Collaboration with ProArte Brushes

I am so excited to announce that I have collaborated with ProArte brushes on my own range of paintbrushes! This is such a dream come true. I have been using ProArte brushes for over 10 years, they are the only brush I use, and I love their quality and versatility. It’s been so wonderful to be able to design my own range of brushes specifically for gouache. The synthetic Prolene hair in these brushes has the perfect amount of spring to control the thicker consistency of gouache, but the softness create beautifully expressive brushstrokes. These brushes are so versatile, they also work great for watercolour, ink, and acrylics, which is perfect for mixed media artists. 

The brushes in the set aren’t available anywhere else, everything from the choice of hair, the size of the brush and the shape of the bristles has all been made to my specifications. They are such a joy to use and I can’t wait for you to try them! They will be officially launching on the 23rd of May, but you can have a little sneak peek at the set and see what they’re all about here.

Collaboration with So Typical Me

As an illustrator, there is nothing more fun than seeing your work on actual physical products. I love how these journals featuring my colourful houses have turned out. I’ve collaborated So Typical Me on arrange of four planners, inspired by colourful southern European buildings, and guaranteed to bring a bit of sunshine to your desk! I really love seeing work go straight from my sketchbook onto a product and I’m so happy with how these have turned out. You can find out more about the collection here.

New Book - Keeping a Creative Sketchbook

I am so so excited to be able to share what I’ve been working on for the last two years! I have a brand-new book coming out in April and it’s called Keeping a Creative Sketchbook. It pretty much does what it says on the tin, and it’s all about keeping a sketchbook and how that can fuel your creativity. This book is all about using a sketchbook to find your style, loosen up, overcome fear of the blank page, experiment with colour and materials, and getting outside and drawing on location. The book is packed with practical exercises and ideas to get you working in your sketchbook. I also look back at my own journey with my sketchbook over the years and how influential it’s been to my own artistic journey. I also interviewed loads of fantastic artists and illustrators and talk to them about how working the sketchbook has been important to their work. 

This book is perfect for total beginners, who would like to start using a sketchbook, and more establish artists, who want to fall back in love with their sketchbook again! I really loved writing this book, and I hope you love reading it!

It is available to pre-order now and publishes on the 9th of April!

A Calamity of Mannerings - Illustrating a Book Cover

I just wanted to share one of my of my recent commissions, illustrating the cover and interior spots for A Calamity of Mannerings by Joanna Nadin, and share a little bit about that process. 

A publisher got in contact with me asking me to illustrate a book cover and several black and white spot illustrations for a book they described as I Capture the Castle meets Bridgerton. I love this era of literature, so this was the perfect project for me! Initially they wanted the cover to show the three sisters. I used the WebCam on my computer to take reference photos of myself in different poses, and referenced those to sketch the cover. I sketched cover in procreate on my iPad, as this allowed me to sketch directly on top of the book cover layout created by the designer, and allowed me to sketch each element in a separate layer. This meant I could move the characters around and see how they were going to interact with the text. 

The publisher then decided to go in a different direction and wanted to just show the main character with her suitors. I took photos of my husband in the poses that I needed as a reference photos (I’ve been strictly forbidden from showing those photos to anyone!). Because I was sketching in procreate it was really easy to remove the two sisters and add in the two male characters. Once this was approved I did a very rough colour mock up to check they were on board with the colour palette. 

I then created the final artwork. The colour is all hand-painted with watercolours, but the line work is added digitally, which makes it look very clean and fresh. We weren’t sure if we wanted some of the line work to be gold embossed, which is why we wanted to have all the line work on a separate layer.  I don’t normally use black lines work in my work, but I think in the context of a book cover, where you need to grab peoples attention and stand out on a bookshelf, it really works.

The book has just come out and I’m so pleased with how it’s turned out. The designer did a beautiful job, and the book itself is getting rave reviews.

A Love Letter to my Garden

This piece in my sketchbook is an ode to my love of gardening! For over 10 years I lived in London in a series of flats with absolutely zero outdoor space, and yet a strong desire to grow things. I dabbled with growing things in pots on windowsills or in the front garden, but invariably things got blown over by the wind or stolen by passers-by, so I gave up and waited until I had a garden of my own. All that pent-up gardening energy means that I have thrown myself into looking after my garden with full force. Most evenings I can be found outside pottering around with a watering can and a pair of secateurs, deadheading and weeding, and just generally admiring.

My garden is pretty well established and some previous owner down the line has done some very thoughtful planting, which means every few weeks we are treated to a new surprise, with irises, hollyhocks and lilies popping up. I’m also full of plans for what I’d like to grow next year, I’d really like to try growing sweetpeas and zinnias. There’s always something to look forward to and something to do with the garden, I’m looking forward to picking tomatoes later in the summer, I’m excited about planting bulbs in the autumn, and i’m waiting with bated breath for my many dahlias to bloom. I could actually ramble about my garden for days, so I will stop now.

This piece was painted with gouache, coloured pencil and neocolor pastel in my Odd Orange sketchbook.

