In today’s podcast we’re going to talk about using your sketchbook to explore and have fun, rather than thinking of it as a portfolio. With the kind of sketchbook flip-throughs  you see online, it’s easy to think a sketchbook should be a work of art in itself… but that’s not so! You wouldn’t expect an author’s first draft or notes for a book to be perfect so why should we treat a sketchbook that way.

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Things we discuss about having fun with your sketchbook

• When you see sketchbook walk throughs don’t be daunted. These are often portfolio sketchbooks by someone who has mastered a technique/medium and keeps their sketchbook for this purpose. They are made to be shown
• Not everyone’s sketchbook looks perfect – If you flicked through mine, to look at some of the sketches you would think I couldn’t draw at all and it doesn’t look like a cohesive thing,
• You should have at least one sketchbook which is a place for experimentation and to not be afraid of the result. It’s often those experiments which can lead to something interesting in your work.
• Ideas for sketchbooks – Use your sketchbook to collect inspiration. This might be memorabilia, Labels, tickets, colour swatches, photo’s, fabric.
• Try cutting up bits of magazines or old catalogues and leaflets and stick them down and use them in your art
• Make notes in your sketchbooks…Use your sketchbook to scribble down thoughts, ideas, titles etc
• Use your book to make thumbnails. These are small drawings that you do to work out compositions and ideas.
• Sketchbooks can have multiple different purposes, they don’t have to conform to anyone else’s idea of what a sketchbook should be.
• Keep a secret sketchbook (or as Sandra said by mistake “sex book” – check the blooper at the end of the podcast)… Padlock it if necessary! Treat it like a diary. You wouldn’t expect someone to read that, so your sketchbook can be just as private. This is something a previous guest Chris Riddell Advises.
• Don’t be precious. Start drawing with your hand at the end of the pen so you don’t have much control, let your hand wander then make it into something
• If you create a page you don’t like use the blank bits of it to doodle other things or try out different pens.

This week’s creative question

Q. If you wanted to hide a secret sketchbook, where would your perfect hiding place be?

The best answers will be read out on a future podcast.

You can Tweet us your answers @KickCreatives or let us know in the Facebook Group, which by the way if you haven’t already joined, I highly recommend that you do! We will put the question up there and also on the facebook page… and of course, on our Instagram page @kickinthecreatives.

If you have any suggestions for the podcast or our challenges please feel free to get in touch.

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