Sketchbooks Then and Now (Part 1) AND a Giveaway!
Editor’s note: The following post comes from Drawing magazine’s Material World column (Summer 2016) and features an article by Sherry Camhy on a timeless friend of the artist: the sketchbook.
In addition to this free article, STAEDTLER is offering you the chance to win a set of FREE art supplies, just for commenting on this blog post! Tell us your favorite subject to sketch in the comments below, and you’ll be automatically entered to win. Here’s what’s included in the prize:
- Set of 20 Mars Lumograph drawing pencils of assorted degrees for a wide range of gray tones with a metallic luster
- Set of 6 Mars Lumograph black drawing pencils of assorted degrees with a higher proportion of carbon for the smoothness of graphite with the deep tones of charcoal
- 2 art erasers: gum and kneadable
Come back soon for Part 2 of this article on sketchbooks from Drawing magazine and another chance to win more art swag!
Happy drawing,
Cherie
Material World: Getting the Most out of Drawing Media
by Sherry Camhy, abridged from an earlier article
Today sketchbooks are everywhere—tucked in backpacks and carried under the arms of artists the world over. It’s easy to take for granted the existence of sketchbooks of all shapes, sizes and surfaces and hard to imagine a time when there were none at all. But throughout much of art history the possession of a sketchbook—or any kind of book, for that matter—was a rare privilege.
The evolution of the sketchbook can be considered as important a development for early artists as the invention of tubes for oil paint was for later ones. Both innovations liberated artists from the studio and freed them to work en plein air. Today artists, collectors and scholars have come to regard sketchbooks as works of art in their own right. Here we look at this sketching revolution and consider a few of the many ways sketchbooks can play a role in your art.
Sketchbooks Throughout History
Drawing existed long before paper did, and early drawings were made on surfaces such as slate or wood tablets that could be cleaned and reused. The earliest sketchbooks were handmade and consisted of a few sheets of prepared boxwood, papyrus, vellum or parchment. In some cases, assorted drawings created by a master would be collected and bound together as a “model book” to be preserved as a reference for the next generation of artists. Eventually drawing books made of rag paper began to be produced, but for many years they were expensive and used sparingly.
During the Renaissance artists began to use personal sketchbooks for various purposes. Leonardo filled volumes with scientific speculations, anatomical drawings, quick sketches and notes for paintings. His private journals were intended as just that—private. Leonardo often wrote in code or reverse lettering to keep his observations secret. Unfortunately, after his death many of his journals were disassembled and sold as separate sheets. The books that were kept intact are invaluable, allowing us to discern the chronology of Leonardo’s ideas.
Over the ensuing centuries sketchbooks gradually became ubiquitous, and they have been crucial to the careers of innumerable artists. To take just one example, Picasso’s sketchbooks seem to have suited his occasional practice of semi-automatically repeating draw- ings, evolving them in such small increments that they can almost be viewed in rapid succession like a child’s flipbook. Picasso may have used this strategy when faced with a creative block, looking to find new ideas by rehearsing and perfecting old ones. His sketchbooks also indicate that his ideas did not necessarily fall neatly into the distinct stylistic periods suggested by some critics but instead flowed in a more cyclical way between old and new.
Technology now makes viewing master artists’ sketchbooks easier than it has ever been. Just like magic, we can flip through the pages of a master sketchbook on a computer, enlarging small areas to see them in great detail. For example, the Cambridge University Library allows free online access to the tiny watercolor sketchbook in which Conrad Martens worked while accompanying Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle. And this summer several of Degas’ sketchbooks can be digitally browsed at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York, as part of the exhibition “Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty.”
Come back to ArtistsNetwork soon for Part 2: Sketchbooks Today (and another chance to win new drawing supplies!) And, remember to comment below with your sketchbook confession for your chance to win this set of art supplies from Staedtler! Winner will be chosen February 13, 2017 (must be a US resident).
My favorite subjects for sketching are tropical botanicals and medieval French architecture.
I have several home,are sketch booklets
I have several home made sketch booklets.
I’ve just started drawing again so mostly learning exercises and shadow shapes….