Art Retreat in Portugal

SOLD OUT -I am so excited to announce my next painting retreat! I will be teaching a Mixed Media Sketchbook Retreat at the beautiful Sofia in Monsaraz retreat centre in Portugal from 18 (Thursday) to 22 (Monday) April 2024. During this getaway you will learn to create loose, mixed paintings in your sketchbook, inspired by the beautiful surroundings of Sofia in Monsaraz.

I will teach you how to combine different materials, like gouache, coloured pencil, and pastels, how to paint on location, overcome perfectionism and work in a loose expressive way, how to capture landscapes and still lives, as well as an in-depth class on colour theory. This retreat is perfect for both complete beginners and artists looking to improve their skills, and professionals looking to revive their creativity and recharge. You will come away inspired and refreshed, with a full sketchbook, new skills and new friends.

The retreat includes 6 art classes, wine tasting, tea tasting, yoga, meals and transport from Lisbon airport. Art materials, flights and travel insurance are not included. To make your reservation or to ask any questions email info@sofiainmonsaraz.site. You can read the full itinerary for trip and find out more about the venue and accommodation on the website. You can also watch my video here to find out more.

Testimonials for Emma

"I’m a bit lost for words on how transformational this retreat has been for me. It’s been an honour and privilege to learn from such an amazing and yet humble artist such as Emma. Her guidance, feedback, lessons, tips and tricks have been invaluable, she’s helped me overcome my fear of producing art, my main objective for coming on this retreat, moreover she’s highlighted my love for creating art! I’m very excited to bravely embark on the next chapter of my art journey once I return. She’s giving me the toolset to overcome failures and produce work that I’m proud of!"

"It’s been an honour to learn from Emma in person, I can hardly express my gratitude for the knowledge she has shared, the spark to draw and paint has been reignited!"

"It’s been such a well thought out, wonderful week of friendship, sharing and inspiration. I can’t wait for the next one!"

"Thank you for sharing your gifts with us this week! I’ve learnt so much and have a renewed joy for painting and a new love for gouache. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and the rest of the ladies. The retreat has been unforgettable and I’m looking forward to the next one!"

Testimonial for Sofia in Monsaraz

“This is a magical place with a wonderful host and hostess. The location has to be seen to be believed. A rural idyll with some great sights and restaurants nearby. The food was amazing - local produce, freshly cooked and abundant. The spirit and nurturing environment is the best location for a retreat be it artistic, creative or corporate team building and coaching. Perfect in every way. “

"Sofia In Monsaraz is more than a retreat center, it is a wonderful and wholesome life experience. No detail is too small for Sofia. She is kind and generous and wants to make sure that you feel nurtured and at home. Beautiful nature, fresh vegetables, delicious local cuisine, and excellent facilities for conducting a variety of retreats.

Art Retreat in Valencia

I’ve been back from my art retreat for just over a week and I’m still on a high from what an incredible experience it was, still busily working in my sketchbook recording my memories and making the most of all the inspiration. It’s hard to even know where to start. At the end of April I taught a week long art retreat with UpTrek just outside Valencia Spain with a wonderful group of women and we all had a magical time. During the week we focused on sketching and painting on location, using mixed media, developing a sketchbook practice, understanding colour theory, and capturing people. The week included day trips where we sketched on location in Valencia old town in the City of Arts and Sciences, as well as lots of time spent at the venue where I taught masterclasses and everybody had a chance to work in their sketchbooks and ask for help and advice.

For me as a teacher it was truly an honour to see my student’s work transformed in that week. I’ve done a lot of teaching before, but usually just for a couple of hours, maximum one day. It was really incredible to see students develop as artists, and for me as a teacher to be able to respond to them in real time and tailor the retreat to make sure they got the most out of it that they possibly could. I could see that for many of my students perfectionism and fear of making a mistake was holding them back. Some of my students were spending a really long time sketching and not painting, and when they did paint they were scared to add bold tonal contrast and texture. I took everybody to the Umbracle, a botanical garden in The City Arts and Sciences, and challenged everybody to do a 10 minute painting of a tree. Everybody picked a palm tree or an orange tree, gathered their materials, and then they add 10 minutes to paint it. And that was when the magic happened. People who had previously spent hours agonising over a painting, suddenly painted something beautiful in just 10 minutes, sometimes less. It’s amazing how the time restraint made people bolder and encouraged them to trust their own instincts. Everybody was amazed by what they had created! We did this exercise a few times and it was such a big breakthrough moment for people.

I also loved sharing my passion for painting on location. It was something that most people hadn’t done before, but sitting together painting, chatting, sharing materials and sipping on an orange juice or a Horchata and just felt so natural and people produced beautiful work imbued with memory and atmosphere. Valencia itself is such an incredibly beautiful city and was the perfect place to paint and gather inspiration.

