If you enjoyed this episode and want more I made a playlist of all the current sketchbook tours I’ve done on Proko - ruclips.net/video/rcXULV7G9ZU/видео.html
In my opinion, sketches are unfinished artwork done either for practice or for use as reference when in the next step making the final finished artwork. Of course sketches can look interesting and beautiful, but it doesn't make it a finished artwork. So I use sketchbooks with multimedia paper for practicing and studies on certain elements of future paintings and drawings. Here U use watercolor, pencil, charcoal, pastell, ink, ... just anything except for oil. I also might paste interesting things in it, such as sand or herbs or a picture for reference purposes. I also carry a (DinA 6) sketchbook with cheap paper with me whenever I go outside to quickly sketch objects and write down what I would like to remember for later artwork. My portfolio is put together by photographs of my paintings, collages or whatever. I have it as physical copy, but also digital in case I need it and it actually is a work in progress as I develop my skills, my knowledge, and my interpretation of my complete work. So why would I need a "good" and a "bad" sketchbook? Pouring or throwing paint on a screen is imho an action for recreational or therapeutic purpose, but not art. EDIT: Thanks for this video. It's interesting to hear other opinions on this matter.
This topic really interests me, because I still get so damn frustrated when I see unbelievably amazing artists post detailed, well rendered pieces online and then they say "Just a quick sketch I made" - it felt almost mocking. watching this made me realize that I didn't quite know how to classify what a sketch actually IS. Like asking how long a piece of string is. There is much to think about.
@godofiron ... Please don't get frustrated over such declarations! They are false in the most cases, especially if they are very detailed and well rendered. ;-) Such people are most often just boasting and have sat quite long and worked intensely to achieve the art they declare having sketched quickly. ;-)
@@lisasternenkind6467 agreed, I've noticed this about a lot of sketchbook tours on RUclips - yes it's a sketchbook with art in but it's not the artist's exploratory/experimental pieces we are being shown. I'm 100% sure most RUclipsrs who do sketchbook tours have sketchbooks that they wouldn't be as willing for us to see 🙈 I'm not saying this to be derogatory or mean, just that we are only seeing their better pieces and this can make it seem so out of reach for the average viewer.
@@anima6035 I agree. I usually move on to another channel if a RUclipsr does this. If this channel owneris not being honest with such a basic fact, then I also don't rely on their other words. An untruthful person can never be a good teacher or advisor. I also don't want to spend my precious lifetime on dishonest people.
I think sketchbooks are the "mixtapes" of the art industry. Anyone old enough to remember what mixtapes were considered years ago...basically collections of unfinished, non-mastered, unofficial (sometimes illegal to sell) tracks that were used as promo for musicians. Nowadays, however, the term is slapped on collections of official/original music that can be sold online by musicians. If that's the case, what's the difference between mixtapes and albums (EPs, LPs, etc.)? Similar question can be asked of sketches and finished pieces. What's the difference between the two if both are valued the same?
I think the it varies from person to person. One person’s sketch is another’s finished work. The intention is key. Sketches are used to explore and learn, regardless of the result or how it’s valued. What do you think?
i think it just depends ON the artist themselves, on perhaps my own idea of it, is that a sketch is something sometimes quicker, not quite planned out, and a finished piece might be slower, but more planned out... and a sketch, can become a finished piece, as long as the artist deems it and thinks of it as a finished piece, then so it is... and one sketch could be a middle ground between thought out or not too, as well as a wannabe painting doesnt quickly meet the expectations of the artist due to little clear idea about what they intent so it might be just "a sketch" and so on and on...
I miss mix tapes and hearing music that wasn’t fully mixed and mastered. I long for a place where sharing exploratory art and pieces in progress is the purpose. I long to share but also feel pressure to only show stuff I’m proud of lol and I rarely have time for that.
I found that I've immensely improved with disciplines practice and losing my fear or failure by sketching ONLY on recycled paper. I teach, so there are massive piles of recycled paper. If it would land in the trash anyway, I might as well sketch on the back! Since doing this, i no longer feel bad when I experiment, sketch, and practice gesture. Scrap paper on a clipboard, then if I feel like showcasing something, I might tape it to a page in a specified sketchbook.
I have the same feeling about paper. Expensive ones put me in a strain that it should be nicely done and worth of value u put in it. However, with cheap newsprint - I just do not care, if it s a nice drawing or just scribbling
My sketchbooks are for planning things to build, drawing, concepts, finished drawings, to do lists, writing poems, everything. It's a sketchbook and a journal and a tool/resource for every part of life.
In art school we were required to keep a sketchbook daily and it was a huge part of our grade in drawing classes so it put me in the habit of sketching daily. Now even if I'm not sketching I'm thinking about sketching.
One tip for sketchbooks you didn't mention is that you aren't obligated to start on the first page and then always continue on the next one. A more helpful way is to make the first drawing on the last pages, and continue doing next drawings on random ones too, without any order. If you use different materials or draw different topics, you can keep sections like that on random spots in the sketchbook. This makes the sketchbook feel more nice to flip through too, and you're also more likely to stumble onto old drawings that you forgot about while filling it. Thank you guys! This episode hit super close to home. I barely have time now to sketch stuff for fun and explore, since I have to work on finished polished assets, and then when I'm done with that I usually get tired of holding the pen and just go for a different hobby - crafting, gaming, talking to people, whatever. While listening to this episode, I took my latest unfinished sketchbook and started flipping through it. It made me feel so much confidence, that I don't think I've felt in a long time. I'm not sure what it was, probably some sense of connection to you cool successful guys, where we all have this one thing incommon which is sketching and experimenting. Also just seeing all these drawings that I had a memory of being just throw away useless drawings - which is what you think of sketches right in the moment of drawing them; but then now when time passed, I realize that this is cool stuff that I'm doing and that I should keep going. Thank you for showing your own sketchbooks! Especially Stan, I also fill some pages with UI layouts or studies or interface experiments, and they've felt awkward for me to do since there's nothing too artistic or pretty about it. But somehow seeing Stan have similar stuff in his sketchbook made me feel better about them!
Sketchbooks to me are the most fascinating part of any artist cause you can see from a historical point of view where they were and where they're potentially going not just in terms of skill but in terms of taste. A sketchbooks lays it out quite easily what an artist likes to create and what they prefer to home in on. A little while ago my friends younger brother recently got into art, he's around 11 and the first thing I told him is get a sketchbook and just fill it with anything and everything that interests you cause you'll discover what you prefer to draw and what you prefer to focus on and what tools you'll also prefer.
