Question (a silly one perhaps) but how do you hold your sketchbook as you draw? I noticed some of your sketches take up the whole surface of the paper. Do you use a stand and stool or do you improvise for each drawing?
Ok, officially bananas. I just stumbled across your newsletter, nodding along to your burnout post and seeing words I'd used recently pop up on the screen - so I checked out more of what you're up to - and sitting in my drafts for my next post is one about my sketchbook practice. About not using sketchbooks ever, until my 30s, and I use them in a near identical way as you describe. Right down to the word 'precious' in how I used to avoid / approach them.
I guess this is a long way to say, hello kindred creative.
Your notebooks are amazing!! I'm not very good at drawing and always a bit scared to try, but your works show me that the main thing is to try, not to be afraid and be creative!
I never used sketchbooks until 2020....I'm always nervous of creating stuff that might not be "usable" but it's so satisfying to create something that doesn't have to be "something". Love your landscapes and it's making me think I might need to have a landscape sketchbook :)
So lovely to read! I tend to mess up (willingly) the first pages with sketches in all kinds of materials and styles, so that I don’t feel obligated to keep a certain style throughout te sketchbook. And keeps the ‘it has to be perfect’ voice out of my mind. Love the idea of testpages first as well. Definitely gonna keep that one in mind with the next book 😍
Sketchbooks have been a godsend to me over the past two years . Getting over that hump of creating something lovely on every page was a challenge -but trying new media gave me the excuse to make mistakes and celebrate . ! I think in this age of showing everything we make online it is liberating to make mistakes and grow with a sketchbook ..Or just make something different and feel good about the process ! I guess I was brought up to not "ruin ' hardcover books lol -but as I have several sketchbooks completed it feels great to finish and start a new one! Old mistakes look far better with time and reflection it seems..I have joined a local urban sketchers group and that has loosened me up too ! Thank you for this post ..To not show and keep sketchbooks for ourselves is a beautiful and freeing concept:-)
How I use sketchbooks
Beautiful sketches, thanks for sharing!
Question (a silly one perhaps) but how do you hold your sketchbook as you draw? I noticed some of your sketches take up the whole surface of the paper. Do you use a stand and stool or do you improvise for each drawing?
Ok, officially bananas. I just stumbled across your newsletter, nodding along to your burnout post and seeing words I'd used recently pop up on the screen - so I checked out more of what you're up to - and sitting in my drafts for my next post is one about my sketchbook practice. About not using sketchbooks ever, until my 30s, and I use them in a near identical way as you describe. Right down to the word 'precious' in how I used to avoid / approach them.
I guess this is a long way to say, hello kindred creative.
Your notebooks are amazing!! I'm not very good at drawing and always a bit scared to try, but your works show me that the main thing is to try, not to be afraid and be creative!
I never used sketchbooks until 2020....I'm always nervous of creating stuff that might not be "usable" but it's so satisfying to create something that doesn't have to be "something". Love your landscapes and it's making me think I might need to have a landscape sketchbook :)
So lovely to read! I tend to mess up (willingly) the first pages with sketches in all kinds of materials and styles, so that I don’t feel obligated to keep a certain style throughout te sketchbook. And keeps the ‘it has to be perfect’ voice out of my mind. Love the idea of testpages first as well. Definitely gonna keep that one in mind with the next book 😍
Sketchbooks have been a godsend to me over the past two years . Getting over that hump of creating something lovely on every page was a challenge -but trying new media gave me the excuse to make mistakes and celebrate . ! I think in this age of showing everything we make online it is liberating to make mistakes and grow with a sketchbook ..Or just make something different and feel good about the process ! I guess I was brought up to not "ruin ' hardcover books lol -but as I have several sketchbooks completed it feels great to finish and start a new one! Old mistakes look far better with time and reflection it seems..I have joined a local urban sketchers group and that has loosened me up too ! Thank you for this post ..To not show and keep sketchbooks for ourselves is a beautiful and freeing concept:-)
Lovely to peep inside these sketchbooks! And what a great idea to start by testing colours to get the ‘newness’ out of the way...
I love that idea of just making marks and testing on the first few pages. I always find it so hard to use that first page of a new book.
I love a Royal Talens too. I’ve been enjoying the bigger ones lately. Do you have a favorite size?
Oooh this post makes me so happy. Thank you for sharing these photos and thoughts. Delicious ❤️