Quick Sketchbook Tour + Chat

[@AmourinetteCindyAntoinette]

"The only ugly sketchbook is an empty one" - this is one of the BEST artistic growth quote I've heard!! Thank you so much for sharing this inspirational process :D

[@tiagodagostini]

that because you never saw the sketchbook that my dog decided to "play with"

[@nomadiccoyote]

Thanks for being real with us, it feels very empowering seeing the real growth of a successful artist even with a little awkwardness in between. Sometimes with the sketchbook tours it really feels like the professionals emerged as beautiful swans since they touched paper with their magical pencil for the first time and it can be a little disheartening to see only this curated view. This makes the process look much more achievable for a human being!

[@christinadavies1925]

My last sketchbook, before the one I'm working on now, was my "I'm going to learn how to paint gouache" sketchbook. The very first page was a crappy, muddy drawing of a muddy river on a muddy day, and was the first time I painted with gouache since college. The majority of the book ended up becoming environmental gouache studies, and by the end I had improved way more than I thought I would. That sketchbook will probably be one of my favorites, just because the amount of growth is so tangible. Also, great video! I'm so happy you posted a sketchbook tour :D

[@bethanybradbury8947]

My sketchbook is like my safe Haven, it's my heart and soul displayed on each page. I keep everything I make wether it is a small piece or larger. It's my failure's, it's my finished peices, it's random as hell sometimes. And some pages are full of writing, character descriptions, but anyone that looks into my sketchbook always tells me that it is a representation of who I am. Some pages get deep because people see my struggle, not only with art but my outside influence. And at the end of the day, I look through my sketchbooks and feel proud of myself, because I can see just how far I've come and it only pushes me to do more, learn more, and to never give up.

[@Detalle]

My old sketchbooks look like that too.... you seriously had fun drawing in your books like I did. 😂😂😂

[@unclerofl8510]

Thanks Cynthia, love the sketchbooks. I see people with perfect sketchbooks and I hang my head. lol I now post good and bad stuff because we are all on a progression and growth. Thank you for sharing your awesome work. Keep the videos coming. Really enjoyed the redo of the Alice piece.

[@croissantauchocolat2]

What you said about sketchbooks totally resonated with me a lot! I've always looked at some artists' sketchbooks with a bit of envy - every page is so beautiful in a way that is so organic and awesome, but I'm not that type of artist at all. My sketchbook is the place where I think. Where I put down initial ideas, where I write them down, where I do studies (and 80% of them will look crappy but that's okay), where I try new things! Accepting that about myself as an artist made me less afraid of blank pages I think - though I still have my days of course ;D Thank you for sharing yours!

[@karinhedenvind8595]

Your sketchbooks are incredible inspiring and beautiful! I have a similar idea for sketchbooks, but I called them my ugly books! Thanks for sharing!

[@maya_ndljk]

All of my sketchbooks are junk books, but now that seems okay! I’ve only ever finished one, which just goes to show that I need to draw more in order to improve. Thanks for sharing! Seeing the “junk books” of someone I admire has really inspired me. :)

[@ArtePro_Oficial]

Soo amazing works!! Thanks for showing us your works and development so honestly. I totally fell in love of your style :)

[@billy47790]

You honesty is why I love your channel Thanks

[@rasmuskvist4066]

Thank you so so much for sharing, and for all the videos you make! Honest sharing & discussion are one of my favorite "genres" to watch/listen to and you do it in a really relaxed and encouraging way, which I love. Again thank you!

[@SamReevesWrites]

There is an obvious growth throughout your sketchbooks, but the first Benedict Cumberbatch, especially, is breathtaking. The sketchbooks I keep are usually just cheap 9" x 6" spiral sketch diaries. I've only kept one themed on. It was loose leaf back when I was studying anatomy every day.

