The covers of the 10 sketchbooks I finished in 2020. Sort of in order, from right to left ( for some reason ) starting at bottom right.
The stack of 10 sketchbooks I finished in 2020. The first one ontop, the last one is the large one on the bottom. The ones in the middle are not in order.
#sketchbook #sketchjournal #journal #journaling #art #drawing #notebook #collection
I finished my 10th and final sketchbook of 2020 this weekend! I wanted to share this crazy collection of drawing practice / personal journaling books with you guys. I've never finished this many sketchbooks ( or sketch journals ) in one year before. There was a time when I only completed one or less a year. Then as drawing became my main occupation and focus in life I started completing around 2 a year. As I grow artistically, and try to keep up and even progress my drawing skills while streaming and drawing live for people, I start filling sketchbooks pretty rapidly. I have also been using them as personal journals, to organize my thoughts, my daily to-dos and to clear my mind during stressful times. Journaling is also a great way to record and stow away random ideas and brainstorms for future projects and drawings.
I used pre-made sketchbooks until the 6th sketchbook. I was inspired to make my own by watching channels on YouTube like SeaLemon and others. I made a simple saddle stitched sketchbook with materials I had sitting around. The 7th sketchbook I made with coptic stitch binding completely from materials I had around. The 8th and 9th were the same way. It was gratifying to create a usable sketchbook for no cost with materials I already had around the house. These were all variations of 8.5 x 5.5 or 8.5x6 sized books. The 10th sketchbook was an 8.5x11 sketchbook I had used sporadically in the background between finishing and starting other sketchbooks all year. I decided to finish it off for my last sketch journal of the year. I put the challenge upon myself to finish it before the new year, but it took me an extra week.
I had a second 8.5x11 sketchbook I hadn't used yet, that I decided to cut down to make an 5 x 8 sketchbook. This is what I'm using for my first sketchbook of 2021. It was previously cut down to size and cover wrapped with blank paper for decorating making it ready to use. Today I drew and decorated the cover with an image that came to mind amongst current events. It was sort of a way to emote my own thoughts and feelings on the current state of the world. Basically me/ my hat and headphones, with a gasmask. A syringe and rifle crossbones in the back. Between vaccine distributing, white supremacist riots at the capital, the continued onslaught of the Covid virus, and the effect its all having on all our lives, jobs and sanity... its comforting to have the safe space of my sketch journals to write, emote and express myself with drawing, and find some kind of stable ground. It gives me somewhere to stay focus on now, (not the present or past) and to relax, and escape for a while. Maybe this escape and realm to lean on is why I ended up with 10 of them last year. It was certainly a year with a lot of reasons to keep my head down and escape into my sketch journals.
Now, the first one of 2021 is ready to use once it finishes drying. Happy drawing and journaling girls and boys! Thanks for looking and here's to a new year of drawing, journaling and exploration in a paper-filled place where you can do no wrong!
My first sketchbook of 2021 I decorated / drew on the cover, colored the whole thing with orange ink, went over it with white paint pen and sealed it all with modge podge and let it dry.