My first sketchbook was a gift. My parents acknowledged my penchant for drawing early on, but they had never given me a proper sketchbook. I'd draw on excess print paper from their jobs, for example. When I was gifted this huge sketchbook, my dad kind of ruined it for me right away by saying "that's nice paper, so make it count". In the end I almost never used it because I was so intimidated, instead of freed and inspired. (I threw it away last year when I moved, as a way to exorcise a demon lol) Later on I adopted sketchbooks as a way to stop drawing on loose leaves, and that's when I started drawing on nicer paper. But I wasn't regular, and still felt rather intimidated. I was unhappy with my work and what I put in those nice big sketchbooks. I hit a creative wall and gave up on drawing. When I picked up my tools again, a couple of years ago, I decided to go with a really low entry point : just an ink pen, and a cheap notebook that was just laying about. It just so happens that it was a MUJI notebook, and it quickly showed lots of promise as a proper sketchbook : though it's not marketed as an artist tool, it takes ink and other wet mediums incredibly well, so that only alcohol markers may bleed through, and watercolour doesn't bloom nor destroy the paper (though it warps). I've been using these exclusively since, and growing more and more comfortable and confident, even made my first attempts at gouache in them (and they take it very well). There was a shortage of those notebooks for some months, so now I keep a stack of them, just in case-they're about €5 apiece, very affordable. They're "80 pages", but actually it's 80 sheets of paper, so 160 pages recto+verso. At the moment one notebook may last me 6 months, but if I drew absolutely every day it'd be gone in a jiffy. So yeah: find something suitable for your mediums, make it stupid easy (K.I.S.S.), and learn to enjoy. :D Btw, there are a couple of timelapses on my channel showing exactly what sort of doodles and paintings I can make in those notebooks ;)
Same here at No.30, I tend to use 40 pg books with thicker paper for my ink though. 300 pages a sketchbook is so impressive- I need to try and scribble more instead of my usual output of detailed and time consuming things. (Not that that sort of thing is bad)
I loved Marshall’s comment about sketching in ink to force you to commit to your lines. When I got back into art I did the same with indelible pencils (RIP Eberhard-Faber Blu-Blak...I use Black or Sepia Derwent Inktense pencils now). It really helped me develop my stroke and my line to not have the option to correct a “mistake.”
I love ring binder sketchbooks, but I'll collect any sketchbook that catches my eye and is within budget (sometimes a sketchbook is worth breaking the wallet). This conversation really brought back memories of college when fellow artists would show each other our sketchbooks, sketch in the parks, and just hang out nerding out over supplies. I really miss that part of school. At home, my cat would rather sit on it than get excited over paper with me.
Thank you for another great episode. I don't know how to properly express my love for Marshall and all the wonderful insights that he's sharing - he's truly the art teacher a lot of us wish we had growing up.:) The idea for a sketchbook to figure out what to do with sketchbooks at the end was a very interesting one!
I loved this conversation and how you dissected various purposes for keeping a sketchbook, all with your usual insights and good humor. I'm someone who never learned to draw formally. I've kept a sketchbook for years but only did very stylized drawings and painting that were controlled, always with the "perfect" end result as a goal. A couple of months ago, took one of my sketchbooks and just did whatever I felt like doing every day. I loved it. Being free to not worry about the finished result allowed me to discover the joy of drawing and painting, and in the process I discovered techniques and ideas that I would never have allowed myself to experiment with previously. Playing has allowed me to expand my skills way beyond my limiting beliefs about being "perfect".
This one is my favorite episode! 1.) For the fact that sketchbooks are a window into another world---your world, specifically---and have sort of been my only constant companion throughout boring waiting rooms and my whole life in general! Sketchbooks can be so many things! 🤩😆😍 2.) This episode is amazing because of Marshall sharing a vivid dream he had. I have a dream journal and maybe one day I'll actually post some of my weird dream stuff. 😴🌬🌠🌌🌃 I loved this episode. _Its like a relaxing rainy day with tea, coffee, and a sweet sketchbook. (Or digital tablet; monitor optional!) Hopefully you've got a furry friend to keep you company! Have a great day everyone!_ 😚💋
This has been the most helpful episode of draftsmen ever, for me. I mean just personal, hit home where i'm lacking right now, lots of good takes, thanks!
I am learning to draw in my forties. I am still in the phase where almost all I do is throw away stuff anyway. A thin mdf board a paper clamp and printing paper is what I use the most of my sketches.
I use those exact 3 things for practice too. I find them much more comfortable than a sketchbook, less pressure, easier to draw gestural stuff from the shoulder, and cheap!
I've been watching lots of your videos lately here in RUclips. Lots of great art advice, tips, lots encouraging words and mental health advice. This sketchbook episode really help me to finally put a "name" or pointing to the direction I'm heading. As a teacher I used to have portfolios filled with prints of my previous work as a newspaper comic strip artist, advertisement cartoon characters, company mascots, cover illustrations and character designs. But during the last 2 years I've been doing loose pen sketching on a variety of sketchbooks big or small. It's funny but those sketches are totally different from what I used to do and, just like Marshall's family reactions to his sketches, I also have some of my peers lifting their eyebrows or scratching their heads. Have to admit that I was bothered by it but now I'm actually proud of most of my sketches an experimental drawings. I'm still proud of what I did before but with the new stuff I'm doing I feel a deeper connection and understanding of my art process.
For years, I have been using pens in my sketchbook, being , loose and accurate. I picked it up based on a documentary I saw years back where a tattoo artist said to train they had to draw with pen only during there apprenticeship to train them to be more accurate. I have kept up the habit of using ink for my sketchbooks since my art school years, have been in love with fountain pens for the last few years. It great how you break down the permission to make a mess and be loose. I enjoy the interplay of being loose and precise a pen gives me. I see sketches as being able to see the build up and exploration of the drawing. My sketchbooks are combinations of exploration, process, notebook and life studies in a mixture of different media. Each one I've filled captures more about that time of life than I think when I loo back at them. Great insights and discussion.
When professionals release sketchbooks I always pick them up it's a great insight on how the doughnuts are made. A great example is J.Scott Campbell and his ruff stuff series of books. A great resource.
What a great episode! Sketchbooks are a life staple for me! My dad put journals and sketchbooks in my hands as soon as I expressed interest in art as a child. When I went to college, my first year drawing professor handed out a small sketchbook and ink pen. We were required to draw for 15 minutes minimum every day. He told us that all drawings, even the ugly ones were important, and we were not allowed to tear any pages out. I love using my sketchbooks. I keep one for oil studies and one for dry medium. Mine are a safe place to throw everything at without fear. I regularly share them with my art students to demonstrate methods of using them.
@@GalleryBry I used two coats of clear gesso. I'm using a very sturdy paper as well. It's not flawless. I still had some oil leak through, so I'm exploring how to prep it correctly. It's definitely an experimental book meant for learning!
@@christinas3757 I use Michael Harding non absorbent acrylic primer on paper and haven’t seen the oil bleed through. It’s less absorbent than gesso so it keeps the oil on the surface. A sizing (sealer) can help too. GAC 100 from Golden works well. It’s clear acrylic polymer.
What helped me get back into art last year was a sketchbook that was gifted to me years ago and was made entirely out of recycled material. The front and back cover were made an old record cover, the binding was wire hanger and the paper was just back sides of photocopy recycled paper. It was by far my favorite experience because it broke me out of treating my drawings so preciously and to put pen/pencil to paper and go.