[@LK-no8om]

I really enjoyed this! I normally feel bad looking at these beautiful sketchbooks where every page is well thought out and complete while mine is a mess of incoherent thoughts, silly doodles, and scribbles. It's nice to see that there are amazing artists that I look up to, who also have things like dog-headed men, or goofy horses in their sketchbooks lol.

[@DaveGreco]

Always an inspiration Cynthia! Thanks for sharing!

[@evilynx0]

i fell in love with the Sherlock portrait. precious work, keep on!

[@litefoot25]

Loved this! My goal for this year is to fill a sketchbook, and I love how you've described the Junkbook as a playground. Many artists show their sketchbooks with amazing handwriting and such good work that I definitely feel paralyzed to start. However, this shows that, afterall, a sketchbook is personal and doesn't need to be more than what it is. If it's a journal/junkbook that's 100% fine.

[@ABArtworks]

If I were a dragon I’m pretty sure my hoard would be a giant pile of art supplies. That being said I used to be one of those people who would start countless amounts of sketchbooks and be halfway through before I dropped it and pick up a new book. It was an awful habit but once I found a book I liked, for me it was the Canson XL multimedia books, I found that I loved working in this little book and within a year I filled all the pages with something. I still go through that phase of wanting to start new books when I’m only halfway done with my current ones but I’m getting them done 😋

[@KoalaFuPhooey]

Really appreciate the video Cynthia! So glad to see a fellow messy sketchbook keeper!

[@mathilda6763]

All my sketchbook are junk sketchbooks. Lol. They're basically the things I use for drawing and doodling when I'm outside of home. Loads of café and pub sketches, studies from random pinterest people ...they're not very great but it nice to get some practise in when I've got a free timeframe. I've got three that I'm working with at the moment. One with thicker paper for watercolours, inkwashes and gouache, one big that I take with me when I actually plan to draw something and a small one that fits in my handbag.

[@mickcummins5331]

"The only bad sketchbook is an empty one." I have so many "bad" sketchbooks. Thanks for the fine video tour of yours. I just bought another one. Maybe now...

[@thewwart7382]

Ty for sharing Cynthia. I stumbled across your channel in my feed. And really love your sketches an am looking forward to viewing more of your channel. I love that your not ashamed of your dog nawing on your book lol

[@iriscompiet3551]

loved it! I love seeing sketchbooks of artists, they are full of raw gems. Playgrounds of the mind. My preferred sketchbook at this moment are the STrathmore Visual Journals, they come in different types of paper like mixed media (use that one the most) to watercolor and they can take a beating. Have a hard cover and are spiral bound. They come in different sizes as well. As for themes, I really don't have any, I just sketch whatever I want, make notes, draw and fail and move on. I love my sketchbooks

[@SheppardArts]

Thanks so much, Iris!! I was debating whether or not to order a Strathmore hardbound book earlier after posting :) I will probably take your advice and get one soon.

[@MrNormart]

love the dog head on human body ,ive actually done that with duke lol...what a treat it was to see your sketches,i always look at mine to see growth or even to refer back to certain sketches..love this...thanks!

[@Luna-pp5if]

Thank you for showing these! I love seeing 'messier' sketchbooks. Perfect, organized and pretty ones only make me feel insecure since mine are mostly chaotic collections of everything from rough ideas to studies, life drawings and even some more detailed stuff. I find these which also have some junk and scribbles in them to be much more inspiring and realistic. They're also more personal and more interesting to look at in my opinion.

[@AllisonSudlow]

I’ve fallen in love with your channel please never stop creating!

[@ozzyali6389]

Brilliant! Thanks for this, I was dying for you to do a video on this. I have a lot of respect for you for sharing the earlier stuff, it gives many of us so much faith to not cast a sketchbook to a dark corner and to carry on in the 'playground manner. After all the only bad sketchbook is an empty one. Thank you for another fantastic video x

[@zoealexandra1405]

“The horse was the point of no return...” 😂😂😂 We all have those sketchbooks. Thanks for sharing everything!

