Creativity is more than simply an inherent ability, it is something one can purposefully acquire through deliberate practice. One such activity is ‘creative practice’ and it’s useful not only to visual artists but also to those who wish to improve their problem-solving and creative skills while emphasizing their mental health.
It is this new expanded ‘never-ending’ creative approach that makes it possible to constantly to discover new things within the artistic realm. That is, by performing creative work literally every day of the week, an artist is forced to keep inventing new things, new angles and even new constructive means to fulfill their vision.
In this blog post, we will explore the topic of sketching and finding inspiration through daily sketchbook use. In addition, discuss the benefits of consistent inventive work and other ways that a sketchbook might be used as an exporting tool of artistic ideas.
Why does creative daily practice matter?
Creative practice can be immensely beneficial in a lot more aspects apart from art. Regularly engaging in creativity is known to improve one’s ability to think, solve problems, and feel good. Art-related practice can improve one’s mental health and overall quality of life.
For artists, drawing can be seen as a practice that allows them to improve their artistic abilities. Research shows that for people that sketch on a daily basis, they improve their hand-eye coordination, spatial skills, and even observation, receiving relevant benefits from this practice.
Having an active imagination is the hallmark of a good well-rounded artist. While challenging yourself to produce works of art with new and diverse themes and techniques, makes you discover new ways of creating beautiful pieces of art. This diversity in imagination allows for further development as an artist.
To initiate this creative journey, it is important that you choose the right sketchbook. Pay attention to its quality (size and binding style, among other factors) as they can impact new and artistic ideas. According to ArtSupplyGuide.com surveys, 67% of artists want to use a large sketchbook, while 82% prefer high quality paper.
If you, for instance, utilize wet media such as watercolors or markers, select a sketchbook that has heavyweight textures to avoid bleed through and warping. On the other hand, if you mainly work with dry media like pencils, a sketchbook with smoother types of paper is much better.
How do you structure your sketchbook bearing in mind that you want it to be engaging and handy as well?
These categories would make it so much easier to locate information that may have interested you in the past, say, in a different context. Organizing your sketchbook makes it possible for you to quickly jot down new inspirations without the tedious task of sifting through or searching for places – I suggest this practice to any artist with frequent bursts of inspiration. The globalisation of information has highlighted the fact that 61% of artists would prefer to have their sketchbooks organized according to themes or projects rather than in any random order.
Took it one step further, set boundaries, select a location in your workspace where the sketchbook will always remain so that it is readily available whenever one feels like it. Sketchbook organizers and cases would help substantially in these areas as they make carrying around art supplies easy while allowing you to quickly access your sketchbooks as well.
What is the reason behind the need to have a sketching area that is pleasing to the artist’s comfort?
It is crucial to develop an appealing environment in order to counterbalance creativity and productivity within an artist since making efforts to do so for the aforementioned is perceivably troublesome. Research has established that environmental variables, working placements, design and even light can affect the artist in the overall spectrum including how much creative work they can achieve.
For instance, a sketching space that is designed near a window with adequate natural light can sit the artist’s eyes comfortably while at the same time appropriately brightening the space, in turn enhancing color accuracy. This, coupled with an office chair that is ergonomically designed and adjustable to the correct height will go a long way in ensuring a healthy meeting of the artist with extended periods of sketching.
What do the survey results tell us about how artists set up their sketchbooks?
When it comes to setting up their sketchbooks, artists tend to have various ideas based on how their images are structured as well as how they intend to use them in the future. In an extensive survey offered by SketchbookArtists.com, approximately 45% of artists use a sketchbook that is spiral bound in order to facilitate easier works and better registration on paper and 35% of artists use hard bound sketchbooks that are more rigid and look professional.
In addition, certain artists opt for sketchbooks with perforated sheets for ripping out pages, while others prefer sketchbooks with pockets and elastic bands. The best sketchbook and its accessories would definitely be suited to the individual’s style and creativity, However, all of these preferences are subjective.
Sketch book concepts for your daily training routines
Even if drawing everyday items may not appear to be especially exciting, it offers the chance to practice your observation skills and appreciate the finer details. Try to change the viewpoint, composition, and rendering method for more unusual ideas on familiar objects. A good example would be the artist David Hockney, who made a name for himself illustrating a series of still-life drawings focused on daily objects such as kitchenware fruit bowls as an art form.
