Exercise 1.1 What is your relationship with your sketchbook?

My sketchbook is an extension of me!

My sketchbooks are me is the short answer.
In terms of material things, sketchbooks would very likely be the thing I would save first in a fire or take to a desert island. Sketchbooks are like my visual diary, my thoughts, and my inspiration, I see something that inspires me I will draw it.
My sketchbooks are for me and me alone, I do not try to impress people or make it anywhere near perfect. I have them on my selves like prized books. It wasn’t always that way, prior March 2019 I used to start a sketchbook and never finish or even end up turning into note books AND I had many, one tried to keep as a visual diary, one for mark making, one for life drawing / gestures, one for idea’s, one for graphic novel ideas and characters, I could go on but you’ll get the gist!

So I was seeing all these sketchbooks of other artist around, some perfect, some experimental on youtube and I thought I never really I’ve never finished a sketchbook and I would quickly to lose interest in them.
With that in mind, I changed my relationship with the sketchbook and it grows from there. My first sketchbook in the new relationship started 16th March 2019, It is roughly A5 size multi media paper, (Think gecko was the brand) My sketchbook are pretty much for the purpose of nearly everything visual, and I try to carry everywhere.

When I started Key steps one sketchbook you can see that I was tense, could have been the issue I was worried about people seeing it, I started to relax and enjoy it, started to treat it like my personal sketchbook. I got an idea I went with it many times as to me sketchbooks are about mistakes and exploring. One thing my sketchbooks are not and that is is notebooks, sometimes will joint down a date, little snippet of something (eg name/place)  or calligraphy. The main reason I did not want my sketchbooks to keep turning into a written notebook / diary, to me it is very visual. Yes, there is a downside to this you do not always know my thought process behind something, sometimes you may see an X next to something which means I’ve dismissed that thought process in the design.
I have been trying hard to cover my thoughts in my learning log (which can get a bit heavy at times) and sometimes on printer papers which I try to scan in and add to the learning log and for assessment as long as I can remember why I did something I add post-it notes.
This may change as the course goes on and I find that “balance” within my sketchbooks!

Danny Gregory

Danny Gregory seems to have found the right kind of balance, I love this page (Left) how he illustrated his sketchbook page with an image of a place and in the corner glass and lemons, I could see myself in a cafe sketching the view and also drawing my coffee and treat. I think it is a wonderful personal touch. He also can create amazing full page illustrations (right)

Art isn’t just something to sell in a gallery or hang on the wall. It’s a way of documenting the stories of my life and the beauty that surrounds me.

Danny Gregory

It isn’t just Gregory’s art that made me pick him to cover at this stage, but what he stands for and fact that he follows his interest and passion. Funny I was already following sketchbook skool and signed up to their newsletter years ago, wasn’t until I researched Gregory the penny dropped that this is the co-founder.

Danny Gregory and his relationships with his sketchbooks is very much what I want in my own career in so many ways, I want my sketchbook by my side and very much a huge part of my creative progress!

(Above) I created a page inspired by the above sketchbook page of Danny Gregory included some key information (which glued in my sketchbook) created using Komorebi Japanese Watercolor – do wish I took my time more with this.
(below) In my travel sized sketchbook I tried my hand at the page with writing – created using water colour and ink.

I could relate to these quotes by other students/tutors at the moment

1. I feel great joy at flicking through my old, complete sketchbooks, and am often surprised at rediscovering things I had forgotten about. I almost never leave the house without a sketchbook, even if I don’t use it, I feel better carrying it around, just in case. Michi S
2. It’s like my best friend as it is part of me Sarah Davis
3. The sketchbook as a place for experimenting, to show process and ideas A place to experiment and not to feel restricted.Alice Powell
4. I consider each sketchbook an artwork of its own, personal, an insight of who I am and of what I am. I am very involved with them and take them seriously. RA

I could apply a lot of quotes to this actually, I love my sketchbook.
These are what I wish I can apply in the future

1. I carry it with me so if I am at the quiet place where I can focus I open it. I am not a type who opens it on the table in [a] coffee shop and let everyone see what I am doing. Andreja Arunovic

This actually belongs in what I feel about my sketchbook now, however this I want to change, I want to open in on a table, sit in the middle of a crowd and draw in my sketchbook.

I’m in two minds about this unit, one being really excited as you can see I love sketchbooks another is would I agree with limitations (if are any) can I do/explore to my heart content? Would it be a bad thing if I make a mess in my book and would that effects the grading? I will aim to send my personal smaller sketchbook as well, as ideas do cross over and I find some of the exercises and assignments unintentional have some fountains in my personal sketchbook.

Credits, research and resources
https://www.dannygregory.com/artist
Open Collage of the art – Sketchbook illustration