Why Having a Sketchbook will Change Your Life

Having a sketchbook habit is so important, because it’s the one place you can work at your craft where you won’t feel judged. You can test out new techniques without the pressure of creating something amazing. A sketchbook is like a diary for your work. It’s something no one ever needs to see.

As artists, most of us are so insecure about our work. We’re scared to put ourselves out there. The problem is, you can’t get any better without putting yourself out there and trying new techniques. My new mindset is to think of my sketchbook as a laboratory, where I experiment and play. I’ve managed to let go of the idea that my sketchbook has to be pretty for all the world to see.

Cultivating a sketchbook habit was something I struggled with for years. In the last few years, I’ve finally made it a habit, and there are a few things I attribute my success to.

The first thing was simply finding the right sketchbook. You might laugh at this one, but it’s so true. First of all, I think large sketchbooks are extremely intimidating. You feel like your work needs to be final, because it’s so big. That’s why I use these smaller 5x8 Moleskine sketchbooks. Not only are the dimensions small, but there aren’t too many pages - both important things to look for. Second, the sketchbook must work with your media. If you are using watercolor, and your pages are always wrinkling, that’s going to get annoying and keep you away from the habit. Find a sketchbook that works with your tools. Also, make sure the pages are a good color - not too ivory, and not too textured, At least, that’s what I prefer.

The second thing I started doing was leaving my sketchbook out so I could see it every day. Just being able to see it every day made me more likely to use it. I would also recommend leaving it near your illustration tools, so it doesn’t take much effort to get started.

The third thing I’d recommend is to focus on working at one subject matter at a time. For a while, I constantly focused on painting people in my sketchbook. Since I knew what I was going to paint, this made it easier to get started. Other categories to focus on are plants, objects, buildings/scenery, food, and patterns. I believe this is how a lot of the old masters worked - filling many consecutive pages with the same type of illustration, tweaking and refining along the way.

Now that I’ve made sketchbooking a habit, I can say that I’m SO much better for it. I love to bring my sketchbook on vacation with me. Because I have it with me, I’ve become more observant of the world around me - always looking for beautiful things to paint. Being more observant is a great way to savor the moment.

Having a sketchbook is also a wonderful way to focus inward, and be in the present, because you can paint like no one’s watching. To me, it feels like a form of meditation. Also, I’ve become more confident in my illustration skills - not only because I’ve been practicing more, but because having a sketchbook has made me feel like a legitimized artist. I know it’s just mindset, but it’s made all the difference.

So if you don’t have a sketchbook habit yet, I’d highly recommend making this a resolution. I firmly believe it’s the secret to getting better faster. I’ve also found it’s a great way to be happier and more present in your life. Just remember not to share too much of your sketchbook with the world. It’s your space to play, and no one else’s. This is the key to getting the most out of it. I probably only share one out of every ten drawings in my sketchbook, because I’m very protective of my expirimental work.