Wednesday, February 1, 2012

sketchbook wednesday

So. I finished it. That monster project that seemed like such a good idea at the time.


The first problem was that I...er...left it to the last minute. Kind of silly when I had probably 3-4 months to complete it.
The second problem was expectation and comparison. I mean...have you seen some of the photos and videos floating around of other peoples sketchbooks!?? Books that are so complete and cohesive, with such incredible workmanship, books that have been rebound with amazing covers and heavy weight paper, painted in, laboured over, and finished not like a sketchbook, but like a published illustrated anthology of everything that is amazing. [sigh]


I tried to plan something like that...but (other than running out of time) it wasn't  something that came easily. I guess to me a sketchbook is a natural organic flow of mistakes and ideas and whatever comes out. Accident ridden. Draft style.....but thats a little bit scary too because then everyone sees all the 'not so good' bits, and the unfinished bits, and the ideas that never really should have been.


oh man. It seems I had made it way more complicated than I wanted it to be. So with very little time left to deadline I jumped in with an 'it is what it is' mantra. I did raw sketches. Some turned out like illustrations. Some are cheesy. Some I really like.


So now it's done. My biggest regret/frustration was not bothering to rebind it with better quality paper. I would have reaaalllly liked to use lots more ink and watercolour for washes and bleeds and even some block colour backgrounds... but the thin paper in the sketchbook wouldn't hold up to it. (I tried a teensy bit of colour on one page and the paper rippled to billy-o. gah!! ) I sure did enjoy exploring some different ways of working (such as using reference photos, for example) and a chance to draw in a different style to the work in my portfolio from the last few years.


The theme I had originally chosen was "Treehouse" which allowed me to simply record and explore all things boyish and childhood and summer time and play. I stopped and watched my boys. I went through holiday photos. I considered their favourite activities.



Enough excuses. The process certainly has given me lots of ideas, inspiration and motivation to actually experiment some more. So in that sense, project success. (and posted on monday. what a relief!)