Hey thankx for the mention, guys - glad I could inspire a podcast. To me; a sketchbook is mainly about spontaneous expression. My mod-us oporandous has always to have the 2 types of sketchbooks you mentioned. 1 being an inexpensive sketchbook for loose screwing around practice sketching and a second sketchbook where I try my best too do good sketches - BUT - not at the cost of losing the expressive spontaneity in my sketching that I'm always going for in my sketchbooks. (If that makes any sense...). I also by large newsprint pads [18x24] strictly for "don't-give-a-damn" quick sketching (warming up morning sketches, and such). My "good" sketchbooks sizes are (5x9's) and (9x11's). And my "who cares" sketchbook ones are sized (9x11). I've been using sketchbooks sense 8th grade; and just never stopped. So that means I've been using them for like 49 years and 7 months! Holy Cow; how time flies. ( And I've been drawing sense I was in 3rd grade). Sketching has been and still is the most rewarding thing I do as an artist. And at the new age of 63 years old this past week, I don't think I'll ever stop filling sketchbooks. *Again; great podcast; keep up the good work you 2. ~Sketchcat
This is such a great episode!!! I been drawing in sketchbooks for a few years now and I'm addicted to them! I love sketching at the Metropolitan museum!!! Stan Please sell us some Sketchbooks!!!!!
You guys are wonderful, iv learned so much in so many ways, to put it into words would be to cheapen or minimize it in some way that would underrate it, thank you wholeheartedly.
2 new topic ideas, Marshall’s Stan sketchbook flip trough and a podcast about Marshall’s artbooks!!!!! Great episode!!!!!! Love talks About sketchbooks
One of my favorite videos! Thanks You Guys…. My sketchbook is a big special book I have been reading for 45 years and drawing in it for 30 years. It has 2097 pages on very thin but good quality paper. It’s called The Urantia Book and it is like a ministry. I often draw in public and people come by and mention how they like my drawing and it gives me the opportunity to tell them about the book. I have about 600 animals and many mindless sketches. But I would never tear out any pages.
In my understanding, we sketch to play - to build castles in the air (or on paper as it were), to explore ideas, to understand something, to appreciate something, to capture something, to work something out, to solve a design problem, and to practice. Ultimately to sketch as I have come to know it is to develop a skillset and to build a visual vocabulary to draw from for current and future projects.
I think it's worth noting non-representational (called abstract here) very often does include extensive prepartory sketches and studies. There are particular styles that are responsive or impulsive, but many abstract artists spend a lot of time sketching and designing before starting a painting too
You´re talking about the truly valuable, in my opinion, branches of abstract art. Impulsive things may have a stroke of genius in them, but only if the artist has actually done a lot of sketching and painging before, all of that past histor is their preliminary work. Just throwing paint on a canvas is and always will be bull shit to launder money in my humble opinion. True abstract art is exactly that, it ABSTRACTS, it TAKES OUT, or BRINGS OUT a certain SOMETHING, and evokes THOUGHT or FEELINGs or fucking SOMETHING.
I always was creative, also painted with my kids, but I did not have a sketchbook, I just had a sort of journal, in which I wrote, because I used to be a full time writer. After my youngest son moved out, and I was left with lots of free time, I started drawing and painting and handicrafting, .... only for my own good feelings, to advance my personal skills, and to find out what medium I like the most. The latter I still haven't figured out and I still explore all kinds of completely different art. So now I have a sketchbook-journal accompanying me wherever I go. I write my ideas for stories, poems, designs in it. I also draw designs for crochet and knitting, and write down what is important for that decoration or fashion design. And I also quickly sketch a theme I see on the way, which might make a good painting or drawing or collage. I also do wet felting and weaving, so I also sketch such designs and often take along some kind of reference for colors and / or textures. So my sketchbook-journal is more or less a place to remember interesting inspirations and ideas. At home, I have a sketchbook with multimedia paper for all kinds of drawings and paintings, except for oil. I use one page after another and the content is simply for practicing purpose, or references for later to make final artwork. For my textile artwork, I have a journal, in which I write and draw my designs. When I have my final version of a certain design, this comes into another book, I call the "design journal". I also add samples for stitches and yarns into this design journal, and I paste photographs of the finished design and design additives in it. I also have a "project book", where I write down future projects, may it be artwork or writing or other project plans concerning my creative work. Without these project book notes, some of which are very detailed, I would be lost, because I would lose myself without a plan and in the end I would not really complete all of my projects, and finally wouldn't accomplish anything or only very little. . For my portfolio, I choose photographs of my differentiated artwork, including also several photographs on one page when doing some experimental archaeology textile techniques, because these are generally unknown. For this, I take photographs of all my finished artwork and sometimes of work in progress, so I have enough photo material to choose from. I then finally have a digital portfolio as well as a physical copy. It's sort of a work in progress, that changes a little every year. I try to fill at least one page in my sketch book every day, by practicing a certain technique or material. Very often I put limitations on the daily sketchbook art, such as using only one color or painting by only using negative space or by pencil drawing without using an erasor. I still like to work with different media, but I do so in phases. Like I would do watercolor for a certain time and then change to acrylic painting or whatever. For some final artwork I try to find the medium I like most for it. I plan to try watercolor sketching in the nature, maybe next year, because I don't like to be watched while working on my artpiece. As I suffer from cPTSD, that is a very big challenge for me. At the moment I only take photographs when going outside, and I scribble and write into my sketchbook journal, which I wrote about above.
Thank you for the great and amazing tips about sketchbooks! I've disliked sketchbooks for a very long time but over the years I found more purpose in drawing in sketchbooks. It's still a habit and improvement I need to work on. But at least I know how to use it to benefit my growth in learning and exploring a lot more. I've always liked loose-leaf paper. been living/ using sketch pads most of my life. Thanks for sharing your insights!
After a year or so of keeping my gesture and quicksketches on cheap printer paper, I kept the same practice but started using a regular (Strathmore 400) sketchbook. I did this because as a record of growth the loose paper is hard to manage. The book is easier and neater. I've also found that putting the date on each page really helps to see my growth. When I date the page, I'm done with it and move on.
When I sketch digitally, I love using this program called Leonardo because it lets me sketch in an infinite canvas, which makes it really nice to be loose and mess around. It actually has pretty nice brushes if you customize them a bit to paint and draw and I can add images (as reference or a memory) and write down my thoughts or ideas which makes it like a journal. I usually make a new canvas once a week to loosely organize it a bit by date.
The problem I have with spiral sketchbooks is that after a brief short time the spirals start to pop out of the holes! After trying to fix it they just continue and then start to warp and mess up the paper. Does anyone have any tips or advice for keeping it in control?
You never know what day may have been important until hindsight. For dates, I have two suggestions: First, write the start and end date of a sketchbook within/on the cover. Second, if you want to write dates, I suggest the ISO standard YYYY-MM-DD but if you know what it means, whatever works. I prefer YYYY and MMDD as two lines. Following the date standard includes the most clarity for the future. Reading 06/21 in the future could mean July 2021 or July 21st of an unknown year and would need context clarification.
i do super rough sketches with paint, but then because they take ages to dry i cant shut the book after . so i have a 'sketchbox' instead, where i put all the mini paint sketches once they're dry and this works sooo well for me . it does the exact same job but i no longer feel guilt for not having a sketchbook!!
Ring binders are designed for right handed people. As a lefty, I use ring binders so the rings are on the right hand side of the page but this makes it a little difficult to page thru them.