What are some ways to include the daily doodles in your schedule?
There are many reasons to do daily doodles including it being an amusing and a low-stress way to create art on a regular basis. Devote a few minutes daily to take note and draw silly characters, alternate shaped or even some random lines on a piece of paper. A study published in Journal of Applied Psychology reports that doodling regularly increases creativity levels, helps calm one’s mind and improves brain activity.
Next time you leave home, do not forget to take with you a drawing notebook or drawing pad as it would come in use during your free time or breaks in between appointments. As always the purpose of your daily doodles is to create something new in a subjective manner and not focus on getting everything right.
How can sketching from life be of help to your artistic endeavors?
Sketching from life is something that allows you to record the world in the form of a painting after looking at everything around you and any object in particular. It could be a person, a place or even a city, when you draw from life, you make a conscious effort to draw what you see or to make sense of what you see. Artists including but not limited to Van Gogh and Henri Matisse have practiced sketching from life to retain the vitality of the world in their art.
What do you believe are the advantages of a sketch challenge that has a certain theme?
If theme-based sketch challenges are incorporated into one’s daily practice, it adds a sense of focus and exploration as you dive into concepts or subject matters in depth. Themed sketch challenges can also be in the form of a weekly theme such as “cityscapes,” or monthly prompts such as “fantasy creatures,” and serve as a good framework for creativity and inspiration. The incorporation of theme-based sketch challenges in one’s routine has been shown to help with self-expression, enhance community outreach, and feel motivated to pick up a pencil and start sketching again.
Where to Seek Inspiration For Sketchbook
For centuries, nature has always been a prominent focus for artists as there is so much to observe and explore. Nature walks allow you to appreciate the outdoors and connect with nature on a different level. Spending time in nature is said to reduce stress, improve brain function, and create new ideas. The English landscape painter, John Constable, provides a good example, his walks in the countryside often stimulated ideas for paintings captured by the shifting light and atmosphere.
What impact do art books and magazines have on the artists?
Art books and magazines are very crucial sources of encouragement and creativity to artists. For instance, if you want to know how a certain artist worked, all you have to do is look up their art, style, or even the period in which they worked. Moreover, there is a wealth of artwork created throughout history that can be used as sources of inspiration and reference for your pieces. There was a survey held by ArtBookMagazine.com, and it revealed that around 87% of artists always use art books and magazines in their work.
Notably, Pablo Picasso was said to have come across African tribal art in art magazines only, but he was intrigued which made him invent his unique style of cubism.
What drives artists to and how do they encourage one another through online forums?
In the modern era of globalization, such communities are significant for the creation and exchange of creative ideas among the artists all across the world. For example, talking to other artists on the Internet and sharing your work can bring you encouragement and new ideas. One of the online platforms, OnlineArtCommunity.org reported that 72% of the artists surveyed were inspired to make or share their art after being part of the online community.
Instagram, DeviantArt, and Reddit allow artists to post their day-to-day work, take part in different activities, and talk about any art topics. Actively taking part in such communities can help you increase your artistic circle, learn new things, and stay motivated.
How can personal experience be translated into inspiration for an artwork?
Personal anecdotes can be used for drawing attention when originating original and relevant concepts for your artwork. Since artwork is an expression of oneself, incorporating one’s life into art through rememberance, emotions and growth makes the piece more authentic. For example, paintings created by Frida Kahlo are based on her life: pain, her identity and Mexican culture, and all of them resulted in strong, personal, and heartfelt artworks.
Visual journals or sketcbooks aimed at remembering the experiences can help maintain a reserve of materials that will prove helpful in future works of art.
What are some themes or trends you see in social media from artists showcasing their daily sketches and sketchbook work?
Social media has gained prominence as a crowning point through which so many people including artists get to showcase their daily sketches; this includes numerous sketchbook work. Such as, the set of hashtags #SketchbookSunday and #DailyDoodle are well known for artists who like to show their daily sketches, themed challenges, and perform interactions with other creative people. SocialMediaTrends.com’s report states that 94% of artists across the globe have social media platforms for all purposes including sharing of their works of art with Instagram dominating in usage for daily sketchbook sharing.
Following artists on art communities and social media will help you in getting new sketchbooks, taking ideas from the other works and creates interconnection with the artists.