The oppertunity to create, to make something your own, is fascinating to me. To be able to catch someones emotion with strokes that you put so much of yourself into is an amazing thing. That is what I love to draw. Feelings. You might not have a clear picture of the feeling, but you and the viewer will feel it, and some people might see it and interpret in another way, and that is the beauty of it. To be able to catch your own emotions on a piece of paper, or another persons feelings is a gift that blows me away. To be able to do that is something I am thankful for and something I will love till the day I die.
I like to draw superheroes the most!
Architecture is my favorite drawing subject.
I didn’t know this about Leonardo. Very interesting. I, in fact, write in code in my daily planner. I don’t know why I started, but I can’t imagine writing normally in it anymore. Lol. My sketchbooks are invaluable to me as well, as an artist. My thoughts, dreams, ideas, and experiments are all in them, making my the sketchbook my friend, in a sense.
Sketching helps me relaxing and get my creative juices flowing besides improving my skills, especially in using value and composition studies
I like to draw/sketch antique objects or nostalgic scenes/objects.
Hi again, Les! I’ve edited my comment to reflect that I’ll need for you to email me (I’m having a hard time finding your username in our system). Thanks!
Hi Les!
Congratulations – you’ve been chosen as our random winner! Please contact me at [email protected] as soon as possible so that I can send you the prize. 🙂 Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and thoughts with us!
Please forgive my shortstightedness. While lamenting about my lack of talent while sketching ,using a live model, I neglected to comment on my favorite subjects to sketch in order to enter to win the delightful pencils that were offered. All things hold a certain appeal to the artist, however I would say I most enjoy sketching faces! There are so many expressions, shadows, and shapes. One subject can offer 100’s of poses and expressions to delight and challenge.
I always enjoyed drawing and sketching and still do.I know and understand the divisions of the face; dimensions, planes, etc. I have trouble getting the correct likeness from live models. Photos don’t seem to present that problem, or at least not to a large extent. Any ideas?
I went back to my sketching to help with my painting, I find that the more my drawing improves… the more my painting improves
I love sketching everything but my favorite thing to sketch is usually animals. Specifically, woodland creatures. <3
I began keeping sketchbooks in the ’70’s as part of my 7th grade art class. I let it fall by the wayside during my career and have recently started sketching again. My favorite subject to sketch is the landscape. Most especially beaches as storms roll in over the waters.
My sketchbooks provide hours of enjoyment doing and learning.
I love my journals and to make them using my favorite papers. I usually mix different papers to be able to experiment with a variety of mediums. I’m learning to draw and definetely good materials are very important to achieve the best results. Wonderful article as always!
This was an enjoyable article. Some if my favorite subjects to sketch are unusual things I see when I travel such as architectural ornamentation, sweater designs, and toys and gadgets. My sketchbooks become my journal and reference for inspiration.
I have always loved EVERYTHING ‘artsy fartsy’! I love drawing, painting, scrapbooking, and in the process of learning knitting. I love to learn new things all the time! I’m trying to expand my knowledge in the world of hobbies. I have many talents and would love to learn if I have even more. I am excited to be on this site for the firest time after purchasing my painting book. Thank you Hobby Lobby!
my favorite subject to sketch right now are faces, trying to get their expressions right
I have gotten out of the habit of carrying a sketch book and this article is a good reminder! I have gotten so used to using my camera to capture potential paintings that I loose some of the “real life” effect. Thanks for the kick start, I will take my book with me on my upcoming vacation and see what gems I can capture!
I love sketching boats, beaches, things connected with water.
I am new to painting and drawing, my favorite thing to sketch so far is wildlife and landscapes 🙂 Thank you so much for the chance to win some much needed supplies!!!!
I can’t just choose one style. I’d have to choose them all. I like being able to have a different sense of style as well. Enhancing my skills in one style isn’t what I’d call enjoyable, mixing it up a bit by combining styles together makes it stand out more.
I like to sketch everything touching my life, like emotional expression and funny movement of little children.
I like to sketch my cats.
I learn so much from my grandkids who draw constantly with just a pencil. It is pure and with imagination and fantasy. i draw very tight and realistic – and would love to experiment being free in my drawing. I totally believe that practice makes perfect, Doing art everyday is good for the soul.
I love to draw dogs in realistic manner. I think the black marks on the white paper make for a purist form of art..
Wow!!! Thank you for the giftaway!! I love Staedtler, this would be a dream coming true!!
I enjoy sketching birds and my grandson!