Never go into a drawing thinking it's going to be a bad drawing so it doesn't matter. A sketch book can be a place of failure but it doesn't have to be a place where you think you will fail.
Damn-I did the same thing as Marshall but as a teenager; with working exclusively with pens and drawing from life every day on my subway commute to school. I had realized that my natural ‘talent’ was not going to carry me any further and I got this extremely disciplined idea in my head and I actually followed through with it, to this day. The first year was horrific, but I began to improve by huge increments by the second year. I developed so many techniques and problem solving skills that I now just take for granted. I feel like the main thing that young artists struggle with is finding the motivation to draw from observation, whether it’s people or buildings. It sounds and feels boring and unsatisfactory initially, whereas drawing from imagination is what we all usually aspire to. HOWEVER, for me personally, I cannot imagine how I could even begin to understand some of these intermediate level concepts-or even thinking about drawing as something meant to convey a sense of volume and dimension. It’s a bit different now as there are so many great resources thanks to guys like you two, but I feel that it’s a wonderful practice that is not only useful for improving ones skills, but it’s also incredibly therapeutic and calming. I also in the last few years started keeping multiple sketchbooks, one as a ‘show case’, one for working out concepts and ideas along with random doodles, and then I buy these cheap sketchbooks from someplace like CVS or Kroger’s which I use to practice perspective and anatomy. When you use shitty paper, there’s less concern for making something pretty!
Hey Marshall and Stan, not to get philosophical but not all beautiful things have to be pretty. We could also cite from Kant about beauty but never mind. Art in English really confuses me as I was taught that art is created consisting artistic research (so not just reading something and creating something). All the rest can be just really good craftsmanship (like a pretty painting or figurative drawing or a sculpture, mixed media etc without artistic research). Thanks for any input or comments as some things can be confusing.
In the front of every journal and sketchbook, I write my intentions for that book. Most of the time I have at least some version of, "f*ck around. find out." Sometimes I name a specific theme or focus. Then I write myself a permission slip, to be really messy and make lots of glorious mistakes. Explicit permission helps!
My theory, based on the dictionary: sketch is to push, to put out, draw is to pull. Push out the essence? Pull out the essence? I'm late to discover this fabulous show.
Marshall and Stan, I look forward to your Podcast every week. Have you heard of "The Sketchbook Project?" It's a physical sketchbook library based in Brooklyn, NY that, for a fee, they ship you (the artist) a sketchbook, you fill it, you ship it back, they photograph it and it lives in a physical library space where anyone can come in, look up your book and physically peruse. Sometimes they take their "mobile library" (limited selection of books from their permanent collection) on the road to various visual art museums where you can "check them out' for a read through. I think it's an interesting concept, but I have mixed feelings about it's execution having gone through the process myself.
As a beginner to drawing I want to ask about how to determine the sweet spot between pushing yourself and allowing mistakes (imperfections??) in your sketches for learning. Today I was trying to draw simplified joints, the first practice in Proko's anatomy course - and realized my perspective skill is so damn POOR. Some bones are supposed to be cylindrical but the ellipses I drew at the end of the bones just look SO WRONG. So in the end I spent most of the time trying to figure out the rights angles of the major/minor axises, making bigger, careful perspective drawings of cylinders etc, instead of getting familiar with the joints. Am I leading myself astray here? Or is it normal, just necessary for a beginner to do a bunch of careful perspective practices first instead of anatomy anyway? (Actually some days ago I decided to sketch Star War's C-3PO, considering it'd be a good practice in perspective. It turned out, in over an hour, all I really drew was an ellipse, because along the way I just couldn't grasp how open / closed it should be. ONE ELLIPSE in an hour. Is this what happens to a so-called perfectionist - especially one with poor skills?)
How about composition notebook paper? I love it. People hate it because of the lines but honestly I love the look. Reminds me of a school student drawing in class. I have so many (doodle books and YES they are cheap and useful)
I've found that more often than not, a lot of my sketch books end up being a place to 'file' my small, rough drawings and doodles, as compared to actually "drawing" in the sketch book. As I type this, it sounds like I maybe need to adapt my approach to my pencil/ink drawing experience.
Because we are visual artists, we need to have that place to practice, to play, with ink and maybe color. I took piano and you need to practice scales. But there isnt tangible proof of practice. As a colourist where my drawing skills are shaky, sketchbooks are my safety zone for practice. The books are relatively cheap for a reason.
scribbling and sketching division I couldn't exactly get the hang of. marshall shows the stuff he did with ink, they're loose and cartoony. phew, so it's okay? I'm relieved seeing that because I've been keeping a sketchbook since 3-4 months and I've been seeing some kind of progress. starting see some patterns in that work of mine and discovering interesting little things. but I gotta say I've been relying too much on scribbly lines, will also try putting down shapes and lines that I really mean even if I fail badly.
If you enjoyed this episode and want more I made a playlist of all the current sketchbook tours I’ve done on Proko - ruclips.net/video/rcXULV7G9ZU/видео.html
Loved the episode.
Can we buy your sketchbooks :)?
THANK YOU!!
I Loved this, thanks!!
In my opinion, sketches are unfinished artwork done either for practice or for use as reference when in the next step making the final finished artwork. Of course sketches can look interesting and beautiful, but it doesn't make it a finished artwork.
So I use sketchbooks with multimedia paper for practicing and studies on certain elements of future paintings and drawings. Here U use watercolor, pencil, charcoal, pastell, ink, ... just anything except for oil. I also might paste interesting things in it, such as sand or herbs or a picture for reference purposes. I also carry a (DinA 6) sketchbook with cheap paper with me whenever I go outside to quickly sketch objects and write down what I would like to remember for later artwork.
My portfolio is put together by photographs of my paintings, collages or whatever. I have it as physical copy, but also digital in case I need it and it actually is a work in progress as I develop my skills, my knowledge, and my interpretation of my complete work. So why would I need a "good" and a "bad" sketchbook?
Pouring or throwing paint on a screen is imho an action for recreational or therapeutic purpose, but not art.
EDIT: Thanks for this video. It's interesting to hear other opinions on this matter.
This topic really interests me, because I still get so damn frustrated when I see unbelievably amazing artists post detailed, well rendered pieces online and then they say "Just a quick sketch I made" - it felt almost mocking.
watching this made me realize that I didn't quite know how to classify what a sketch actually IS. Like asking how long a piece of string is. There is much to think about.
@godofiron ... Please don't get frustrated over such declarations! They are false in the most cases, especially if they are very detailed and well rendered. ;-) Such people are most often just boasting and have sat quite long and worked intensely to achieve the art they declare having sketched quickly. ;-)
@@lisasternenkind6467 agreed, I've noticed this about a lot of sketchbook tours on RUclips - yes it's a sketchbook with art in but it's not the artist's exploratory/experimental pieces we are being shown. I'm 100% sure most RUclipsrs who do sketchbook tours have sketchbooks that they wouldn't be as willing for us to see 🙈
I'm not saying this to be derogatory or mean, just that we are only seeing their better pieces and this can make it seem so out of reach for the average viewer.
