Inside the Sketchbook of Yiwei Xu

Yiwei Xu is a Chinese-born artist based in London and Kent whose work explores the sensory power of nature and the peace found in its impermanence. In this article, we take a look inside her vivid and expressive sketchbooks, where she finds freedom in unhindered self-expression. Yiwei discusses how her sketches evoke memories, the tactile process of selecting her materials, as well as her philosophy of approaching creativity without being bound by the burden of expectation.     Inside the Sketchbook of Yiwei Xu Sketchbooks used to be my biggest comfort zone in my practice. There are no limitations, no specific methods to follow, no standard of what’s right or wrong – I’m free to mess things up. Flipping open a sketchbook, I don’t have to be skilful or professional; the only thing I need to think about is being myself – what I want to see, what I want to record, what I care about. During that time, my sketchbooks were full of random, personal subjects.     I don’t have a specific preference when choosing sketchbooks, but I do enjoy picking one in person. That way, I can feel the texture of the paper and imagine the feeling …

The post Inside the Sketchbook of Yiwei Xu appeared first on  Jackson’s Art Blog.

Continue reading

Inside the Sketchbook of Katie Moody

Katie Moody is a mixed media artist based on the south coast of England. Her work takes a joyful approach to absorbing the world around her, favouring playfulness and experimentation over the pursuit of perfection. In this article, she discusses the vastly important role sketchbooks play for her as an artist, the broad range of materials she uses, and how her intuitive approach leads to finished pieces within her sketchbooks.     Inside the Sketchbook of Katie Moody I have so many sketchbooks on the go! I fill them all with a variety of subjects rather than ones with specific themes, though I do love the idea of seeing the progression more clearly that way. They are very mixed, and I reach for them based on media and size. There are some I know work better with wet mediums, with paper that holds up to the amount of layers and materials I throw at it. Others work better with thicker paint layers or dry materials.     Most have smooth hot-pressed paper, which I love for brush pens. Sometimes I just want something small that’s easy to carry when I’m drawing outside. I have many half-filled sketchbooks, but they’ll get …

The post Inside the Sketchbook of Katie Moody appeared first on  Jackson’s Art Blog.

Continue reading