Want to know 5 proven sketchbook ideas for beginners and where to start? Keep reading to learn more! Are you just starting out on your sketchbook journey? Maybe you are thinking about buying a sketchbook but aren’t’ sure you will utilize it enough. A sketchbook is basically an artist’s journal. It’s a place to get messy and not worry about others seeing or judging your art. It’s a place to experiment and grow. Maybe you are aspiring to make art like those you see on social media. They made a lot of ugly pages before you see the nice curated ones before you. You want to make those ugly pages, but when you open the sketchbook that white page seems ominous or the sketchbook feels too precious. I have 5 proven sketchbook ideas for beginners that will help you start and take the leap!
Draw the same Subject Over and Over
Pick a subject, anything; it can be flowers, birds, frogs, people, your favorite anime character. Pick one and draw it again and again on the same spread in your sketchbook. This will do two things. First it will make your sketchbook spread seem nice and cohesive and therefore pleasing to look at. This pleasure will then send dopamine into your mind which will encourage to draw more. Naturally this is exactly what all artists want to do! Second and more important from a technical standpoint is that you have just done a study. By picking a subject and drawing it again and again you begin to analyze it. You think about how can you draw it better and with each consecutive drawing you continue to get better and better. This is a proven sketchbook idea for beginners. It takes away the guess work and allows you to just dive right in, improving with every drawing.
Drawing Prompts
This one may seem a bit obvious but often people can overlook them, or they may feel like it takes the spontaneity out of drawing. It doesn’t. More often than not, like writers, artists experience a block. You see the blank page and then your brain goes blank. But often if we artists just get something on the page our mind begins to flow and new ideas come flowing in and the more you draw the more ideas will come. This is were drawing prompts can help. You don’t have to use one every time, but have it handy. Maybe even paste a list of prompts into your sketchbook and when there’s a day that an idea just isn’t coming or you’re not sure what to draw, the prompts are right there just to give your creative brain a little boost. You can find lots of great drawing prompts on the internet, and to save you the time if you don’t feel like searching I’ve created one for you for free! Subscribe below and it will be emailed to you right away!
Copy Copy Copy!
That’s right, I know you’ve heard it before; copy the artist you love! This can be fun but be aware, as long as you are not trying to claim the work as your own then you’re good. For me, if I am copying I do not share on social media. It’s not necessary and it’s just for me anyway. If you do, just make sure you give credit to the artist. If you are copying Pokémon or Dragonball or other big things like maybe a new take on Spiderman, it’s usually pretty obvious you didn’t make it up but still give credit where it is due.
Yes, copying, but how to copy or what to copy is sometimes overwhelming. I personally really admire Kyle Ferrin. I love love his art style. His art is used on a number of different board games. Root was the first board game I played with his art on it and I immediately fell in love with the woodland creatures. I bought the woodland creature cards for the RPG but mostly just to look at them.
I have been using the cards as a warm up, I draw one card a day. It’s been a lot of fun and takes all but 10 minutes. Sometimes I change things up and I use sticky notes and then draw the character, or I use only one color each. It’s a fun way to play around and learn from an artist I admire. Its just a nice little something to do. It will warm you up, maybe make you smile, and then you’re ready to start on different projects.
You could do the same thing, except you could use Pokémon cards or anything else you might collect or have lying around. It’s kind of like a visual drawing prompt. It’s fun and easy to do and it’s okay if you mess up because it’s just for fun and making mistakes is how you learn!
Monochromatic
Want to use color but feel intimidated by where to start? Or, do you use so much color that it can be overwhelming on the page and not cohesive? Limiting your color pallet can be a lot fun and a good way to stretch your creative muscle. It can really make you focus in on the shadows and values, and where the light is forcing you to analyze and pick just the right tone with limited colors. Use one color in different shades with a pop of an opposing color.
It’s fun and you are learning/practicing how to use your artistic eye, stretching and working out that sight muscle. Using only one color can also create a mood/vibe. Maybe you want to use dark indigo and purples to create a dreamy nighttime mood. Or loud and bright with red or yellow. Either way it can be very fun. Try drawing your room/art studio/scene draw it 3 or 4 times each time using a different color.
(This method can really help especially if you are unsure how to use color. Instead of focusing on getting the ‘right color’ of what you are drawing, you can limit yourself to three colors and not be too worried about messing up.)
Paint a Page
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Paint the whole page one color, two colors, or a mix of colors. Just paint the whole thing! For example use gouache or water color Don’t have paint? You could use markers or acrylic markers like Posca or Arrtix. I used dot paint markers in the picture above. Paint it today and don’t do any other drawing on it until the next day. This anticipation can really build creativity. The next day you will have a fresh perspective, and then in black ink or any other color (one that will show up on the color you’ve chosen) just start sketching. The sketch will really pop and make drawing fun even if you mess up. Remember, mistakes are good! Also, having already painted the page the day before, it won’t be as daunting to get the pen on the paper.
After waiting a day I realized the paint looked really similar to a cup I owned. This inspired the photo below. It turned out great! Trying things like this can help you learn by experimenting with color as well as seeing what areas need to be improve upon. You will learn and grow from this activity, simultaneously having fun!
Conclusion to 5 Proven Sketchbook Ideas
In summary the 5 proven sketchbook ideas for beginners are: Draw the same subject over and over, use drawing prompts, copy other artists, monochromatic, and paint a page. These different techniques can really improve your technical skills while making the drawing experience fun! hope you have enjoyed this blog and if you want to make drawing an everyday habit check out “How to build a habit of drawing everyday.”