Summary: Sketchbooks are tools for experimentation, learning, and refining your voice. In this Vlog post, I talk about how sketchbook series can spark creativity and break through creative blocks. BONUS: Yes, that is me playing guitar in the soundtrack!
Transcript
Intro
Hey there — have you ever felt like your creativity is running on empty? Like you’re spinning your wheels but going nowhere fast? Well, you’re not alone. And what I’d like to share with you today is a sketchbooking technique that has helped me — and can help you — reignite your creativity and create an exciting new series of work. So let’s fast forward…
Sketchbook Pitstop
These are pages from my sketchbook, and they’re all at different levels of finish — but they’re full of ideas and exploration. In your sketchbook, it’s not about creating perfect pieces. It’s about making progress, learning, and refining your skills. And the trick to this technique — if you want to call it a trick — is to let a theme naturally develop in your sketchbook.
For me, it starts here with this character, Maurice. He’s absurd. He’s outlandish. He’s got a cool bike. And frankly, that amused me enough to make another crazy character riding a skateboard.
Second Gear: Tone
Once you find your theme — and it can be literally anything — something amusing, something you imagine, a technique, anything at all — stick with it. Then, create ten pieces based on that theme. That’s the whole trick.
Third Gear: Colored Ink
Sketchbooks have always been at the heart of my practice. But my sketchbooks haven’t always been sketchbooks.
Early on, my dad used to take me to a place called Eldora Speedway — a half-mile dirt track near the Ohio and Indiana border. Every time we went, my dad would make sure I had my drawing kit with me. That consisted of a clipboard, some printer paper, and a pencil box.
I remember sitting there on the bleachers — the noise of the cars, the excitement of the races, the smell of gasoline and burning rubber — all that good stuff. And most of all, the layer of dirt that settled on everything, including us.
I would draw my favorite cars or favorite drivers. While my dad is sort of a car guy, I didn’t get the car-guy gene — but I really do love drawing these wild-style, exaggerated cartoons. [Pause for laughter]
Sketchbook Pitstop
The sketchbook is pretty wonderful — it’s a tool for exploration. Every page is an opportunity to try something new. Some ideas will work, others won’t — and that’s fine. That’s how we refine our voice. You just want to try things that start to feel right for you.
That might be based on things you’ve observed in the world — maybe you’re fascinated by the way light moves through a leaf. Or maybe you have a childhood memory of race cars that you want to explore. Whatever it is, give yourself permission to really play and explore in your sketchbook.
Fourth Gear: Fine Detailing
Remember when we talked about feeling stuck or like we’re spinning our wheels? By focusing on projects that excite you — like a sketchbook series — you can reignite your creative flow and see real progress in your work.
And remember: the journey is the prize. Being creative isn’t always about finishing a piece — sometimes it’s about exploring ideas or techniques that excite you. That can help set you on your own expressway.
Let’s All Get Tattoos
I want to slow down just for a moment to share a small but important detail — the character’s tattoo.
First, I brainstormed some different sayings — Post-its and notes running through ideas — and I landed on this one: “Spinning and Grinning.” I really liked that.
But I also want to call your attention to the Lucky Seven in the center of the clover. That detail is for Skyler. Skyler and his brother Ryan recently bought a little Miata just for cruising around, and I think it’s totally cool. I wanted to make some gifts for them — stickers and shirts — for the holidays.
By the way, if you’d like to pick up some of this, or some of the other Weirdos on Wheels stuff, there’s a link in the description.
Flat Out the Clubhouse Turn
Now we’re bringing this all together. The materials I used for this sketch (affiliate links!):
- Stillman & Birn Nova Series Grey Wirebound Sketchbook: https://amzn.to/4gB7vbp
- SAKURA Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens: https://amzn.to/3ZyOv6k
- Copic 12pc set Toner Gray: https://amzn.to/4iDK1UR
- Copic 12pc Set, Basic: https://amzn.to/41FqLAu
- Prismacolor 36 Color Pencil Set: https://amzn.to/3ZIVo5m
- SAKURA – Gelly Basic White: https://amzn.to/3VKxSDQ
I used both a cream-colored pencil and a white one — the white helps temper the gel pen, smooth it out a bit, and the cream is great for the character’s skin. It creates a nice warm sense of light.
And with that — we’re done.
Oops — now we’re really done.
Overdrive: Digital Refinements
Before we get ready to go to print, I’m going to do some digital refinements. You can see here all the layers I was using.
I want to call your attention to the layer mask — that helps me work without damaging the original scan. I’ve got a number of different adjustment layers, mostly trying to pull those colors up from the gray paper.
Outro (Please Like and Subscribe!)
Start your sketchbook series today. Pick a theme, stick with it, and create ten new pieces. Tag me over on Instagram @studiosart when you do — I’d love to see what you’re up to.
And moving forward, I’m curious: what ideas or themes are you excited to explore? Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
I hope you found this video useful and that you’re able to use these tools and techniques. Please remember to like and subscribe to the channel — it really does help — and even more importantly, share it with a friend. That’s the best way we can build community: by sharing the things we enjoy.
All right, well — until next time, thank you!
Thank you for visiting!
As ever, I respond well to enthusiasm. Feel free to leave a comment, share with friends, and connect via the Insta-tweet-a-books.
