Review: Sketchbook Joy

Title: Sketchbook Joy: How to Embrace Your Creativity and Fill Your Sketchbooks with Colour
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Katie Moody
Illustrator: Katie Moody
Publish Date: Mar 4, 2025
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Leaping Hare
Genre: Arts & Photography
Age: 16+
Started Reading: February 21, 2025
Finished Reading: February 24, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Creativity exists in everyone!

Find joy in this inspiring, beautiful and uplifting art instruction book from sketchbook lover, tutor and artist Katie Moody.

Art can be accessible, so much fun and positive for your mental health, mindfulness, and memory. Kickstart your creative journey with this exciting guide to developing your art skills every day through your sketchbook.

Even if you are sparkling brand new to art, Sketchbook Joy’s aspirational prompts will encourage you to unlock your creativity and fill your very own gorgeous sketchbook to cherish.

Learn how to paint through the accessible medium of fun gouache and explore the expressive joy of mixed media by drawing in pastels & pencils.

Be excited by unique examples and ideas from artist Katie Moody’s stunning illustrations, and explore:

• Essential sketchbook supplies and how to use them
• Basic painting and drawing techniques
• Colour theory
• Sketching things around you
• Projects that include botanicals, birds, rural landscapes, urban scenes, and painting from your window (or phone)
• Ideas and way of filling your sketchbook
• Tips for building a creative practice and making time for it – and you

Discover your inner creative, enjoy the process, and sketchbook your way to joyful wellbeing.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

This book is a great one for those who are starting out their art journey. As a beginner I find I often fall to the same pitfalls talked about in this book, wanting perfection, things not going as well as I want or imagine. Katie helps you give yourself permission to just have fun with your art. Going through mediums, inspirations, beginning colour theory, she gives you everything you need to get you started with just making art. The projects at the end help give a starting point, walk you through a new technique, or just a group of ideas to look through if you find yourself stuck for what to sketch. A wonderful resource to help you fill up your sketchbooks. I read this e-book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A lovely resource for those starting out on their art journey.