Starting My Sketchbook Habit

Exciting news: for the last few months, I’ve been diving back into sketching! 🎨📚 It’s been a long time since I last picked up a pencil and made some art just for myself, and not for work or school. And even though I was a graphic design student back in the day, I don’t think I’ve ever consistently kept a sketchbook just for fun. What?! I know, I’ve always held back. Not knowing what to draw, not wanting to create “ugly” art, and thinking I couldn’t spare the time—these have all been big setbacks for me, but I’m here to say, let’s do this! My sketchbook and I are starting to become best buds, and I’m here to document the journey right on my website.

First things first, let’s talk about my supplies. I’ve gathered quite a few new supplies these last 5 months, and I’ve been having a blast experimenting with them. My sketchbook is a pretty basic Royal Talens Art Creation sketchbook and it’s great for my needs – I do have to be careful of the amount of water I use on it because the pages wrinkle and pill a bit, but it definitely works for me. I already had a watercolor set and set of Prismacolor colored pencils that I’ve had for many years but were barely used (I’m going to change that!). I’ve now added some Ecoline brush pens, Faber-Castell pitt artist pens, Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils, Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Aquarelles, Sakura Micron Pens, and most recently, Kuretake ZIG Clean Color brush markers and a basic set of Holbein gouache to my collection. Phew! Quite a supply list!

I’m not going to lie—my drawing skills are a bit rusty. Okay, maybe a lot rusty. But that’s part of the fun, right? I’m approaching this as a learning adventure. Yes, I am going to make some “ugly” art. But that’s okay! Every wonky line or awkward proportion is just a big step toward getting better. I not only want to improve my skills in my sketchbook, but I also want to try out new styles and new supplies (hence my very long list of fun new supplies)!

My plan is to document my progress right here on my website. Expect to see everything from my quick clumsy sketches to hopefully some beautifully layered illustrations. I’ll share what worked, what didn’t, and even if I don’t love the end result, if I can find one thing to appreciate or learn from each piece, that’s a total success. And if you’re also on a creative journey, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to drop your thoughts or share your own sketches in the comments.

I’m super excited to be getting into a new sketchbook habit! Only about 10 more spreads left of my first sketchbook, so almost time to review everything in it and start another! Thanks for joining me on this creative journey—here’s to dusting off those artistic muscles and making some magic happen!