[@alansartlog]

Yay! Sketches. Also nice to see a professional artist without a super organized sketchbook, I don't know how people do it. I'm horrible at finishing sketchbooks. I used to have blank page paralysis and then I traded that in for expensive notebook paralysis (they're super expensive where I live now). So what's ended up happening is like a year ago I got a bunch of scrap paper a family member had gathered and was going to throw away and used that to do quick studies and gesture drawings. I don't think I ever drew so much in my life as when I did those. Completely freeing. I then had the whole 200 or so page thing bound. The only problem is they film/scan horribly because of the ink on the back and you can only draw on one side. So after that I bought the cheapest printer paper available in both A4 and A3 and had 110 page A4 sketchbook bound. It's turned into a bit of a junk book, but it's spiral bound so I can rip the really bad pages out at the end, there are surprisingly not that many. I'm also keeping some separately to bind after. I'll see what works best. The A3 ream I bought because I want to learn how to gesture draw bigger but they don't sell newsprint here (obviously it exists just in rolls not in a pad or sheets). I've not had much success... yet, but if it doesn't work out I can just fold the pages and make an A4 sketchbook. Hopefully by the time I get through all those I'll have improved to the point I will have the confidence I can fill up a nice sketchbook without wasting any pages.

[@marsupius]

I keep a combination sketchbook/bullet journal. I start the bullet journal from the front (monthly calendar, to do's, etc). Then I turn it upside down and flip it over, and that turns the back page into page one of my sketchbook. This way my bullet journal and my sketchbook are working from each end towards the middle. It also allows me to have my daily notes and scheduling information as well as a place to be creative always with me. Also, I always treat my sketchbooks as junk books. When I want something more organized and formalized, I use loose paper that I store in a folder when the sketch is finished. That eliminates the blank book paralysis issue.

[@SheppardArts]

Neat! I'm now questioning why I keep them separate... maybe because I don't want every sketch to have "coffee, half and half, wine..." written on the back? But really, why not? :)

[@NerodiPece]

You are crazy good and brave. Amazing.

[@ArdenRachelArt]

Junkbook types are my favorite kinds of sketchbook

[@ARTT0M]

Absolutely perfect, academic style! It's just a pleasure to consider! THANK YOU!

[@rsunghun]

really beautiful sketchbook. I also enjoy hearing your voice. sounds like honey mixed with cloud.

[@yule9427]

thank you so much! your videos make this world a better place❤

[@unwoven921]

I love midtone sketch books and I tend to use them for life studies. I often go to Walmart and purposely get in the longest line or go to the mall food court and church is also a people study favorite. I think of everything I draw in my sketchbooks as practice. 2017 I filled 15 books.

[@unwoven921]

Thank you for sharing. You are appreciated!

[@EdgarAHernandezArt]

I have about 3 on going sketchbooks. 1 is over 100 pages so there I just practice gestures, anything that I feel like needs work on. 2nd is more for me to carry around, any ideas or just to doodle up something that catches my eye. The 3rd one is toned so I try and practice my value and technique on that one. Great video! I love sketchbook tours. I hope this can be a regular thing to your channel. :)

[@marzibeast]

Really enjoyed this! Usually I plan for a sketchbook to have a purpose, but then they become a jumble of everything. My sketchbooks tend to be pretty messy.

[@simonmantilla7891]

you just help me so much with an anatomy issue that i had and i saw your drawings and it look so simple to understand thank you

[@sickle666]

MESSY SKETCHBOOKS ARE THE BEST SKETCHBOOKS! Loved the video!

[@LittleSqueesh]

Wonderful video! Was really interesting to see your line work - I'd actually love to watch a video of you sketching from reference (and/or imagination) with perhaps some tips on mark making and your general approach/thought process. My sketchbook is something I'm working on improving this year so this was super inspirational to see, thanks 💗

[@deathtyrantart]

Most of my sketchbooks are filled with notes on character design ideas. and usually only have really small scratchy thumbnails. But its actually filled with a lot of written notes and paragraphs of ideas. For some reason I tend to do that more when an idea strikes than doing a sketch.