@@anima6035 I agree. I usually move on to another channel if a RUclipsr does this. If this channel owneris not being honest with such a basic fact, then I also don't rely on their other words. An untruthful person can never be a good teacher or advisor. I also don't want to spend my precious lifetime on dishonest people.
We NEED a sketchbook tour from James gurney !!!!
Hell yeah!
He has several on his RUclips channel?
And from Stan and Marshall...but I would say sketchbook tours
He has a few on his channel. Have you seen them?
I think sketchbooks are the "mixtapes" of the art industry. Anyone old enough to remember what mixtapes were considered years ago...basically collections of unfinished, non-mastered, unofficial (sometimes illegal to sell) tracks that were used as promo for musicians. Nowadays, however, the term is slapped on collections of official/original music that can be sold online by musicians. If that's the case, what's the difference between mixtapes and albums (EPs, LPs, etc.)? Similar question can be asked of sketches and finished pieces. What's the difference between the two if both are valued the same?
I think the it varies from person to person. One person’s sketch is another’s finished work. The intention is key. Sketches are used to explore and learn, regardless of the result or how it’s valued. What do you think?
i think it just depends ON the artist themselves, on perhaps my own idea of it, is that a sketch is something sometimes quicker, not quite planned out, and a finished piece might be slower, but more planned out... and a sketch, can become a finished piece, as long as the artist deems it and thinks of it as a finished piece, then so it is... and one sketch could be a middle ground between thought out or not too, as well as a wannabe painting doesnt quickly meet the expectations of the artist due to little clear idea about what they intent so it might be just "a sketch" and so on and on...
I miss mix tapes and hearing music that wasn’t fully mixed and mastered. I long for a place where sharing exploratory art and pieces in progress is the purpose. I long to share but also feel pressure to only show stuff I’m proud of lol and I rarely have time for that.
💯
I found that I've immensely improved with disciplines practice and losing my fear or failure by sketching ONLY on recycled paper. I teach, so there are massive piles of recycled paper. If it would land in the trash anyway, I might as well sketch on the back! Since doing this, i no longer feel bad when I experiment, sketch, and practice gesture. Scrap paper on a clipboard, then if I feel like showcasing something, I might tape it to a page in a specified sketchbook.
sounds great!
I have the same feeling about paper. Expensive ones put me in a strain that it should be nicely done and worth of value u put in it. However, with cheap newsprint - I just do not care, if it s a nice drawing or just scribbling
My sketchbooks are for planning things to build, drawing, concepts, finished drawings, to do lists, writing poems, everything. It's a sketchbook and a journal and a tool/resource for every part of life.
In art school we were required to keep a sketchbook daily and it was a huge part of our grade in drawing classes so it put me in the habit of sketching daily. Now even if I'm not sketching I'm thinking about sketching.
One tip for sketchbooks you didn't mention is that you aren't obligated to start on the first page and then always continue on the next one. A more helpful way is to make the first drawing on the last pages, and continue doing next drawings on random ones too, without any order. If you use different materials or draw different topics, you can keep sections like that on random spots in the sketchbook. This makes the sketchbook feel more nice to flip through too, and you're also more likely to stumble onto old drawings that you forgot about while filling it.
Thank you guys! This episode hit super close to home. I barely have time now to sketch stuff for fun and explore, since I have to work on finished polished assets, and then when I'm done with that I usually get tired of holding the pen and just go for a different hobby - crafting, gaming, talking to people, whatever.
While listening to this episode, I took my latest unfinished sketchbook and started flipping through it. It made me feel so much confidence, that I don't think I've felt in a long time. I'm not sure what it was, probably some sense of connection to you cool successful guys, where we all have this one thing incommon which is sketching and experimenting. Also just seeing all these drawings that I had a memory of being just throw away useless drawings - which is what you think of sketches right in the moment of drawing them; but then now when time passed, I realize that this is cool stuff that I'm doing and that I should keep going.
Thank you for showing your own sketchbooks! Especially Stan, I also fill some pages with UI layouts or studies or interface experiments, and they've felt awkward for me to do since there's nothing too artistic or pretty about it. But somehow seeing Stan have similar stuff in his sketchbook made me feel better about them!
Sketchbooks to me are the most fascinating part of any artist cause you can see from a historical point of view where they were and where they're potentially going not just in terms of skill but in terms of taste.
A sketchbooks lays it out quite easily what an artist likes to create and what they prefer to home in on.
A little while ago my friends younger brother recently got into art, he's around 11 and the first thing I told him is get a sketchbook and just fill it with anything and everything that interests you cause you'll discover what you prefer to draw and what you prefer to focus on and what tools you'll also prefer.
My first sketchbook was a gift. My parents acknowledged my penchant for drawing early on, but they had never given me a proper sketchbook. I'd draw on excess print paper from their jobs, for example. When I was gifted this huge sketchbook, my dad kind of ruined it for me right away by saying "that's nice paper, so make it count". In the end I almost never used it because I was so intimidated, instead of freed and inspired. (I threw it away last year when I moved, as a way to exorcise a demon lol)
Later on I adopted sketchbooks as a way to stop drawing on loose leaves, and that's when I started drawing on nicer paper. But I wasn't regular, and still felt rather intimidated. I was unhappy with my work and what I put in those nice big sketchbooks. I hit a creative wall and gave up on drawing.
When I picked up my tools again, a couple of years ago, I decided to go with a really low entry point : just an ink pen, and a cheap notebook that was just laying about. It just so happens that it was a MUJI notebook, and it quickly showed lots of promise as a proper sketchbook : though it's not marketed as an artist tool, it takes ink and other wet mediums incredibly well, so that only alcohol markers may bleed through, and watercolour doesn't bloom nor destroy the paper (though it warps). I've been using these exclusively since, and growing more and more comfortable and confident, even made my first attempts at gouache in them (and they take it very well). There was a shortage of those notebooks for some months, so now I keep a stack of them, just in case-they're about €5 apiece, very affordable. They're "80 pages", but actually it's 80 sheets of paper, so 160 pages recto+verso. At the moment one notebook may last me 6 months, but if I drew absolutely every day it'd be gone in a jiffy.
So yeah: find something suitable for your mediums, make it stupid easy (K.I.S.S.), and learn to enjoy. :D
Btw, there are a couple of timelapses on my channel showing exactly what sort of doodles and paintings I can make in those notebooks ;)
Scribbling in my Sketchbook No. 30 right now. Filling a book with 300 pages is always satisfying :3
Beast mode!
@@davidekstrom9595 Literally, I just sketched a bunch of brontotheres while listening to the podcast :P
Same here at No.30, I tend to use 40 pg books with thicker paper for my ink though. 300 pages a sketchbook is so impressive- I need to try and scribble more instead of my usual output of detailed and time consuming things. (Not that that sort of thing is bad)
I loved Marshall’s comment about sketching in ink to force you to commit to your lines. When I got back into art I did the same with indelible pencils (RIP Eberhard-Faber Blu-Blak...I use Black or Sepia Derwent Inktense pencils now). It really helped me develop my stroke and my line to not have the option to correct a “mistake.”
this came at the right time omg
I love ring binder sketchbooks, but I'll collect any sketchbook that catches my eye and is within budget (sometimes a sketchbook is worth breaking the wallet). This conversation really brought back memories of college when fellow artists would show each other our sketchbooks, sketch in the parks, and just hang out nerding out over supplies. I really miss that part of school. At home, my cat would rather sit on it than get excited over paper with me.
