What should I do in my sketchbook?

All those everyday mundane sketches of daily life are the actual historical records for tomorrow of everyday people. They are such an important documentation.

I have a suggestion about the sketches on scrap paper, loose paper...I have discovered creating "glue books", journals that are made up of ephemera/ labels/whatever you want . Often the loose pieces are attached with a glue stick. You could have an inexpensive journal in which you glue stick in your odds and ends drawings. I also use the blank spaces on the page for notes.

I've been intimidated for years by the instagram type sketchbooks that are perfect. I have never seen a real sketchbook. I didn't even know I could do my own type of sketchbook based on daily life. Great discussion.

I like your "postcard" comment, because that's how I started Urban Sketching... I didn't have money to afford postcards, but I did have paper and pencil. So, I drew my own. :) Even now, 20+ yrs later, I still find joy in pulling out an index card, drawing on one side and recording my thoughts on the other.

In high school I passed around a sketchbook among my friends. We all contributed to it in our own way. I loved getting it back and seeing what everyone did. Then in my 20s I started a new sketchbook with more adult skill. In my 50s I am doing more sketchbooks, but this time I'm putting pretty art in them for my kids to have when I'm gone. I've got a sketchbook for each of them. I write little notes to them in it, and paint things I think they will enjoy. I also use my sketchbooks to paint small ideas that I can later refer back to if I want to do a large painting to be hung on the wall. Finally, I use the books to do art everyday since I don't always have it in me to get seriously involved in a big painting.

Lately I've been drawing nostalgic stuff from my childhood incorporating colors and patterns that were popular then. Fun.

I feel that the pressure just dissipates when I use a sketchbook - there's no pressure to produce a perfect piece or something specific

What an nice interview. Very encouraging. And Danny you are the best host- you actually let people talk and completely share their views. So refreshing because that isn’t always the case I’ve noticed with hosts and those invited to talk. So thank you. 🙋🏻‍♀️

I love finding this ……I’m that artist that needs to get back to sketching like I did when I was 8🙌🙌🙌thank you

Most important takeaway here, perhaps: Don't get stuck in your thinking about the sketchbook. I keep four or five going at once, most on different themes. Two of them currently are loose-page; we'll see how that goes, but one of the things you can do with a loose-page sketch is to leave it some place public. One local coffee shop often has little glass jar bouquets of fresh flowers on the tables. I can sketch one, color it quickly if I like, date it, initial it, leave it-- hope it helps someone's day. I just took an online sketchbook class with Louis Rossignol (on another art site. Sorry, Danny & Co., but we "onliners" travel around a bit...). Louis' class is all about being VERY loose in your sketchbook, but with an eye toward composition. I'm happy with my finished short sketchbook, as it brought me into a really-let-go, maybe-I-can-still-become-Dali frame of mind.

I have taken Jason’s classes in Sketchbook Skool’s Spark program. He is one of my favorite art teachers. My creative horizons expanded from participating in the Improv class. His observational classes helped me look deeper at my subjects which enabled me to parse out the unnecessary details while keeping my sketches loose and informative. My confidence in producing art dramatically improved. Thanks to Jason for sharing his talent with us.

"Shareability of the sketchbook." Love this idea! My three year old has certainly contributed some scribbles into my sketchbook. 😂

Recently all my artwork has been in sketchbooks, but I had a lot of old artwork from school and college etc that were on loose sheets. I put them in 12x12” scrapbook albums in plastic pockets. Some of my college artwork was too big, so for those pieces I printed large photos of those so that I can still include them in the albums. So much easier to flip through the albums rather than having all the random sized loose pieces in a big unwieldy portfolio (now the portfolio only contains the originals of the really big pieces)

Yep, I call my sketchbook the bin. Takes away all the pressure. And scrap paper is awesome.

Drawing...is a pleasure! I ❤ it!

A sketchbook is a visual journal of a sort. My sketchbooks are the place I put down ideas or observations. It’s a place for experimenting and trying things. Social media has made a sketchbook into this place of perfection and finished work, it absolutely isn’t that! They are a place to see my growth as a visual artist. I flip through them and laugh and marvel at how my skills have evolved. Sketching allows me to test concepts for a piece. A lot of time my sketchbook allows me to simply enjoy the act of creating an image out of lines, color splotches, or whatever. As a creative person it helps me map out ideas and designs, as well.

Thank you for the video 🎉

Wow. Great video. I have way too many art supplies and blank sketchbooks (I keep promising that I'll fill them at some point) but I also LOVE drawing on junk mail, especially those things that come in colored envelopes. And yeah, I think some of my best works have been on the back of an envelope. I usually cut them out and glue them into whatever sketchbook I'm currently using. Oh and I just love Jason's comment: "If it sucks, I know how to un-suck it." Yeah, few lines here or there and some color and I can usually turn it around. I use my sketchbooks to practice, but I think they might be too big. I like them, but they're not that portable. See this little one you're using, makes me wonder if something that small might work for me. Guess I'll have to try.

What a wonderful session this is .

Thank you, this was very interesting and gave many thoughts . Lovely that the connection to music was mentioned; I'm a musician and daily am trying to feed the practices of making and practicing art in the two mediums. They come closer to each other through small A-Haa moments 😊