Sketchbook Love
Just a few of my sketchbooks
Back to the Sketchbook
Lately, I've realized my sketchbook has been a bit neglected. When life gets busy, it's easy to let sketching slide. But looking back, I see that many of my favorite designs started as simple doodles on those pages. So, I've been making a conscious effort to return to daily sketching. It's a small habit, but it’s fun, and you never know where it might take you...
Writing this post is a reminder to myself of how important it is to spend time sketching and doodling. It also means letting go of perfection. My sketchbooks can look a bit messy, but that's the whole point—to try things out and sketch ideas that can be refined later.
I'll be sharing some recent sketchbook pages, examples of sketches that became finished designs, and a few of my favorite sketching exercises that help me get started and overcome that daunting blank page.
From Sketch to Design
Below I’ve shared a few examples of how sketch becomes a starting point for a finished design……
Aegean Nights Sketchbook to Repeat Design
Bold & Boisterous Flowers, sketch to final design
Nibble & Sip… sketch to final pattern
Sketchbook Exercises
Here are some simple exercises I use to get back into the flow:
Timed Doodles: Set a timer for 10 minutes and draw whatever comes to mind.
Blind Contour Drawing: Draw something (anything)from observation, but don’t look at the page- just the object that you are drawing.
Continuous Line Drawing: Challenge yourself to draw in one continuous line without lifting your pen or pencil from the paper. This is fun to combine with the blind contour technique, & draw without looking at the page. It really enhances observation skills,often with interesting results!
Pattern Play: Create a grid of squares in your sketchbook & fill each one with a different pattern or texture. I like to set a timer for this one, to stop myself from overthinking.
It's important to remember that sketchbooks are a space for exploring and playing, not perfection. Allowing myself to make messy, unpolished sketches trying out different media or techniques allows for unexpected outcomes or happy accidents and for new ideas to happen.
A recent sketchbook page, I wonder what this will become!
I hope you enjoyed this sketchbook focused blog post! Thanks so much for reading. If you'd like to stay in the loop with my latest designs, behind-the-scenes updates, and creative news, I’d love you to sign up for my newsletter — there's a link on my Welcome page.