Just had to say Marshall's voiceover work on the Mint Mobile Ad is incredible! A joy for the ears.
I agree!!!
Thank you for another great episode. I don't know how to properly express my love for Marshall and all the wonderful insights that he's sharing - he's truly the art teacher a lot of us wish we had growing up.:) The idea for a sketchbook to figure out what to do with sketchbooks at the end was a very interesting one!
Marshall's so cool. Proko's smart, but Marshall's pure heart.
Agreed. That little "I'm not even a threat" in the end had me in stitches.:))
their sketches are a masterpiece. I love this podcast so much...
I love "sketchbook tour" videos on RUclips. It's a tiny bit like visiting a museum or art gallery in a strange way.
I loved this conversation and how you dissected various purposes for keeping a sketchbook, all with your usual insights and good humor. I'm someone who never learned to draw formally. I've kept a sketchbook for years but only did very stylized drawings and painting that were controlled, always with the "perfect" end result as a goal. A couple of months ago, took one of my sketchbooks and just did whatever I felt like doing every day. I loved it. Being free to not worry about the finished result allowed me to discover the joy of drawing and painting, and in the process I discovered techniques and ideas that I would never have allowed myself to experiment with previously. Playing has allowed me to expand my skills way beyond my limiting beliefs about being "perfect".
This one is my favorite episode!
1.) For the fact that sketchbooks are a window into another world---your world, specifically---and have sort of been my only constant companion throughout boring waiting rooms and my whole life in general! Sketchbooks can be so many things! 🤩😆😍
2.) This episode is amazing because of Marshall sharing a vivid dream he had. I have a dream journal and maybe one day I'll actually post some of my weird dream stuff. 😴🌬🌠🌌🌃
I loved this episode.
_Its like a relaxing rainy day with tea, coffee, and a sweet sketchbook. (Or digital tablet; monitor optional!) Hopefully you've got a furry friend to keep you company! Have a great day everyone!_
😚💋
Cesar Santo's multiple videos about his sketch books is the most finished and articulate concept of Sketchbooks!
His are great!!!!
This has been the most helpful episode of draftsmen ever, for me. I mean just personal, hit home where i'm lacking right now, lots of good takes, thanks!
Wow this hits deep. This is exactly what I'm struggling with right now. 19:14 Thanks Marshall and Stan.
Great discussion! I’ve thought a lot about what the definition of a sketch is too lol 😆
I am learning to draw in my forties. I am still in the phase where almost all I do is throw away stuff anyway. A thin mdf board a paper clamp and printing paper is what I use the most of my sketches.
I use those exact 3 things for practice too. I find them much more comfortable than a sketchbook, less pressure, easier to draw gestural stuff from the shoulder, and cheap!
That’s a great set up. I do that often too.
I've been watching lots of your videos lately here in RUclips. Lots of great art advice, tips, lots encouraging words and mental health advice. This sketchbook episode really help me to finally put a "name" or pointing to the direction I'm heading. As a teacher I used to have portfolios filled with prints of my previous work as a newspaper comic strip artist, advertisement cartoon characters, company mascots, cover illustrations and character designs. But during the last 2 years I've been doing loose pen sketching on a variety of sketchbooks big or small. It's funny but those sketches are totally different from what I used to do and, just like Marshall's family reactions to his sketches, I also have some of my peers lifting their eyebrows or scratching their heads. Have to admit that I was bothered by it but now I'm actually proud of most of my sketches an experimental drawings. I'm still proud of what I did before but with the new stuff I'm doing I feel a deeper connection and understanding of my art process.
For years, I have been using pens in my sketchbook, being , loose and accurate. I picked it up based on a documentary I saw years back where a tattoo artist said to train they had to draw with pen only during there apprenticeship to train them to be more accurate. I have kept up the habit of using ink for my sketchbooks since my art school years, have been in love with fountain pens for the last few years.
It great how you break down the permission to make a mess and be loose. I enjoy the interplay of being loose and precise a pen gives me. I see sketches as being able to see the build up and exploration of the drawing. My sketchbooks are combinations of exploration, process, notebook and life studies in a mixture of different media. Each one I've filled captures more about that time of life than I think when I loo back at them.
Great insights and discussion.
When professionals release sketchbooks I always pick them up it's a great insight on how the doughnuts are made. A great example is J.Scott Campbell and his ruff stuff series of books. A great resource.
can't wait for the garbage truck hehe (the little animation is so cute)
What a great episode! Sketchbooks are a life staple for me! My dad put journals and sketchbooks in my hands as soon as I expressed interest in art as a child. When I went to college, my first year drawing professor handed out a small sketchbook and ink pen. We were required to draw for 15 minutes minimum every day. He told us that all drawings, even the ugly ones were important, and we were not allowed to tear any pages out. I love using my sketchbooks. I keep one for oil studies and one for dry medium. Mine are a safe place to throw everything at without fear. I regularly share them with my art students to demonstrate methods of using them.
How do you like to prepare pages for oils?
@@GalleryBry I used two coats of clear gesso. I'm using a very sturdy paper as well. It's not flawless. I still had some oil leak through, so I'm exploring how to prep it correctly. It's definitely an experimental book meant for learning!
@@christinas3757 I use Michael Harding non absorbent acrylic primer on paper and haven’t seen the oil bleed through. It’s less absorbent than gesso so it keeps the oil on the surface. A sizing (sealer) can help too. GAC 100 from Golden works well. It’s clear acrylic polymer.
What helped me get back into art last year was a sketchbook that was gifted to me years ago and was made entirely out of recycled material. The front and back cover were made an old record cover, the binding was wire hanger and the paper was just back sides of photocopy recycled paper. It was by far my favorite experience because it broke me out of treating my drawings so preciously and to put pen/pencil to paper and go.
Hey thankx for the mention, guys - glad I could inspire a podcast.
To me; a sketchbook is mainly about spontaneous expression. My mod-us oporandous has always to have the 2 types of sketchbooks you mentioned. 1 being an inexpensive sketchbook for loose screwing around practice sketching and a second sketchbook where I try my best too do good sketches - BUT - not at the cost of losing the expressive spontaneity in my sketching that I'm always going for in my sketchbooks. (If that makes any sense...).
I also by large newsprint pads [18x24] strictly for "don't-give-a-damn" quick sketching (warming up morning sketches, and such). My "good" sketchbooks sizes are (5x9's) and (9x11's). And my "who cares" sketchbook ones are sized (9x11).
I've been using sketchbooks sense 8th grade; and just never stopped. So that means I've been using them for like 49 years and 7 months! Holy Cow; how time flies. ( And I've been drawing sense I was in 3rd grade). Sketching has been and still is the most rewarding thing I do as an artist. And at the new age of 63 years old this past week, I don't think I'll ever stop filling sketchbooks.
*Again; great podcast; keep up the good work you 2.