For me the most wonderful thing about this trip, on top of seeing everyone’s artistic development, was how much everybody bonded and what a lovely group it was. We all had so much fun! Every evening at 7 we all gathered to share our sketchbooks over a glass of cava and a canapé. It was a real highlight for everyone. A favourite moment was going to see a flamenco show in Valencia, and our wonderful host Laura teaching us all some flamenco moves before we went. We had such a wonderful time! On the last night the venue hosts surprised me with a little book which they had asked all of my students to write a message in. It was so lovely it made me cry! And a few of my students got a little bit teary eyed as well.
A lot of people have been asking me if I will teach another retreat, and the answer is I would love to! I’m already making plans for next year, so watch this space, and sign up to my newsletter to be the first to hear about any new retreats.

My beautiful students looking very proud of their final pieces.

Art with Toddlers

Over the last year I’ve done a lot of painting with Herbie. He’s everything from painting on he floor wearing nothing but his nappy, to sitting at my desk and painting with watercolours in a sketchbook. I talk to a lot of parents who say they would love to do painting with their toddlers but they don’t know where to start, so I thought I would share some of my top tips. I am not an expert, but I’m an artist and mum and this is what has worked for us.

Try paint

One of the first art materials we normally give toddlers is chunky crayons because they are easy to hold and they don’t make too much of a mess, however I just don’t think they are that satisfying for a baby or toddler to use. You have to press really hard to get any kind of colour pay off. Applying pressure whilst also moving the crayon is hard work and your little one might get frustrated or bored. Especially given that crayons children tend to be very cheaply made and lacking in pigment. Painting on the other hand is much easier as you don’t need to apply any pressure, just sweep a loaded brush across the paper. They will get a much more vibrant colour and a chunkier line, both of which will be more satisfying to a young child.

Having tried a few different things I personally find a large child’s set of watercolours is the least stressful way for toddlers to paint. It’s less messy than poster paints and easy to use, you just need to guide your toddler to dip the brush into the water, then let them choose their colour, and encourage them to mix mix mix to pick up some colour, then place it on the paper. Cleanup is easy, when you’re finished just close the lid of the paint set and rinse the brushes. No need to clean up lots of wet paint that’s already been squeezed out of tubes or possibly smeared across the table.

Kids poster paints are great too, if a little bit more messy. Poster paints are particularly good if you’re painting with a baby, as they don’t even have to use a brush, they can just get in there with their hands or one of those spongy brush things. 

Prepare for mess

Of course things are going to get messy when you are doing art with a toddler. I think it’s finding a balance between keeping things fun for your toddler and letting them explore and experiment, whilst also keeping the mess within limits that you are happy with. 

There are things you can do, like putting paint and paper inside a sealed plastic bag and letting your child smoosh it around, for mess free painting, but I’m not sure how satisfying that actually is for a child, since you’re missing most of the joy of actually painting. Painting is a sensory activity. If you’re planning to do painting with your toddler or baby just be prepared, put them in old clothes and a long sleeved apron, or if the weather is warm nothing but a nappy or pants works great. If you have carpets you can always paint on the kitchen floor, which is what we used to do. I also put down some big oil cloth mats to contain the mess.

The other thing to consider is what you will be wearing! I have been caught out by this one so many times. Herbie is wearing old clothes and an apron, and I’m wearing a brand-new pink jumper, he enthusiastically waves a paintbrush around and I am covered in paint. It has happened too many times, when will I learn?? Also don’t believe the children’s paint that claims that it is washable. I got these crayola poster paints for Herbie, and whilst these are lovely paints to use and non-toxic, they are definitely not washable. They have permanently stained a pair of jeans that I’ve been to the wash many, many times, so proceed with caution.

Let your child take the lead

If you want your children to enjoy being creative then you’ve got to let them take the lead (within reason, obviously you need boundaries like ‘paint stays on the paper’). Let them follow their instincts and choose the colours they want and apply them the way they want to. Maybe they’ll paint big, maybe they’ll paint small, maybe they will have a brush in each hand, maybe they have a whole array of beautiful colours to use and they only want to use brown! Just go with it and let them follow their creative instincts. Trying to micromanage them will only lead to frustration. Make a sure it’s about their process, rather than your outcome. There are lots of cute projects on Pinterest that involve using your child’s hand or footprint to make a reindeer or penguin or some such, these are fun but really they are a project for the parent and don’t allow any creative input from the child. If you’re going to do a project like this, maybe start with doing a couple of cute footprint greetings cards, then let your child have free rein to create their own abstract masterpiece afterwards.

Give them their own sketchbook

One concern from parents about doing art with their toddlers is that they then have to keep all of their masterpieces forever. Nobody wants lots of tatty bits of paper cluttering up the house, which is why I love the idea of giving a young child their own sketchbook. The sketchbook keeps all their paintings together nice and tidy, which means they don’t turn into clutter. You can add the date each time your child uses the sketchbook so you create a really lovely diary of their development. The other great thing about a sketchbook is it’s portable! I took a sketchbook and a handful of colouring pencils on holiday with us to Mallorca and Herbie used it loads on the plane, in restaurants, in the villa etc. Herbie has several sketchbooks on the go, and we just use these sketchbooks from Seawhites of Brighton, the paper is nice and thick and they are really affordable. 

