Clever Ways to Make Drawing in a Sketchbook a Habit

To make drawing in your sketchbook a habit, here is a list of things you can try.  In this post find twelve ideas on how to create a sketchbook habit.

Lately, I have been doodling as a low pressure morning routine that gives me a better outlook on my day.

Sketchbooks are a great tool for artists, designers, and anyone who wants to develop their creativity and visual thinking skills. You can cultivate a sketchbook habit with a little bit of effort and discipline.

Here are Twelve Ways to Develop a Sketchbook Habit:

1. Take it with you: Always carry your sketchbook with you, so you can take advantage of any spare moments to sketch and make notes.  So pack a tiny bag that has your lightest, smallest sketchbook and some favorite supplies handy.
2. Set aside dedicated time: One of the best ways to develop a sketchbook habit is to set aside a dedicated time each day or week to work in your sketchbook. This could be a few minutes in the morning, or an hour each evening. Whatever works best for you, add this time to your daily schedule.
3. Make it a part of your routine: When you incorporate your sketchbook habit into your daily routine, you use the strength of the other habits in your life that are already in place. For example, you could make a habit of sketching during the morning conference call.  Or while you have your after dinner coffee or tea.  This way the coffee or tea can also be the subject.  Which is a theme that could develop into a series.
4. Start small: If you’re new to keeping a sketchbook, build your way up. Set a goal of making any kind of mark in it to start, you will find that having the sketchbook and tool in your hand will cause you to want to spend more time.  Let doodling count.  Then gradually increase the goal to maybe a half page of sketches as you become more comfortable with the habit.  Use the one inch square idea of Danny Gregory’s.  No matter how many squares line up together, it makes a nice quilt of thumbnail drawings.
5. Experiment with different materials: Try experimenting with different materials, such as pencils, pens, markers, or watercolors. This will help keep your sketchbook habit interesting and engaging.  Surprises happen when you mix materials that you normally would not.
6. Make it a social activity: Sketching with friends or other artists can be another great way to develop your sketchbook habit. Join a sketchbook club or attend a sketchbook meet-up in your area.  Although I am not in a hurry to start a new meetup at this point, if I notice one in the area, I might be inclined to go.
7. Keep it simple: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to create perfect pieces of art in your sketchbook. The point is to practice and experiment, so don’t worry about making mistakes or producing “finished” pieces.
8. Pay no attention to people watching as you sketch.  In this age of screens, almost every person is fully absorbed with their devices.  Because it is the rare person who notices and is interested, that is probably someone you would like to know.
9. Notice what other artists are drawing in their sketchbooks.  This will likely inspire you to want to draw in your own sketchbook more.  You can look to their sketches for ideas, inspiration, solutions to problems, and subject selection.
10. Track each time you make marks in your sketchbook.  If you compete with yourself, you can increase the number of consecutive days you draw.  Having a process that includes the sketchbook (#2), like having one nearby for breakfast, will help you incorporate sketching into your routine.

Tips:

• Set up a group of interesting things to draw the night before instead of searching around during your dedicated time to find a subject.  An art teacher once told me that any three of the same item will make a good subject.  He is right.  Any three things together.
• Attempt to draw the same object 100 times 100 different ways.  By the time you get to 100 sketches, you will have yourself a habit.

By following these tips, you can develop a sketchbook habit that will help you improve your art skills and boost your creativity. Remember, the key is to be consistent and to enjoy the process of sketching.  Keep the pressure low, making mistakes is the GOAL, and having fun is priority one.  Think of it as a mistake book.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” – Ecclesiastes 9:10

Supplies Used to Make This Mandala:

This drawing was made with God given gifts of seeing things that others don’t.

• A gift of an intense love of colors, combinations of colors, and patterns.
• A gift of hypersensitivity to sounds, textures, and light levels.
• A gift of seeing clearly slight differences in color and tone and also feeling vibrations and tones in others.

This freehand mandala is one of a series that developed in my sketchbook.  The supplies I am using is a variety of gel pens some of them metallic which is invisible on some angles and showing up sparkly in others.  Also some brush markers and colored pencils.  It turns out that colored pencils also play well together with the markers, watercolors, and gel pens.  Since being more open minded to what supplies can work together, lovely things are happening.