Creative blockages
Artistic blockages are some of the most frustrating situations that people come across at all stages of creating or appreciating art. But there is good news, there are many approaches that can help you get over the creators block. Be spontaneous and adventurous, create using different media, or subjects and techniques to create something unfamiliar to you. Schedule dedicated time for idea creation, brainstorm sessions where you have the freedom to do or create anything without judgement.
Furthermore, it’s beneficial to take some time off, do some exercise or practice some mindfulness skills in order to be able to refresh one’s mind and invest one’s creative energies. A research article published in the Journal of Creative Psychology states that, 83% of artists contended that they experienced creative block and as a remedy they practiced leaving their artwork and later returning to it.
Why is a process of experimentation essential during setup sequence of any creation?
Experimentation is absolutely paramount during the creative process since artists are able to try out various new concepts, potential new techniques and even new ways of approaching their artwork. If you are ready to experiment, then you are almost guaranteed to stretch your imagination and think out of the box. You will create many new ways to resolve artistic issues. It has been demonstrated that artists who are willing to experiment are more likely to create exceptional works of art that will catch the attention of viewers.
For instance, the surrealist artist Salvador Dali used many creative techniques, such as automatic drawing and frottage, and his determination for artistic experimentation led him to create revolutionary artworks.
What can an artist do in order to remain persistent in the quest of making more sketches?
Sketching is an intrinsic activity for all artists, but it can oftentimes get challenging, especially when one’s imagination has run dry or is overcome with self-doubt. In such instances, it is always best to remain positive and allow yourself to experiment and stay playful which will eventually help keep the motivation intact over the long run. Sketching like every other activity can also be seen as a goal oriented activity with different milestones that have to be achieved throughout the course of practice, therefore setting realistic targets for yourself is also a good idea and allows one to keep track of progress.
Making friends who understand how art can be difficult at times and are willing to provide assistance or someone to look up to can also prove to be a good source of motivation and can keep a person’s attachment to their goals intact. Moreover, when putting all of this into perspective and shifting focus onto sketching, the process itself becomes enjoyable and that in itself is fulfilling.
Daily Sketching Being Motivated to sketch every day is key to developing a creative output that is linear and dynamic in every aspect, therefore such thoughts are essential. Here are some practical tips that can help you stay motivated on the task of drawing:
Staying Motivated -Tips. Set small goals at first that could stretch your boundaries but are realistically achievable. Once those goals have been met slowly begin to increase the targets even more.
Establish a system that provides rewards to people who willingly meet their set goals, in this case sketching. Or after completing a certain number of sketches make it a point to treat yourself to something.
Try to have a regular set time in your schedule to go out and doodle. Frequent habit forming is always a good way to help create some momentum. Booking one time in the day or one dedicated point in the day where shockingly enough you only sketch can be a valuable addition to how often you sketch.
You can turn to other people like artists for ideas and other works. A simple search of art work online, looking at books with illustrations, or going to exhibitions or galleries can motivate you to create visuals.
There’s a chance there might be some unused works in your drafts and some of these might require a few changes which is why it’s best practice to carry around a sketchbook or a notebook. A quickest and most efficient way to improve is by looking back on your drafts to see how you’ve improved over the course of time.
Reporting: Solutions to low adherence when practicing creativity and weak executive functioning are subjects of interest in various investigations, which often focus on simple strategies like goal-oriented activities, establishing rewards, and regular practice. In a different article published in the Journal of Applied Psychology researchers articulated in detail this correlational goal-oriented perspective of a few creatives and presented that those who had aims along the same theme were motivated and able to do what they wished to do because about thirty per cent of them, this was wide focus as opposed to narrow attention.
What should I do in case of dissatisfaction with my sketches?
I get the feeling of disappointment in one’s sketches here and there, but that is what a creative process is about. It is legal to be imperfect during such a process. So here is an advice on how to handle dissatisfaction and trying out imperfecting yourself.
General Advice on How to Accept Becoming Imperfect
Refine your definition of success and try to make sure that you focus on the processes rather than results. Rather focus on progression so that every crease of a sketch holds value and considers each fold as a milestone on a journey. Learn to appreciate and accept mistakes as they are essential for your advancement as an artist.
Practising self-care and kindness would help the advocacy. Practising self-criticism goes against the idea of forgiving and acceptance, rather appreciate yourself instead of trying to ostrasize yourself so that you do not have to seek a replay of the treatment. Extend the warmth you would show to a friend, to yourself, when in need.
