From bold colour to black and white.
Music credit: Beauty in the Mundane by Bird of Figment
I’ve just finished some colourful paintings. But in my sketchbook things are black and white.
There’s a kind of ease I find in black and white. A clarity. A calmness. A confidence.
Colour is beautiful, but it asks for a lot of decisions. Black and white strips that away.
No second-guessing shades. No hunting for the perfect combination. That’s why I often return to monochrome as a sketchbook practice. Just simple tools and simple choices.
It lets me get going and keep going.
Simple and strong
It’s not plain. It’s powerful. High contrast. Strong composition. Every mark holds more presence and fewer choices mean more flow.
Working in black and white helps me focus more on composition, the shapes, the balance, the space between things. There’s a simplicity to it that I find really pleasing.
Fewer choices. More momentum.
When the palette is limited, I notice different things: The weight of a line. The balance of space. The relationship between forms.
Composition becomes clearer. Decisions come faster. There’s less second-guessing. More doing.
Why it works (especially when life feels full)
Because simplicity quietens the noise. Because constraints build momentum. Because joy often lives in the simplest things.
Black and white invites you to notice more, not less. To pare back. To pay attention. To create without pressure.
And sometimes it just feels very satisfying.
Try this:
Next time you feel stuck, try removing colour from the equation. Pick up one pen, one pencil, one sheet and begin. You might be surprised by how powerful simple can feel.
Books mentioned in video
How Painting Happens and Why is Matters by Martin Gayford, published by Thanes and Hudson, 2024
Barbara Rae Monograph, published by The Royal Academy 2025
Links to artist mentioned in video
Materials and art supplies mentioned in video
I purchase a lot of my pens, pencils and inks from an independent British shop called Cult Pens it has a phenomenal range and great customer service.
It has a refer a friend programme, so if you use this link to purchase you can get 10% off your first purchase and I get a 10% discount off my next purchase too. Or here are the direct links with no discount:
Sailor Fude de Mannen Calligraphy Fountain Pen
Sketchbook
The sketchbook I am using in this video is the Venezia Book from Fabriano.
(This is an affiliate link, if you buy something through this, I might earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)
PS: My self-paced online art classes are here to support possibility and play, with lessons built around exploration, composition, and the unexpected details that make your work feel truly yours. No pressure. Just quiet encouragement, creative rhythm, and joyful exploration. Start anytime. Come back often. Make more art..