Most days, I use my sketchbook as a way to relax since I use a computer all day. I make quick sketches of coworker or the buildings at work during the day. After work, I may stop and make landscape sketches on the way home or I will sketch my cats or the dog when I get home. The family really appreciates it when I take the time to do this. Changes my mood completely.
I love to sketch my family as we are sitting on the deck in the spring and summer. This is especially great in the morning when I am having my coffee and the dogs are sun bathing with the light filtering through the trees. I use these sketches when I am determining my next oil paintings.
I love to sketch animals, good with horses & birds. And also my visions, including skulls, dragons, skeletons; expressing my interpretation of events around me
I like to sketch people in action.
I enjoy sketching fish, mainly saltwater species. Their shapes seem to just flow onto the page as they were flowing through the water. It’s a wonderful way to relax, and let go of the stress of the day.
I love to sketch nature, especially tree trunks and its roots. Their shapes ,textures and values are fantastic. And each tree is unique.Rocks, leaves and flowers are also beautiful to sketch.
I love to draw plants and flowers. I do pretty well with detailed rocks as well.
I sketch anything, but mainly architecture.
I have recently learned the benefits of a good value sketch when painting en plein air. One of the major challenges is how shadows change as the day progresses. It is vitally important to try to record the position and value of shadows while you are on site. That way, even when the sun’s position changes, you have recorded the shadows as they were at the start of your session. Also, a friend showed me a device consisting of a white ball, about 1″ diameter, mounted on a dowel, to observe how shadows appear when you start painting. I will sketch that little ball showing the shadows on it, for reference later as I paint.
Sketching on-site before you begin to paint allows you to capture the feeling of the scene at that specific time, so that as the sun gets higher and shadows change, you can refer to your sketch for accurate information.
A value sketch is also helpful in working out your composition. You can record the darks, mid-values and highlights for later reference. A friend suggested starting with gray paper – that way, you need only fill in the darks and the whites (the latter with a white pencil or crayon) to record the important values in your composition.
I love to sketch dogs in high detail, with every strand of fur in place, as stand-alone works of art, matted and framed. I have successfully done commissions of people’s dogs, and have brought the dog’s owner to tears. I also love to sketch and accurately shade trees, seascapes, and rocky streams, usually as a foundation for my watercolor paintings. I can combine various parts of sketches into a well balanced painting in that way, complete with a built in value study.
I’m a graphic artist working on computers all day, my only real pleasure is to paint as often as I can and when I do is usually watercolors or acrylics, but I never keeped a sketch book, I did buy one resently i just havent’n used it. Winning this pencil set would push me to start. Thank you
I don’t do a lot of sketching but would like to start making it a daily habit. I participated in Inktober last year; that was fun. I’m now doing an online face drawing class so I am taking small steps.
I love sketching as a break from more involved painting. It’s the immediacy of getting an idea down fast. Lately I have done a lot of marker sketching. No erasing, no corrections, just put it down. Very much like watercolor painting I have to think ahead to preserve the whites of the paper.
My sketchbook is a collection of the beginnings of painting ideas, or impromptu ideas that I need to record.
Animals, I love to sketch and paint animals!!!!
Faces…! IShowing what people are thinking is intriguing to me
…..love that!
I love to sketch anything, architecture, wildlife, portraits, machinery, and people. I love to try to capture the mood of the atmosphere for the setting or impress the feel of the textures. It’s a small world- till you try to sketch it.
Things that come naturally >!<
My sketchbook is my antidote for looking at a smart phone!
I use my sketchbook for many different uses. I sketch up ideas for children’s products and books. I also love to draw from life in the outdoors.
I am forever sketching up my dog Maizie while she sleeps in my studio too.
MJ Mitchell
My favorite is portrait/figure sketching/drawing.
In my sketching I look for the birds at their patio feeder, the squirrels trying to get in the bird feeders. Sketching flowers from my wife’s garden, especially her roses and the butterflies that are attracted by her flowers.
My favorite thing to draw are eyes. They are the window to the soul after all…..
Interesting !!! My favourire sketching subject are human figures.
My dog and leaves.
I enjoy collecting uniquely shaped objects from nature such as leaves and taking pictures of clouds & anything that catches my eye & then sketching what I see… Dragon fly wings & rhinoceros beetles too are a part of our world but because they are so little it is like they have a whole world of their own….
