Sketchbooks

I can't stress enough how valuable a sketchbook can be to an artist.  I encourage students to make your sketchbook personal; take it everywhere, paste into it, paint on it, scribble on it. Think of it as a visual connection between your mind, eyes and hand.


Here's a page out of one of my sketchbooks from 1986, when I was an undergrad:

There isn't a right or wrong way to work in your sketchbook, as long as you're working.  Here are some more links to sketchbooks I think are interesting and well done. Enjoy!

Suzanne Stryk creates sketchbooks that are finished works of art in themselves. Very nature/scientific oriented.
  http://suzannestryk.com/sketchbks/sketchbks.html

This is a link to very high resolution images of Leonardo da Vinci's sketchbooks, which are fascinating:
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/leonardo/accessible/introduction.html

Kate Aspinall
http://kateaspinall.com/sketchbookspage.html

David Bell
http://www.davidbellstudio.com/sketchbooks.html

The Essence of Line. A database of  French drawings from Ingres to Degas:
http://www.frenchdrawings.org/index.php

A collection of John Constable's sketchbooks (from Victoria and Albert Museum---one of my favorite, dusty, ole attic like museums :-)
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/constable_sketchbook/

Carlos Ferguson: the early years are better than 2004....
http://www.carlosferguson.com/Pages/Artwork/Archive/Books/Bk95.htm

Theodore Gericault's sketchbook (from the Getty)
http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=506

J.M.W. Turner's sketchbooks (from the Tate)
http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/BrowseGroup?cgroupid=999999995

Charles Ritchie (mostly ink wash/watercolor)
http://charlesritchie.com/sketchbooks.php

Zak Smith (may have mature content---visit at your own risk)
http://www.zaxart.com/sketchbook/