Project: MY Sketchbook

Well the deadline came and went.... and i managed to finish something of a sketchbook to send in for the Sketchbook tour . I crammed it all into one week of rushed creativity (I probably shouldn't admit to not doing my most quality work but honestly the deadline definitely snuck up on me!). Weddings took up my priority after i signed on for the sketchbook project months ago and i regret not being on a more regimented schedule with it..... but there is always next year which I will be participating in full force for sure :)

First let me explain, I have always had trouble keeping a sketchbook. I like to write my ideas down and creatively brainstorm, but when it comes to sketching and doing quick renditions etc, I am no good. I think I just like to completely finish a piece of art so the thought of just quickly getting it down on paper is a little frustrating to me. My sketchbooks usually end up being mostly a process book. Showing how i got from my creative idea in my head to the final painted or carefully drawn out piece rendered on the computer. Gathering my inspiration for design and color and putting it all in one place is satisfying for me.

With that said it was no surprise to me that that is precisely what this little sketchbook project ended up being for me. I gathered a bunch of resources and did some drawings on vellum paper (that way if i didnt like how it was looking, i could just start over on another piece of vellum instead of being tied down to using one of the 'good pieces of paper in my sketchbook'). I then used pens and inked over the pencil renderings so they were 'erin stylized'.

The next challenge was to get some color into the designs.... afterall i am PASSIONATE about color. So I roughly painted the sketchbook page with watercolor and/or colored pencils. I did some research on color combinations and then applied them so that they were balanced through out each design.

The Sketchbook Theme I chose was INSIDE/OUTSIDE so I tried really hard to figure out how to incorporate that into my idea without just drawing stuff inside and outside. So I concentrated on spaces. The flowers represented the outdoor spaces. The other geometric renderings were the shapes that i saw in some of the references of indoor spaces that i collected. I broke the space down into shapes, lines and textures. I absolutely love looking at spaces in everyday life like that. Paying attention to how each object interacts with one another and how the colors play off each other.

I think, if i would have allotted myself a lot more time, that this book could have been a really unique piece of art for me. So I am promising right now to devote A LOT MORE time to my 2012 Sketchbook Project! :)

GO VISIT MY SKETCHBOOK while it is on tour .... see the above website for more details!

I have alot of new projects on the horizon for the next month, but if you know of any other artist related projects I could participate in let me know! Otherwise feel free to challenge me to a project idea of your own! I am feeling the need to be creative. Just message me your thoughts and suggestions.

~erin