I love to draw people. Faces are so intriguing.
I am attracted to the curves of trees and water, also reflections and shadows in water.
I love to repeat sketches over time, just to see where I may have altered something and hopefully grown!
I find myself sketching a lot of figures, particularly the human face. I don’t necessarily need a sketching book to sketch, any paper will do. 🙂
I began sketching what I see every day. It helps keep the mundane interesting.
I love sketching almost anything. I find myself mostly drawn to animals and their quirky personalities such as birds and other wildlife as well as pet portraits; dogs, cats and horses mostly. Sometimes I’m in the mood to sketch a landscape or an ocean scene.
Sketching is an art form I have not done a lot of. I would love to learn more about it as I love the challenge of learning and accomplishing new things. Now, my 17 year old daughter, she loves to sketch. Pretty good at it I might say. Thanks.
I sketch whatever odd thing catches my eye but I have a penchant when bored to reproduce prehistoric cave art (I subject which fascinates me)
I like to sketch people. I try to catch their personality a little.
My favorite thing to sketch is definately animals – I have been drawing since age 3 – particularly horses, and now I love to draw any wildlife subject, including their habitat!
I like to sketch people, however they aren’t always fully clothed. (I FIND CLOTHES SO DIFFICULT!) So I get very nervous about sharing my sketchbook with others. Usually I make them sit next t me while I control the page turning. :-/
I will try to sketch anything in front of me, but my favorite to sketch are barns or older buildings.
I’ve been sketching trees lately.
I love to sketch most anything inanimate; old bridges, old buildings, even ruins… the older, the better. Plants, and animals also find themselves in my sketchbook… but never living people, nor even a likeness from a photograph. I have yet to figure out why I don’t like drawing humans…
I love this brand of pencils! I brought a set of three about 5 years ago and I still use them today. My favorite thing to sketch is food and nature.
I usually sketch from life – nature or animals are always a favorite subject. I try to keep a sketchbook on my at all times. I keep meaning to start an art journal but I never seem to…
I’ve just begun sketching, and my favorite place/subject has been Monet’s garden in Giverny on a trip to France last summer.
One can never have too many sketchbooks! I love having them everywhere so when an idea or an image needs getting down on paper it’s easy to do. LOVE the range of greys!
Love to sketch nature in general, but usually animals and birds!
I like to sketch dead trees or trees with no leaves. They have such character.
I sketch plants mostly and sometimes people at outdoor festivals.
My favorite way to sketch I call drive-by sketching. Not when I am driving, but sometimes that image will last until I can stop and work with pencil and paper. Some of my best images come this way and have worked themselves into nice finished paintings. they may be landscapes or cityscapes or people or animal clusters.
I enjoy sketching everything from people to household objects.
My favorite thing to draw is horses. But I also like to sketch landscapes of the Southwest.
I have really been sharpening up on my sketching skills with zen doodling , a great way for calmness and some really wonderful new pattern designs . Also, love to sketch the backyard first thing in the morning with my cup of tea
I love to sketch landscapes!
I still have some of the first sketches I made. I couldn’t afford sketch books as a kid so the paper I got was precious. Now I draw everything I see. My favorite is people.
I generally do figure drawing in my sketchbook, but also use it to hash out ideas.
Oh favorite subject, portraits lately
Yea gotta start a sketching journal! Hope I win the free Art supplies also!
I’m a beginner so I sketch just about anything that is front of me. I would like to get better at sketching buildings.
Natural Flora and Fauna have been my favorite subjects.
I like to sketch small natural objects: leaves, feathers, stones, wildflowers, insects, moths and butterflies.
My sketch book is about different subjects but my favorite is portraits.
Quick sketches of people or travel scenes are my two favorite subjects in my sketchbooks. Most anything will do in a pinch though :-). Time just disappears when I’m sketching.
My favorite subject is animals. I spend a lot of time at the San Diego Safari Park to sketch animals.
My sketchbooks are very eclectic! Mostly quick portraits but, also random ideas for future works, sketches of body parts and, in general, a kind of stream of consciousness .. of what’s whirling around in my head. Always human form related, however.
My favourite sketching subject is trees. I love the twist of a tree trunk and the crack of the bark. My membership of the Urban Sketchers has expanded my horizon to buildings, though.
