WIP Wednesday | Planning, Planning, Planning

Hello Friends,

When was the last time you saw a sketchbook? What was in it?

This is mine. A patchwork of my likes, experiences, and memories. What would you expect to find inside should you open it? Its not unreasonable to assume there would be numerous illustrations considering its a sketchbook. 

Mine, however, features more writing than one might expect.​

Yet, there was once a time when I refused to take notes here as to not ruin the continuity of the book. Thats obviously no longer important, as the book is meant for me and doesn’t require the elements to make it a “showpiece”. That said, its contents should showcase the utility of my process as it relates to art, regardless of the amount of illustrations present. 

Many of the notes are simply shortcuts and bullet points for my design processes; ideas to be considered when taking a piece from one phase to another (especially when digital tools are introduced). So, instead of constantly drawing to grow my technical skills toward mastering specific techniques, I usually focus on organizing my thoughts and envisioning methods to produce visuals that I may not have the time/patience to render by hand. Thankfully, this has given me the ability to devise design plans quickly and efficiently. Sometimes allowing me to take a portion of one project and implement it in a completely different context or use-case. See my Olympic postage stamp as an example. This one instance has now afforded me the option to purse a completely new project that could potentially be monetized. 

Since its WIP Wednesday, I thought sharing a look at my book would help inform my audience about my approach to art creation. Simultaneously, acknowledging the possibility of varying ways in which to create design solutions. I firmly believe the way I’m able to strategize quick and reliable solutions for clients is due to the resourcefulness of my sketchbooks. Often offering me the most creative solutions even when the path is not so obvious.

What do you think? Do you keep a sketchbook, bullet journal, or planner? What do you use it for? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. As always, don’t forget to like and share this post~

Until next time,
Peace

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