A place for ideas to gather

One of the things I love about keeping a sketchbook is that it gives my ideas somewhere to gather. It's a place to assemble things I've noticed, themes, and things I'm curious about.

Recurring and returning

Looking back through old sketchbooks, I'm often struck by how many recurring themes there are. Interests that disappear for a while and then unexpectedly return out of nowhere. I sometimes think of my sketchbooks as a filing cabinet of fascinations.

Not so new ideas

Flipping back through old sketchbooks, I’m always surprised to see that so many things have followed me through the years. Ideas I think of as new were often started years ago.

Every now and then, something from years ago finds its way back into my work again.

This week's sketchbook video is a good example. I sat down without a plan and found myself drawing some weird butterflies.  That small, simple act reminded me of some butterfly-inspired things I made over 20 years ago.

After 20 minutes this is where I got to…

I came back to the same page on another day and spent another 20 minutes

Creative memories

The process of creating something which I thought was a little random, cracked open a memory of a creative phase from two decades ago that I had mostly forgotten about. I used to be fascinated by butterflies and today’s mess about has perhaps enlivened this old fascination.

That's often how ideas work for me. They don't always arrive fully formed.

Sometimes they sneak up on me, because something catches my attention. Sometimes they come to me through the making. Sometimes they just resurface years and years later.

A sketchbook page/ art research page from 20 years ago…

Butterflies and button tins in my sketchbook from 20 years ago

A waiting room

A sketchbook gives my ideas somewhere to live, some pages start a whole series of work, some pages lead nowhere at all. Some ideas just sit there for years before finding their way back into my work.

I like that. It takes the pressure off.

I don't feel the need to use every idea immediately or make sense of everything straight away. The sketchbook is a place I can look back and remember.

Types of sketchbook

Here are some of the sketchbooks I like, but sketchbooks are a personal preference and come in so many different shapes, sizes and varieties, the sketchbook that is right for me, may not be right for you.

The best sketchbook to use is always the one you already own. The one I am using is this video is The Venezia Book.

The Venezia Book from Fabriano

Stillman & Birn, Zeta Range

The Ebony Artist Book from Daler Rowney, this is the giant A3 sized book I like to use

Dylusions Creative Journal Large from Ranger

Seawhite of Brighton Pocket Concertina

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