Learn to… Art!

6 Tips for a Stress-Free Sketch Book

Dec 13, 2009 Creativity

I recently wrote a guest post for Lori Mcnee’s blog Fine Art Tips. I didn’t want you guys to miss out on it, so  here is a condensed version! You can read the entire article at Fine Art Tips for more details.

Most artists recognize the value of a sketch book: it’s a place to practice, a place to experiment, and a place to keep track of your ideas. The problem is that there is only so much time in the day! Regularly using a sketch book can be difficult. It’s something we want to do, something we feel we should be doing, and yet we don’t always have time for it. Hence the stress!

Here are six tips you can use to help make your sketch book time less stressful and more enjoyable.

1. Indulge: Buy an exciting sketch book that will inspire you, or make one of your own.

2. Get Portable: Use a mini sketch book so that you’re ready to draw anywhere.

3. Get Strategic: Place a sketch book in the places where you’re likely to have down time to remind you to use it.

4. Be Open-Minded: Let your sketch book be a receptacle for whatever idea happens to strike you that day.

5. Set Limits: Spark your creativity by setting limits on colour or medium.

6. Cheat: Recognize that the doodles you do throughout the day are also part of your creative process.

These are some of the things that work for me. What strategies do you use to make keeping a sketch book easier?

Tags: sketch books, time management

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.

Tags: Creativity, drawing tips, sketch books