scribble over the back with a lead pencil firmly, making sure it doesn’t move around too much.

  2. Now, using watercolours, start to add colour. You can always add shading, shadows or decorations with coloured pencils later.

  3. Once your lettering is complete you can start to draw in your decorative surround. Firstly, transfer any rabbits and birds using the method above, then if you are nervous going straight to paint, lightly draw in all your squirls and stem positions. To make it symmetrical, transfer a rabbit or a bird on one side then repeat on the other. Do this with the flowers and leaves too.

  4. Once you are happy with the decorative surround and the birds and rabbits, start to add some lovely colour. If you are brave enough, leaves do look better if painted straight on with watercolours. You may also want to add another layer of watercolours for the flowers so they cover the leaves and maybe some further details on the leaves and birds too?

  5. You might also like to add a few white highlights using gouache paint. Do this using little swipes of your size-one brush on the lettering, petals and leaves.

  6. Finally, if you would like, add some coloured pencil details. Jennie added all the shading, ears and whiskers etc. on the rabbits and feather details on the birds and some darker sections of leaves and flowers, too. Jennie also added shadows to the lettering and the tiny words as well.

There are many more modules available on Jennie’s website, Sketchbook Club (only £4 each.), where you can also buy art kits and supplies. For more inspiration, you can follow Jennie on Instagram @jenniemaizels or visit the website jenniemaizels.com. Look out for another Friday Sketchbook Club project with Jennie here next week.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

From our April issue…

Featured
Picnic Pie Catherine Frawley.JPG
Apr 18, 2020
Recipe | a picnic pie for the garden
Apr 18, 2020
Apr 18, 2020
Ellen's cookbook Kirstie Young.jpg
Apr 15, 2020
Make | a hand-me-down recipe book
Apr 15, 2020
Apr 15, 2020
Newts Zuza Misko.JPG
Apr 7, 2020
Romantic introverts | the newt
Apr 7, 2020
Apr 7, 2020

More art for art’s sake…

Featured
poundedflowerart.jpg
Jul 3, 2022
Make | Pounded Flower Art
Jul 3, 2022
Jul 3, 2022
Kelpies statue Alamy.jpg
Nov 2, 2021
Visit | Giant Statues
Nov 2, 2021
Nov 2, 2021
sketchbook club botanicals.JPG
Apr 24, 2020
Friday Sketchbook Club | Botanicals
Apr 24, 2020
Apr 24, 2020
InFun Tagssketchbook club, spring, art, painting, drawing
  • Blog
  • Older
  • Newer
Featured
  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
Join our Newsletter
Name
Email *

We respect your privacy and won't share your data.

email marketing by activecampaign
facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram
  • Subscriber Login
  • Stockists
  • Advertise
  • Contact

The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram