Secrets from the Sketchbook

I have a plan to update this often. Since I'm an art teacher, I thought, why not share some things I teach as we go here?

Sketchbook 101

If I don't write down my ideas immediately then it will fall out of my brain and be lost forever. So sketchbooks have become so very useful and an escape for me. I used to only draw with pencil in them. Then one day I realized I could do whatever I wanted to! Now I carry a sketchbook with me where ever I go just in case inspiration strikes.

If you are a budding artist like me, maybe some of this tips will be helpful:

1. Choose a sketchbook you LOVE. If you've got a rockin' sketchbook, you'll be more likely to draw in it. I have several books I started but just wasn't really feelin' the juju of the pages or it wasn't aesthetically pleasing...so they sit on my shelf untouched.

2. That reminds me...Cost. My favorite sketchbooks are ones I made myself. Collect unfinished sketchpads, scrapbook paper, tracing paper, gessoed paper, and any lonely paper scraps hanging around the house. Cut them to the same size and take them to a store to be bound. All you pay for is the binding (which is cheap!)

2. Cover. I prefer hardback, spiral bound like this one. Spirals lay flat. They are user friendly. I used to decorate my sketchbook covers as seen in the 3rd photo, but now I prefer the hard black covers.

3. Size. Choose a book not too big or too small. My personal size preference and shape is square 8"x8". It's small enough to carry with you and just big enough to have room to draw. Too many pages can be overwhelming, so stick with around 100 pages.

4. Inviting. Treat your sketchbook like a best seller to sell to yourself. Sometimes I do intro pages for myself or make a little table of contents when I'm done with it. It should be beautiful to look at and make you happy! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book of artist/illustrator's sketchbook pages and could look at it all day.

5. Other options. Rather than use a blank page sketchbook, pick up a cheap hard back book at a thrift store or one you have laying around. Then it will become an altered book like these examples.

And here is some sketchbook eye candy from around the web:

and check out this post on the design files with some sketchbooks.