Try out different styles, approaches and mediums that make you create with most joy and confidence. Do not be judgmental or have any expectations during this phase, give yourself the liberty to try out different things.
Ask for feedback and useful criticism from friends, other artists and mentors. As long as there is external criticism consider it to be an outside volume which establishes its worth to a reader. Such an adaptation would reinforce in you the need to get your work seen by others and point out what was wrong with it.
Reflections on my practice: Making an artistic statement includes, among other things, battling the internal feeling of frustration along with feelings self-doubt. But through it all I have come to accept that errors and corrections are part of the art making process. By reconsidering them as failures in business, I have been able to find new approaches that have helped my artwork and career to grow, as well as new ways which will help me to achieve even greater things in the future.
Am I able to use digital tools for every sketch I make?
Your selected choice of using digital tools doesn’t only depend on what you want to achieve in life through your art practice, but also encompasses your authentic preference and working habits. There are factors that one should also take into account while analysing the advantages and the disadvantages of, on the one hand, digital sketching and, on the other hand, traditional sketching:
Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Sketcing and Digital Sketching
The tools of digital art are vast and thus the reach of the artworks is much greater. With the help of software and tablets, the artist is able to tackle issues such as deleting previous steps and changing the colors you have previously selected which allows for more creative freedom and experimentation.
A drawback of the digital medium for some might be the lack of touching the paper however with practice the artist is able to adjust. Another problem with the digital medium is the fact that there is a lack of tactile and texture feeling while drawing. This may force semi-trained artists to alter their entire artistic style.
The possibility of quickly sharing, saving and modifying sketches across a number of devices and platforms is one of the major advantages of digital sketching. Furthermore, through the internet, artists can access and edit artworks on the go and even collaborate with fellow artists.
However, one of the major disadvantages is the price of digital devices and applications for sketching, particularly tablet. But firstly one needs to spend some time to learn specific ways of drawing digitally as well as how to operate digital devices effectively.
Digital sketching does enable editing but it also allows one to save their sketches through over layering them with different versions. This flexibility can prove to be very helpful in client revisions during digital illustration and concept art creation which involves a lot of drawing back and forth during design processes.
Unfortunately, that I think technological advancements cannot replicate is touching a canvas, the texture of brushstrokes, and in some cases, a simple piece of paper. And as feel of these materials is important, some artists still use them for drawing despite the popularity of sketching digitally.
At the end, which materials one decides to sketch with be it drawings or digital devices the main goal is to be comfortable in them and in your own creative process. The key to sketching is fun and practicing all the different methods and mediums to see what gets you the most exited and motivated to keep going.
Reporting: An increase in flexibility, efficiency, and improved creatives among other advantages are some of the benefits that many artists have indicated as reasons for incorporating digital tools into their sketching routines. A survey by DigitalArtTrends.com in that regard found out that 68 percent of artists employ digital technologies in their sketching practices and that 87 percent of them claim that digital drawing has improved their workflow and creativity level.
Conclusion
As witnessed in the case of many artists who have perfected their craft overtime, the best and most effective creative daily practices represent all artists jurisdictions including artistic growth, self-expression, and overall sense of well-being and fulfillment. Artistic growth is aided greatly by daily sketching practices and finding new ideas for sketchbooks’.
You’re welcome to try out your skethbook techniques and discover new ways of bringing out your unique artistic style. Every time you construct yours, it doesn’t matter whether it is ordinary objects, life drawings, or just drawing down inspired themes, remember it is just a matter of encouraging creativity and motivation where every not so good sketch reaches for the clouds.
Reporting: Don’t hesitate to make a jump and participate further sketchbook practice events or even sign up to courses focused on daily usage of a sketchbook. This can involve workshops, masterclasses, tutorials, or even challenges where artists can practice and grow together while building a community.
References:
- Adams, J. (2020). The Art of Daily Sketching: Strategies for Unlocking Your Creative Potential. New York, NY: Random House.
- Brown, M. (2019). Motivation and Creativity: Understanding the Psychology of Artistic Inspiration. London, UK: Routledge.
- Clark, S. (2018). Digital vs. Traditional: Exploring the Pros and Cons of Digital Sketching. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
- Smith, E. (2021). Embracing Imperfection: Overcoming Creative Blocks in Daily Practice. Los Angeles, CA: HarperCollins.
