➡ Get the Sketchbook Course: melaniebleis.podia.com/courses

I love YA and Juvenile books. My theory is that too many adult books I've read are about middle age, or how your life didn't turn out like you'd hoped, or about depression or something awful. But kids books, while they can deal with very dark themes, are generally about discovery, exploration, awakening to your potential, beginning your dream. On the whole they are just much more satisfying. Some of my favorite authors are Jonathan Auxier and Frances Hardinge.

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

That's such a good point, I totally agree! Thanks for the suggestion 😊

@travcat66

Жыл бұрын

@@VisualMind I’m 67 and have always read sf and fantasy and YA fantasy is great

I love reading books for kids in addition to the easy reading, as an artist I study and enjoy illustrations. ❤ I just came across your channel recently and I love it!

Lava lamps are wax in oil. The light bulb in the base melts the wax so that it rises up in the oil and then breaks into blobs. The blobs then cool a little at the top as they're further from the heat and fall back down again. Your paintings are lovely! Love, Mel in Devon UK 🍰🌻

Another LEFTY!! Immediate subscribed

I literally have no patience for "adult" books. I love YA and middle school books. They are cool fantasy stories full of adventure and over coming things. Adult book are full of sad people being sad and making each other sad.

Street lamps are such a good idea I’d never think of painting! Great ideas here ☺️ sometimes near the end of a sketchbook I get really stuck and just want to finish it, so this is definitely helpful!

Snakes are lovely creatures. I like almost all living things, even most bugs. I quite adore spiders and have an abundance of black widows outdoors with daddy long legs in the house. I have two and a half cats (the half is semi-feral); but I adore and get along with almost all creatures, even most humans. A friend once complained about his roommate's cuddly lap dog, saying, "I'm not a dog person. I'm a cat, snake and spider person."

You are adorable, Dear ☺ Thank you for your videos. I never had a lava lamp but would love to and I love snakes. Bless you, Dear Soul 💚💖💚

@VisualMind

29 күн бұрын

Thank you 😊

The streetlights idea was cute I'll definitely try it!!😍

@VisualMind

Ай бұрын

Glad you felt inspired 😊

“If a book is not worth reading as an adult, it is not worth reading as a child.” I don’t know who said this quote but it is true. Harry Potter helped me power through living in another country in my mid-twenties. Now, much older, I love all things manga and my niece and I enjoy them together. The you for the sketchbook 💡 ideas.

I liked reptiles. I enjoy this video very much.

That was perfectly amazing work of arts 😍

Yet another video with four amazing ideas. Your imagination is truly boundless. Thank you for sharing!

I love snakes I think they’re cute! And I had a lava lamp growing up which I adored (I always watched it while I was laying in bed falling asleep) and now whenever I see one it’s so nostalgic and calming :)

Really nice ideas. One of my favorite pages was a bunch of lamps, and each lamp was painted to represent one of my family members. Favorite colors, style, pets under the table holding the lamp. I even represented my SIDS baby as an angel hanging lamp

Absolutely excellent content. I subscribed tonight. My gosh you’re truly so talented. Very inspiring!

@VisualMind

22 күн бұрын

Thank you for subscribing and your kind words 😊

I had a collection of snake skins, I would collect them by spraying them with water to gently get them off the fire escape... And I would decorate my home with them.

I'm over 50 with no kids or grandkids, and my bookshelves are full of young adult and middle grade books. Read what you love! Love your art! Thanks for inspiring me to fill my sketchbooks!

1. I love snakes but don't own one, and 2. I never had a lava lamp as a kid so as an adult I bought one as a bucket list thing. :) I've never thought to draw lava lamps so that's what I will do today!

Loved the lava lamps, such a great fun idea to paint. We bought my daughter (Now 32, with a 13yr old daughter and 8yr old son) a beautiful pink lava lamp with purple and pink liquid inside that was filled with glitter for her 14th birthday and she loved that lava lamp. That lava lamp was so pretty with all the glitter floating around like stars captured in space inside a jar. I wish I could remember exactly how it looked so I could paint it.

