My Sketchbook Practice

  • A watercolor painting of a rural garden scene with a woman walking among tall yellow and pink flowers, a white house with a red-tiled roof in the background, and lush green trees and bushes surrounding the area.

    On location in Portugal

  • A watercolor painting of a coastal scene in Mallorca with rocky cliffs, trees, pink flowers in the foreground, and a lighthouse on a hill in the background.

    On location in Mallorca

  • Hand-drawn illustration of a woman in a wide-brimmed hat watering flowers in a garden with pink, yellow, purple, and orange flowers.

    In the Garden

  • Watercolor landscape of two lakesides with boats, grass, and trees, in a sketchbook.

    Mannintree in the Winter

  • A watercolor painting of a child in a green raincoat and striped shoes at the beach, walking along the shoreline next to a large boat, in a sketchbook. The sky is light blue with few clouds, and the scene is calm and serene.

    Exploring Mersea Island

  • Watercolor painting of a person reading a newspaper on a bench in a lush garden with trees, plants, and wooden frames, under a cloudy sky. Travel sketchbook

    On location in Portugal

  • Drawing of a person wearing a hoodie and beanie riding a scooter in various positions and angles.

    Scooting

  • A watercolor illustration of a child picking apples in September on the left and a cluster of ripe cherry tomatoes on the vine on the right.

    Picking apples and tomatoes

  • Watercolor painting of pink poppies and strawberry plants with green leaves in a sketchbook

    Poppies and strawberries

  • Watercolor painting of a lush green landscape with trees, grass, and a small body of water reflecting the trees in a sketchbook

    Location painting in Little Clacton

  • Watercolor illustrations of five different wildflowers, labeled from left to right: wild geranium, cosmos, rock rose, umbrella milkweed, and another yellow flower in a sketchbook

    Flower Studies

  • Hand-painted illustration of various potted flowers on a windowsill and a hand holding a bouquet of mixed flowers. The illustration is labeled 'Studio flowers April 2023' at the top left corner.

    Spring Flowers

  • Two botanical illustrations of flowering plants side by side. The left depicts a plant with pink and red flowers, labeled 'hollyhocks'. The right shows a plant with green round leaves and small orange, pink, and yellow flowers, labeled 'nasturium July' in red.

    hollyhocks and nasturtiums

My sketchbook practice is a cornerstone of my development as an illustrator, serving as an essential space for exploration and idea generation. I view my sketchbooks as creative hubs; places where I experiment with new concepts, capture fleeting moments, and refine techniques. Whether I’m sourcing reference images of children playing, brainstorming a new painting tutorial, or experimenting with mixed media, my sketchbooks are always my first point of reference.

I work across multiple sketchbooks at once: one dedicated to full color paintings on thicker paper, another filled with rough black and white sketches, and a third focused on preliminary ideas and notes for client projects. I draw inspiration from nature, travel, the ever-changing landscape of East Anglia, the seasons, and my son, all of which inform my work. In my sketchbooks, I frequently use gouache, watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, and Artgraf to bring my ideas to life.

Below, you can take a virtual tour through my sketchbooks and witness the creative journey firsthand.

Additionally, I’ve written Keeping a Creative Sketchbook, published by Running Press, which explores the importance of sketchbooks for any creative. If you’re interested in developing your own sketchbook practice, I also run a dedicated Patreon account where I share insights and techniques to help fellow artists grow.