Keeping a Sketchbook

For those students who are serious about art, it is a good idea to keep a sketchbook. Record in there some everyday obvervational drawings, sketches, and the excercises from our Workshop are great things to include. For those students who wish to earn art scholarships, a sketchbook is almost always required for consideration. What these people are looking for is mostly observational skills, values, and things that are generally realistic, even if you do want to be a cartoonist when you grow up, the first thing to learn is the traditional way to draw, and that's what a sketchbook records. You want to get a variety of observational work, and start keeping one as soon as possible, so you can have a record of your artwork as you progress. It's always interesting to look back on old work. You want to get in a variety of sketches. Indoors and out. Some suggestions would be the street outside your house, still life, such as common house hold items. And it's always good to have studies with shading. Try to limit yourself to one light source so the values stand out. Sketchbooks are also used to plan compositions for major works. It is always good to see a composition before trying it. Evidence of planning also goes a long way for those who are considering art schools. Admissions officials always look for sketchbooks and content, especially planning.