So I got up this morning and felt the need for some sketchbook-ing, which led me to ponder the art of the sketchbook. Firstly it must be noted that everyone has completely different ideas about what a sketchbook is. To me, at this point in my 'creative career', it is a vessel for recording interesting shops and exhibitions, for seeing who the up-and-coming new designers are, for cataloging the current trends, and for reminding me to do something creative that is easy and without pressure. It's a way of jotting down all my ideas, the good ones, the bad ones, and the just plain ugly ones, in a space where no one else has to see (unless I choose to publish it on the internet....!) It is definitely NOT just for drawing!
To others I know it is very different, to a friend of mine who is a very talented fine artist, it is way of capturing something very quickly, a way of drawing whenever and wherever the mood strikes. I have never known her not to have one on her at any one time.
It can be such a mixture, such a variety of thoughts and ideas that when it comes to sketchbook-ing, there really are no rules at all. Here's a few examples of differently they can be used:
So what separates the good sketchbook from the bad? Of course first you have to define 'good' and 'bad' sketchbook-ing, which is a complicated question to ask, but in my mind it is quite simple. It is simply that the best sketchbooks find the perfect balance between caring and not caring. Being neat and being messy. Considering whereabouts you place something on a page, yet making it look effortless, a subconscious act. Not I am an expert in doing this!
Here's a few pages out of mine:
If you're interested in this kind of thing and sketchbook-ing takes your fancy, try joining the sketchbook project, http://www.sketchbookproject.com.
