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Maximize Your Drawing Time with a Mini Sketch Book

Dec 8, 2009 Art General, Creativity

One of the biggest challenges for artists is time. There is never enough of it! When you have a day job, a family, homework, chores and other obligations, it can be hard to fit creativity into the schedule. One way I’ve found to cope with this is with a miniature sketch book.

A mini sketchbook is portable, so you can take it anywhere. You can practice your shading, cross-hatching, contour drawings, gestural drawings and whatever else you can think of! Drawing from life is one of the best ways to develop your eye and this is an easy way to do it.

I found my little guy in the clearance bin at Chapters. It’s only a few inches in either direction and is absolutely perfect for those rare moments of down time. I keep it in my purse and can whip it out whenever I have a minute. The pages inside are a cheap newsprint, but that doesn’t matter. The point is, I have an accessible drawing surface whenever I have the time to use it!

Keep it in your purse, your briefcase, your laptop bag, your glove compartment, whatever works for you! When you have a minute, you’ll be prepared!

Here are some examples of the sketches in my mini-book:

This cross-hatch drawing was done at work on my lunch break.

I did this gestural sketch while stuck at a red light.

This is a blind contour drawing I did at the doctor's office.

Related posts:

1. 6 Tips for a Stress-Free Sketch Book
2. 21 Ways to Kickstart your Creativity and Become a Better Artist
3. The Dot: Inspiring Art Book for Kids (and Adults!)
4. Tips to Improve your Drawing: How to See
5. Tips for Drawing Dogs (and Other Furry Critters)

Tags: Creativity, drawing tips, sketch books