Whenever I taught art classes at the local Boys and Girls Club or in private sessions the one thing I would always require: a sketchbook. Many artist, writers and musicians hit creative blocks. And many struggle with how to get out of them. One of the best ways is the use of a sketchbook. Now I say sketchbook as an artist. This can be a journal, a notebook, whatever it needs to be to work for you and your creative style.

I went to school at a small college in Wayne, NE. But I had art professors that had studied all over the world going back to the 1940’s and had art hanging in the Smithsonian Museum. Most of my professors came from what they called the old school. I even had one that would draw with a red marker across your drawing if it wasn’t up to par, no matter how long you had spent on it. Anyway, the one thing they all beat into our heads was the use of a sketchbook. They taught me that a sketchbook was more than a place to give homework assignments. It was a place to free myself. I could put whatever I wanted in that book (and they let students). I had one professor that would not read sections you asked him not to (now that was left up to trust but you get the point).

Read more about the importance of keeping a sketchbook…

A sketchbook is so much more than a place to draw pictures. It is a place to empty ones’ thoughts. Now, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t draw in your sketchbook (or write songs or poems or whatever). You should do as much of that as of the other. Otherwise, all you have is a diary and that’s not quite hitting the mark. The act of actively drawing in your sketchbook daily will cause dramatic increases in your overall drawing ability, which theoretically will spread out to your other mediums as well.

Sketchbooks 101

There are a number of places to get sketchbooks. Any decent art supply store should have a good selection. Here is a great place to order from!

And sketchbooks come in a variety of sizes, papers, and bindings. You want a sketchbook that is right for you, not just any sketchbook will do. If you prefer to sketch with charcoal you may want a sketchbook with a good quality paper with a bit of a tooth on it. If you sketch in pastels or conte crayon you may want a sketchbook with toned paper. If you are a guitar player you may want a book with lines for jotting down tabs. Whatever the case, pick something specific to your needs.

How to start your sketchbook…

Dedication of a Sketchbook

Once you have a sketchbook you need to use it. Some may say, “Well, I don’t have time.” Then their work will suffer in the end. To start with, to build discipline, you should be putting something in your sketchbook daily. Preferably you should have some thoughts or a grocery list or something that is sort of thought clearing; and you should have at least one quick sketch. If you do this daily it will become habit not a chore. And I think it should be approached as such. It is not work, it is an opportunity to open yourself and remove clutter.

After a time you may find that it is not necessary to use your sketchbook daily. I do not use mine every single day, but I use it almost everyday without even thinking about it. If something strikes me I grab my sketchbook out of habit.

Even the greats used sketchbooks often. Look at Leonardo da Vinci. Much of the art work of his that is known well, comes from his sketchbooks. So don’t put if off, don’t whine about it. Go out, get a sketchbook and start benefiting from the use of one yourself if your not already. If you already are using one, re-evaluate it and ask yourself if your getting the full use out of it or not. You might be surprised at the results.