What Should My Artist SKETCHBOOK look like? Tips for Self-Taught Artists

[@artprof]

Watch Prof Lieu's stream on My Ugly, Messy Sketchbooks: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZm2Xp2rprOdors

[@trahapace150]

I agree 100% about social media distorting the idea of a sketchbook. People put finished work in a sketchbook then try to market it as oh I was just doodling

[@artprof]

Absolutely, totally false marketing!! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@treemerryweather]

when i was a grad student in a not fun program my friends were fine arts grad students. They would share their visual journals with me. They called them art journals though not like the thing we see today, these were like process journals in which they would work out ideas for paintings. One friend did storyboards for series she was thinking about and add collage elements and paint swatches, bits of flotsam that were project related. It was like thumbing through a diary, notebook, workbench book all rolled into one thing. Since then i have wanted to develop this practice for myself and I guess i am going to have to make it up as i go along.

[@artprof]

That sounds SO cool! I love when sketchbooks are full of random materials, it brings a whole new dimensionality into the work :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@TheKathept]

This was such an interesting session. I have recently re-started sketching, marking, messing in my sketchbooks. I have so many, all unfinished that I have been bouncing around in since the 70s. There is no order in any of them one page might be a drawing from 1982 and the next page a scribble or notes done in 2004. I’m in the process of cutting up my old paintings on paper and pasting the scraps in these books. I have also found my mom’s old unfinished sketchbook and I have begun adding my own sketches to it. How great to have a 2 generation sketchbook! I love your idea of a collaborative sketchbook so I am considering having my grand nieces and nephews adding their marks, too. I don’t feel my books are precious (though I love looking at them) There is a ton of junk scratches and scribbles and some nice finished work, too. I love looking at other people’s books and am fine with people looking at mine. For me, my art IS my sketches in books and digital drawings in albums. Thanks for the fun discussions. I laughed a lot during this video.

[@nickorange4881]

I have one like that that is a mix of different ones. Lol there is no order in my sketch book. Some are from 2014. Some are from today. Lol

[@NeptunesHorses5909]

Starting sketchbooks for the first time since the hated ones from university full of gestural timed drawings. I have some for sketching, rougher project work, various sizes. As I get warmed up, there are nicer ones that will get mixed media, more finished pieces. Paste-ins are fine. Mark-making, doodling, and swatching have their place in exploring materials and your individual hand. It's all needed. I wish that I had embraced decades ago: a) the fact that I did not have a setting for painting much, and b) that aside from some figurative/draping learning, I'm all focused on organic forms, animals.

[@sashaholladay6310]

I love doodling as a way to relax. I draw on those 6x6 tiles. And if it looks bad I can just toss the one tile in the garbage. But usually push past the “ugly” stage and create something I like to look back on. They certainly aren’t anything I would want to frame, but i do like to take out my stack of doodles sometimes and look through them. I use fine liners and copic markers.

[@mariacardozoyouarehiredyah]

It's true, this video has made me think if a sketchbook is a place for perfection or if its for experimentation, is it something that needs to be shown, exposed or is it a place for intimacy... Social media is deviating the purpose of a sketchbook, we can also enjoy making mistakes and beauty can be found in the imperfection. Good ideas are not born complete, finished or perfect.

[@andreatorraca8755]

As a 70 yr old, never had sketchbook.when I was young..just paper ,what I could find....so now I love them, have done finished pieces, that have sold.. and I feel every image is available for print.....every mark. Is precious! I love sketchbooks.....

[@artprof]

Wow, that's incredible!! I love sketchbooks because they're like little memory bundles, I love going through old drawings I haven't seen in a while :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@elizavandijk5648]

This is a great video! I used to get scared to start a new page in my sketchbook, because I thought it had to be beautiful and look coherent with the rest of my sketchbook. But recently I found Art Prof and ever since I've used my sketchbook for practice or whatever silly thing I want to draw. I feel so free now!