Use colouring books

Colouring books can be great! You can use them with crayons, pencils, pens or paint. Herbie is very into dinosaurs and has a dinosaur colouring book that he enjoys painting with watercolours. Using a colouring book is a great way of having conversations whilst painting, as you can chat about what you’re painting, what you can see in the picture and what colours you’re going to use. Remember there is no need to stay in the line or to use the ‘correct’ colours.

Work together 

Something Herbie really enjoyed when he was younger was for me to paint a simple stylised ladybird in his sketchbook, or to cut one out of paper, and then I would let him paint the dots. This is a collaborative project where you are setting up the project, but then handing over control to the child. Depending on the age of the child the dots might look more like dashes lines or scribbles, but when it’s done they will be enormously proud that they created something recognisable and that you worked on it together. Another great way to do this is to cut out a really simple butterfly and then allow your child to paint on it using poster paints. Whilst it’s still wet fold butterfly and half and you will create a beautiful mirror image. 

Sometimes Herbie invites me to get involved in his painting, he’ll hand me a brush and say Mummy paint and then tell me what colour to use. This kind of collaborative painting is lovely and something he really enjoys. 

Pavement chalk is the best

The title says it all really, pavement chalk is great! In the summer I always have a box of pavement chalk under the pushchair so that we can do some drawing when we get to the park. I love seeing the collaborative masterpieces that come to life when lots of children join in. If you have a patio at home can use pavement chalk there as well. It just washes away in the rain and washes out of clothes pretty easily so there isn’t a lot of mess.

Find an Art Club

Art classes or clubs for toddler are great, especially if you’re very concerned about creating mess at home, or you just don’t have the space. We are so lucky that we have a brilliant toddler art club at our local art gallery and it’s completely child lead, which means it’s brilliantly messy and fun. I would definitely recommend looking for something that is child lead, rather than anything that’s going to be too focused on creating a particular outcome. As well as looking for a toddler art club or class, you could also look for messy play sessions and art activities at art galleries. I know that the Tate is doing some brilliant stuff for kids at the moment.

It might all end in tears, but that’s okay!

Let’s remember these are babies and toddlers. The toddler urge to destroy, or to demand more, might kick in at some point. A lovely painting session will often end with Herbie demanding that I squeeze more and more paint onto the palette, then come the inevitable tears when I say we already have enough. It doesn’t mean he didn’t have a lovely time painting, toddlers are just toddlers. It’s frustrating when you’re having a lovely time painting, then suddenly they’re tipping all the brushes onto the floor or demanding more and more white paint so that they can paint the white paper white… You’ve just got to go with your instincts, and I usually end our painting session at this point before things descend into total chaos. It can feel like a lot of effort to set something up for it just to end in a meltdown (which is why I love watercolours for ease of set up and clear up) but the more you do it the longer and more satisfying your art sessions will be.

Here are some of my favourite baby/toddler art supplies. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on children’s art supplies, but at the same time the very, very cheapest supplies might not work very well. A good quality set of children’s watercolours will last a long time! The set that Herbie uses was my watercolour set when I was a child. It’s 25 years old and still going strong! Good places to look for children’s art supplies in the UK are Flying Tiger, Hobbycraft, The Works, and online Baker Ross is great.

1. Long sleeved aprons, like this one from IKEA, work great as craft aprons for young children.

2. This colourful chunky child’s paintbrush set from Wilko looks good

3. Personally I just let Herbie use proper paintbrushes, not kid’s paintbrushes. The bristles are much softer and easier to control. Obviously don’t let him use really expensive paintbrushes, but something aimed at students or crafters will work fine. This set from Daler Rowney is great value

4. These paints from Crayola are good but they are not washable!

5. These watercolour paints look good.

6. I love this table from IKEA because it wipes clean really easily and the storage buckets underneath are great for keeping all his art materials nice and tidy.

7. These sketchbooks from Seawhites of Brighton are brilliant

8. These non-spill paint pots are great for paint and for water.

2022 Round up

I’ve done a little recap of the year because I wanted to take a moment to look back on the projects I’ve completed. I often find that when I’m working on a project I can’t share it because it’s top-secret, and then by the time the work comes out I’m onto something else, so often I forget to even share the work that I’ve done! So it’s nice to look back and reflect on a year full of book covers, greetings cards, editorial illustration, books and online courses. I have decided to divide this round up into seasons, becuaes I honestly cannot remember what I did last year and month by month!

Spring

The biggest thing that happened in spring was my third art book, Watercolour Life, came out! I had been working on this book throughout lockdown, my pregnancy and those early newborn days, so to see it out in the world but like a big achievement! It’s had a really lovely response from readers and reviewers, with some lovely magazine features.  In spring we also took our first family holiday abroad to Mallorca. It was our first time travelling post pandemic and post baby, and we had a lovely time. I even managed to do some painting. Spring also saw the launch of a collection of illustrated floral brownies with The Blushing Cook. Spring also sought the publication of Toujours La France, the third book by Janine Marsh about her life in France, and the third book that I have illustrated the cover for.

