So you were curious about my sketchbook? And you’re thinking about starting your own? Here is my encouragement for all skill levels, punctuated by drawings from the first six months of my 2022 sketchbook and a few quotes by some of our favorite artists. (Disclaimer: Some artistic representations herewith represent the human anatomy.)
Subject matter for my sketchbook is a hodgepodge.
Art history began on cave walls when early humans felt an innate urge to draw. No one knows exactly why prehistoric humans made art, but it was almost certainly as spiritual as it was a form of communication–but it could have been for fun too. For decades I have carried a sketchpad and pencils in my backpack, going wherever I do. And every year I start a new book. By now I have a stack of sketchpads going back to the 90s. And I am often asked about my drawings, which materials I prefer, and how I decide what to draw.
The Title Page has two functions: it announces what is contained within, obviously, and it breaks the ice. Where to begin is always a big question.
This year I selected a hardbound Canson 11×14″ book. Though I usually buy spiral, I liked the archival look of the hard spine. (Don’t worry, links below will direct you to the proper materials.) And it was not a decision that I took lightly. The Canson books have 65-pound paper which I find to be a perfect weight for a variety of mediums. But if the 11×14″ book seems a bit large, any size will do–an 8×10″ might work nicely and fit easily into a day bag, briefcase, or seat pocket. A 6×6″ goes anywhere but might be confining for creative juices to really flow.
As to hard cover versus spiral, to get my new pad to lay flat I had to crack the spine and I miss the ease removing individual pages. But the year is only half done and am so far pleased. I still like the aesthetics of it.
“Drawing is the basis of art. A bad painter cannot draw. But one who draws well can always paint.” Arshile Gorky
In January, while recovering from heart surgery, I did heart related drawings.
In a new sketchbook I like to skip the first page, leave it clean, and make an official Title Page on the second sheet. The Title Page has two functions: it announces what is contained within, obviously, and it breaks the ice. Where to begin is always a big question. And like a blank canvas can be intimidating, so too can an unblemished sketchbook. So there we have it, the first project presents itself and sets a tone for subsequent pages. And from the start, the Title Page celebrates the artist.
“Drawing is the artist’s most direct and spontaneous expression, a species of writing: it reveals, better than does painting, his true personality.” Edgar Degas
And as for motivation, draw what is of interest.
As the following pages present themselves, never stress out over a drawing or force it. The main point of drawing is enjoyment and that doesn’t have to be perfect. And as for motivation, draw what is of interest. Just sit down and do it without preconceived constraints of product rather than process. I find that when I fail my sketchbook it is because I am afraid to fail.
Just buying the supplies is never enough of an investment–and neither are the best intentions. Sometimes life gets in the way and our special little pencils and tools collect dust and settle to the bottom of the bag. Just like children who outgrow their creative sides, so too does the focus shift for well-meaning adults.
“I sometimes think there is nothing so delightful as drawing.” Vincent van Gogh
I also love to draw trees–sketches of branches and trunks are very relaxing.
Drawings and sketches through the Renaissance became vehicles to work up, studies of an item or person to be included in a more important painting. It is not unusual to see red chalk drawings of the period depicting draped fabric or musculature.
John Singer Sargent was a prolific drawer who worked out every possible position and expression before inclusion into larger endeavors. His grand gilded age portraits began with scores of sketches.
“You can’t do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh.” John Singer Sargent
Because of my design background, I often incorporate architectural elements.
Subject matter for my sketchbook is a hodgepodge. I might sit and sketch a still life like fruit or objects on a table, or I will do a landscape or a cityscape. The most stressful part of an afternoon sketching on the Seawall is battling the wind. I also love to draw trees–sketches of branches and trunks are very relaxing. But I remember when trees were difficult for me.
Because of my design background, I often incorporate architectural elements or elaborate cartouches. Someday I hope to be as comfortable whipping up a Baroque cartouche as I do now with a stately oak.
I recent years I have experimented with a strategically placed eyeball into a landscape or architectural framework.
Current events or location can influence a run of drawings, a little collection in a theme. In January, while recovering from heart surgery, I did heart related drawings. An odd subject matter to be sure, but poignant. And I had a lot of time on my hands during the precarious recovery.
In recent years I have experimented with a strategically placed eyeball into a landscape or architectural framework, as evidenced by my 2020 holiday postcard. Though not sure where I am headed with those type compositions, I love them. And there are positive reactions from viewers because the pieces are not only complicated but they are unlike anything anyone has seen before–completely Broussard.
But whenever I get the opportunity to draw from a live model I usually just skip to the good parts.
And while no classically presented sketchbook could be complete without Academic Studies based on the human form, whenever I get the opportunity to draw from a live model I usually just skip to the good parts. The kibbles & bits are the first thing anyone looks for anyway.
