Giving you the freedom to have fun.

First up… my black and white sketchbook - a deep dive.

Previously, in another piece I wrote about sketchbooks (this one to be exact), I admitted that initially I wasn’t a big fan of sketchbooks. They were forced upon me through necessity and, as a result, they were a burden rather than something to enjoy.

What came after was many years of working out how to use them and what worked for me, and I did so slowly and quietly. I didn’t share it anywhere on social media, and I didn’t set any specific goals. I just wanted to find my own way without any external influences.

Back in 2017, that was a much easier task. There are so many amazing artists, illustrators, designers, and journalists sharing their sketchbooks now and it is great! But it’s also a tad noisy. And don’t worry, I am very aware of the irony of that statement, bearing in mind I am doing exactly that…

But back then, hardly anyone was sharing their sketchbooks, and it did make it easier to navigate without any preconceptions about what a sketchbook ‘should’ be.

Anyway! As promised, following a note I posted in late January with this photo attached…

I love that my note and photo is still getting comments, and people are still discovering it weeks later. It has opened up such lovely conversations about using multiple sketchbooks.

I’m sharing with you why I work in so many sketchbooks, and will do a deeper dive into each one.

First up… my black and white sketchbook!

I think this one gives me the most joy because it is messy, full of expressive mark-making, and just generally I enjoy working in it and flicking through it.

This is an A4 portrait sketchbook by Royal Talens, a company which has a great selection of affordable sketchbooks, in a whole heap of sizes. What I love about them is:

• They have nice thick paper to take all of my materials, and a lot of wet inks and paints

• They fold almost completely flat

• They have an elastic band to close the sketchbook. It’s niche, but go with me on this… I am one of those who sticks things in and stuffs their sketchbook with all sorts. Being able to shove things in the back, and then loop the elastic around, stops everything from falling out and getting damaged.

By only using black and white materials in this sketchbook, it allows me to focus on line work and mark-making. Taking colour away makes it easier to focus on what kinds of marks I am making and what textures I can achieve.

I find that I let go even more because I don’t have to think about colour theory, which is definitely one way to remove some inhibitions.

As you can see, I often make notes along the way. Things that worked; things that didn’t; material combinations I liked, and/or in what order I used them.

I always make notes! Scribble ideas, thoughts, discoveries and the stuff you thought might be rubbish.

You might notice that the subjects I am drawing are fairly similar, it is usually what is in front of me. My desks have lots of plants on them, so they make easy subjects to draw.

By keeping your subjects simple, it can take the pressure off finding something to draw and instead, gives you the freedom to have fun.

Go for it! Let loose and embrace the mess and the uncertainty of the result

Do you keep a sketchbook that you use to only create in certain colours? Do you think this idea could help you make a start or focus more on textures or line?

These could all be great starting points to help if you’re not sure on what to do next, or if you feel a bit overwhelmed by all of the options and possibilities out there!

Trust me, by taking colour away, you are removing a lot of stumbling blocks. You could even go further and just use a graphite pencil, to keep it super simple. Without the endless options, you can just go for it!

Remember no one has to see it, you don’t have to share it unless you want to. Just find your way and in your own time.

I will be doing plenty more deep dives into all of my sketchbooks, but for now, let’s keep it simple!

Until next time,