Have you reached a sketching block? Not sure what to sketch or maybe you are bored of sketching the same old things. I have compiled some fun and unique sketchbook ideas to really spice things up in your sketchbook! Not only will these ideas be fun but they will really stretch your creativity and give you that boost you need to go on to create your masterpiece. Sometimes we get stuck in our sketchbook worried about it being perfect these 5 ideas will get you out of that block. They are for fun so don’t worry about the end result just be inspired. Keep reading to learn about these 5 unique Sketchbook Ideas to really spice up your sketchbook!
- Sketchbook Idea 1: Drawing Shapes
- Sketchbook Idea 2: Using Rice/Beans or other organic objects
- Sketchbook Idea 3: Use Stickers
- Sketchbook Idea 4: Washi Tape
- Sketchbook Idea 5: Make a Collage
Sketchbook Idea 1: Drawing Shapes
This first, unique sketchbook idea is really simple. Grab your sketch book take your favorite markers and draw some organic funky shapes. You can turn your sketchbook upside down and just draw shapes. After drawing some shapes step away for a few minutes. Return to your sketchbook, re-orient the sketchbook the way you feel most comfortable and draw what you see. You can even make the shapes connect with each other. The point of this exercise is to train your brain to draw from imagination some ideas might come naturally others will be a little bit tricky to figure out.
It can be fun and silly and the more you do it the better you will ‘see’. Who knows your next OC just might be around the corner or maybe it will spark an idea for a painting. I drew some silly images above but the one thing that stood out was the heron and now I want to draw a fun picture of a heron.
Sketchbook Idea 2: Using Rice/Beans or other organic objects
The next fun sketchbook idea is to use organic objects! I took a class on how to make a map and one of the things the teacher suggested was to use food such as coffee, rice, or beans to create the edges of the map. You spill out, in this case, the rice and then draw around it to get a good outline. It makes the edges of the landform look more organic and not so planned.
You don’t have to draw a map. The shape I created looked for fish like so I made a fish island but I could have easily just made an other worldly fish. Maybe you enjoy world building this would be another great exercise in drawing from imagination and stretching your eyes to see things differently.
Sketchbook Idea 3: Use Stickers
Another fun ideas is to you stickers! Do you have any fun stickers lying around? These can be really fun to use. Just grab some stickers, stick them on your page and draw a background for the sticker. I used these stickers which were different women reading books and a few people from a famous painting. The way the pictures were shaped reminded me of windows. I decided to draw a building looking into the ‘lives’ of each person. You can really come up with a story for each one. This was fun and sparked some backstory for these characters.
We are all artists here however, if you are trying to build a character or a world it is important to have back story and to have a bit of a writing element. That’s what this exercise really did. I want to draw more. I want to add more to some of these pictures maybe even create a world. And that’s the whole goal of these sketchbook ideas to spark creativity and launch you into that next big idea! In case you are wondering I bought these stickers from Mochi and Things there are similar stickers on Amazon(*affiliate link).
Sketchbook Idea 4: Washi Tape
Sketchbook idea number four; washi tape! This is fun and similar to the sticker idea. First you lay down a sketch or guidelines then you tape up your whole paper. Grab an Exacto knife *affiliate link and start cutting. Take care to not cut two deep. This should work with a razor or box cutter as well you just won’t have as much control. This was a bit time consuming but I absolutely loved the results. The washi tape I used is called MT Washi Tape – PEZ art I bought mine at a local Japanese stationary store. You can also find cool designs on Amazon *affiliate link
I was originally planning on making a cool building and I was going to cover the windows with a different washi tape but the more I looked at it, it reminded me of a department store or mall. Like the ones in Japan and that’s great. Maybe you have an idea and it’s going a different direction. Don’t fight it. Let it! Don’t force yourself into a box just listen and pivot to the where you need to go.
It was fun and I added these jelly bean people. I definitely want to work on it more and fine tune it and come up with more expressions for the people. Maybe add them in other places. Again these ideas are to unblock your creativity so don’t worry about it being perfect and if it’s a one off thing then so be it as long as it helped push you forward even just a little.
Sketchbook Idea 5: Make a Collage
Last, but not least is to collage. Do you have some loose scraps of paper lying around. I had an old notebook full of paper from a book called Flow a book for Paper lovers. (*affiliate link the one I own was from 2018) I decided to go head and cut them up for this next sketchbook idea. This one took a little bit more planning compared to the other ideas. First you sketch out what you want to draw, then pick the colors of paper you would like cut them up and start playing around.
Above is the direction this idea took me. I’ve always loved Eric Carle books and his art style is very much like collaging. He paints paper and then cuts them up to create his masterpieces. This is a very tactile form of art you really get involved. Another way of doing this is to just cut up different shapes and start creating a mosaic. That requires less planning and might really get those creative juices going.
Conclusion
This has been a post about 5 unique sketchbook ideas to spice things up. I hope you try out all five of the ideas! It really will be fun and who knows, you might just discover your next medium of choice. If you enjoyed this post and want to learn more about drawing or get into the habit of drawing every day check out these posts How to build the habit of drawing everyday. Or How to illustrate using posca markers.