A short, sweet, and to the point newsletter from an illustrator, book designer, and all around busy bee. ๐ By day, I work in the publishing industry as a book designer and illustrator. By night, I indulge in my inspirations and grow my creative business with slow, intentional steps. Every month, you'll get insights into living a creative life, what's currently inspiring me, behind the scenes peeks of works in progress, the stories behind the work, and freebies to help nurture your own creativity.
A New Studio Note has arrived! ๐ February 2026 Edition
Published about 1 month agoย โขย 2 min read
Studio Note 02/26
Hello Reader,
Normally, January fills me with excitement and renewed energy for the year ahead. This year, though, it was slower and less energetic, as if it were a sign from the universe I needed to rest and pace myself more. Was it restful or energizing for you?
Art Notes
In January, I painted something small for my first piece of 2026. It also celebrated the completion of another sketchbook. I'm up to 3 now. I've really enjoyed working in them more than focusing on more polished pieces right now. They feel like creative playgrounds I can just explore and have fun in! I have several of them that serve different purposes, but this recently completed one was just for wet mediums and contained a mix of experiments and polished pieces.
I'm thinking about turning this little goat into some limited run stickers! He's really cute, and I'd personally like to put him on my planner.
"Janus' Goat", a small tribute to January born people (like myself)
I began this one with a saturated underpainting...
And let the orange red show beyond the darker colors. I really like how it looks! Gouache is still kicking my butt, though...
It has been hard to find the energy to pick up a pencil or paintbrush outside my full-time job (if you don't remember or don't know, I work in the publishing industry as a book designer. I get to make books for a living! How cool is that? :-) ). I'm still finding moments of time to pick up a sketchbook and just make some marks, even if that is all I can manage at the time. I'm also planning out the larger pieces I'd like to work on this year, and experimenting with mediums and techniques. I have a whole "art workout" built to address weak spots and things I'd like to improve on. I think I mentioned it already, but this year, I want to focus on artistic growth and improvement, not products (I say having just mentioned making goat stickers a few moments ago).
Shop Notes
I've continued my hunt for a new print provider after encountering some issues with my current one.
I've found one I'm interested in, and if I move forward with them, the paper used for prints will change, as well as pricing. Ideally I'd like to keep the same kind of paper (Hahnemuehle Photo Rag) but this printer only stocks German Etching in the Hahnemuehle line. I'll of course keep you updated if and when these changes are made!
It's not bad, just more textured than I personally like. I'm optimistic about the printer, though, and I'm hoping I can bring back additional sizes to the shop in a way that doesn't lead to update burnout! Samples have been ordered so I will see how they compare to the Photo Rag.
from Catherine Herold - Illustrator & Graphic Designer
A short, sweet, and to the point newsletter from an illustrator, book designer, and all around busy bee. ๐ By day, I work in the publishing industry as a book designer and illustrator. By night, I indulge in my inspirations and grow my creative business with slow, intentional steps. Every month, you'll get insights into living a creative life, what's currently inspiring me, behind the scenes peeks of works in progress, the stories behind the work, and freebies to help nurture your own creativity.
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