I’ve decided to start a new series here on the blog talking about some helpful crafting tips I learned during the semester I took a few art classes. They’re not completely rocket science ideas, but they certainly weren’t things I was really doing. This was probably my favorite part about taking those classes- seeing how real artists do things and what their techniques really are. And those are usually my favorite kinds of blog posts too, the ones where you get a behind the scenes look at other people’s processes. It’s so fun to see how they work and what techniques work well for them. So, I thought sharing these tips with you would be fun. Plus it gave me a good reason to use my new giant chalkboard, practice my hand-lettering and give another go with my photography skills. Three very happy things :)
First up: Sketch Books
I was never much of a journaler. Oh, I had a ton of them, but I could never seem to actually write in them for more than a few days until they were left mostly empty and forgotten. I kind of thought of sketch books the same way. Sure, when I had an idea I would jot it down on a piece of scrap paper and stick it in my purse or on my desk/dresser/bed side table/kitchen hutch and just hope that I don’t loose it (I probably don’t need to tell you it happened quite a few times) but what was the use of a sketchbook?
This first tip should seem like a no brainer, but I obviously never actually used a sketch book much before I started taking art classes where they were required. Now, I use it for almost everything! And more importantly, I sketch out more than just one idea. When I have an idea of something I want to do I take some time and just sketch away anything that comes to mind on what it might look like. Then, I’ll play with it and do some more variations to see what works. In one of my classes we were required to have at least 10 different ideas sketched before starting any computer work at all. That was so hard for me in the beginning. I had an idea and I just wanted to go for it. But I learned that taking this time before hand really gets a lot of ideas out quickly so that by the time you get to the computer, a lot of the real work (and pesky creator’s block) is already done! Then, anytime I’m feeling stuck in my design I can go back to my sketches and maybe even draw out a few more things.
The Baby Announcements that I added to my Etsy shop a few weeks ago were conceived (pun intended, so sorry.) using my sketchbook. When I decided I wanted to do some baby announcements, I sat down with maybe 4 or 5 ideas and ended filling up at least 8 pages front and back with over 20 full sketches! Once that creative energy started, it kind of fueled itself, creating more and more inspiration. And then, as I was working on the creation in Illustrator and I got stuck, I would go back and reference my original sketches to see what I had done there and how to get the design to work. I get kind of way too excited when a design works itself out this way.
As you can see from the above picture, I’ve got quite a few sketchbooks going (and all are partially filled). I just kind of pick up whatever one’s handy and go at it (I even took the smaller one to the beach with me when we went on vacation. Sketching by the ocean is pretty perfect…minus the sunburn). I’ve got so much stuff in these- preliminary sketches, like I mentioned above, ideas for new art prints in the Etsy shop (that I needed to sketch out asap before I forget what they are), drafts and drafts of client logo ideas, hand-lettering practice, a ton of mess ups and things that are scratched out…basically just a whole lot of crazy going on in here. But it’s a really fun kind of crazy, and sure, if I don’t have a notebook handy I’ll still quickly sketch an idea on whatever’s closest, but now I have a spot where all my ideas can come together. It’s the best when I flip back through weeks or months later and see a sketch that I completely forgot about and think “hey, that’s cute!” or “what a great idea I had, I’m awesome.” (you know, in a humble way). I’ve found using my sketchbooks to be a pretty necessary part of my process. And I love that it’s completely stress free- no need to worry about the ideas being complete or making sense to anyone, all I have to think about it getting my ideas on paper in whatever form I’d like.
Do you have any Little Tips that make a Big Difference in your creative process? Do you sketch stuff out first or just go for it? I hope you’ll enjoy this new series as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you!
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It’s the simple things you sometimes forget about – I get my best design ideas when I use my sketchbook – thanks for the little reminder!
I know! It’s so tempting to start working without doing the sketch work first- but it’s always so much more rewarding if I do. It’s crazy what a bit of brainstorming can do.
I’m that way with notebooks and journals. I have about three of them going at once – one by my bed, one at work, and one in my purse. You never know when inspiration will hit! Btw, I love the photos in this post!
Oh, thanks! I was kinda proud of how the photos turned out, they were so much fun :) And I need to remember to keep a small journal in my purse. Great idea!
I wrote an entire big-ass post about why & how to use sketchbooks, because that’s how passionate I am about this topic :) I can’t imagine my life without them, both personal and professional.
Where would all those brilliant ideas live if there were no sketchbooks?
P.S. I envy you so much on the chalkboard! The blog post header image looks awesome :)
Oh, thanks!! The fun thing about chalk is that you can erase as many times as you want to get it right. And you’re so right about the sketch books- where would the ideas live? Probably lost somewhere between my purse and the recycle bin when I accidentally threw them out. Long live the sketch book!
So true! This post makes me want to grab a sketchbook and just doodle while I watch TV, instead of internets-hopping. Much better for the creativity!
Oh, so much better than internet hopping! It makes you feel good about when you can create instead of comparing your work to the millions of people online. And let’s be honest, I think our hearts need a little more of that these days. :)