Sketchbooks

Over the past year I've been really getting into sketchbooks. As an artist, a sketchbook is the sort of thing that is required to keep the endless flow of ideas damned up so they don't float away. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can be made out of any materials, and there are no rules on how to use one, and they usually are defined to the artist alone. For some this is the haven to practice and perfect their skills, for others it is a place to document the days to day observations of life, for some it is a record of notes for current and future projects.

According to Frank Ching here are some of the reasons that sketchbooks are a good way to record things:

1st: There is no special equipment needed, the eye, a fountain pen and a sketchbook is enough to note anytime and anywhere thoughts, observation and memories. There is no set form, ultimately it is a very personal thing.

2nd: If our experiences are put down in drawings we connect to our environment and give it more attention. Images and events have been perceived and processed by our senses before they hit the pages of a sketchbook. This requires a selection and filtering, we can not draw everything we see. The gathering, selecting and describing of what we see leaves an almost indelible impression of a place or an event.

3rd: We can not just only draw or note what we see. We can also use drawing as a method to gain insights and perhaps even to find inspiration. Drawing stimulates the mind, stimulates thinking and can make aspects visible which are hidden for the naked eye. We can think about the history,the making of something,of how the parts fit together and we may even try to describe noises and smells as well.

Sketching has a huge impact on the mind. It's a great way to think as you work, and it also aids in observation. (for some more info check out this awesome feature here).

Probably one of the most famous sketchbooks is that of Da Vinci. Not only do they have studies of the anatomy, but they are full of dozens of others things including his famous inventions.

Some others:

Guillermo Del Toro

Francis Bacon

Eugene Delacroix

Edward Hopper

(Dozens more here).

Before sketchbooks were not worthy to be considered art, but now they not only exhibited along with pieces now, they are also exhibited on their own. There are now artists that work primarily in their sketchbooks. Lately there has been a tread in sketchbook art, heighten by a resurgence in moleskine sketchbook and sites like fuckyeahmoleskins. Some my favorite artists in this veins are:

Mattias Adolfsson 

and more:

Small Roar Press

Sarah Jenning

Andrea Joseph

Lapin

you can see some of my own sketchbook art here.