OUAN404 - Study Task 1 - The Importance of Sketchbooks

Sketchbooks are an invaluable tool when it comes to developing artistic practices. They are extremely versatile when it comes to their uses and can help you develop ideas through sketching and note making. One of the most important thing to remember about sketchbooks is that they are a place for reflection and the work you put in them can be anything because they are personal to the owner. When it comes to sketchbooks, everyone works in different ways and there is no wrong answer when it comes to working in them. They are also a place of experimentation, whether that be with idea generation or using different media. 'I have kept a sketchbook for over 25 years. They started conventionally but have evolved into scrapbooks. They are now filled with drawings, paintings, designs, photos, text, storyboards, telephone numbers, to-do lists and a long standing collection of thumbprint self portraits produced by hundreds of people I have met or worked with'. This was said by Luis Cook from Aardman and is an example of the versatility of the uses and importance of a sketchbook by a working professional.

I've read articles written by artists and other professionals that put huge emphasis on the importance of sketchbooks, and how essential they are to artistic practices, whatever they're used for. Some artists work predominantly in sketchbooks and produce most of their work here, for example: Kim Jung Ji who occasionally does detailed sketches in his sketchbook when he is in public and records his surroundings in what I can only describe as a detailed panoramic. Félix Dufour-Laperriere said, 'My creative process is a constant reflection: observing the surrounding, thinking about contemporary political, social or artistic issues. I write a lot, draw a little, but most often I start making images with a certain technique. After that I try to combine the various possibilities of this technique and give a direction, an orientation within the resulting images and short animated sequences'.

A sketchbook provides the user with a safe space for exploration, having to start from scratch on an idea can be daunting and jumping right into a final piece is risky because the idea or approach you take could have been improved along the development process. So if you want to make mistakes along a process or during the development of an idea, the best place to do it is in a sketchbook where details can be worked on, and if you don't want to, no one will ever see. Getting to see your work and progress as an artist in a chronological order can be an interesting and motivating tool, sometimes creative block or a piece of work not turning out as you'd planned can be a factor in losing motivation and drive. Having the ability to flick back through a sketchbook and see the progress you've made over however long you've had the book can be a good way to see visually your development and how you've improved.