Planning a practice series based on your connections
Series Practice
Developing an Idea Through Repetition
After exploring materials and reflecting on what interested you, the next step is to begin developing one idea through a small series of studies.
Series practice allows you to stay with an idea long enough to understand it more deeply.
Through repetition and small variations, new discoveries begin to emerge.
If you’d like to see how a series can develop, you can view a few examples here.
Why do a Series Practice?
During the Connection step, you likely wrote a few notes in your Studio Journal about ideas, materials, or techniques that stood out to you.
Series Practice is where you begin developing one of those ideas.
Instead of starting something completely new, you will choose one idea and explore it through a small group of related studies.
A series does not need to be large.
Most series begin with three small studies.
Each study repeats the core idea while gently changing something along the way. You might adjust a color palette, repeat a pattern in a different way, change the size of a shape, or experiment with a new brushstroke.
The goal is not to create a finished piece.
The goal is simply to stay curious and see what happens when you return to an idea more than once
Take a moment to look back at your Studio Journal and the notes you wrote during the Connection step.
If you don’t feel drawn to a particular idea yet, that’s perfectly normal. You may simply want to spend more time in the Exploration step before beginning a series.
Let's get started!
Ask yourself:
- Which page of my sketchbook feels the most interesting?
- Did any marks, shapes, or colors stand out to me?
- Is there something I would enjoy repeating several times?
- Did any technique almost work the way I hoped?
- Is there something I would like to understand better?
Write a few notes in your Studio Journal.
Next, choose the direction that best matches your explorations.
Choosing an Idea to Develop
Consider:
- Which patterns did I enjoy drawing the most?
- Did any patterns combine well together?
- Was there a shape or structure that created an interesting design?
- Which marks felt calming or satisfying to repeat?
- Is there a pattern I would like to explore in different ways?
Possible directions for a series might include:
- repeating one pattern across several studies
- combining two or three patterns
- changing the scale of patterns
- filling different shapes with the same pattern
- experimenting with spacing or density
Write a few ideas in your Studio Journal.
Mindful Drawing
Consider:
- Which color combinations interested me the most?
- Did any paint mixtures create unexpected results?
- Which shapes or brushstrokes felt natural to repeat?
- Did any palette feel calming or satisfying to work with?
- Is there a watercolor technique I would like to explore further?
Your series might explore:
- the same shape using different color palettes
- the same palette with different shapes
- the same palette with different paint mixtures
- subtle changes in color mixing
Write a few ideas in your Studio Journal.
Watercolor for Calm
Consider:
- Which combinations of drawing and paint worked well together?
- Did layering create interesting effects?
- Which page layouts or compositions felt successful?
- Is there a combination of materials I would like to repeat?
Your series might explore:
- adding patterns into watercolor shapes
- painting over a mindful drawing
- repeating a page layout with different colors
- layering drawing and paint in different orders
Write down a few ideas in your Studio Journal.
Sketchbook Explorations
Open your Studio Journal and write a few notes about the studies you plan to create.
Consider:
- What media will I use? (pen, watercolor, or mixed media)
- What technique will I focus on? (pattern repetition, color mixing, brushstrokes, layering, etc.)
What will stay consistent across the series?
Examples:
- the same shape
- the same pattern
- the same color palette
- the same brushstroke
- the same design or shape
- the same materials
Planning Your Series
Examples:
- color combinations
- design or shape
- pattern combinations
- scale or spacing
- layering order
Most series begin with three small studies.
You can continue the series and do an unlimited number of studies as long as the idea remains interesting.
Before you begin, write one sentence in your journal:
“In this series I will explore ______ by repeating ______ and varying ______.”
Variations
Take a moment to prepare your sketchbook and materials so you can begin your first study.
Look back at the notes you wrote in your Studio Journal.
Remind yourself:
- What idea am I exploring?
- What will stay consistent in this series?
- What will I vary from one study to the next?
Start with your first study and allow it to be simple. You are not trying to create a finished piece — you are simply beginning the exploration.
As you work, stay curious about what happens when you repeat the idea.
Small variations often reveal unexpected discoveries.
When you feel ready, return to your sketchbook and begin the first study in your series.
Begin Your Series
Before Moving On
You don’t need to analyze them deeply right now. Simply notice what happened as you repeated the idea.
You may want to write a few quick notes in your Studio Journal that will be helpful during the Reflection step.
You might jot down things like:
- which variation feels the most interesting
- which materials or techniques worked well
- anything that surprised you while repeating the idea
You may also find it helpful to look at your series again the next day.
Artists often return to their work later so they can see it with fresh eyes. When you look at it again, notice your first impressions and write those thoughts down in your journal.
These notes will make it easier to reflect on your series during the next step.
