"You can't do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh."

- John Singer Sargent

Many students and aspiring artists want to know how to improve their drawing skills. The answer of course is practice, and a great way to practice is to keep a sketchbook, but it doesn't have to just be an academic exercise....

The artist's sketchbook is a time honored tradition from the days of DaVinci to the painters, illustrators and designers of today.  It can be a personal journal, a notebook on current or upcoming projects or a random collection of drawings, inspiration and ideas. Fill it with studies for paintings or drawings from observation, imagination or memory. Collect photos, scraps and tidbits from newspapers or magazines  or found objects that inspire you. Use it to gather your thoughts or improve your techniques.

A tool of observation or invention, the sketchbook can be the jumping off point for a project or a finished work of art (or anywhere in between). Regardless of its final goal, the sketchbook is something every artist should keep close at hand in the studio or on the road.

Spotlight Artist Kurt Hollomon's Sketchbook