Summer

Summer was an exciting season for me. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour was published, a children’s book by Anne Michaels that I had illustrated. I illustrated the first Miss Petitfour book, so it was wonderful to be able to return to the character and spend some more time in her world. Like Watercolour Life, I worked on this book whilst pregnant and looking after a small baby, so it felt like a real achievement. Summer also saw the launch of my Domestika course! This was filmed in the spring and launched a few months later, and I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the response. Six months I’ve had nearly 7000 students and 99% positive reviews. I even got highlighted by Domestika as the most successful new course of the quarter. For me the most awarding thing has been seeing my students at work and to be able to interact with them on the phone and give them feedback and advice. I also worked in another book cover, for a YA novel called A Calamity of Mannerings, which will be out next year. I also worked on some greetings cards with a big US retailer that will be available next year. 

Autumn

In early autumn we visited some friends in Norway, which was a really inspiring trip and I managed to do some painting and drawing in my sketchbook. At this point behind-the-scenes I was busy working on a new book, which will be out in 2024! I can’t share too much about it now, but I am really excited and it’s something slightly different for me. Autumn also saw the launch of my collaboration with Wimperis Embroidery. We created a beautiful embroidery kits that combined watercolour and embroidery with an autumnal theme. I also got some samples of greetings cards that I worked on earlier in the year, which are available in Trader Joes in the US.

Winter

In winter I was still busily working on my new book behind-the-scenes, and also working on some illustrated maps for another book that is coming out in 2023. I also developed and designed my very own gouache sketchbook, something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. For awhile I’ve been searching for the perfect sketchbook, so I decided to design one myself and I love using them! You can purchase one in my online shop. At this time I was also very busy behind-the-scenes preparing for my upcoming house move. We moved out of our London flat and into our new house just before Christmas, meaning I’m starting a new year in a new house in a brand new studio. 

So what is to come next year? I’m almost finishing writing a new book, however that won’t be out until 2024. I am very excited about teaching my first art retreat in Spain next year. (There are still a few places available, by the way!) I’m really hoping that this year I will have more time to focus on my sketchbook and coming up with new ideas. My big goal is to work on a children’s book! It’s been a dream for such a long time and now feels like the right time. 

The Perfect Gouache Sketchbook

If you follow my work on Instagram, or read this blog you probably know that I love working in a sketchbook! However for awhile I’ve been searching for the perfect gouache sketchbook, and when I couldn’t find one I decided to design my own!

A5 in size with beautiful heavyweight white paper with a subtle texture perfect for gouache. The pages are thick enough that it holds paint well without it bleeding through to the other side meaning you can work on both sides of the paper. The paper is bright white with a subtle texture and the sketchbook is soft back and saddlestitched, which makes it really easy to scan and reproduce your work. There are two specially designed covers, both of which are fun, colourful and cute. I didn’t want the artwork on the cover to detract from the artist’s own artwork inside the sketchbook, but at the same time I wanted the sketchbooks to be really cute and to be instantly recognisable as an Emma Block sketchbook, hopefully I’ve found that balance! I’m so so excited to see what people create with them!

Five Days in Norway

I’ve just got back from a little holiday in Norway. We booked flights very spontaneously and we had a wonderful five days staying with friends in Stavanger. We hiked in the woods, went to the beach, visited the city and I even have time to do a little bit of painting whilst Herbie napped. I bought my neocolor pastels with me which encouraged me to sketch in a quicker, looser way. Before I went I picked out 10 colours that I felt were best suited to the Norwegian landscape, lots of blues plus some creams and browns. The only thing is I wish I had more greens, but I made up for that by mixing it with some watercolours. Here are some pieces from my sketchbook and some of my photos from the trip. I don’t have a lot to say other than Norway is a beautiful country and we had a lovely time. 

Painting Retreat in Spain

I am very very excited to invite you to join me on a week long luxury painting retreat in Valencia, Spain! If you’ve been following me for awhile you know how much I love painting, travel and painting on location, so hosting this retreat is an absolute dream for me.

We will be focusing on painting and drawing in our sketchbooks whilst in Spain, using a mixed media approach with watercolour, gouache, coloured pencils and pastels.

The retreat will include lots of drawing on location in Valencia old town, on the beach, and at the beautiful villa, as well as masterclasses from me covering everything from drawing people to colour theory. We will be staying at a stunning private villa with a pool and spa, just five minutes from the beach, with gourmet chef made meals and amazing Spanish wine. The whole week is going to such a treat and real feast for the senses. This retreat is perfect for all skill levels, whether you’re a total beginner or even a professional looking to relax and reignite their creativity. The retreat will run from the 23rd to 30th of April 2023.

There is a risk free COVID-19 refund policy. See more details here. It is limited to 15 guests, you can find more details about the trip and accommodation here. This is more than just a painting workshop, it is a unique week-long experience and a chance to travel, make new friends and incredible memories. Find out more details and reserve your space here. If you have any questions feel free to directly contact Uptrek.

