Start here / An online art community for beginners
An online art community for beginners
A friendly place to draw alongside other people, with no pressure to be good. Come as you are, with whatever materials you have.
The short answer
The Sketchbook Circle is a small online community where beginners draw together on Thursday evenings, with a teacher who shows you each step. You do not need to be good, or to have an art style. You just need to turn up with a pencil.
Why draw with other people?
Most beginners do not stop drawing because they lack talent. They stop because they are on their own, and the blank page wins. Having a time in your week, a group to draw with and someone to tell you what to try next makes it far easier to keep going.
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You have a regular time to sit down and draw.
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You never have to decide what to draw.
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You see other beginners making things, and that helps with the fear of getting it wrong.
What happens inside
Every Thursday at 6 PM UK time, we meet live online and draw together. Each month has a theme, and there is an artist study so you learn from a real sketchbook artist as well as from me. Here is what this month looks like.
Is it for you?
It is for you if any of these sound familiar:
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You want to draw more but never seem to find the time.
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You have a drawer of art supplies you feel guilty about.
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You are worried your drawings are not good enough to share.
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You would like to meet kind people who also love making things.
It is probably not for you if you want a fast route to a professional portfolio.
This is about enjoying the process and building a habit.
Two ways to join
Not sure yet?
Start with the free email course, or read the guide on how to begin a sketchbook. You can join the community whenever you feel ready.
Try this today
Open any notebook and draw your mug in five minutes. That is what most artists start with.
Questions people ask
Keep going
Sketchbook Ideas and Prompts
Never stare at a blank page again
Build a drawing habit
Make sketching part of an ordinary week
How to start a Sketchbook
a calm step by step guide for every page
I am Irene, artist and teacher in Cambridgeshire. I left a career in law to draw for a living, and I still feel a flutter at the first page of every new sketchbook.
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