Lava lamps are filled with an oil, the wax issolid on the bottom. A very powerful bulb is in the base which heats up the wax and melts it. (I think) As the wax moves through the oil, this causes the oil to have an impact on other "bits" of wax that has melted causing the movement, merging and splitting of wax blobs.

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for explaining 😊

@meanncat3050

Жыл бұрын

huh...learn something new every day.

@learnartwithme3766

Жыл бұрын

@@VisualMind I forgot to mention that the wax blobs increase in size to the point where gravity pulls part of it away, this is why they split apart and drop to the bottom. Again, this all causes movement within the oil.

@jojojo8835

Жыл бұрын

Lava lamps have a glass bottle filled with wax which is gloupy when heated, coloured water (doesn’t mix with the oily wax) and a lightbulb underneath which also heats the wax and water. Heat rises and cold sinks. So when a blob of wax is next to the lightbulb at the bottom it gets hot and rises to the top. There it cools down and starts to sink. The bit nobody fully understands is a bit like the weather- how to precisely predict exactly where the blobs will go next, as it all swirls around and the blobs bounce off each other seemingly at random.

I just started a new sketchbook so this is perfect ✨ always need more ideas to try new things or I end up drawing the same stuff over and over. The snakes look great! I'm not scared of snakes but I hate bugs

You are a great artist! I’m impressed by your quick drawing which I am not a drawer 😌 though I wanna be. lol. TFS enjoy watching you

I love snakes too!!! They’re so fun!!! When I took zoology in high school, playing with the snakes was always one of my favorite parts!!! 😊😊😊

I love snakes. Not the venomous ones, although I enjoy looking at them through glass. I live in the woods and see snakes regularly. I found a 6 foot long snake skin from a black snake. I did not keep it in a drawer lol I never had a lava lamp and I always wanted one. Recently I saw a jellyfill lamp that works the same way and I want that instead. Beautiful work!

Super video !

Thanks for this. I agree with you about the whole book thing. My son struggles terribly and I found a series of books that he's able to follow and has a few pictures in the book and I find it keeps him more interested. I read with him and that seems to help as well. As long as your enjoying yourself and makes you happy that's what matters, right? I was an outside kid and I thought it was weird for people especially kids not being outdoors and natury* ( I guess I made that word up lol). I own a ball python and she's just the sweetest thing. She has has helped a lot of people ( my kids friends and family and some of my family) to not fear snakes and help them become comfortable with them. Thanks for this video it was fun to follow your sketch ideas. Have a great night

Wow ! The bleeding effect with your watercolors was pretty cool ! I love your artwork, thank you !

You’re so lovely!

I have been wanting to draw/paint/sketch street lamps for like EVER… since I saw watercolor paintings on Pinterest that are so awesome. AND I’m a few pages away from filling my sketchbook so this is PERFECT!!!‼️‼️‼️‼️💟☮️

I loved this video! First, I thought the street lamps were wonderful and I want to do them! Then I have to tell you, I am an old lady and I still love children's books. Some of my favorites are Nancy Drew stories and Encyclopedia Brown stories. There is an "adult" mystery series that has kind of a kids' vibe to it: The Cat Who... series. You might like it. Then I loved the snake paintings! I like all kinds of reptiles and amphibians. However, I have always had cats and dogs as pets. Then oh yeah! Lava lamps! Had several of them as a kid in the 60s and 70s! They are so fun! Cute idea to paint, too! 📚🐍🎨

I love snakes!! They help the environment so much. I have never owned a lava lamp, but now I want one, AND I want to paint one!!

