Inspiration Tips for Filling Your Sketchbook
How to create your sketchbook never running out of inspiration
What is a sketchbook?
As a full time artist I stumbled many times in that sensation in front of a blank sheet of paper.
My mind is always full of images, colors and suggestions but when I am able to sit and paint, ideas seem to disappear and I am left with that sad feeling of wanting to draw without knowing what to draw.
A sketchbook is the nest where my ideas come to light and grow up before becoming artworks. It is a secret place where I can freely experiment my fantasies without feeling forced to finish a “real” artwork. It is my spot where I can put to the test ideas to check if they are good or if they are not worth the effort.
As a mom of two, I have very little time: a sketchbook provides a fast way to practice when I do not have so much time to paint.
That is why I want to share how I bring my ideas to reality using my sketchbook. I hope I can provide useful hints for both beginner and experienced artists looking for inspiration or feeling stuck.
What is the best type of sketchbook for different mediums?
The latest sketchbook I bought was a Moleskine. I mainly sketch my ideas using graphite only, but I frequently use watercolors and gouache and I want to be sure that paper does not get ruined if wet it.
Moleskine Art sketchbooks provide a paper thick enough not to get weary when wet, even if it is not as good as a fine art cotton paper. But when I sketch I don’t need to invest on more expensive paper!
Getting Started: Overcoming the Fear of the Blank Page
I love to read and I adore fairy tales and fantasy illustrations.
When I do not know what to draw I think to my favourite fairy tales characters an how I would draw them, or what their environment would be, and slowly imagination wakes up and starts whispering imagines in my ears.
This is what I did with my latest sketchbook I filled with fantasy portraits of fairies, mermaids and magical beings. Below you can see the sketch I used as a cover for the sketchbook itself:
When I do not know how to start my sketch, I say to myself it has not to be perfect.
If I do not want to show it to others it I am not obliged to do it. It can also happen I do not like how my idea turns out from time to time. Practicing is essential to any art lover, beginner or not, and i t is the only way to get better. I often remember to myself there is no need for perfection in art.
How long does it take to finish a sketch book?
I can only say how long it took me to finish one. Everyone has its own rhythm, and there is no timetable to follow.
My latest skecthbook, whose drawings I published in an illustrated book of about 80 pages, I finished in about nine months.
Nevertheless, keeping a consistent sketching habit helps to get better. I may not know how long it will take to finish my next sketchbook, but I find it extremely useful drawing at least two or three days a week.
Here’s the Illustrated book I created out of my 2024 sketchbook: it is available worldwide through Amazon here:
Buy The Book on Amazon
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Fabiola
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