Cassandra, aka ‘Bookbinding with Cass’, and I usually teach together at the fabulous Arienas Collective but this is our first online offering and I am so excited to share this with you.

We have loads of online tutorials which will equip you with the skills to create a set of handmade sketchbooks and inspire you to start using them with a mix of fine liner and watercolour straight away!

During lockdown Cass and I have come to appreciate the everyday, particularly our beloved house plants and the nature on our doorstep. This series of pre-recorded video tutorials will encourage you to work with what’s around you and get creative in your own space, in your own time.

Cass will guide you on how to make a handy, refillable book case, ideal for sketching on the go, with the added benefit of being multi-use – the inserts are interchangeable so you can re-jig the inside depending on what you want to sketch on that day. There’ll also be chance to make a cut and fold concertina book and a series of stitched sketchbooks made up of different types of paper to add colour and texture to your sketching. Cass will also share a nifty technique for stitching single signature sketchbooks together once they have been filled – a great way to collate your work and keep it in one place!

I will join in throughout the bookmaking to share tips and ideas for adding a personal touch to your books and watercolour washes to your paper – a great way to take a way that blank page fear in preparation for sketching.

Once your books are complete I will then take you through a number of drawing exercises that will focus mainly on pot plants you have in and around your house, and the exterior of your home. This will involve working with an ink pen and watercolour set, exploring tone, light and shading to discover your own style and create sketches full of character.

Kits and links to our selection of online tutorials will be sent out on 5th October. All participants are invited to join a Zoom sharing event on Monday 26th October, 6-7.30pm, where you can ask questions, share your work and get hints and tips for your bookbinding & sketching practice.

Workshop costs £80 – £130 depending on whether you would like an accompanying materials/tool kit.

For more information and to book your place see this event listing on the Arienas Collective website.