~Sketchcat
This is such a great episode!!! I been drawing in sketchbooks for a few years now and I'm addicted to them! I love sketching at the Metropolitan museum!!! Stan Please sell us some Sketchbooks!!!!!
I love this so much! I can't find the right words to express my hapiness😍
You guys are wonderful, iv learned so much in so many ways, to put it into words would be to cheapen or minimize it in some way that would underrate it, thank you wholeheartedly.
Great advice and insights about sketchbooks! I will look at my sketchbooks in new light after this episode. Thanks! ❤️
2 new topic ideas, Marshall’s Stan sketchbook flip trough and a podcast about Marshall’s artbooks!!!!!
Great episode!!!!!! Love talks About sketchbooks
One of my favorite videos!
Thanks You Guys…. My sketchbook is a big special book I have been reading for 45 years and drawing in it for 30 years. It has 2097 pages on very thin but good quality paper. It’s called The Urantia Book and it is like a ministry. I often draw in public and people come by and mention how they like my drawing and it gives me the opportunity to tell them about the book. I have about 600 animals and many mindless sketches. But I would never tear out any pages.
Great episode, I loved every minute of this conversation!
In my understanding, we sketch to play - to build castles in the air (or on paper as it were), to explore ideas, to understand something, to appreciate something, to capture something, to work something out, to solve a design problem, and to practice. Ultimately to sketch as I have come to know it is to develop a skillset and to build a visual vocabulary to draw from for current and future projects.
You're right, Stan! A few years ago, I started dating everything I've drawn or written. Great point.
I think it's worth noting non-representational (called abstract here) very often does include extensive prepartory sketches and studies. There are particular styles that are responsive or impulsive, but many abstract artists spend a lot of time sketching and designing before starting a painting too
You´re talking about the truly valuable, in my opinion, branches of abstract art. Impulsive things may have a stroke of genius in them, but only if the artist has actually done a lot of sketching and painging before, all of that past histor is their preliminary work. Just throwing paint on a canvas is and always will be bull shit to launder money in my humble opinion. True abstract art is exactly that, it ABSTRACTS, it TAKES OUT, or BRINGS OUT a certain SOMETHING, and evokes THOUGHT or FEELINGs or fucking SOMETHING.
I always was creative, also painted with my kids, but I did not have a sketchbook, I just had a sort of journal, in which I wrote, because I used to be a full time writer. After my youngest son moved out, and I was left with lots of free time, I started drawing and painting and handicrafting, .... only for my own good feelings, to advance my personal skills, and to find out what medium I like the most. The latter I still haven't figured out and I still explore all kinds of completely different art.
So now I have a sketchbook-journal accompanying me wherever I go. I write my ideas for stories, poems, designs in it. I also draw designs for crochet and knitting, and write down what is important for that decoration or fashion design. And I also quickly sketch a theme I see on the way, which might make a good painting or drawing or collage. I also do wet felting and weaving, so I also sketch such designs and often take along some kind of reference for colors and / or textures. So my sketchbook-journal is more or less a place to remember interesting inspirations and ideas.
At home, I have a sketchbook with multimedia paper for all kinds of drawings and paintings, except for oil. I use one page after another and the content is simply for practicing purpose, or references for later to make final artwork. For my textile artwork, I have a journal, in which I write and draw my designs. When I have my final version of a certain design, this comes into another book, I call the "design journal". I also add samples for stitches and yarns into this design journal, and I paste photographs of the finished design and design additives in it.
I also have a "project book", where I write down future projects, may it be artwork or writing or other project plans concerning my creative work. Without these project book notes, some of which are very detailed, I would be lost, because I would lose myself without a plan and in the end I would not really complete all of my projects, and finally wouldn't accomplish anything or only very little. .
For my portfolio, I choose photographs of my differentiated artwork, including also several photographs on one page when doing some experimental archaeology textile techniques, because these are generally unknown. For this, I take photographs of all my finished artwork and sometimes of work in progress, so I have enough photo material to choose from. I then finally have a digital portfolio as well as a physical copy. It's sort of a work in progress, that changes a little every year.
I try to fill at least one page in my sketch book every day, by practicing a certain technique or material. Very often I put limitations on the daily sketchbook art, such as using only one color or painting by only using negative space or by pencil drawing without using an erasor.
I still like to work with different media, but I do so in phases. Like I would do watercolor for a certain time and then change to acrylic painting or whatever. For some final artwork I try to find the medium I like most for it. I plan to try watercolor sketching in the nature, maybe next year, because I don't like to be watched while working on my artpiece. As I suffer from cPTSD, that is a very big challenge for me. At the moment I only take photographs when going outside, and I scribble and write into my sketchbook journal, which I wrote about above.
Thank you for the great and amazing tips about sketchbooks! I've disliked sketchbooks for a very long time but over the years I found more purpose in drawing in sketchbooks. It's still a habit and improvement I need to work on. But at least I know how to use it to benefit my growth in learning and exploring a lot more. I've always liked loose-leaf paper. been living/ using sketch pads most of my life. Thanks for sharing your insights!
love it , this entire podcast to this episode is so awesome
After a year or so of keeping my gesture and quicksketches on cheap printer paper, I kept the same practice but started using a regular (Strathmore 400) sketchbook. I did this because as a record of growth the loose paper is hard to manage. The book is easier and neater.
I've also found that putting the date on each page really helps to see my growth.
When I date the page, I'm done with it and move on.
I'm watching this with my high quality headphones and the Natural Bass from Marshalls voice is immaculate lol
When I sketch digitally, I love using this program called Leonardo because it lets me sketch in an infinite canvas, which makes it really nice to be loose and mess around. It actually has pretty nice brushes if you customize them a bit to paint and draw and I can add images (as reference or a memory) and write down my thoughts or ideas which makes it like a journal. I usually make a new canvas once a week to loosely organize it a bit by date.
Very good discussion about sketchbooks. I have some experience with sketchbooks and know many things in this video.
The problem I have with spiral sketchbooks is that after a brief short time the spirals start to pop out of the holes! After trying to fix it they just continue and then start to warp and mess up the paper. Does anyone have any tips or advice for keeping it in control?
Yeah, spiral don’t survive long because I pack them everywhere and they get all bent up😕 i must be really rough with my sketchbooks
Maybe transfer it to a large binder once you're done with it?
Grumbacher books. You can tear the paper out and put it back in when you're done.
You never know what day may have been important until hindsight.
For dates, I have two suggestions:
First, write the start and end date of a sketchbook within/on the cover.
Second, if you want to write dates, I suggest the ISO standard YYYY-MM-DD but if you know what it means, whatever works. I prefer YYYY and MMDD as two lines.
Following the date standard includes the most clarity for the future. Reading 06/21 in the future could mean July 2021 or July 21st of an unknown year and would need context clarification.
I agree with you. I do the iso date as well. Good tip.
Sketching is fun! Draftsmen is fun, too! Speaking of sketching, I would love to get your take on Urban Sketching.
Marshall's dream would make for an amazing surreal painting.
48:33 damn marshall so cool🖤
10:32 this was hilarious 😂😂😂 it's as if Stan's brain exploded by trying to do math lol
marshal is a phenominal artis i salute you sir.
