Dave's Digitals

Sketches can be wonderfully expressive and decorative too - and I don't think it's just because some of us can't do them that way

I can doodle and sketch crappy things that even I can't tell what they're supposed to be but if the sketchbook is pretty I don't want ugly sketches in it... So I always end up trying for something better and failing miserably and then I feel like I ruined the sketchbook and just hide it away

Charlotte wrote: Sketches can be wonderfully expressive and decorative too - and I don't think it's just because some of us can't do them that way

I can doodle and sketch crappy things that even I can't tell what they're supposed to be but if the sketchbook is pretty I don't want ugly sketches in it... So I always end up trying for something better and failing miserably and then I feel like I ruined the sketchbook and just hide it away

Yep, I think that's how I think I feel too. I would actually love to have a sketchbook just to rough sketch things in, but I honestly don't know where to start on trying to learn how to do so properly? Funny, I can grab sheets of paper to scribble stuff, but then some end up being things I like and I even work some up to full renders. Or scan them into the computer to be worked up in PS... But would much rather have them in a book too, then have a bunch of loose scraps of papers, as I do now. Some scrap works just get lost with time. Unless the wife grabs some to hold onto.[i/]

I have some old plastic folders for old drawings - I guess that system could work for sketches too. I just so rarely do anything traditional these days. (My sister started saving her drawings in a binder in the late 80:s - so naturally I had to do the same. Eventually only my favs ended up in the binder and the rest in those plastic folders... So I think I have stuff saved from 88 or 89 until.... 99? Probably earlier, as I got my first computer in 98 I think and after that it was bye bye drawing pads )

I think I've mentioned this before, but sadly as far as Art goes, I don't hardly have anything to show from my earlier years. Even though I've been drawing since before I can even remember and my Mom used to tell folks that I was drawing before I could walk. - But most of my stuff was also done on plain paper or a couple old sketchbooks I had at one time. But I used to give a lot of it away, when some would ask if they could keep one they liked, etc. ... Guess I was only thinking in the moment? So the only ones that I know of, are those my Mom or Wife happened to hold onto for whatever reason. Even things that were in the old sketchbook were torn out eventually, or discarded.

And I actually got away from Art completely for about 10 years a while back, before coming across my first IFX magazine that peaked my interest again. And like you, a lot of my traditional practice never got back in to the mix, except for doodling when not near a computer.

But my Wife and I were actually speaking about this just yesterday, before we started discussing it here. And I was trying to explain to her what we've said about those being able to rough sketch ideas, and she told me that I have even more 'empty' sketchbooks stored away in the Cedar Chest in our bedroom? I did not even know this, or forgotten about them? One she said my Son bought me, so I plan to digging them out and maybe making myself do something with them. Might not be much overall, but I think I'm kind-a committing myself to doing so, or to at least make a good attempt at it.

Christmas before last, mom got me a sketchbook and pencils and sis got me a sketchbook and pencils. I have used them a weeeeeee bit.

Well, the "Voyage into the Cedar Chest" (Man, that sounds like a Book or Movie ) went well, but was also an eye opener. ... There was indeed some sketchbooks in there, quite a few actually.

There were two brand new, very nice, 11 x 14 sketchbooks that my Son got for me.



An Old Sketchbook from who knows how many years ago... And it had one whole pic in it.


Another Old Sketchbook with a few pics in it...

And on the very bottom of it all... was an extremely old, 12 x 18 sketchbook from 30+ years ago. ... Apparently the Wife saved what was left of it and stored it with her stuff over the years. Not all that good in general, but I was in my early/mid 20's back then.

Apparently I re-made a few of Frazetta's works for practice as well, but then again, he was pretty much the only artist I had seen work from back in my teens/early twenties.

I think I am going to try and take one of the New Sketchbooks my Son bought me, and try to do some rough sketch work. I do remember purchasing a very large 5.5 sketch pencil (but think it's called a lead pusher or holder?) But never used it. But went and dug it out, along with some other stuff I purchased, mostly for artwork. Though I do use my 2.0 drafting pencils for work related stuff from time to time as well. But they do great for artwork too. Plus, I have a handful of .03 lead pencils for very fine detailing I used to use all the time when I did more work.

After getting up way too early today and starting work a couple hours before normal, I stopped around lunch and did some sketching. Just wanted to move the lead around a bit and was basically shading miscellaneous shapes. But then started seeing an unplanned shape in within it...[i/]



Also got word today that I'm going back to start working back in the office after today, so teleworking may finally be over... for me at least. But they've done this before, just hope not since I have to drag all my gear back and forth each time they change it up.

I like those Frazetta-style sketches. They look really dynamic and bold.
In the entirety of my life I've only ever filled one sketchbook and that was a small A5 book. I do have a couple that are partially filled (along with two clean ones) but I seem to be sketching less and less these days.