I love architectural and landscape pencil drawing. I’m starting to experiment with colored pencils.
My favorite form of expression is pencil drawing, no matter what I get into I am always drawn back to the pencil.
I should definitely sketch more :/
I like drawing portraits and architectural scenes. I want to commit to daily practice!
I am on my 2nd sketch book, mostly animals and birds. Pencil drawings. Water color pencils. Color pencils and pen and ink. Such fun!!!
I used to doodle a lot so a sketchbook makes me more productive. I can look back and reference older drawings and see where I need to improve. I like to draw either everyday household objects (spoons, cups, staplers. etc.) or birds for which I often use travel photos as references.
I love to sketch and paint human figures. Spending a lot of time in waiting rooms gives me that opportunity. Good sketching pencils make a big difference.
Love sketching while traveling, from car, bus or train, in waiting rooms, stopped for short time periods. My sketch book is a great reminder of where I have been and what I have seen.
Sketchbooks not only help me figure out problems with my compositions today, they remind me of important lessons when I pick them up later.
I like to draw birds especially in a wild setting
A sketchbook has been part of my everyday life for the past 20 years. I cannot imagine being without one. Thank you for the opportunity to win these wonderful pencils.
Hands can be clues to a person’s soul. Great to draw!
I just want to draw anything…
I like to sketch nature. Mostly things growing in my yard.
My favorite subject is my city – inside or out – and the different lights that fill it at different times of day.
I am on the road all week as a salesman for a national company in the Pacific Northwest, so I plein air draw landscapes and seascapes, fast 5 minute drawings. I also carry a small watercolour set to sometimes add a little colour. I love the small easy to carry sketchbooks they make now, different colour papers and many great sizes to use. I do use a larger journal type book to draw and take notes in and have since art school but now only when I am working on planned pieces or have a lot of time.
I live in a forest and it is full of things waiting to be sketched ~ from wildlife to fauna, there is beauty everywhere. Thanks for a chance to win this set! More pencils 🙂
I’ve used n love Staedtler products for years. I carry a small sketch book in my purse at all times.
I use it for thumb nail sketches. For both plein aire n especially for thumb nail sketches of photos.
My intrigue in sketching and drawing is observing a person in an activity which takes up their entire focus and concentration and possibly emotion and capturing that in my sketch and drawing. I may not have always had the ‘correct’ pencil or tool to make this capture, yet the scene may move me where it’s the person in their activity and serenity and joy in the scene which to me is the most important and inspiring. Am grateful for this ability from my brain to my hands to the paper. Thank you : )
I have been sketching subway riders
on the New York trains for 20 years.
Awake,asleep the subjects are unlimited .
Good pencils are a must .
Oldschool72
How could you not be creative and draw with this set of pencils! I could use these!
I’ve been sketching since childhood, primarily with pencils, and in college was introduced to using drafting pens also. My sketchbooks travel with me to capture drawings of trees, plants, landscapes, the sky, waiting rooms, and the stage and audience at live performances.
I love to draw scenes from the coast of Texas. The birds, ships, children on the beach, sailboats, etc. So relaxing and fun!
I love to do portraits and my favorite subject is my grandson.
Sketchbooks always seem a bit to precious. Still I just bravely did a Zentangle® in a bound sketchbook and feel that now I can just go forward and draw in it all the time.
I mostly like to draw natural forms or landscape.
I have always loved to sketch hands, and rocks, they have such unique lines and crevices.
I always come back to portraiture. Have used Staedtler pencils for years.
I like to challenge myself with extreme closeups of everyday objects. If I draw well enough I might remember what I was drawing a year later. Sometimes I draw polyhedral dice from RPGs for practice then transform them into something else.
I am an art professor, and teach drawing. I love to sketch and make my students keep a sketchbook, which I check every week. I love Staedtler products, especially the graphite 925
Mechanical pencil! Sketching soothes the soul!
I love sketching the interior of restaurants in which I am eating, whether it is the ceiling fans at Galatoire’s in New Orleans or the fireplace at my favorite small restaurant in the Val D’orca of Tuscany. These sketches bring back memories of wonderful experiences and delicious meals and are sometimes the inspiration for a painting.
