This will be the last article from my recent trip to France – and it’s a chance for me to share a few composite images I created in the lead up to Sketchbook Design. They show a collection of double-page spreads from the two 8×10 Alpha softcover sketchbooks I filled during my 3 week trip.

This is what I wrote at the time on Instagram:

My sketchbooks are more than simply a collection of images. I want them to weave a narrative of my life (in this case, my travels in France) through a combination of images and text. I want to create a variation in page design to make flipping through the pages an exciting adventure.

So these pages are very special to me, not just because I’m happy with my sketches (many were quite experimental!), but also because of the memories and stories that they contain.

Keep scrolling for an index of articles I’ve published about this trip.

It’s really fun to see many of my France sketches together like this – to see the variety in hues, media and layout.

Index of blog articles

Here are all the articles I have published here covering the highlights of my adventures in France:

• France 2026: Lots of Trip Prep with dry media
• France 2026: Reflections from my 3-week trip
• France 2026: Alsace road trip
• France 2026: Travelling day (5 hours in Paris)
• France 2026: Toulouse (Urban Sketchers Symposium)
• France 2026: From Toulouse to Paris

Index of posts inside my Sketching Adventure Community on Patreon

These posts are available to paid members of my community – I’m including the links here for them.

Note: If you are not a paid member, these posts will appear locked, but you can see a preview image for each. If you join the community, even just for one month, you will be able to watch all these videos. Find out more here.

All the posts related to my trip:

• France 2026 Vlog 1: Alsace Part 1
• France 2026 Vlog 2: Alsace Part 2
• France 2026 Vlog 3: Toulouse
• France 2026 Vlog 4: Toulouse to Paris
• France 2026: Photo References
• France 2026: Simplifying Limoges Cathedral Interior
• France 2026: Mixed Media Review
• Replay: July Livestream – going through all my France sketches
• Replay: August Livestream: How I finished off my pages
• Finishing Touches: Adding text & skies
• Finishing Touches: Leaving incomplete?
  Finishing Touches: Values and Story
• Finishing Touches: Demo

Trip Prep videos:

• Trip Prep 2026: Mixed Media Strategies
• TripPrep2026: Dry Media Decisions
• TripPrep2026: Using Neocolor II 
• TripPrep2026: Final Mixed Media Decisions

Thank you for being part of this trip!

Even though this visit to France was the shortest trip I’ve ever made to Europe, it was very special. I’m really happy to have shared my sketches with you, and I hope you enjoyed coming along virtually! I loved meeting many of you in Toulouse, and thanks again to Kerstin and Frannie for making the two mini road trips happen.

Finally, a huge thanks to anyone who took the time to leave a comment. Your feedback is always so important to me and makes creating these blog posts worthwhile.