I am so excited about this and I hope some you can join me!

Exploring Neocolor Pastels

A couple of weeks ago I bought a set of Neocolor wax pastels from Caran d'Ache after seeing lots of people use them on Instagram. I really enjoyed the consistency and feel of them, but the selection of colours definitely wasn’t doing it for me. I always find a rainbow selection of pencils or pastels really uninspiring and usually try to buy colours individually. There’s something about that standard rainbow selection that just doesn’t work for me, every colour is really bright, really intense and they’re all fighting with each other. To me a good colour palette should have subtleties, colours that are bright and muted, light and dark, and warm and cool.

So I was very excited to try the Neocolor collaboration with Beya Rebai. The collaboration consists of two sets of specially chosen Neocolor pastels, one in warm tones and one in cool tones. I bought both and they are so lovely to use. So many beautiful subtle colours and endless colour palettes that can be created by mixing and matching both sets. Very cleverly the cool set includes a warm pink and red to provide contrast and the warm set has a zesty yellow and a deep grey to provide some balance. I did a little swatch of each colour first, then played around putting some different colour pallets together. I then decided to do a couple of little sketches testing out the capabilities. I’m so pleased with how these poppies turned out, they feel so vibrant and free, you can just see them blowing in the wind. I’m really excited to see how I can combine these with watercolour and gouache, incorporating them into my style, and also adding a freshness to my sketchbook.

Gouache Sketchbook Online Course with Domestika

I am very excited to announce that I have a brand-new online course available with Domestika!! I’ve been working on this course with Domestika for quite some time and filmed it in their beautiful Islington studio earlier in the year. This course is all about one of my favourite things, working with gouache in a sketchbook! We look at using gouache, creating different consistencies of paint, creating textures, using different types of brush, colour theory as well as selecting reference photos, sketching and creating a final piece. We also look at how to scan, edit and reproduce your work, and even how to add hand lettering. I had so much fun filming this course and I am so excited to share the magic of working in a sketchbook with gouache with you!

You can watch the trailer to find out more.

Gouache Techniques for Sketchbook Illustration - A course by Emma Block from Domestika on Vimeo.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in click here to sign up at a special discount price, the course will be going live in one weeks time.

Filming this course was a really big deal for me as it was my first time being away from Herbie for that length of time. Just two weeks before he had been in hospital after a serious allergic reaction, so I was pretty anxious about the whole thing, but in the end I missed him way more than he missed me, which is usually the way with kids. I had so much fun making your course and I really hope you enjoy it.

A Feature in Art Supplies by Uppercase

My work has been featured in the beautiful new book Art Supplies, by Uppercase magazine. If you haven’t heard of them, Uppercase produce beautiful magazines and books focused on arts and crafts. This encyclopedia is packed with interviews from artists and artisans who are all united by a deep love of art materials. The photography in the book is just gorgeous, so many luscious colours and textures! It’s such an honour to be included. I love that this close-up photo of my crusty and trusty enamel paint palette has an entire page to itself. Here is a little excerpt from the interview with me. You can buy a copy here.

Here is a little excerpt from the interview with me. 

‘Dipping between the two gives Emma options, depending on what feel she is after: "People often ask me how I choose which one I use for a project, but I just have a sort of gut feeling. They both have such unique personalities. I find watercolours to be soft, romantic, light and delicate on the page. They can feel modern and fresh, or slightly traditional."
Gouache, on the other hand, plays nicely with other art supplies: “Gouache has a much bolder character; you can create such a richness of colour and texture, and it works so well with other mediums like coloured pencils. I love the versatility of gouache, the variety of textures that can be created and how you can control it with square and angled brushes. I also love the immediacy of it; gouache is quite a forgiving medium and will work well on most papers or sketchbooks, unlike watercolours which are a little bit more fussy.”’

Slow Travel with a Toddler

I’ve just got back from a holiday to Mallorca and it was truly blissful. It was our first holiday since having a baby and we brought my parents along as reinforcements. I kept my expectations low as I’d heard ‘it’s not a holiday, it’s parenting in a different location’ a million times, but to be honest it was lovely. I think the key was taking it very slowly (and having a 4 to 1 adult to toddler ratio). We didn’t sight-see, we didn’t go to markets or galleries, we didn’t do day-trips and we only ate out three times. We just relaxed and took things at Herbie’s pace and found that with his naps and early bed time there was actually a lot of time to just chill out and read. I even had time to set up a still life of some lemons I picked in the garden and paint them. We even embraced the cloudy days, painting the moody skies and wrapping up warm and going to the beach regardless. Here’s to taking things slowly. You can read my top tips for slow travel here, buy a copy of my guided journal Slow Travel here and see more of Mallorca in my post from 2018.

New Book -The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour

She is back! I am so excited to announce that Miss Petitfour is back for another adventure! Haven’t heard of her? Let me introduce her, Miss Petitfour is a lover of adventures, tiny cakes and long words, she has sixteen cats and flies through the sky with a magical tablecloth.

