Creative Concertina Sketchbooks 6
The Black Book
A playful sketchbook course exploring the black book, no perfection required.
ENROLL NOW £90
Discover how to work on a black paper concertina sketchbook in an exciting range of whites, and maybe just a touch of colour.
Watch the welcome video and see what’s possible.
The black book is not a drawing course.
It’s a creative playground. With collage, painting, printing and drawing, you'll learn to try new ideas in your sketchbook in a completely free and intuitive way.
With no colour you can focus on shape and contrasts.
What makes this course different?
- 25 short and inspiring videos
Bite-sized lessons you can follow at your own pace, whenever it suits you. - 8 creative modules
From building your concertina book to layering, masking and refining. - White on black
No need to buy expensive materials - try to use the materials you already have. - Focus on experimenting to see what if?
We embrace taking risks, freedom and personality, not anatomy. - Private Kajabi Community
Share your work, ask questions, and feel part of a creative community.
Is this for you?
◈ You don't know what to do in your Black Book, it seems too hard.
◈ You want to work in your sketchbook in a fun, loose way.
◈ You’re tired of perfection and ready to explore.
◈ You’d love a course that fits around your time and your pace.
◈ You’re curious about collage, layering and working in black and white.
If you're nodding along, then yes! This is absolutely for you.
ENROLL NOW £90Check out our growing sketchbook community
"I'm so looking forward to working in reverse - white on black!! I feel so motivated, you make everything feel achievable"
-Steph
"Oh yes! This will definitely get rid of my fear of the black paper! "
"What fun - collecting and using all my whites papers, pens and paints! Thank you"
- Nikki
"My black book has been sitting on my shelf , unused, for two years! I just didn't know where to start with it. Thank you for giving me so many ideas. I'm buzzing! "
- Debbie
Course content
Lesson 1
Let's start with some collage papers.
Lesson 2
Working into collage papers with medium and ink
Lesson 3
Lets add paper, paint and print
Lesson 4
Building texture with modelling paste
Lesson 5
Making and painting with chromatic greys
Lesson 6
Working with pens and crayons
When you enrol, you’ll also get access to a private Kajabi Community group where you can share your work, connect with other students, and ask questions, directly to Karen. It's a supportive, creative space to keep you inspired.
After the course, you’ll be able to:
- Work confidently in black and white.
- Use the techniques that resonate with you to bring your books to life.
- Add drama and contrast to your pages with bold, expressive compositions.
- Keep experimenting to find new ways of working
- Keep going when a page feels messy or “wrong” and trust the process.
How amazing? 😍
Who is Karen Stamper?
Karen is a UK based artist and teacher who helps people break free from creative blocks and fall in love with their sketchbooks. She loves collecting inspiration from her travels in her concertina sketchbooks.
She has taught thousands of students through in-person workshops, art holidays and online classes to play with collage, and enjoy the process even if they don’t feel “good at art”.
Her approach is simple: no pressure, no perfection, just joyful, expressive sketchbooks.
Want to start with Course 1?
If you haven’t taken one of my courses before we recommend starting with Concertina Sketchbooks 1 (Buildings), but this Black Book course also works well on its own, especially if you want to experiment.
Let's go to Course 1!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have access to the course?
What materials will I need? SEE FULL LIST in the last question
How much time will I need?
How is the course delivered?
Do I have to be able to draw?
What if I'm unhappy with my purchase?
Can I have the full list of materials?