[@artprof]

That is AMAZING!!! We are so happy about your new sketchbook habits, I think it's SO much more fun to use it casually with no end goal in sight :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@andrewabney2129]

I just tuned this in, and was listening to it at work. While I agree that social media has contributed greatly to perfectionism, I found the published sketchbooks did much the same thing, pre-internet. I battle that preconceived notion by openly sharing the crappy ones alongside the not-so crappy ones. One of my favorite ideation exercises comes from Robert Kaupelis and it is 50 drawings in 4 hours. Nothing made there will ever hang in the Louvre. But I share a selection of them anyway. I get several likes or thumbs up (not important to me but an interesting metric) and good comments and conversations. Often better than on my finished pieces. It's funny, but people actually like seeing how artists think and problem solve. My regular sketchbook habit consists of always having one within arms reach. That's it. I do fill them eventually. Some within a few days, others it takes years. And very rarely, statistically almost approaching zero, is there a "finished" piece in my sketch book. There may be finished bits on a page, depending on what I an studying, but nothing I would remotely consider frameable. They are full of NOTANs, gestures, composition ideas, colour studies, subject studies, and so forth. It would probably give the admission people at Calarts a massive coronary. Or at least make them physically ill. But there is enough information for me to develop a painting or sculpture. Or plenty to help me work out where I am having a problem. And that works for me.

[@artprof]

Haha, I feel like any "normal" sketchbook would make CalArts ill..... That's really interesting how published sketchbooks were the original idealized way of looking at art instead of social media-- it makes complete sense when I think about it! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@shao-ningwu9209]

I just started a master program and this it really helpful because I am told to make a sketchbook but have no idea how. The one I made for application was, as you described, so curated and performative and I ended up so confused about the entire art making progress.

[@Pistaschek]

This is the confirmation I needed, thank you! You made me feel mentally better!

[@artprof]

That's the best!! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@HilaryBOriginalArtDesign]

really interesting discussion ... thank you xx

[@artprof]

You are so welcome:) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@oszpi4250]

I am so grateful for this❣️

[@artprof]

We're so happy! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@catsmeoow6697]

I think this is the first video I have caught here and I dig it and subbed because you’re so close to a million subscribers!! Get it! Plus I dig the feedback/commentary

[@deeptimenon5849]

yay thanks for subscribing!!!! glad you like our vids ! - Deepti, Art Prof TA

[@ayaneagano6059]

I wish I was here for this stream... ☹️ This would have been a great discussion...

[@neilagangitlog]

I agree! You always bring up interesting points in the live chat

[@artprof]

You'll catch us next time!! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@deeptimenon5849]

maybe we can do another one of these sketchbook-discussion videos. if our community wants it, we can try and make it happen :)

[@mrmouse4121]

My 2 cents on the matter is: I do try to return to the habit of drawing regularly, which is why at this stage I do push myself to draw everyday for at least 10 min. Once it'll be my habit again, I don't think I'll be as strict about it as I am right now. And about the quality of the pieces- I think it's more important to have, even in the unsuccessful drawings, some mark/color/shape/idea/something that I can look at and think "yeah, that's kinda cool". And I do try to finish the entire sketchbook, but it's simply because it's a shame to waste papers. But I'm not really on social media, so I'm not sure what is the 'art propaganda' that is being pushed regarding sketchbooks lol.

[@artprof]

I like your approach a lot! I think a sketchbook is about being free and learning from every piece. - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@madid4505]

I have a small sketchbook that I’ve always mentally considered my “ugly”sketchbook! It’s the one place where I feel comfortable failing at art lol.

[@nickorange4881]

My struggle is i want to show my art sometimes but since i also what my I'm feeling at times it kinda feels like a diary. So it feels intimate and personal. And i don't know what to do if they all to see more.

[@artprof]

I need one of those....... - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@placebo11000]

This is such an important topic! I buy kids sketch pads for my practice work because it takes the pressure off lol

[@artprof]

I think so too!! It's important to enjoy creating art without the pressures of making it look "perfect" :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@andrewabney2129]

I do too. I do lean towards heavier, not necessarily (or definitely not) expensive paper, because I am very hard on my sketchbook. I work and rework an idea, until it makes sense to me. And the paper has to live up to the abuse.

