Sketchbooks have always been a part of my practice. From being young and using them to practice my drawings to using them as a student and now in my professional life, they've always played a big role in how I work.
Sketchbooks aren't just for artists either, they can be a really useful way to collect memories, keep notes or just to doodle. Having a sketchbook to hand can be as great way to free your mind and take some time away from technology!
I use my own sketchbooks for a variety of purposes, from note taking, planning for a project to figuring out characters or just pure experimentation. Your sketchbook is a place for anything and everything, and the best part - it's just for you and your eyes only! This means that there's no pressure to keep things neat and pristine, although this can be harder in practice and is something I'm still trying to let go of!
So, lets go though some of the benefits and uses of a sketchbook and why you should keep one!
What are the benefits of keeping a sketchbook?
A sketchbook is the perfect place to let your mind run freely and to help get your creative juices flowing. Working in a sketchbook is often less intimidating than starting on large piece, while also allowing you to explore your idea in more detail first before creating a larger piece of art. Not only this but seeing a variety of ideas together across the pages may help spark more ideas that you might not have considered otherwise!
Using your sketchbook to capture a moment or a place can be so much more rewarding than just taking a picture. Taking your time to sketch what's in front of you will help you feel more connected to your surroundings and because you're focusing on all the details as you draw, the location is likely to hold a stronger memory in your brain.
Sketchbooking as a way to experiment or to just as a way to get your emotions on paper can be a really therapeutic way of working. Taking time away from technology and putting pen to paper can be so beneficial for your mind and mental health. By working in a sketchbook over a period of time, you're creating a visual record of your personal progress, which can be super motivating to reflect back on and see how far you have come!
How to use a sketchbook?
How you use your sketchbook is completely up to you. They can be such a personal thing and there's no right or wrong way to use them! Whether you decide to draw the environment around you, objects around your home or even as a way to display and process your emotions, they're all perfectly valid ways to use your sketchbook.
If you struggle to come up with ideas about what to draw, you could take on a daily drawing challenge such as Peachtober, a 30 days drawing challenge or the 100 Heads challenge. This way you don't have to overthink what it is you have to draw as the prompts are already written for you. Participating in a daily challenge like this can be a great way to keep up with daily practice but also feel like you're being held accountable, so you might be more likely to stick with it and see it through to the end!
Your sketchbook is your private space, theres no pressure to share it with anyone if you don't want to and therefore it can be a really freeing outlet for your creativity. Don't be afraid to mess up and make mistakes in your sketchbook, it helps to not see it as this precious space that has to be perfect.
A way to combat this can be to take some paint, some watercolours or something similar that allows you to put down large amounts of colour quickly. Then flip through your sketchbook and on random empty pages, just throw some colour down on the page! Don't try to paint anything in particular, don't focus too hard, just paint. By going through your sketchbook in this way, it takes the scary edge off of the dreaded empty white page! You can't mess up the page with bad drawings, what will be, will be! You may even find that the colours or the paint shapes could spark some ideas!
Your sketchbook is the perfect space to be yourself and let your imagination run wild! No one has to see it - you don't even have to look back through it yourself! Just allow yourself to be free and your ideas will develop along the way!
What kind of sketchbook should you use?
The kind of sketchbook you decide to use can be based off of many different factors. Take some time to consider what mediums you like to use. Do you love to throw down lots of paint and ink or do you usually stick to pencil or a pen? Thinking about your favourite art materials will help you decide what type of paper the sketchbook needs to have.
Deciding on softcover or hardback sketchbooks really comes down to where you're going to use it. If you're going to have it rattling around in a backpack a lot of the time then a hardback sketchbook may be better for you as it wont get creased or messed up in your bag, although it can be heavier! If you don't need so much protection or maybe prefer a lighter book, then maybe consider a softcover sketchbook.
The size you decide upon depends on how versatile the sketchbook needs to be for you. Are you planning on carrying it around with you? If so then a heavy hardback with loads of pages likely isn't the best idea! A pocket size or A6 sketchbook might be more well suited. But if you plan on only using it in your studio or at home and love to create larger pieces of art, then an A4 or even A3 sketchbook might work best!
Deciding on a sketchbook can often be a bit of trial and error, trying multiple types until you find one you like best and that best suits your lifestyle!
Here are a couple of my personal favourites:
First up is the Royal Talens Art Creation sketchbook. These hardback sketchbooks come in a wide range of sizes and colours meaning you can almost certainly find an option that suits you best. The pages are a medium thickness and lightly textured and do well holding a reasonable amount of paint and ink. Using alcohol markers means a small amount of bleed does appear on the other side of the page so it's always best to use a scrap sheet of paper between your pages. Not only is this sketchbook pretty versatile, it's also very inexpensive compared to other major brands with the roughly A5 size coming in at around £7!
My other go-to sketchbook is Moleskine's Cahier Journals. While not technically a sketchbook, these pocket size journals are incredible to carry around with you. The pages are pretty thin and have a smooth surface, making them perfect for pencil or pen. Be aware however, that anything heavier will cause some ghosting onto the other side of the page. These journals are my perfect on the go sketchbook that work so well when out and about and fit into any bag and most pockets. They come in a pack of three and are usually priced at around £8 for the set, making them a pretty good deal in my opinion!
Whichever sketchbook you decide, the benefits of using a sketchbook are huge and are for you to use however you like. It's a private space for you to explore and express yourself freely.