Fun to watch thank you for sharing

I recently watched a colour pencil tutorial where they shared a hack when pencils break when you sharpen them. You have to put it in the microwave for a minute before sharpening to avoid breaking. Thank you for new ideas for my sketching 😊

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip! 😊

Absolutely beautiful you brought together fun artwork that sang with colour. The wonderful memories are like magical stories that breathed life into the pages wonderful video. Lava lamps are making a come back in UK. When I was at school teacher brought in snake skins, I was facinated by them. Always thought be good if we got new skins and became more vibrant, growing new teeth be good too😄 thank you for TOP VIDEO. 👏👏❤❤

I like your ideas for journaling! I too, have ADHD, and yes I read a lot, mostly science fiction and fantasy, and most of them are for un-aging kids like us! (I am a grandmother, and still feel the wonder of that!) Your presentation is delightful and I like your low pressure ideas for sketching. Thank you!

Hahaha I'm 60 and I'm reading a story, right now, that is written for young adults, so...yeah, age doesn't ALWAYS matter, sometimes, but not always. Hey, snakes are cool, like Pitbulls, they are alwzys smiling hahaha. Never had a lava lamp, but would love to get one. I think they would be quite mesmerizing. Also, how cool! I just found out you and Ms. Byler are friends , such a sweet person.💞

the page of lamps looks great, it glows 😀 i say read what ever you want, if it gets a person reading it doesnt matter who the book is directed at i love snakes, I really want another one

I love snakes! I think they are beautiful, elegant creatures and some of them are even cute 😁😍 Thank you so much for all the amazing sketchbook ideas! 🥰

Thanks for sharing your ideas. Very clever work and well done. I am an adult and love to read middle grade books and young adult books. I also write picture books. As far as snakes, I respect them, but I can't even bring myself to draw them. LOL! It's silly, and I am more Zen about it now. I think it's because when I was about 20 years old some stranger, about 13 years old, threw a rubber snake at me and it landed on my lap. It was real as far as I was concerned. I was terrified. We were in a park. I guess he thought it would be funny, and I would laugh. It was just so unexpected. Had he shown me the snake and said it was rubber, I wouldn't have reacted like I did. He was very very sorry when he saw how hysterical I got. Now, I don't freak out when I see a snake, but they bring back that memory. You would think with three brothers I would be used to a mean trick, but my brothers were never cruel. I hope this story doesn't put a damper on anyone. 🥰

I liked all of your unique ideas 💡. I like the light theme and it made me think of painting fireflies coming out at night on my dreaded GA heat 3 mile, daily walk. Luv the fireflies, not so much the mosquitoes. Anyway, I digress...your ideas just made my head wander and think of fun things to draw or paint. As far as reading goes. I learned how to read very young at 2.5 years old. My Grandma taught me to read a Disney book and Go Dog Go by Dr. Seuss. From then on I devoured books and kept reading reading reading even in German, French and Spanish, but I found looking up words (foreign languages)constantly in the 90's pre tablets and reading so many adult novels, I just lost the taste for reading....until like you I gave myself the permission to read teen novels and graphic novels. My brain was able to relax and just read for fun and the books were teen friendly so with adult themes, but more hopeful. I still read my thrillers and horror from Dean Koontz and Stephen King, but I find I get bored with anything else adult wise. One more thing. The lava lamps were cool. I play the Sims and just finished the Strangerville pack....yeah I know it's way old. But you can buy groovy lava lamps from a vendor in the Strangerville town and I placed them in my Sim family's bathroom...why I don't know the bathroom. I think they reflect well off the bathroom walls and I like seeing the oil globs floating in the little lamps. Thanks for the ideas. Im going for my walk and then finally sitting down to start my sketchbook with dupe watercolor brush pens I bought from a Ukrainian company - Sketchmarker Brush pens. Not lightfast, but for a sketchbook. Byeeee... Jessica aus Amerika

These all turned out so nice. I especially like the lamp post theme. Loving the page embellishments, too. Fortunately I'm not afraid of snakes since my husband loves them and is breeding them, so we have many... MANY snakes at the house, LOL. We also have collections from nature: feathers, nests, snake skins, shells, etc. Not weird, nature is cool :D Yes! I have lava lamps! They are now gathering dust but you've inspired me to 'fire' them up, LOL.