I showed my wife the rendered picture you talked about, and her response was "I swear, people today make Michelangelo look like an amateur"
i do super rough sketches with paint, but then because they take ages to dry i cant shut the book after . so i have a 'sketchbox' instead, where i put all the mini paint sketches once they're dry and this works sooo well for me . it does the exact same job but i no longer feel guilt for not having a sketchbook!!
Oh wow I feel the same about working with a pen!! Sooo true
Come on, Stan! Sell us some of your "Proko" sketch books. I'm betting you could sell out of them in no time flat! Sell them in multiples.
Heading for a Plein aire expedition, I could not find a sketchbook I liked. So I learned to bind books and made my own.
What paper do you like to use?
Ring binders are designed for right handed people. As a lefty, I use ring binders so the rings are on the right hand side of the page but this makes it a little difficult to page thru them.
Never go into a drawing thinking it's going to be a bad drawing so it doesn't matter. A sketch book can be a place of failure but it doesn't have to be a place where you think you will fail.
always appreciate future marshall
Damn-I did the same thing as Marshall but as a teenager; with working exclusively with pens and drawing from life every day on my subway commute to school. I had realized that my natural ‘talent’ was not going to carry me any further and I got this extremely disciplined idea in my head and I actually followed through with it, to this day. The first year was horrific, but I began to improve by huge increments by the second year. I developed so many techniques and problem solving skills that I now just take for granted.
I feel like the main thing that young artists struggle with is finding the motivation to draw from observation, whether it’s people or buildings. It sounds and feels boring and unsatisfactory initially, whereas drawing from imagination is what we all usually aspire to. HOWEVER, for me personally, I cannot imagine how I could even begin to understand some of these intermediate level concepts-or even thinking about drawing as something meant to convey a sense of volume and dimension. It’s a bit different now as there are so many great resources thanks to guys like you two, but I feel that it’s a wonderful practice that is not only useful for improving ones skills, but it’s also incredibly therapeutic and calming.
I also in the last few years started keeping multiple sketchbooks, one as a ‘show case’, one for working out concepts and ideas along with random doodles, and then I buy these cheap sketchbooks from someplace like CVS or Kroger’s which I use to practice perspective and anatomy. When you use shitty paper, there’s less concern for making something pretty!
I love this podcast
Hey Marshall and Stan, not to get philosophical but not all beautiful things have to be pretty. We could also cite from Kant about beauty but never mind. Art in English really confuses me as I was taught that art is created consisting artistic research (so not just reading something and creating something). All the rest can be just really good craftsmanship (like a pretty painting or figurative drawing or a sculpture, mixed media etc without artistic research). Thanks for any input or comments as some things can be confusing.
First minute of the video and I'm curious where will you take the conversation. Could be anything. Thanks for the podcast!
In the front of every journal and sketchbook, I write my intentions for that book. Most of the time I have at least some version of, "f*ck around. find out." Sometimes I name a specific theme or focus. Then I write myself a permission slip, to be really messy and make lots of glorious mistakes. Explicit permission helps!
I love this so much
I write the exact date every time I draw smt, it's like a sign off thing to me and I enjoy writing them :)
Thank you.
My theory, based on the dictionary: sketch is to push, to put out, draw is to pull. Push out the essence? Pull out the essence? I'm late to discover this fabulous show.
Marshall and Stan, I look forward to your Podcast every week. Have you heard of "The Sketchbook Project?" It's a physical sketchbook library based in Brooklyn, NY that, for a fee, they ship you (the artist) a sketchbook, you fill it, you ship it back, they photograph it and it lives in a physical library space where anyone can come in, look up your book and physically peruse. Sometimes they take their "mobile library" (limited selection of books from their permanent collection) on the road to various visual art museums where you can "check them out' for a read through. I think it's an interesting concept, but I have mixed feelings about it's execution having gone through the process myself.
Danny Gregory....Sketchbook Skool. He is making his living with sketchbooks. Encouraging people to create and play.
We stan Prokopenko !
This stuff about fear is a huge issue with musicians. Lots of guys are scared to try for fear of a mistake
great topic!
I use old lined notebooks from school for fundamentals and other studies because it removes the fear of "ruining the page."
Great show! Can I have some of the sketch books? Thank you!
PERFECT!!!
As a beginner to drawing I want to ask about how to determine the sweet spot between pushing yourself and allowing mistakes (imperfections??) in your sketches for learning. Today I was trying to draw simplified joints, the first practice in Proko's anatomy course - and realized my perspective skill is so damn POOR. Some bones are supposed to be cylindrical but the ellipses I drew at the end of the bones just look SO WRONG. So in the end I spent most of the time trying to figure out the rights angles of the major/minor axises, making bigger, careful perspective drawings of cylinders etc, instead of getting familiar with the joints. Am I leading myself astray here? Or is it normal, just necessary for a beginner to do a bunch of careful perspective practices first instead of anatomy anyway?
(Actually some days ago I decided to sketch Star War's C-3PO, considering it'd be a good practice in perspective. It turned out, in over an hour, all I really drew was an ellipse, because along the way I just couldn't grasp how open / closed it should be. ONE ELLIPSE in an hour. Is this what happens to a so-called perfectionist - especially one with poor skills?)
Bad sketches are a great opportunity reflect on progress.
The end was so funny 😂😂❤️❤️
How about composition notebook paper? I love it. People hate it because of the lines but honestly I love the look. Reminds me of a school student drawing in class.
I have so many (doodle books and YES they are cheap and useful)
I've found that more often than not, a lot of my sketch books end up being a place to 'file' my small, rough drawings and doodles, as compared
to actually "drawing" in the sketch book. As I type this, it sounds like I maybe need to adapt my approach to my pencil/ink drawing experience.
I agree with shading and hand drawn
oooh yes good podcast topic
Marshall pulling out his sketchbook talking about how terrible the drawings are, when in reality they are all so good and stylish.
Ever think of making a Cesar Santos style sketchbook?
A month a page, In a year you have the makings for a calendar to publish.
Handy to leave the first page blank for notes and comments about the book when you fill/finish it.
Because we are visual artists, we need to have that place to practice, to play, with ink and maybe color. I took piano and you need to practice scales. But there isnt tangible proof of practice. As a colourist where my drawing skills are shaky, sketchbooks are my safety zone for practice. The books are relatively cheap for a reason.
Marshall dreaming about Gang Warfare made me crack up
i think sketching is an exploration of ideas, while a finished piece is a statement.
I guess defining a finished piece is a piece of art that is worthy of framing. Could be as simple as a 5 minute doodle from a famous artist.
scribbling and sketching division I couldn't exactly get the hang of. marshall shows the stuff he did with ink, they're loose and cartoony. phew, so it's okay? I'm relieved seeing that because I've been keeping a sketchbook since 3-4 months and I've been seeing some kind of progress. starting see some patterns in that work of mine and discovering interesting little things. but I gotta say I've been relying too much on scribbly lines, will also try putting down shapes and lines that I really mean even if I fail badly.
who else is sketching while listening to this?
I definitely am. Just got some new graphite.
an introduction into neurosis's for artists and ho to avoid them :)