Featured image by Mattias Adolfsson
That is indeed a trick question. You can obviously never have too many sketchbooks! While we say we like to keep it simple, it’s no secret that artists have a hard time controlling themselves in an art supply store when surrounded by beautiful things. It’s just plain impossible to walk out of a shop without buying anything. Especially pens. And Sketchbooks! We just HAVE to have more! Even when we don’t need them and have a stash back home.
How many sketchbooks do you use at the same time? Some people have one sketchbook they do all their projects in, fill it up, and once it’s finished, they pick up a new one. It may give them more focus, that one sketchbook gets all the attention rather than dividing it over different projects or purposes. Others have sketchbooks that are dedicated to a certain project, a certain month, or a certain theme. It all depends on your personal goals and interests of course.
10 Tips to organize your sketchbooks
Every artist has his or her own preferences. In case you need some sketchbook inspiration for themes, topics or purposes, here are 10 helpful tips from the community on how to organize your sketchbooks (and make use of some of those coveted empty books on the shelf):
- Sketchbook Skool assignments
- Time-based challenges like Everyday in June for instance
- Everyday Matters challenges
- A purse or pocket sketchbook meant for social drawing events like drink n’ draws or sketchcrawls done in tight spaces.
- Portraits only (human or animal!)
- Weekends and special occasions like holidays with family or friends
- Watercolor washes
- Animals from a series of zoo adventures or walks in your neighborhood depending on where you live!
- Traveling on vacations or work trips or even sketchbooks devoted to transportation and transit
- A coffee table sketchbook for TV doodles that you capture while on the couch.
Speaking of art supply stashes, if you did a head count… how many sketchbooks do you have? How about pens?!
