The Importance of a Sketch Book & How I Changed My Attitude Towards Freestyle Drawing

Okay, so pretty much every artist has been guilty of this at some time or another...

First - we go to our favorite art supply store and look for a nice, mid-sized, mid-priced sketchbook.. because we had recently been struck by a little hit of inspiration sprinkled with a tad of motivation.

Second - we rush to get home, we put our pencil to the page, and out comes.... poop. The images inside our head won't come out on the paper, so we lay aside the sketchbook and hope we return to it.

Third - months later, we find our sketchbook, with its one half-assed drawing in it and it motivates us to start fresh, and the process begins all over again hahaha.

So, how do we break this cycle?

Well, I know my answer won't be right for everyone, but if you feel like you're stuck in the cycle, read on!

First of all, SIZE MATTERS! For me, a giant page became overwhelming as soon as I would start drawing. My recommendation? Go smalllllllll. Really small. I recently picked up a small, linen covered sketch book. Durable, but fits in my pocket and feels sturdy when I hold it. The size? 4"x6" Yup, its small, but they make even smaller ones.

Second, don't draw from memory at first. And skip the first few pages. Find an object, and do a loose sketch. Then just fill in around it. Draw on top of it. Make it messy. Then, throw some paint on it. Glob it around. And leave some negative space. Just have fun!

Finally, just carry it around with you everywhere! Draw in it whenever you can. Make it a point to keep it in your pocket (or purse) ((or MANpurse lol) and any time you have 5 or so minutes, make a quick sketch.

Hope this helps :)