[@emmayin1419]

I always accidently spill drinks on my sketch book

[@artprof]

I once spilled root beer all over my laptop, it was horrible! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@joe_now_here_]

I'm glad musicians don't have a 'sketchbook'. I mean after a performance, that's it. Forget about it, whatever. (That was before smart phones and youtube) Although I'm pretty sure we think about it at night, but at least eventually the memory fades away. Only the feelings remain, and you feel happy because you level up a little, I guess. Most of the time no one is going to say 'Hey, I noticed you made a mistake on the 50th measure, 2nd beat blah blah...' Unless you're my teacher, shut up. Haha. We all have that one person who, of all the correct notes you've played, notices and counts the mistakes you make regardless whether the whole piece is played beautifully. So after finishing a drawing, I will have a mini inner monologue a la Prof Lieu, 'Wow it's so "fugly", moving on to the next, after all art is subjective and there is no specific correct rules to strictly follow unless it's perspective. Jeez I have to start learning about drawing clothes because I suck..' on and on it goes. It's good stress, I feel excited whenever this happens.

[@artprof]

This is a really great point! You aren't defined by the mistakes you make, but on how you grow. There will always be someone who focuses on your hangups rather than what you're doing right, so it's not worth paying attention to :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@beejensen]

It’s good to know that even practicing artists feel pressure around rules of sketchbooks.

[@artprof]

Oh absolutely! There's always a "pretty" art standard to live up to :/ - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@nickorange4881]

I went and saw the video. And even he didn't do it. He wasn't finished in 12 hours. I just wanted to post this comment here so others know that too. Also sketchbooks take time to finish. I draw small. I've been drawing alot for 3 months in a used sketch book of mine. Still not done. Am i a amazing artist either ? Nope. Lol. But drawing in groups ( over zoom ) has gotten me to use up my sketchbook more than i did before i joined the groups.

[@artprof]

Thank you so much for sharing! I think quarantine has helped a lot of people just say "screw it" and start making tons of work. It's a wonderful thing! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@deadfisheye388]

I also had fear of good sketch book . But after i brought another expensive sketchbook i started to work the less expensive one . So for me if i have to work one 180gms sketchbook i just buy 240gms sketch and i work more on 180 normally 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

[@artprof]

Amazing! That's a great way to go about it :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@johnrevill1087]

Just sat snatching this and need to add teachers have and are making students use their sketchbooks as portfolio books I know a your girl who was a very talented creative and she was put off art totally by her teachers pressure to present polished artwork personally blame these so called artists online as you've stated are wrongly influencing and are responsible for putting pressure onthem

[@artprof]

Yes-- expectations for works in progress & sketchbooks have become so warped due to social media pressures. It's perfectly fine to treasure your sketchbook as a pristine work of art in itself, but most often than not, that's not how it works! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@ayaneagano6059]

So, Deepti, what did they recommend in the 12 hours CalArts Sketchbook Video, and what were your thoughts?

[@neilagangitlog]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3mlmoGCarGKaaM That's the video. It's actually quite... tame... They didn't really say anything mind blowing that i haven't heard before xd The comments are interesting tho

[@deeptimenon5849]

to be honest i haven't had the patience to watch it yet... LOL

[@christinekoper2407]

Haven’t watched it either, but finishing something that polished in 12 hours sounds like a big ol’ recipe for anxiety IMO. 😂 Who knows, might work for somebody?

[@jojojo8835]

So many sketchbooks!Where do you store them all?

[@artprof]

Wherever I can??? 🤣-Prof Lieu

[@Whimsytomatojuice]

Its sad but it is true, i don’t feel safe with my own sketchbook, especially seeing people’s sketchbooks in art class. I sometimes feel like i’m not an advanced artist since there’s a lot of scribbles instead of full on clean sketches, and full on pieces

[@artprof]

It's so easy to feel threatened and pressured to make perfect work, even just for yourself. A sketchbook is a place to make any type of work you want! That's something I still have to remind myself. If you're interested, you might enjoy this video about artist jealousy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbWp5qOgtOcgKs Thanks for watching! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@raincrowley9917]

I just watched the 12 hr sketchbook video, and it took him 21hrs. His conclusion was that it wasn't what his idea of what a sketchbook should be.