Starting a proper YouTube channel
has been something that I had been talking about for a few years but it wasn’t
until the end of 2023 that I actually began taking action. I had been speaking
at an event and had made some films as part of the presentation so decided to
publish them as a starting point.
Making films takes time, it is
something that is always said but it is really true. Filming is only a small
part - planning, writing, editing, voiceovers, even the publishing process means that it
is a big investment. My plan was that, by sharing sketchbooks, travel
and drawing tips, I would increase my workshop bookings. I also felt that it in
the longer term it might be a way to earn an income if I managed to reach the
monetisation threshold. I knew it would have to be a long game, two to three
years seemed an amount of time to invest that might recoup rewards.
The great thing about the
platform is the amount of data that you have access so I can measure my
progress. These are my numbers at the time of writing:
Numbers of videos - 31
Number of YouTube subscribers - 4101
Number of views - 98.3K
So, I am doing well but still
have a way to go. I know that I just need to keep on keeping on. The one thing
that I haven’t done so far is appear in front of the camera. I’ve shown the
view of the world through my eyes for vlogs and shown my hands at work but I
have resisted doing a direct to camera piece. I’ve never even done those for
Instagram so it would be quite a jump for me. Why this reticence? What am I
afraid of? Being mocked? By who? My immediate family are hugely supportive so
no one else really matters. But being visible as an older woman and not a
glamourous one, still feels difficult. So that is my next challenge.
I am not interested in talking
about aging itself, I want to focus on drawing. I always say that I have
sketched my way through the menopause. Half jokingly, half true. I suppose I
want to show other people what adding drawing into their lives can do. It can
help to slow you down, have peaceful moments, travel, connect with others with the
same interest, look at the world and really see it.
I have made a list of some of
the women, from a whole range of ages, that I have been looking at and learning
from on the channel and am sharing them below. Just click on their name to be
taken to their channel.
I would love to know your
recommendations too!
The Business Side of YouTube
An Older Perspective
Patricia Brooks -
The Courage Catalyst
Life + Home
Clothes + Style
Artists + Illustrators
Entertainment
I am delighted to say that I will be doing a free lunchtime
sketching session on Zoom with the fabulous Ohn Mar Win in January! We will be
drawing from my photos taken in Portugal and it would be great if you are able
to join us.
Click here for the link to sign up for the session.
These are the selection of the photos that we will be working from:
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| My first thumbnail layout for the new zine |
I am in the process of making a new zine based on my travels in 2023. As I drew in a variety of different sized sketchbooks there are quite a few edits and adjustments to make. I am using Photoshop and InDesign to put the zine together as I used for a previous zine. You can read about previous attempts here and here.
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| The settings I used to scan the images |
I started by making a layout, with thumbnail of each of the spreads. This gave me an idea for the flow of the zine. Then I scanned the sketchbook pages and cleaned them up in Photoshop.
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| The template for the zine spread |
I made a master template for the double page spread size,
including an area of bleed for the printing
process.
Once I was happy with the layout, I placed the spread into
InDesign. Here are some examples of how they look. I need to add handwritten text
too but I felt that the images should be the focus first. The writing will be based
on notes I made at the time of the trips and also something about the colours I
used on location.
The places featured are Toulouse, Barcelona, Locarno, Leicester and Santiago de Compostela.
The plan is to have it ready by the end of February so it is available in early Spring in my Etsy shop.
I have started adding more videos to my YouTube Channel. Here are titles of the latest ones, I hope to make a lot more. Please let me know if there is anything particular that you would like me to make a video about.
Click here to link to the Channel.
January
Worked on: Map and watercolour illustration for
client
Sketched: At the V&A and the Wallace Collection
Inspired by: Curtis Holder exhibition at the
National Theatre
February
Worked on: Admin and promoting illustration work
Sketched: In Tonbridge, Kew Gardens, Chelsea
Harbour and Kings Stairs Gardens
Started mentoring sessions from Adé Bolaji at
the studio
March
Worked on: Maps and watercolour illustrations
for client
Sketched: In Cambridge
Took part in a photo shoot at Jackson’s Art for upcoming article
April
Worked on: B&W line illustrations for
client, started UK Export Webinar Series
Sketched: At the Barbican, Shoreditch and Broadgate
Inspired by: Workshop with Rob Ryan at House of
Hackney
May
Worked on: UK Export Webinar Series
Sketched: In Toulouse
Took part in a Zoom call to sketchers in China with Jenny from Chicago
Applied for the RA Renee Gailhoustet Residency
June
Worked on: Watercolour illustrations for client,
B&W line illustrations for client
Sketched: In Barcelona and London
Inspired by: Workshops with Maru Godas and Marina Grenchanik
July
Worked on: B&W illustrations for client,
roughs for watercolour map illustrations for client
Sketched: In Crystal Palace Park, Intragna and Locarno
Inspired by: Artists workshops in
Switzerland
August
Worked on: Map watercolour illustrations for
client, house portrait for client, watercolour travel illustrations for client,
B&W line plus digital colour illustrations for client
Sketched: In Brussels and Leicester
Inspired by: Jean Julien exhibition at MIMA Brussels
Started to send regular ‘Pencilbooth’ notes to email list
September
Worked on: Maps and watercolour illustrations
for client, changes to where I share and sell online
Sketched: In Stratford-upon-Avon
Gave workshops to students at the London
Metropolitan University
October
Worked on: Maps and watercolour illustrations
for client, travel illustrations for client, started making videos at the
studio
Sketched: At Farringdon and the Barbican
Gave workshops to students at the London
Metropolitan University
November
Worked on: Watercolour illustration for client
Sketched: In Santiago de Compostela
Talked to Lana Lé on her Instagram series‘Artist Chats’
Went to ‘What is drawing research?’ symposium at
Birmingham Art College
Put an entry in for the V&A Illustration Awards
December
Worked on: Maps and watercolour illustrations
for client, B&W rough for client
Inspired by: Victoria Semykina and
signed up to her Patreon
Business Away Day reviewing the year and
planning for 2024
Received copies of 'Draw' and 'The Beginner's Guide to Urban Sketching' both of which contain some of my sketches
