Author: Charla Maarschalk

I LOVE having 1000 different sketch books lying around and I dream of filling them up. Every blank page is filled with so much potential. And every incredible sketchbook artist makes me drool and long for time to fill up my books. Have you seen the ones I’m talking about? They fill every page with collage and colors, quotes and actual sketches? Some Sketchbooks are filled with incredible detail drawings, the likes of which I’ve never accomplished. Check out this article which features an incredible rare look at artists' private sketchbooks.

And who wouldn’t love a Moleskin Sketchbook like these? But would you devote so much time to a sketchbook if Moleskin wasn’t going to promote it? I like to think I would, but up until this point in my life I have not.

There’s a but.

SKETCHBOOKS DON’T ALWAYS WORK

Have I stepped on any toes yet? I’d love to hear if you have opposing opinions on this idea. And please feel free to call me out as an artist. I’m ready.

I’M A PAINTER AND SKETCHBOOKS ARE TIME CONSUMING

It’s not easy to practice the skills I need for painting... in a sketchbook. I did try. I would take out my palette and quickly put together a face in my sketchbook. But I use ‘quickly’ loosely. It meant I had to get my paints and palette and water container out. Using brushes meant cleanup. It all become too much of a hassle to practice effectively. I tried. And then I didn’t mention it to anyone, ever, for fear of not being considered a real artist cause my sketchbooks were mostly empty… and some given over to my kids.

I didn’t give up on my desire to effectively plan my studio days.

SKETCHBOOK INNOVATION ORIGINS - TECH TALK

Then I met a girl at a party who was an artist. She talked about how she didn’t practice art enough, and her husband had gotten her the iPad Pro with the pencil, just because. But she didn’t use it much. I wanted that iPad. I wanted to draw on it. I thought about it long and hard and whenever I saw her I asked her about it.

This story makes me sound obsessive. But I’m not really. Just saying, a Creator is going to innovate. It’s what we do!!
About 2 years ago, in 2018, I made the investment I’d been dreaming of. I bought an iPad Pro with the pencil. Seemed like an expensive sketchbook but almost 2 years later I highly recommend it. I use it to sketch, paint, play with color palettes, create graphics for videos, plan my embroidery patterns and lots of other things.

Now, I can’t recommend it more. I know it’s expensive. But of course you can do a lot more than draw on it.

WHAT KIND OF SKETCHBOOK WILL YOU USE IN 2020?

Why am I talking about this now? I’m just coming off a wonderfully restful Christmas break where for almost two weeks I didn’t think about the studio at all. In an attempt to warm myself up I’m drawing incessantly on my iPad.
Do you use anything other than a traditional sketchbook to practice?

Keep creating,

Charla