I love my small (purse size) gray sketchbook and, black, gray and white pencils for on the go sketches in a heavy ziploc bag. That and my Android’s camera are perfect tools for an artist on the go.Would upgrade to a larger purse to accommodate this great set!
I always sketch before I paint. It really helps organize the painting for me.
I sketch landscapes for paintings , but I really love sketching animals more than anything,
from pets to animals I have seen at the zoo & wildlife from photos.
I am amazed at some of the sketches I have seen from other artists !
I enjoy sketching architecture, especially old buildings and villages.
Sketchbooks for me are a place to practice, keep my fingers and mind busy by drawing what’s in front of me (especially in waiting rooms), try different materials, and even write myself notes. I’ve also noticed that showing others my less-than-perfect art in a sketchbook gives them permission to “play” with art as well.
Drawing is the foundation of art, so having better tools like sketchbooks (physical and digital) are essential to observe the world around us and develop our drawing skills. Then we can progress to developing our composition skills and experimenting with thumbnails to try out new ideas, We grow to use different media: graphite/charcoal to pastels and watercolor. We can even develop sculptural ideas before we commit to the time and expense of realizing our vision in its full splendor. We can hope others will appreciate our process as well as the final work as much as we did creating it. This is the power of a sketch- it unfetters our imagination just as a prayer does.
I doodle figures and faces…have used STAEDTLER pencils and products for over 50 years or so…
I’ve never been able to create by sketching first. I like working with charcoal & watercolors.
I have been learning more recently about the importance of the sketchbook as a learning tool for artists. At 54 years of age I discovered drawing. I love how one can lose oneself in art. It’s become a form of meditation for me. Thank you for this informative article, and the opportunity to receive a jumping off point for a budding artist!
I loveTo draw animals and portraits
whatever pops in my head, but really, whatever the drawing itself evolves into. Also observations whereever I happen to be.
Usually my sketchbook is used to do thumbnails and flesh out ideas in small scale. Sometimes it’s to write down ideas that come to me, at other times I like drawing what I see. It’s really just a matter of what’s striking me to pick up my graphite at the moment.
I love the sketch, for me it’s like describing the reality that catches my eye, the sketchbook is like my binnacle of my day to day.
I love to draw animals. My love started as a kid. I just don’t have the stuff or make the time anymore. Gotta get back into it!
I hadn’t sketched since I was younger, but recently started again. I love to sketch out in the mountains of North Carolina, so many beautiful things to choose from, including nature, wildlife and long range vistas. I’ve also been using my sketching to do value studies prior to starting a painting. My new FAVORITE pen for line and wash paintings is a Staedtler waterproof pigment liner. I love this pen. Thank you!
When I drift away from sketching on a daily basis, I find my drawing skills begin to elude me. It’s something I enjoy, and need to practice at the same time…
Thank you for this! My favourite subject to sketch are animals. I run an animal rescue- so there are always cats and dogs to draw. I also love to sketch outdoors- birds, squirrels and chipmunks are fun and never stay still for long so it’s a good challenge!
Steadier is one of the best for drawing tools. Only been drawing for a few years mostly Trees, Nature and starting to try drawing my cat.
I love to sketch urban scenes with people in them. I carry a couple of sketchbooks and several pencils and pens at all times. Thanks for the history article Steadler!
I love to sketch flowers and other natural history findings, I find it always leads to a much better understanding of how the parts fit together.
Great article. I like seeing sketchbooks, offers a glimpse in the artists mind without the confinement of having a piece out in the public for others to critique. I like drawing cityscapes as little snapshots of memories while traveling and people as well.
Dogs – can’t help it – DOGS!
I love to sketch flowers, landscapes and old barns. I’m still learning so I also sketch anything with interesting lines and that sits still.
I like to speed sketch people walking through Times Square during my lunch break.
It’s finally become clear in my artwork–if I use my sketchbooks, what I do actually does eventually become reflected in my art! I’m finally a believer in the value of journals and sketchbooks!
I appreciate cityscapes in older East Coast cities too. The Staedtler technique outlined will help me.
My favorite subject its the motion of the people trough the city, cars and shadow/lights
Addendum: my 80 year old aunt (also an oil painter of impressionism) advised: Always start your oil painting canvas — with an excellent Staedtler & a sketchbook to master the technique of sketching.
I hope I can receive the much insight of the Staedtler fundamentals & visit Staedtler one day.