I was so honoured to be asked to illustrate the second volume of Miss Petitfour stories. I can’t believe it’s been six years since the first book came out! It was so lovely to get reacquainted with Miss Petitfour and her sixteen cats again and immerse myself in her world. Anne Michael has once again written the most beautifully whimsical and wonderful stories, and it was an honour to bring them to life. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour is coming out this summer! I will be posting some sneak peaks of my favourite illustrations in the next couple of months.

Balancing Motherhood and Creativity

At the very end of 2020 I had my first baby, Herbie. As a self employed illustrator with book deadlines I’ve had to juggle caring for my son and working since he was very little. A few people on Instagram have asked me how I manage it and I though I’d share my experiences and how I tried to prepare myself and my business. I’ve also asked a few fellow freelance mums who I really admire about their experience. Having a baby is a completely unique experience and it’s different for everybody, but here are some of the things that I’ve done that that have worked for me and some things I wish I’d known before. When I was pregnant I was wondered a lot about how it would work and how other people managed, so hopefully this post is useful for anyone thinking of having a baby or pregnant and wondering how it fits in with a creative career.

Before the Baby Arrived

Passive income

Having a baby is going to impact your finances; the chances are you will have a lot less time to create and sell, or you will have a big childcare bill (if you live in the U.K.), or a bit of both. Before I became pregnant I started building passive income into the heart of my business. For me this means I get royalties from books that I have written, royalties as part of my collaboration with Papier, a license fee every time one of my designs is relicensed by a greetings card company and royalties when people purchase an online course that I have taught. With royalty based earnings there’s often a lot of work upfront and usually an advance fee, and then if the book or course sells well you will have royalties down the line. This worked out great with having a baby as I could do most of the hard work before he was born, and then I had royalties coming in whilst I wasn’t able to work very much. Other sources of passive income might be to write an e-book, license your photography or illustrations on a stock website or create an online course.

Applying for maternity leave early

Maternity allowance for self-employed people is pretty rubbish, around £150 a week, but you might as well apply for it if you’re entitled to it. Allow a lot of time to apply for it. It took me three goes to apply for it because I kept filling in the application form wrong or posting them empty envelopes (!?). Baby brain is no joke. Also rather alarmingly the standard approach is to tell you that you are only getting £27 a week unless you play some national insurance contributions upfront. Again all this takes time so apply nice and early.

When to start maternity leave?

I spent a lot of time thinking about when I should start my maternity leave. Most freelancers I know like to work right up until they go into labour. I decided to start my maternity leave a month before Herbie was due and he was born a month early. I ended up only having one day of maternity leave before he arrived. I think you’ve just got to listen to your gut instinct.

Setting realistic expectations about returning to work

It’s really impossible to know how you’re going to feel after having a baby until you actually have one. I would definitely advise staying vague with clients about when you are going to be returning to work as you just don’t know how you’re going to feel physically or mentally. I definitely thought I’d be in the swing of things, have a routine and be back to work part time by 3 months, this was very much not the case! Herbie and I had a very rocky start that I never could have predicted. Once you actually have a newborn three or four months feels like no time at all. I had to go back to work when Herbie was still very little because I had a book deadline, but it wasn’t something I would’ve chosen to do otherwise.

When the Baby Arrived

Working with a Baby

If you have a full term, healthy baby, lots of support from your partner and family, and you have a really smooth recovery from the birth you might be able to get a bit of work done in the newborn days as they really do sleep a lot. Due to having premature baby born into lockdown this wasn’t how things worked out for me. The way I got work done when Herbie was little was to wear him in a stretchy sling whilst I worked. He had terrible silent reflux, so being held upright helped him have a nice long naps and I got some work done. It is a killer on the shoulders though. I also wrote a lot of emails and typed up my book one-handed during the endless breastfeeding sessions. Also when he got a bit bigger and the weather got a bit warmer my husband was able to take him out in the pram for naps which gave me a bit of time to work.

Working with a Toddler

Now that he’s a toddler I work whilst he naps in the daytime and my husband and I take it in turns taking him out so the other one can get some work done, as we are both freelance. We also have an amazing nanny who takes him two mornings a week. This summer he will be starting nursery which hopefully will be a game changer. You really can’t get any work done while they are awake. Before you have a baby you might have a fantasy that they will be playing peacefully in the background while you work from home, or maybe they will be doing some painting next to you whilst you’re working, in reality it’s just impossible. I remember saying once that we wouldn’t need any childcare because I work from home. How wrong I was! My work needs 100% of my attention and so does Herbie, so I can’t do both at the same time. But it’s true what people say, you do learn to make the most of small pockets of time and become very productive and organised.

