Tag: Japanese Watercolors

My Watercolour Sketch a Day project has now entered its 8th year. When I complete today’s sketch, I will have been doing a watercolour sketch a day for 7 years 135 days straight.

Here are a few recent sketches…

Materials used:

Sketchbook: Pleinly 300GSM 100% Cotton Cold Press paper (a real delight to use)!

Paints: Kuretake Gansai Tambi; Sumikondo; Daniel Smith, & Winsor & Newton

Brushes: Aquawash & Neef

Other: Uniball White Gel Pen; Uni-Pin Fineliner

Still thoroughly enjoying the journey. I am going to start to attempt to expand the subject matter in these daily sketches. In the past, I haven’t done many sketches with things like reflections, people especially. I would also love to ‘loosen up’ more, as I feel my lines are still too straight. I’ll keep working on that!

I always find it interesting when some people I know, and some I don’t know, say, ‘I don’t have time to sketch or paint.’

Obviously, I don’t know what their lives are like fully, so it’s hard to say to people, ‘if you really want to do something, you need to prioritise it.’

I approach it this way. We are often waiting for things, e.g., in Waiting Rooms, in queues, and what do people use to fill that time in the modern world…the Smartphone. How about purchasing an A6 sketchbook and carrying any sort of pen or pencil with you? In those Waiting rooms, you could be doodling, sketching. Just a bit of fun. 🙂

What are the positives of this new habit?

• You get to have some fun!
• It gets you away from your screen
• It may develop into a hobby/interest
• It is relaxing as it diverts your mind from the problems/challenges of the day

Your new activity is something personal to you, i.e., you don’t have to show anyone your creations, or you can. Its totally up to you. 🙂

Happy Sketching! 🙂

Till next time!

Written, sketched and painted by David Johnson

13 June 2026