Hey guys! It’s a very strange and distressing time at the moment. The whole world (pretty much) find ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic. Something which feels very surreal – I hope you’re all staying safe out there and taking all the necessary precautions wherever you may live. Amongst this I’ve been creating a lot of sketchbook art recently, as the UK is in lockdown and staying at home is mandatory. Alongside this I’ve been busy over the last few weeks working on new illustration commissions, creating personal artworks and updating my website (which is a never-ending activity!).
If you’re unfamiliar with my previous sketchbook updates or my illustration work in general, my sketchbook updates showcase my drawings from the last few weeks and months. My sketchbook is my number 1 core activity outside commissioned work – it allows me to experiment with different techniques (such as learning about the golden ratio), test new mediums and draw to practice my craft.
Within this sketchbook art update you will discover my latest sketchbook drawings and creations – including a few bonus drawings that you will not be able to find anywhere else! I’ve also included a few personal paintings that I have created in my ‘painting sketchbook’ too.
Sketchbook art can look however you want it to – regardless of the medium you use. My sketchbook allows me to create the art that I want to create, without anyone telling me anything different. This makes it an ideal place to practice and experiment! Sketchbooks and drawing are also meant to be highly relaxing – even more reason for you to get drawing!
If you’re interested in starting your own sketchbook, here’s my top 5 tips to help you keep a consistent sketchbook to not only improve your art, but something which you can reference in the future:
My Top Tips To Help You Create Sketchbook Art
1 – Commit: Try and create something new in your sketchbook everyday. That can be a quick drawing, a study or some writing – anything that you can call your own. Commit to the process.
2 – Experiment: Like I was saying earlier, your sketchbook is the ideal place to experiment. Try new ways of working, new painting processes or mark-making. This can then feed back into your commissioned work.
3 – Make it your own: Your sketchbook is yours, no one else’s. If you prefer to create lots of drawings on one page – do it! If you love collages, writing, drawing and a bit of everything – do it! If you’re passionate about a clean and organised sketchbook – do it! However you like to work, commit to it and make it your own.
4 – Look back: As you start to fill one sketchbook after another, it’s important you take the time to look through your old sketchbooks. You might discover a working process that you want to try again or an idea you want to revisit.
5 – Study and learn: A sketchbook is your chance to improve. Think of it as an aid for your commissioned or final artworks. Study the masters, study composition or refine your colour – all of this improves your art!
If you’re after even more sketchbook tips and advice, do check out this great resource over on Huffington Post, which offers lots of knowledge bombs!
Sketchbook art is great way to improve your work, and I hope these tips have encouraged you to start your own. Enjoy these sketchbook drawings below, I had a lot of fun creating them – I would love to hear what you think about them in the comments section below!
31st March 2020
