Small Sketchbook, Big Leaps

Oct 31

Oct 31 Small Sketchbook, Big Leaps

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!

In this week's Draw Tip Tuesday video, I am showing you all the pages I filled in a smaller sketchbook than I am used to.
This sketchbook had been on my shelf for such a long time. Now, I finally decided to use it, even though it hadn't been that appealing to me in the first place. I often choose a larger size, and also prefer drawing in portrait format rather than landscape.
But instead of buying a new, familiar type of sketchbook every time I am ready to start a new one, I decided to make the pile of sketchbooks in my cupboard shrink, by using them.

It became an interesting challenge, because of the size and the format. The first few pages felt a bit awkward, but after a few days in, I started to enjoy finding solutions to the challenges it gave me.
It's almost the other way around than a few years ago. Back then, I wanted to learn to be bolder by working bigger. A larger sketchbook was a big challenge then. Yet, I got used to it and enjoy it a lot.

I now also see and remember the practical upsides of a tiny sketchbook: filling a page can be done in a shorter amount of time (not always - it depends on your approach), but also: it fits easily in a small bag or even a pocket. Which makes it very accessible to bring with you and take out whenever a sketching opportunity arises.

So if you struggle to make time for drawing, or you feel that a big blank page can be intimidating, I recommend picking a smaller size sketchbook as your companion. Once the sketchbook has helped you to get into the habit of drawing more often, you may be ready for larger scale.