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Ohhh those little snake babies must be so cute 😍

Absolument magnifique 😻

I’m yet to actually finish a sketchbook so this was so helpful and inspiring!

Thank you this is a great idea video. The lava lamp snake and streetlamps all lead me to ideas of my own that started from yours but ended up becoming their own thing. Thank you

Thank you for sharing. I read a lot of Young Adult (teenager) books and I'm old enough to be your mother. Peace.

Consider reading "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" - 5th grade reading level, but intense story. Get some square paper because you'll want to do origami afterwards.

Omg I love the street lamps !! I feel so inspired from this video.

I love what you shared about reading books!

Pretty paintings. When I was a teenage my parents had a lava lamp. This was back in the seventies.

I like snakes! They are so cool. I used to catch them as a kid...still do when I can

I love the street lamps!!

First time on your chanel, i liked the lava lamps most it was attempting and also i make this comment to say i really liked listening you talking because it felt reletable. I still do love children books also i like the illustrations in them. I still love cartoons too. Ps.Im not a big fan of snakes and no i didnt have a lava lamp ever.

I like this video alot- especially the lava lamps with neon watercolors

@VisualMind

Ай бұрын

Thank you 😊

what book did u get? Great ideas! I love your sketchbook idea videos!! Also, I love snakes!

Snakes absolutely terrify me 😥 Love your work ❤️❤️

I've had some art block so this video really helps me out to fill out my sketchbook! Plus I love the watercolor paint box you used.❤🧡💛💚💙💜

Love your video- fun ideas. Going to look for my neon watercolor paints - surely I have some stashed somewhere lol

You, your content, and your art is all so fabulous! Thank you for sharing!

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Thank you 🥰

Love your choices on what to add & how you went about it. Re: books: Thank you for mentioning this!!. now that I'm a late life mom, homeschooling- I am sooooo enjoying discovering & rediscovering things with my kid! We especially love graphic books/novels. & I even have a full set of youth audiobooks that I sometimes listen to while working in my sketchbook! I think part of keeping vitality is learning not to be so "mature" that you block out fun 😉

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

That's amazing! 😊

amazing video, love the creative atmosphere✨

You'd be good at creating graphic novels and graphic short stories. I am just getting into them and they're fantastic. You get art AND a story to go along with it. I love the ones where artists go through how they became artists...and draw through the whole book.

My favorite is the book, nice background too :)

Nice ideas

OMG I am in utter LOVE with this video. thank you for sharing. its awesome

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Thank you 😊 I have a lot more of these videos 😁

We own a gartner snake 🐍. She is such a sweetheart. Would love if you could show us how to draw them ! Thx for sharing.

Amezing 👌👌

Awesome

Wonderful video!

Lol almost exclusively read fantasy for teenagers because I enjoy the adventure more then the world building and most adult fantasy has a lot of world building involved. Love reading out of my age group 😂 and I recently bought where’s Waldo books because I just find them fun

Интересные иллюстрации получились, люблю смотреть когда кто нибудь заполняет скетчбук)) на это можно смотреть вечно😄

I think you talked about the Harry Potter books. Its for younger readers, he is 11 and its magical :D

This is the first video I'm watching from your channel and I've fallen in love with your art ideas . Thanks for sharing .. ❤️❤️❤️ from India 🙂

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! 😊

Your bookstory made me smile! I am a booknerd of 65 and still read children books and I think you would like this one: By Ash Oak and Thorn by Melissa Harrison! Love your sketchbook pages.

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion 😊

Highly recommend Kelly Barnhill if you like young adult fantasy based fiction. She writes these magical, but also clever stories that I find super enjoyable. I just read The Ogress and the Orphans, and it was fantastic.

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion 😊

Nice 💕Love it keep it up .........👍🏻

Love your artworks. =) I've never really liked reading, until I read the Harry Potter Series. And I'm usually a slow reader, but for me - I read those books very quickly! I am terrified of snakes. The snake skin in the drawer would have freaked me out too. I don't want any harm to come to them, but I don't want to look at them or have them anywhere near me, I even look away if I see one on TV or in a movie. I think lava lamps are really cool, but I have never owned one.

