Favorite Sketchbook Pages from the Last Decade of Creativity - a Tour!

For the past decade, my sketchbooks have been like that loyal sidekick in a buddy cop movie; always there to capture those eureka moments, wild experiments, and the occasional artistic face-plant. Each page is like a mini soap opera, chronicling the ups and downs of my creative adventures and personal growth spurts. Flipping through my favorite sketchbook pages is like watching a highlight reel of my artistic evolution, complete with a parade of techniques and ideas that kept my creative juices flowing. In this post, I'm spilling the beans on some of my top sketchbook pages from the last ten years, showcasing what makes each one shine and what nuggets of wisdom they offer to fellow artists and curious onlookers. With 31 sketchbooks to sift through, picking favorites was like choosing a favorite child-tricky, but totally worth it. Enjoy the ride! :)

1. Sketches that Capture Everyday Life

Sketching is like having a superpower to freeze everyday moments in time, turning them into a visual diary that reminds me not just of what I saw, but also how I felt and who I was stuck with...errr...I mean...shared those moments with. Even years later, these sketches bring back memories and emotions like a time-traveling roller coaster. My sketchbooks are filled with doodles, featuring a little cartoon character based on yours truly. She's my go-to gal for recording the mundane and the bizarre. This was especially handy during the wonderfully weird year of 2020. I created a little comic series called the Corona Diaries, which made the chaos a tad more bearable.

What I loved on these pages:

• Mix it up with a smorgasbord of materials!

• Dive in headfirst with pen or marker; erasers are for quitters!

• The mundane marvels of daily life.

• Everyday stuff is sprinkled with pixie dust!

2. Using the Sketchbook as an Idea Book

As the years rolled by, I became less of a scaredy-cat about using my sketchbook as a journal or an idea factory. I'd have a dream, probably involving flying pigs or dancing teapots, and voilà, a painting idea would pop up! I'd snatch my sketchbook like a ninja and dive into capturing that wild feeling. It turned into my creative playground. I started experimenting with all sorts of materials, even treating the poor sketchbook like a canvas. Just slap some gesso on the page and go wild with acrylics or oils like a mad artist!

What stands out on these pages:

• They remind me that a sketchbook is like a playground for my doodle disasters.

• It cheers me on to hug my blunders like they're long-lost friends.

• Dive into new materials like a fearless art adventurer.

• Scribble notes, pen poetry, or just do whatever tickles your creative fancy.

3. Travel Sketching: Capturing the Moment

Travel sketching is my sneaky way of pretending I’m a sophisticated artist while I’m actually just doodling on the go. It’s the perfect marriage of wanderlust and doodle fever, giving me a quirky way to capture the vibes of a place. Plus, I slap a sticker on my sketchbooks for every place I've dragged them to that year, because who doesn’t love stickers?

Benefits of Travel Sketching

• Enhances Observation: Sketching makes you stare at your surroundings like you’re Sherlock Holmes on a caffeine high.

• Creates Lasting Memories: Your drawings become the ultimate souvenir, minus the tacky keychain.

• Encourages Creativity: It’s your chance to unleash your inner van Gogh and see where your imagination takes you.

• Fosters Mindfulness: Sketching is like yoga for your fingers, helping you find your zen in the chaos of travel.

  
  

Tips for Effective Travel Sketching

• Choose the Right Materials: Go for art supplies that won’t weigh you down like a lead balloon, think sketchbooks, pencils, and watercolors.

• Focus on Key Elements: Capture the scene’s vibe without getting lost in every little detail, because who has time for that?

• Practice Regularly: The more you sketch, the more you’ll feel like a pro who actually knows what they’re doing.

• Embrace Imperfection: Let your mistakes be happy accidents; every sketch is a stepping stone to greatness (or at least a good laugh).

What Tickled My Fancy:

• The wild party of colors and materials having a get-together.

• Snapping moments, especially those raindrops in Scotland. Mother Nature was clearly showing off her sprinkler system!

• Documenting the epic saga of my travels.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice...

The sketchbook is like a playground for messy creativity, where perfection takes a backseat and chaos reigns supreme. I use it as my artistic gym, flexing different skills like figure studies, wash techniques, or just tackling my artistic weak spots. It's the perfect sandbox for learning without the pressure of getting it right!

Lessons Learned

• Your sketchbook is like a playground for your brain, where creativity runs wild and experiments are the name of the game.

• Perfection is overrated! Embracing your artistic oopsies can actually make you learn faster and laugh at the fear of messing up.

• Practicing different techniques is like adding spices to your artistic stew. It makes your skills simmer and sizzle.

• Grabbing that sketchbook is like opening a treasure map to the land of artistic self-discovery and exploration.

• Setting up a cozy art corner is like giving your creativity a VIP lounge, where growth and improvement are always on the guest list.

  
  

5. The Personal, Quiet, Moments

Don’t let your sketchbook feel like it’s just a canvas for your doodles. It’s also a great place to scribble down notes or unleash your inner Shakespeare with some poetry. I’m guilty of using mine for both, and it turns my art into a masterpiece with a touch of my own quirky personality!

Wow, this post is so long, I think I just set a new personal record! I haven't written this much since my college days, and trust me, that was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Hopefully, this gives you some inspiration to dive into your sketchbooks and art journals without fear. Just let your brain go wild; draw, write, doodle, whatever! Some days you'll feel like a creative genius, and other days, you'd rather watch paint dry. And that's totally fine. Even if you have to drag yourself to do it, go for it. A page full of scribbles beats a page full of nothing any day. So keep those creative juices flowing!