[@marcelamedeiros9524]

I love the therm junk book

[@mervesayar537]

Awesome! Thank you for this honest sketchbook tour!

[@zalmanbrimm7030]

cant wait to pick myself up a junk book:) Such great advice! I'm always worried that my sketchbooks trend towards incoherence and randomness. I really want to try just running with it after seeing how this can be constructive

[@elrisha]

Apparently I've got a junkbook too, just didn't know what to call it! I've been thinking the same way about those blank pages being too scary, but I find if I draw for fun the ideas for "serious" drawings come easier. It's a win-win! 😃 Also great tip about coloured paper! Hadn't really thought about what that could do.

[@ArthurSaff]

This is so amazing! I Loved your sketchbook tour!

[@MrJesseleerocha]

Thank you for sharing. Love your Art!

[@Drakthus]

i have 5 a4 sketch books and until recently all of them had about 5 pages scribbled on them untill i chucked them to the side out of frustration. finally after years of that nasty habit i just thought id go with the flow, mo pressure and just fill one. took me 2 months to finally finish back to back pages but i got it done finally! My biggest issue tho is i constantly struggle to draw something and end up falling bk to gesture drawing or just straight up doodle rubbish. im very envious of your rendering, i wish there was a good book about it. everything seems to be about digital these days...... i feel old. that was enjoyable all be it, incredibly envious/amazed view into your art, thank you.

[@60oh]

I've just discovered your channel and I immediately get a new video! Amazing

[@ChiJaHaNi]

I love sketchbook tours - I find them so inspiring! Thank you for sharing!

[@mattt3819]

Really beautiful pages. All my sketchbooks are as you put it best "playgrounds", in my opinion they are places to expert and grow.

[@thelionheart5280]

most of my sketchbooks are just a mess of random ideas. one of my goals for 2018 is to have a more organized book so i started a new one just for nature drawings and im about to start another one just for portraits. same thing, i got envious seeing other artists with gorgeous books with a singular theme to them lol.

[@Djole0]

thank you, so inspiring! I have two. One is for pencil drawings( portrait and figures), second is for charcoal( portrait and figures).

[@UrsulaDorada]

Your sketches are just beautiful :) I need to embrace de junkbook idea - I often do the loose sheet of paper thing, so I never get a collection. Gotta fix that.

[@jessewyllychuk8516]

Thank you for sharing. I loved seeing the progress you made from your junk book to your moleskin. Did you find there was anything in particular that was a breakthrough in the progression of your work? A certain method, or perhaps just time and practice? I would be interested in a video of you breaking down how you begin a drawing. Thanks for reading.

[@RobertF-]

Great drawings, and interesting topic. Thanks.

[@MillionPM]

I keep many sketchbooks as well. But my 3 primary sketchbooks are... 1. Vanity Sketchbook. This is where is do more finished drawings that I am willing to show people. Normally a wire bound Sketchbook. 2. Study Sketchbook. Much like the first Sketchbook you showed. Also wire bound but toned either grey or tan. 3. Utility Sketchbook. This is the one that is always with me and gets hit with everything. Moleskine Cahier.

[@Filmfool1]

Thanks, Cynthia. Loved your walk-through. My sketchbooks take a beating, as I work in them with everything: charcoal, acrylics, even oil studies. At times I gesso the pages in the hopes of achieving a more robust surface. Considering that, I'd like to know what types of paper you are working on in your sketchbooks?

[@tylerjohnson9011]

Please please please do more sketch videos, you're amazing Miss!

[@lu8201]

Awesome art , love sketchbook tours❤ ps ur portraits are amazing !!

[@ArbitraryOnslaught]

26K sub? weird you deserve waaay more. awesome work Cynthia!

