Hearing a fashionable popular word, everyone will ask: what is a sketchbook? Professional artists, as well as creative people who like to draw on paper everything that comes to their mind, will be able to answer you. Also, this item is simply necessary for designers.
What is a sketchbook?
Sketchbook is a regular sketchbook, which every artist, designer, architect and other people with creative professions must have. This English word has gained such popularity and distribution in view of the fact that it is short enough and pronouncing it is quite simple.
Sketchbook for aspiring artists is a must for a number of reasons. Beginners are usually full of fantasies that run the risk of simply messing up in the head or even disappearing from memory. Having fixed your thoughts in a special album, you will be able to return to the implementation of your plan at any time. Also in the sketchbook, you can sketch out the project of the future picture and work out all its details before starting global work on canvas.
The habit of drawing a sketchbook will help you not only keep all your creative ideas in your memory, but also help you improve your skills. In addition, if necessary, the album can serve you well, acting as a portfolio.
How to choose a sketchbook
It is very important for an artist to choose the right sketchbooks that suit him. Covers can be hard, soft, plastic, made in the form of a binding or even decorative. Their assortment is huge at the moment, and therefore you just have to choose the option that is most convenient for you.
Sketch pad paper can also be very different. This applies to color, and texture, and density. Of course, an inexpensive album with thin leaves is also suitable for beginners. But experienced artists are very sensitive to materials for creativity. As for the size and format of the sketchbook, there are no restrictions. Producers regularly experiment, making albums oblong, square, or standard.
The most convenient to use is a sketchbook with a tablet. Its role is played by a thick sheet of cardboard or other solid material, which will allow you to draw absolutely anywhere, even if you do not have the opportunity to sit at the table.
What sketchbook can be made of
A sketchbook can not only be bought, but also made with your own hands. To do this, you will need the following materials:
- paper (you can take ordinary sheets for photocopy, thick from the album, as well as watercolor or even canvas);
- cover material - thick cardboard or plastic (you can also use the old binding from a notebook or book);
- dense threads and a sharp needle, with the help of which you sew together pages of the future album for sketches;
- gauze and quality glue to attach the binding to the sketchbook;
- satin ribbon or silk lace, which will serve as a bookmark;
- all kinds of decor that will allow you to make your sketchbook copyright and unique.
How to make a sketchbook yourself
Creative people love to do everything with their own hands, and therefore, having figured out what a sketchbook is, you can begin to make it. This will happen in several stages:
- First, select paper, cut it into sheets of the desired size and sew it together with silk thread;
- for greater strength, the seams can be coated with ordinary glue;
- as a cover you can use binding from an old used notebook or make it yourself from cardboard;
- glue together the sheets with gauze, after which you can attach a notebook root to it;
- to hold the cover firmly, glue the first and last sheets of stitching to it;
- attach a satin bookmark or several to the back of the cover so that you can mark your most interesting works;
- decorate the sketchbook with rhinestones, lace, rivets or other decorative elements to give it a personality.
How to use sketchbook
Having understood what a sketchbook is, the question of how to work with it certainly follows. There are no restrictions on this issue, because creative individuals do not tolerate the framework and rules. It’s enough just to always have this album with you and set about sketching as soon as you come up with an interesting idea. You can constantly return to it, supplementing the picture with new details.
If students of art universities, designers and architects tend to constantly carry bulky folders and notebooks, a beginner or an amateur may find this uncomfortable. That is why you can have several books of different sizes. So, a miniature pocket notebook should always be carried with you, so that you can sketch an interesting sketch anywhere and anytime. But for a detailed study of the project of the future picture, you can start an album of more impressive sizes.
Sketchbook Ideas
Sitting over a sheet of paper and straining your imagination, you can hardly draw anything worthwhile. The most interesting ideas come to mind all of a sudden. At this moment it is very important that you have a pencil and a sheet of paper at hand. Nevertheless, young artists often puzzle over how to fill out their sketchbook. Photos from the Internet will help you awaken your imagination and find new ideas.
Quite often, creative personalities take albums with them to sketch on travel. New places always bring inspiration, and therefore you will have many plots that are useful to capture. Some artists prefer not even to bring a camera with them, and display the entire history of their trip on a sketchbook.
Quite a popular area of maintaining a notebook for sketches is modeling clothes. Later, such an album can serve as a portfolio. To make your task easier, sketch the silhouettes of models on sheets in advance. Also in the sketchbook you can reflect interior ideas.
Recently, sketchbook has become not only an auxiliary subject for artists, but also a full-fledged direction in art. Comics, fantasy patterns, fairy tales, and much more are drawn in notebooks. From an ordinary sketch, a drawing turns into a real masterpiece.
An interesting option for those who like to cook is to create their own cookbook. You will be able to draw both the finished dish and the necessary ingredients, as well as all stages of the cooking process. This may be your personal pride or a great gift option. Also in a similar style you can design a restaurant menu.
If you consider yourself a good portrait painter, then use your sketchbook to sketch interesting faces. So, when you put together a decent collection of types, you can use them as characters for your artwork. You can also feel like a real correspondent, sketching interesting events taking place around you.
Materials
An important issue is not only the quality of the paper, but also other materials with which you can keep your sketchbooks. Drawings can be made with simple pencils, gel pens, markers, pastels or watercolors. This question depends not only on your preferences, but also on several other factors.
Pencil or gel pens are perfect for sketching, which will later be transferred to the canvas. If you are designing clothes or the interior, then you are better off using colored markers that help create spectacular and colorful sketches. Going into nature, take watercolor paints with you to get a lush landscape. Also, when choosing a material, be sure to consider the quality and density of the paper.
Why keep a sketchbook?
A sketchbook is more than just a notebook into which you will transfer your ideas. He will also help you improve your skills. A sketchbook that teaches you to fantasize and draw is just an invaluable find. Having a notebook on hand, you will certainly want to display something on paper. Even drawing ordinary incoherent curls, you can create a real masterpiece. In addition, it will develop your imagination, as well as improve your skills. Another important point is that you begin to feel better a sheet of paper, acquiring skills in the field of perspective and composition.
Sketchbook Antistress
Sketchbook drawings can serve as not only a means to capture your ideas and thoughts, but also a great way to deal with stress. You can transfer all your feelings and emotions to paper, as well as joys and fears. You can draw them both real and abstract. Psychologists say that this is a great way out for those who are in a state of depression or severe stress.
Quite interesting and popular at the moment is the occupation of doddling. This is the creation of drawings from all kinds of patterns and curls. As a result, you not only calm the nervous system, but also create real masterpieces of abstract art. The finished sketch can be painted with markers or gel pens.