Hearts, eyeballs, wieners… it all makes for intriguing and challenging pieces. Who cares if it is a little weird? Aren’t people disappointed when an artist isn’t Avant-garde?
“Drawing is rather like playing chess: your mind races ahead of the moves that you eventually make.” David Hockney
I might sit and sketch a still life like fruit or objects on a table.
Serious artists and hobbyists alike stumble. It takes discipline to wield a pencil with regularity. It might never make perfect, but practice brings growth. And as an artist grows he evolves. A confident mindset is healthy and allows the creative process to thrive without judgement.
Picking up a pencil or crayon is one of the first things any child does. Problem is that with every criticism, the artist within dies a bit each time. “Sorry, Timmy, but cows aren’t green!” Believe me, it isn’t easy–but it gets even harder when criticizing yourself.
“Every child is an artist. Problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Pablo Picasso
The most stressful part of an afternoon sketching on the Seawall is battling the wind.
So what type of pencil or crayon to pick up? Materials are all about personal choice. Prehistoric man used charcoal or animal fat mixed with plant extracts. He even scratched into stone with rudimentary tools.
From the 15th to the 18th Centuries, red chalk was the medium of choice for artists and draftsmen because of the quality of color and broad range of effects. Red chalk is an iron-oxide pigment that contains clay and minerals.
In 2022 I began adding more spot color to my drawings.
My friend David asked if I understand the nuances between the different drawing pencils, from 2H to 6B, and what I recommend. I do. But honestly, I dislike changing pencils mid-drawing, hunting for one with harder lead or one for shadowing, one for line work. Mine are not technical drawings. Further, I find that hard lead taints the pages beneath, carving inopportune ridges into a virgin surface. I try to fill my books and hate to waste pages. And a nice shadowing session can be ruined by the ghosts of pages past.
I remember when trees were difficult for me.
My implement of choice is a black (labeled Noir) Berol Prismacolor Pencil. The Eagle Pencil Company of New York City launched Prismacolor Pencils in 1938. I love the tone and quality, almost an overall charcoal effect but with more control and less mess. A Prismacolor pencil allows me to shade and shadow or to build a tight, sharp line. So there, the secret is out.
“A drawing is simply a line going for a walk.” Paul Klee
In 2022 I began adding more spot color to my drawings. And while the verdict is still out in my own mind of whether or not I like the additional color, if I had never tried I would never get the answer anyway. Though I do admit to have ruined more than one drawing that wasn’t too shabby in simple black.
I do admit to have ruined more than one drawing that wasn’t too shabby in simple black.
My neighbor Sam likes watercolor pencils. She can sketch and then blur the lines or fill in shapes with a brush and a little water. The important part is to find what works for you and keep doing it.
Enhancing or tightening a previous drawing is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for a drunk. And bad things will happen.
“Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.” Salvador Dali
What I cannot do here is explain how to draw. Sure, there are a myriad of techniques and tricks, and different styles and genres. My friend Saraya has a sketchpad filled with repeating shapes and graphics which I think also serve to inspire her larger paintings. My advice is to just do it, find a path, do what seems fun, or do what seems natural. Nothing bad will happen to try.
Unless… I have no problem with drawing while drinking. Frankly, it sounds downright enticing to open a nice bottle of wine to sip while sketching. Who knows where your pencil will go as you relax and enjoy. But DWI (Drawing while Intoxicated) can be dangerous when attempting to touch up drawings that are already done. Enhancing or tightening a previous drawing is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for a drunk. And bad things will happen.
The kibbles & bits are the first thing anyone looks for anyway.
However, I have a safety trick in case I have to go back to touch up or correct or finish. I write the color of the pencils I am using in the margin. There are often slight variations in color from pencil to pencil and memory isn’t always best practice. Try differentiating between Bleu Franc and Bleu Ceruleen by eyeball.
The old adage about knowing when to stop rings true while sober too. You have a lot of pages. Learn from your successes and mistakes and move on to the next page.
A hobby rooted in antiquity, a sketchbook chronicles life and love and mood and thought and time.
As a hobby, drawing is one of the most rewarding, relaxing, interesting, and inexpensive things one can do. When I’m sitting on the beach or in a restaurant sketching, I get some very quizzical or intrigued looks. I’ve had curious people offer to buy the sketch that I’m working on, or pick up my bar tab for it. The answer is always, “Yes!” That is why I write my name at the bottom of every page–so some random drunk at a frame shop knows who did it! The same respect is offered in all currencies. One of my best friends Barry traveled the Mediterranean with his sketchbook as a ploy to pick-up woman. Natural curiosity aside, offering to sketch someone is a better aphrodisiac than oysters–add champagne and it’s a date!
A hobby rooted in antiquity, a sketchbook chronicles life and love and mood and thought and time. And hopefully what I have had to say here has enticed and inspired. I have selected a few products below for your consideration. But it is up to you to choose the wine.