[@alejandromoralesgonz]

thank you very much for this, you are an inspiring artist

[@mikki4497]

I've always had a 'junk sketchbook' (and never really understood why they need to be neat and themed or whatever, then again I don't show my sketchbooks to anyone hardly...) and I got a larger sketchbook for life drawing to get myself to be looser. I like the idea of a travel sketchbook, I think I'll get one this year. I have wondered how artists take their materials out with them though, are those pencil tins any good or is there a better way?

[@ekawidodo4309]

the kind of sketchbook i'd like to see 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@bytesmouse]

I'm not usually one to make a lot of comments on posts as I'm quite shy and such but I just want to say your demeanor and ability to explain and teach is soooo awesome and I can say I've learned a lot already from your channel. I wish I had found you sooner. Currently I'm struggling with my paintings, so this is all really encouraging, so thank you! I was curious though is there any any any way I can learn from you more? That would be awesome but I'm sure not possible haha but I wanted to throw it out there. Thanks again!

[@RamblingsandRavings]

Cheers for the tour! I appreciate the look into the different books. Would certainly love to see another of those. Any sketchbooks go back even further?

[@SheppardArts]

I do have older ones. I even have two from high school that are definitely old enough to vote... I think one might even be legal to drink. considered showing them here, but I'll save those for another time.

[@RamblingsandRavings]

Well if that latter book makes an appearance best give it a good stiff drink then!

[@joshlawson6628]

What brand/type was the first toned tan sketchbook? Love that it's portrait spiral bound. Awesome, awesome work BTW! Love the gems of wisdom you dropped in this video!

[@SheppardArts]

Thank you! The first sketchbook was custom-made by another artist, so there's no brand, but the paper feels a lot like Strathmore 400 series.

[@joshlawson6628]

Bitterweet answer, but I appreciate the reply!

[@sky2333]

I really loved it! Could you please make a STUDIO TOUR? ❤️

[@MarkDavidTeo]

Thanks for showing the "non-beautiful" sketches too! It really does help to know that 'we're all human' and that not all doodles have to turn out as beautiful finished 'sketches'. Are you ever going to do some tutorials on drawing the figure? :D Or atleast point us in some good directions for where to learn? Your figures are so rad! I'm picking up a 6B after this video!

[@eylianastudio8936]

I'm so happy that there exists more sketchbooks of randomness :D I currently have two, one that I use for anatomy drawing, or subjects that need studying. The other one has taned paper, and i like to do thumbnails o those. :)

[@stephenmowette1266]

You're an amazing Artist! 😍

[@patrickcrowe1611]

very nice drawings

[@lexdemonica]

"Growth is sometimes awkward" Yes awkward. But then there are days where it feels like you got drunk, had a spinal block, taped your hands to the back of your head and tried to ice skate using your face. Luckily today i have had enough coffee not to have blank page paralysis.

[@sainttropez4595]

This was really refreshing makes me feel comfortable with my own sketchbooks lol all of mine are definitely junk books 😂

[@msdlfkjdsf2340]

I have two sketchbooks. One is for whatever I want to put in it, the other one is for practicing poses and drawing characters. It's strictly dedicated to fullbodies to get me more comfortable drawing them - which I am now! It's been really fun overcoming my habit of drawing portraits. I enjoy drawing characters much more now, and my next sketchbook will be dedicated to tackling some other obstacle.

[@michaelbabin6606]

Now that's inspirational...the only ugly sketch book is an empty one...that'd be mine...hahaha.

[@OzPearsall]

I like putting conceptual ideas in my sketchbooks, or for jotting down potential compositions I could use at a later date.

[@kwanarts2502]

Your sketchbooks are absolutely stunning! You utilised the space so well that each one of them could be an individual good drawing!!! For me, I have a very bad habit that I fill the space in the page that im drawing. It makes them extremely messy. I have a question: I see many drawings in your sketchbooks look good. Have you get some failed drawing or how you deal with them? (no offense just curious)

[@kurtisdiston4851]

#LEARNUARY ... thanks for the great videos Cynthia!

