Exercise 1:0 - What Sketchbook?

1. Identify on a loose sheet of paper what you think you might use the Sketchbook for.

I’ve been giving this some thought and I think I’d keep one in my handbag so I can use it when I am out and about.
One for mixed media, I really love Strathmore mixed media sketchbooks for this but I am also interested in putting one together myself using Strathmore mixed media loose sheets and a pretty handmade cover.

A digital one for my Procreate sketches.

2. Identify on a loose sheet of paper your thoughts about these questions before you buy, or make, your sketchbooks.

Looking through the questions in the study notes I identified that I prefer to work on heavy weight paper. I like A5 - A4 sized sketchbooks but am willing to experiment with larger books when working at home. It’s much easier to take smaller ones out and about in my bag.

I do sometimes get intimidated by the blank page but still prefer it plain, I am not keen on gridded or lined paper for drawing.

I do like a really high quality sketchbook and am not afraid to use it, I’d rather have quality paper than cheap flimsy paper as I don’t like how it feels or looks.

I don’t really need things to look the same but I do like them to be pretty and colours I enjoy. If it’s a black cover I like to cover it with my favourite artists stickers.

Happy to work in a variety of books and do find I flirt about with projects so am very liking to be using more than one book at a time.

I prefer soft back bound sketchbooks as they feel nicer to me, aren’t as heavy and as I am left handed, much easier for me to work in. With spiral bound I find the coil often gets in my way.

I currently use my sketchbooks for a bit of thumbnailing, testing out colours and swatching new art supplies. Sketching ideas and I have recently started travel sketching using watercolours with a waterbrush pen, which I am actually really enjoying and want to do more of this.

My sketchbooks are used at home and also out and about, I tend to do uni work a lot at the local cafe so will take it there a lot and I am trying to get in the habit of sketching when we go to lovely places.

I prefer not to be watched when I Sketch when I am out and about, I am pretty shy but am getting used to sharing my work a bit more. I’ve been sharing works in progress and finished paintings on my You tube channel but actually sketching I think I’d find really difficult.

I do work digitally as well so will be producing a digital sketchbook as well and sharing it with my tutor in the form of a pdf document.