Do you see amazingly illustrated travel journals online and wish you could travel and sketch there? The thing is: you don’t have to travel far to make beautiful memories! Those short trips or daily mundane things become extra special when you record them in your journal. With sketches, illustrations, hand lettering and watercolor. But where to start?

That’s exactly what you learn in this online Sketch Journaling course! From the comfort of your own chair, you learn to find inspiration everywhere, and to draw on location. Which you can also do if you do travel of course! Suddenly, you find yourself in a creative paradise no matter what the location is. And the best thing is: in this course we will take you on a tour through the beautiful city of Amsterdam.

We help you get over that creative fear

“Where do I start? I can’t draw at all! What if I mess up my sketchbook?”. We often hear that people find it difficult to start, or when drawings fail. Because of course you want the page to be beautiful! That is why we start with the basics and build on this with each assignment. Step by step you learn how to illustrate, about hand lettering, watercoloring, urban sketching and composition. We teach you how to observe your surroundings and above all: to just go out and start drawing! Before you know it, you will also be making the most beautiful pages. Pinky promise!

“How awesome to view your surroundings in this way! Now those little things really catch my eye”

You will learn about the following topics :

• Illustration, hand lettering and urban sketching
• Recognizing and working from basic shapes
• Depth, shadow and contrast
• Watercolors and color theory
• Gathering inspiration
• Layout and composition
• Letting go of perfectionism and just start!

Who are your teachers?

In this online course you will be taught by Anne (@goudenlijntjes) & Nienke (@nienkevletter). We are known as an enthusiastic, energetic, creative duo. We have extensive experience in hosting workshops, and are very happy when we can share our creative knowledge with you. We both have a somewhat different style, which is precisely what makes these workshops so much fun. You really get the best of both worlds!

“You two are such a great combination! Your enthusiasm is contagious.”

The Sketch Journaling course in short:

• 10 videos filled with tips, tricks and step-by-step instructions
• Tips about drawing, use of materials and turn your observations into illustrations
• For beginners as well as intermediate level creatives
• Lots of homework assignments to put all the theory into practice
• All videos are available right away and you can watch them as often as you want to
• Work independently, with the guidance of videos and homework assignments

I don’t know if I can draw well enough…what level is this course?

You do not have to be an experienced illustrator to be able to join this course. Otherwise you wouldn’t need this course 😉 We’ll teach you everything, from the basic to more challenging subjects. In this course we mainly focus on beginner and intermediate level. So if you do already have some experience drawing, we’re convinced this course will help you grow creatively as well.

How much time will this course take me?

As soon as you join this course, you get access to all the videos for 6 months! You can then watch them in whatever pace suits you. Do you want to binge-watch all the lessons in one weekend, or watch one video every week? We do advise you to take plenty of time to practice the homework assignments. That way you will learn the most. And of course you can watch and rewatch all the videos as many times as you want to. And that 6-month deadline? That’s a deliberate choice. We know from much experience that it’ll help you to not procrastinate for too long and really get started!

Can I get feedback on my homework?

We don’t offer personal feedback on homework assignments in this course. That is also why this English course has a lower fee than the Dutch edition (lucky you :).

Do you have a practical question about the course? Sent an e-mail to hello@nienkevletter.com and we will answer you within a few business days!

Can I connect to other participants?

You can via social media! Over the last 2 years participants have shared their work using the hashtag #SketchJournalingNL. It’s a great way you see what others make, get inspired and comment on each other.

But remember: everyone is on a different point in their creative journey. Maybe you are just starting out and the work you see online might be from someone with 5 years of drawing experience. So use it as an inspiration where you can grow to. Comparing yourself to others is the only thing we forbid in this course ;-).

Will you join us? This course is definitely for you, if you:

• are admiring all those beautiful journals online and wish you could fill a sketchbook like that
• love drawing, but don’t know where to start on that daunting empty page
• have always wanted to start illustrating, but think you can’t draw (hint: we will teach you!)
• already have some experience drawing, but want to do it more often
• want to learn how to put all your inspiration onto paper in a good looking composition
• like to work independently, but have two energetic teachers guiding you through the process
• run into perfectionism and therefore have several semi-finished sketchbooks lying around
• want to enjoy your surroundings more consciously and capture beautiful memories
• want to pursue a hobby in the fresh air – or from your lazy chair!
• want to treat yourself to some creative time just for you
• are going on vacation and want to create a unique memory of that trip
• are not going on vacation, but want to document the little things that make life special 🙂