The final thing I want to say is don’t worry if having a child doesn’t make you the most inspired or creative you’ve ever been straightaway. It might make you feel the least inspired and creative that you’ve ever been. Especially if you had a baby during the pandemic. I feel like for the last year my career has just been in maintenance mode, I have been working steadily, finishing projects that I started before Herbie was born and working with a lot of regular clients, but I haven’t really had the headspace or time to start anything new and exciting until recently. But that’s fine, he’ll only be little once and I’m giving myself grace to work at a slower pace when I need to. One day he’ll need me less and I’ll have more time and when I look back these baby days will have gone by so fast.

Brilliant advice from other creative mums

Lauren Aston - Lauren Aston Designs

Knitwear designer and small business owner

I think my advice would be to where possible prioritise doing the things you love within your business when you go back to work. When I went back to work I spent a lot of time being resentful that I was spending my few work hours doing something like accounts. Obviously sometimes that has to happen, but if you can prioritise work you love then you’ll find your working time a productive and happy time.
Also if you are working from home and someone else is looking after the baby from home and go into another room where you can close the door. Do not let that other person disturb you unless the building is on fire.

Nancy Straughan

Stylist and photographer

The main thing I wish I had known was not to expect that my career would be back on track and exactly the same as it was before as soon as the traditional maternity leave period is over at around 9 - 12 months. As a freelance creative that is absolutely not been the case for me and I wish I had relieved that pressure from myself much earlier. It’s only very recently that I have realised that I only work a couple of days a week so I couldn’t possibly be working as much or earning as much as before I had my daughter, and I wish someone would’ve told me that that’s okay.

Charlotte Wilden - Wilden London

Luxury bespoke bridal design

Even if your income has taken a hit from having children because of childcare, your creativity Is still important for several reasons. So many people encouraged me to quit, because after childcare costs, my financial contribution to the household is low and I should just take care of my child full time to save money.
I disagree. I have a partner who is jointly responsible financially and practically for our child, so it shouldn’t be up to the mother to match and exceed childcare costs with her salary alone. This perspective has helped me a lot and made taken any guilt away that I continue to work, plus I feel the childcare is so amazing for my child’s confidence outside the home which I couldn’t give her by myself.
Creativity makes you YOU, and it makes you happy, and it gives you an escape from everyday frustrations.
I need to be happy and fulfilled to be able to give my best self to my children. I love to involve my daughter in my work too, showing her what I do and making her little dress-up clothes and showing her that I have my own passions and that I work and earn money, to inspire her to follow her dreams too whatever they might be one day. She’s always asking to see my work and telling me how she loves the things I make, which feels extra nice. Motherhood brings all kinds of new experiences and that might just give you a fantastic idea for work.
Practically, it’s good to keep practice of your craft, not only the product that you make, but practicing interacting with customers and staying relevant so that you can fully relaunch when childcare is easier without too much stress and anxiety.

Willa Gebbie

Illustrator

I see a lot of people sharing photos of themselves working or drawing with their baby strapped to them. This was never my experience. Partly because it's basically impossible to do (hello broken back) and partly because it's important for me to be fully present with my kid and with my work. When I was pregnant I noticed that my female peers would share pictures of their new babies on social media but men tended to not mention them much if at all. I was worried that if I spoke about it too much that clients would presume I wasn't taking on as much work. So I chose to keep it quiet. I don't know if it made any difference but it did help me to retain an element of "the old me".

It's hard but as soon as possible learn to trust your partner/grandparent/babysitter enough to leave your child with them and not get involved. Leave the house, go and work in a cafe even if it's just for an hour. Child care is not just for day time. Don't forget to use a baby sitter to go to networking events and meet up with fellow creatives. It's good for your creative mind and soul.

Stacie Swift

Illustrator and Author

Parenthood has shown me how resilient I can be and how my work can continue to evolve and adapt in the juggle. I try to remember it’s okay for productivity to look different every day!

New book -Watercolour Life

I am so, so excited to announce my new book, Watercolour Life! Back in 2020 when the world went into lockdown so many people turned to creativity to keep themselves occupied and to sooth their anxious minds. I was overwhelmed by incredible messages from people telling me how painting had helped them through these tough times. It was clear that it was time for a second watercolour book.

I worked on this book in and out of lockdown, throughout my pregnancy and during Herbie’s early days; it is a true labour of love. It brings together everything people loved about The Joy of Watercolour and teaches you lots of new skills and techniques with 40 beautiful projects to paint. I’m so proud of this book and I hope you love it too! It is available to buy now. Below are some of my favourite projects from the book.

New Book - Slow Travel Journal

Slow Travel, a guided journal written and illustrated by me is now out! The journal is packed with thoughtful prompts and watercolour illustrations. The irony of publishing a travel journal in a global pandemic isn’t lost on me. But if there is one thing we’ve all learnt during the pandemic it's finding joy in the little things, which is what this book is all about. The great thing about mindful travel is it’s about slowing down and making memories, even if you’re not travelling very far at all. I know this year most of us will just be travelling within our own country, state, or even our own neighbourhood, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be magical. This fully illustrated guided journal is full of prompts to help you record all the little details that made it special, including spaces to sketch and collect tickets and tokens. I absolutely loved working on this book, it feels like such a love letter to travel, and I hope you like it too.