I’ve posted before about the importance of sketching for the artist -how, like sleep, it is a restorative activity that is sometime tempting to skimp on. But what about the artist’s sketchbook? If sketching is likened to sleeping, then your sketchbook is the bed you sleep on. Do you prefer a tattered bedroll that travels along on your adventures, or a luxurious mountain of comfortable quilts?
There’s definitely something to be said for beautiful leather-bound sketchbooks with quality art paper. They travel well, and when you pull something like that out of your bag you feel every inch the artist. But I tend to be a little precious about the pages, and a little less inclined to spontaneity. For me most of the best ideas come unexpectedly.
Lately I’e been filling up big old Strathmore series 400 sketchpads. At 8X11 inches and 100 sheets I usually feel like I can let myself go a bit, worry less about “wasting” pages and just keep the pen moving and the ideas flowing and see what pops up.
A lot of what pops up is rather silly, but sometimes the silly stuff is the best.