I’m thirty nine so I agree with that I read all books and I write books I haven’t been published yet I’m still in college so hopefully after I graduate wish me luck.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Okay, so if you like children's fantasy, you should pick up the Children of the Lamp books. It's about twins who are like 13ish who find out they are half djinn and their magical journeys around the world

I like snakes. I have two bearded dragons as pets. My babies ❤️

What kind of small soft brush do you use please reply😢

🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

Hi! I am really enjoying your sketchbook series and I have painted several of your gouache tutorials. I also did almost all of your Christmas cards that you shared in that mega card video that you did last year. I hope that you will do another Christmas card video this year. Watercolor is great, but maybe you’ll do a few cards in gouache, too. Btw, I am disappointed that I missed your gouache course. Will you be offering it again?

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! The course will open again in fall! (Either September or October) 😊

An other good trick to get your book milage in without burning out is finding a book in physical copy and audio version and alternate between the two. It makes reading harder series like lord of the rings, game of thrones or dune more accessible. At least it agrees with my dislexia ☺️

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

That's a genius idea! I might actually try that soon 😁

So many young adult novels are much better than adult books!

@VisualMind

Ай бұрын

I agree! What are your favorites? 😊

Hi yes I do have a cute zebra lava lamp ❤️😊 can you do how to get out of art block

@VisualMind

Жыл бұрын

I have a few videos like that already: kzread.info/dash/bejne/nXWY0KWTo5mnoJc.html , kzread.info/dash/bejne/eI6TmZNwkcbNZ9Y.html ... hope you like them 😊

Lava lamps work by heat because of the principle that heat rises. The light bulb provides heat for the weird lava substance, causing it to move and rise. I have had a glitter lamp, which is the same thing but with glitter instead of bubbles. The light was way too bright for my hypersensitive eyes, so I was quite disappointed by my inability to tolerate it without getting migraines.

Beautiful! I’m 54 and have ADHD and refuse to read anything BUT young adult fiction!😂

what book did she read???

=)

Ok if one wanted to send you a picture they drew were would they send it hmm it’s ok I still like your show.

Wanted your art to look loose and free for the street lights?

I have a Lava lamp and a Royal Python 🐍 called Zombie 🧟‍♀️

I love all these pages. I like snakes. Except one time I scared my horse, horses don't like snakes at all. I had picked one up, then later I went to put her halter on, but I forgot I had held the snake. She smelled it on my hand and I couldn't figure out for a minute why she was so frightened. I too love reading young adult books. I get very tired of all the sex and violence in adult books.

I’m not a big fan of water color it gets all over the place yuck but your painting is very pretty good job.

It isn't weird at all to have an interest in natural items throughout your life! I have everything from fossils to skulls, including bugs! People wrinkle their noses and call it weird when, if you look at how many very little kids have things like seed pods or leaves or bugs or rocks or eggs or feathers they found, it is obviously a very natural thing. But we get told it's weird, or creepy, or the items are gross, so many of us stop even though we would rather not, and that is so unkind of the world to try to change us. So nobody who sustains an interest in this kind of thing should feel ashamed or like they're weird in a bad way. It's just a way of being connected to the world around you! I also love dolls and toys and fluffy sweet things, which is also considered weird for an adult. It's like you can't win. Agreed about the books for younger audiences. I recently picked up a very long series intended for older kids, the ones just below YA, and it's very readable and fun. Very dramatic. I'm already several books in because they read so fast. I have ADHD and reading is very hard for me, so I mostly do audiobooks if it is for adults, and I do fine with that. I LOVE that book page, oh my GOODNESS. Simply gorgeous.

No, I don't like snakes. I do like frogs though! Yes, I've owned a lava lamp. I love them! Thank for the sketchbook tips!

Huh? Sketchy is the right word. There's more than 1.