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Before I met all my sketchbook buddies I only ever used drawing books to work out ideas in – they were full of scribbles, notes and taped in clippings and especially not for sharing.

But the phenomena of sketchbooks more as personally illustrated journals has rubbed off on me. Now I probably have more sketchbooks than I need. I slap my hand for going down this path. Sometimes I think they cause more grief than pleasure. Especially the way we have started to perceive sketchbooks these days – as visual narratives of our lives. Some are like lovingly prepared visual journals than a messy processing of our creative thoughts. Maybe because they are are such wonderfully bound books with lovely paper inside that forces us to make sure that whatever we put in there is special. And when you do flip through them and look at all the finished pages one after the other it is like a little storybook. Though it can place pressure to keep the contents consistent or neat and perfect.

The small page format can also be constraining and I will always prefer a big old sketch pad or watercolour pad than a small sketchbook. But they do have a plus side. The small format does make them a practical size to pop in your bag so you have absolutely no excuse not to sketch when you’re out and about. It’s also neater than having piles of loose leaf sheets piling up on your shelves. And if you decide to theme them, like I do, it can push you to explore your artwork with different mediums or subject matter. So I like them for that. And if they are travel journals its a wonderful way to preserve memories.

So below are links to a few of my sketchbooks.

TRAVEL BOOK

I started this in 2008 on my last trip to Antarctica. I wish I had kept travel drawing journals all my life because most of my travelling was done before then. Oh well, admittedly though, even at this point in time, I still wasn’t very comfortable about drawing out in public, so the entries aren’t as extensive as I would have liked.

To view click here.

EVERY DAY MATTERS CHALLENGE LIST

My first forray into showing my work online. It’s a great idea for anyone of any drawing skill. It shows you that you don’t have to travel to an exotic location to find something interesting to draw.

To view click here. Or to see the EDM challenge list click here.

FOOD & GARDEN JOURNAL

When I cook at home sometimes during the preparation certain foods, cutlery etc. looks really cool. Whether it’s the natural lighting, the way they the ingredients are cut or how the food looks when it comes out of the oven – it looks really awesome. So I’ve been taking photos to use as inspiration for paintings and drawings.

To view click here.

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

As most museums don’t allow people to sketch with things other than pencils or writing pens I found it pointless taking in so many art materials to an exhibition. So it’s usually just a pen or pencil, and depending on the gallery I will sneak in a pocket-sized water colour palette and my water brush pen. Also, these places get very congested with people so there is very little room for anything more than a small sketchbook.

To view click here.

ON LOCATION

Since my Urban Sketches books are stylised and themed I wanted one for any occasion when I’m out and about. This one is freer in style and subject matter, and it’s good to have so I wont have any excuses to draw when I’m out.

To view click here.