I love to draw bark – trees, vines -The myriad of patterns and value fascinate me.
I confess that my sketch books are messy. I love to draw horses and designs for my ceramics.
one my favorite subjects to sketch is bonsai trees
Daily I sketch what I feel about what’s in front of me rather than to literally depict what I see.
Over the years I have travelled thru’ the Amsterdam Schipol’s Airport & purchased the Old Master’s paper prints of Van Gogh & Vermeer. Van Gogh & Vermeer with the Old Master’s have long fascinated me, with their crinkled canvas & their acute observation of their respective subjects. The sketchbook and pencils are a start. For me, I am a weekend amateur Oil Painting Old Master’s beginner. I have told myself that one day will visit the Rijvasik’s Museum to see the richness of oil painting. In my mind’s eye I appreciate the happiness & tranquility a good canvas brings to welcome dear friends over an excellent cocktail !
I will deem it a privilege to create oil paintings like Van Gogh & Verneer and share with admirers of such
works. Bon apetit to the Old Master’s with chilled riesling wine & tiramisu cake .. let us bring thy happiness.
I loved, loved, loved the Degas exhibit at MOMA in NYC. It was fun to flip through his sketchbook electronically. This fascinating article makes me want to get out my sketchbook to draw people doing everyday tasks.
I enjoy working in a botanical journal sketchbook
Cityscapes and architecture in older, East Coast cities always capture my atrtention for sketching.
I love to draw hands….they say so much about the person. I also love to draw trees, the details convey so much the wonder of natural world in front of us.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has become my favorite subject to sketch. It is situated downtown, on the bank of the Schuykill River and has the steps from “Rocky”.
I love to scetch tge female form. One of the most beautiful things in existence but i’m horrible at hands and faces.
I am grateful to have been born in an age when paper is not “too” precious. My favorite day is one spent hiking to a mountain peak or anywhere along the way where a composition, juxtaposition or idea grabs my attention and leads me away to explore, sketch and enjoy the natural beauties around me.
Urban and rural landscapes, figure and form, portraits, animals and almost anything I see that interests me at the time…its all good and there is room for all!
Like sketching rough drafts for layout and proportions
People and animals as well as drafts of landscapes and seascapes
Interesting article. I use my sketch book the most to record the beauty close to home. I sketch my backyard. I sketch the view out the window in the winter. I will sketch ideas for potential paintings. On vacation I will review photos I’ve taken during the day and sketch line drawings from the best images at night.
My favorite subject is people. I like to go to coffee shops or other public venues and quietly settle in at a table and start observing people and their facial expressions and body language as they talk to one another.
I love to sketch while traveling, you notice little details missed in photos.
I’ve often spent time searching for online images of Da Vinci’s work along with other famous artists, It’s encouraging to know that they practiced continuously and, like Leonardo, many developed their very own techniques.
The rarity of owning sketchbooks for early artists must have influenced the work contained within the pages a great deal.
A few weeks ago, I came across a copy of Vincent van Gogh’s, “Armand Roulin” at a thrift store and bought it for a few dollars. It’s wonderful to be able to see it close-up and through a perspective that can’t be captured in a lot of the online images. It would be amazing to be able to flip through the actual pages that contain the works of great artists of years gone-by.
The article gave me a greater appreciation for my own sketchbooks.
I completely enjoyed reading it.
I love drawing portraits, along with images that influenced me throughout my life.
I’ve often spent time searching for online images of Da Vinci’s work along with other famous artists, It’s encouraging to know that they practiced continuously and, like Leonardo, many developed their very own techniques.
The rarity of owning sketchbooks for early artists must have influenced the work contained within the pages a great deal.
A few weeks ago, I came across a copy of Vincent van Gogh’s, “Armand Roulin” at a thrift store and bought it for a few dollars. It’s wonderful to be able to see it close-up and through a perspective that can’t be captured in a lot of the online images. It would be amazing to be able to flip through the actual pages that contain the works of great artists of years gone-by.
The article gave me a greater appreciation for my own sketchbooks.
I completely enjoyed reading it.
I used to love to sketch so much 7 years ago. Somewhere along the way I kind of abandon that. Just starting to do that again. Mostly I love to sketch human figures, doodle and imaginary stuff based on my emotion & situation.
