Inside sketchbooks as a form of enquiry

8 thoughts on “Inside sketchbooks as a form of enquiry”

• Nice vid Jim and lovely drawings James! I really need to work on my sketchbooking so this video is perfect for me right now. I think I’ve regrettably been suffering from ‘every drawing must be a finished work of art’ syndrome.

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• Sketching is one art I really wish I could do, along with oils and water colours… to see how someone explores and continue to explore forms and subject matter is really interesting.
  The very last image shown in the video made me pause, probably putting a meaning in the image that isn’t intended, but it made me think that the perspective (and context) of any piece (of art) is bigger than what we see.
  In the sketch the perspective lines and horizon reaches for beyond the section of the sketch on the right page… and made me think how much bigger things are beyond what we see, and how artists manage to capture that.
  Thanks for sharing Jim, inspiring James.

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• I like the way several images of different scales and levels of working share the same page. Also, the use of simple materials is refreshing.

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• A really good, simple look at sketch books. I struggle to think of what to draw and usually end up drawing similar types of things. So seeing this way of drawing the same thing over and over to perfection shows me its ok to do the same thing as long as you are improving. A lovely little vid.

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• A really interesting sketch book. It looks as if the artist was relaxed but focussed and enjoying his subject. It is a style I initially adopted too but my tutor discouraged this preferring everything in boxes which I found a bit tiresome and discouraged me from being spontaneous.
  Are there guidelines for tutors on what to expect or advise in sketchbooks?

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• I often encourage students to draw within a ‘box’ especially if it is for working out a composition for a more finished drawing or a painting as it helps to see the image as a whole. I don’t see this as getting in the way of their spontaneity, but more as a way of freeing up the seeing process. Sometimes the drawings spill out of the box or more boxes are joined on if the drawing idea changes. The drawings in this sketchbook, however, are mainly studies of anatomy so are nor overly concerned with composition. Generally, I encourage lots of different kinds of drawing in a sketchbook and paricularly like seeing pages with more than one image or images spilling over to the facing page.

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• Thank you for picking out my sketchbooks Jim, It’s very encouraging to see it as a worthwhile pursuit. I use a sketchbook as kind of a workout so that I am able to tackle finished pieces with less difficulty in the fundamentals, it also helps to be less ‘precious’ with my work. I would encourage anyone seeking a grasp of anatomy to get one good book on it (I use Bridgman – I’d say anything by Beverley Hale is also very good) and keep referring to it so you can make sense of what you are looking at in real life. I then try to apply what I have learnt from a book in my sketches from daily life – all the masters will tell you that drawing from life regularly is key. My best advise (Lainey) is to ENJOY your study and keep it real.

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• Link to web page fixed by clicking on my name (hopefully)

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