[@irinavega7]

Awesome Video!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!

[@EterySidyakina]

That was very inspirational! Thank you)

[@catherinedicaire5753]

Hi, amazing sketch book. Mine are mostly junk... Except for my moleskin which is the most recent one. Maybe it's the restrain size of it that is less intimidating than a traditional one. Anyhow, I love this video and enjoy your work as per usual :)

[@berniestaggers1743]

Hi , I love your sketch book tour

[@lorenknowles1521]

Beautiful work! My sketch books are a combination of terrible drawings and some much nicer works. I'm a major Degas fan and I saw a sketch book of his. To my surprise, he had some drawings that looked just like my bad stuff! I ran into his great niece in New Orleans and she told me he did drawings over and over until he got what he wanted. That was such a relief to know!

[@Rfighter7]

I wish moleskine made toned sketchbooks. I'm learning to use my sketchbooks as tools and not only works of art. Thank you for the inspiration.! I also really love your growth. Gives me hope. REPLY

[@SheppardArts]

Oh man, I wish Moleskine made toned paper sketchbooks toooooo. I do like how the one I have isn't super bright white, but I heard they changed their paper recently... I just ordered another, we'll see.

[@DigitalArtcast]

We love your videos Cynthia would love to have you on the podcast soon 😊

[@joonamikkonen2774]

Who wouldn't want to have that pleasing sound on a podcast! =P It's so calm.

[@MARTJE2222]

Yes I also suffer from blank page paralysis unfortunately and yes there’s no ‘bad’ sketchbook only if it’s empty

[@LillenArt2]

My sketchbook is really random. I use it to develop ideas for future paintings or as a warm up to feel creative before I work on something.

[@lauren-dawn2082]

Your life drawing is beautiful :)

[@thisissarmadd]

Best sketchbook tour for a person like me cuz others only intimidate me and stop me😫😫 from exploring my own crap

[@cachofriki]

Lovely!!! Do you use fixer to avoid pigments pass to the other pages?

[@dougg1075]

Oh good! I’m not the only one that will abandon a small sketch and instead of using all of the page, FLIP! Start a new one:) Sketch books are one of the most delicious items in the art store:)

[@goldfish1871]

JUNK SKETCH BOOKS FOR LIIIIFE 💪💪💪👌🤣

[@Kate-go9tp]

How do you learn to draw without reference? Is it just alot of drawing from life or do you just have to delve into it? Your sketchbook is so awesome and inspiring ♥️

[@allumiufilms4492]

looks amazing :P

[@LZRLad]

I prefer scraps of watercolor paper to sketchbooks. People consider my sketchbooks to be art books but that’s solely because of my style. I ink everything and I’m not very imaginative when I do so, therefore I always redefine my sketches to the point where I know where the ink is to be laid. My “messy” sketchbook is a collection of lines moving across the page symbolizing the movement I see in the nothingness. I call this my emotional sketchbook due to the fact I only draw in it when I’m emotional.

[@emilysparke2591]

And here is my sketchbook, the first one with stupid anime drawings and second with a bit less anime drawings (still working on being realistic) uwu I'm so jealous that you can draw anatomically correct stuff uwu i hope i will achieve similar level someday

[@comrade3186]

If you really want to draw correct anatomy, do some live sketches of people.

[@szabolcsnagy90]

Really inspiring! Thank you so much for showing these! Would you consider mentoring people by any chance? Or do you have any classes online available?

[@SheppardArts]

I almost started a mentorship program a few years ago, but put it aside to take my full time job. That (plus youtube) takes up pretty much all of my time, but I like to think of the channel as a way to mentor broadly. Thanks for asking!

[@meredithboswell4003]

Really good work