Hi, For me sketchbook are like mirrors, they reflect our emotions, personality and express our being in a creative manner- creativity is purity of soul + practice/hard work. We practice our art in sketchbook, and express our soul’a voice through colors/pencil. I like to draw and paint unconventional thoughts of mine in my sketchbook. Whether they agree with today’s art trend or not, they relieve me and release me from myself and get me to the trans. P.S. not from US, the whole universe is my place.
Flowers and plants are my favorites to sketch.
I like to draw dragons and doors.
I love to draw human figures , and nature, but I also love to draw imaginative illustrations
Thank you for this article. I’m looking forward to reading part 2!
My favorite things to sketch are trees and figures/faces.
My drawings mainly relate to my textile mix media work I also love creating doodles.
I like to sketch people and portraits.
As I read the short article Material World it may me reflect back to my earliest years. Back even before I was carrying my handy-dandy never leave home without it sketchbook, I was cramming school paper in my pocket, salvaged cardboard from the ditch, or drawing a superhero in the sand around me. That would later become known as a sketch book. So to everyone who enjoys art and don’t literally carry a sketchbook everywhere you go please start ASAP because it is like the voice that makes the song, the ball that makes the player, and the heart that makes the lion. And remember some of the most interesting pieces will usually be spontaneous, so be ready to capture that mood or idea that you can later look back and reflect.
A favorite of mine to sketch are caricatures
I always thought sketching as the foundation for artwork. At least with myself, if my sketch isn’t strong, my art will suffer. Having a handy sketchbook is a great way to catalog your progress too.
I love to draw or sketch because it calms me. Just having that pencil or charcoal in my hand even if its just circles at the moment. Its just me and that medium and nobody else, just me controlling it. I can do anything I want with it and I love that!!!
I love to draw, it prepares me for my oil paintings! Most of the time outdoors I always start off with a drawing to catch the atmosphere of my subjects.
Thank you for a great site and a chance to win!
I like to sketch flowers and clothing.
My favorite subjects are animals. I love the challenge of drawing the furred and feathered. Human portraits would be my second choice. Pencils are my favorite medium because of the fine detail that can be achieved with them.
I love to draw children’s faces
I love to draw family and friends
I love sketching portraits! Everyone has such a unique appearance–from the shape of the eyes to the curvature of the mouth–that each composition communicates a piece of the subject’s personality. It’s work though! Lots of practice drawing and looking closely at a person’s face. This began when I was a child, I would sketch my friends or portraits from magazines. Thanks for this opportunity to win some great sketching materials!
I have a bunch of sketchbooks on the go. I’ll sketch anything anywhere. I love drawing people and animals the most and am experimenting with different line types and marks.
Although drawing since childhood, I find as a have begun to paint again in my 60’s drawing is a chore. I shy away from sketching before I paint. I’ve seen the difference in result when I sketch first, I am loathe to do that yet know I must. I’ve started taking baby steps, but the fear of failure looms ahead. Draw I must, so draw I will. What I like best about it at this point is I an always erase or abandon for a new attempt.
I like to try to sketch common things around me, like whats on my desk and so on.
I have several sketchbooks going at a time, based on themes. Figure drawing, botanicals, landscapes, urban sketching, and miscellaneous.
I love drawing birds. -Janet
Fascinating link to Cambridge U. Made me remember the scientific illustrations I did years ago using pencils of different hardness to resemble those done in 19th century books. Had the privilege to actually hold an original copy of “The Voyage of the Beagle”. Been a very long time but thanks to reading this article I want to rekindle my love of pencil work. Thank you very much!
I use my sketchbooks to study ideas for my paintings and to keep my drawing skills sharp with still-lifes and poses of my dog.
I like to work on drawing portraits
Wonderful article! Thank you.
I like to sketch people and trees.
I love sketching everything! Nature, my dogs, other animals. I am always sketching with my students.
Learning to sketch has opened up worlds to me..the ability to notice and record moments of life whether in nature or in an urban setting
Any and all things nature is my favorite sketch subject, especially trees. Thank you for the chance to win such a wonderful prize.
my favorite thing to sketch is the face.
One of my favorite things to sketch is ravens. And I’m a huge fan of black and white art.
My favorite subjects to sketch are animals. Whether they’re dogs, cats, birds, rats, horses, alligators…I’ll draw them all.