your sketchbook doesn't have to be pretty: realistic sketchbook session
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- the title is true. make "ugly" sketchbooks!
in this video, I chat a bit about how social media (specifically sketchbook tours and art content on CZcams and Instagram) warp our perspective on what our sketchbooks should look like and how we should fill our sketchbooks, whether it be with a certain supply or certain subject matter. we have the freedom to use sketchbooks however we want, finished artwork, quick scribbles, thumbnailing and all. I personally use my sketchbook to learn, experiment, and explore new ideas, and I want to invite you to consider to do the same!
furthermore I feature a realistic sketchbook session of me attempting to draw some cats, and practice some digital coloring in my digital sketchbook.(feel free to draw with me!) it definitely did not turn out as "pretty" as I wanted it to be, but I learned so much through the process and gave myself the permission to leave things unfinished (and also reminded me that references are very important! lol). the learning process is not always aesthetic and uniform as social media may make it out to be, and our expectations to get something right the first try is warped due to that trend. therefore I wanted to show my fails, my multiple attempts, my unfinished work to make you feel less alone.
I hope this video serves as a reminder that not everything in your sketchbook has to be pretty and perfect. let things be unfinished, explore as many new ideas as possible, make multiple attempts at drawing something, but above all else, make sure you're aligning with your own values as an artist and a person. your artistic voice is way to precious to lose to social media or impossible expectations.
keep drawing.
much love,
shay
About Me:
Hi! I'm Shay, an artist and illustrator based in Central Florida. I make goofy drawings, digital art, and traditional paintings of my favorite characters, along with my own personal series of characters and universes. My art practice is fueled by my passion to create, entertain, and my crippling caffeine addiction.
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Display Tablet: Huion Kamvas Pro 16
Software: Clip Studio Paint Pro
Sketchbook: Talens Art Creation Sketchbook (color: coral)
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I love your perspective on this!! In many ways social media has distorted how we artists see other artists since we only see a snapshot of what others are producing. We can tend to put other artists that we consider better than ourselves on a pedestal as this perfect, never-makes-mistakes type of person when in reality they're just like everyone else. We don't see them on their bad days when they're struggling, we see the best of their work because that is what they post online.
exactly!!! love how you described it.💖
my sketchbook is basically 70% doodle and 30% anatomy and my OCs. I'm basically getting muscle memory and confidence from my doodles I love my sketchbook it's amazing
that’s amazing!! so happy for you💖
I always see my sketchbook like a diary, it has so many special moments in it that in a couple years I’d love to look back on and remember what life was like back then
exactly, it’s so valuable💖
The thing I love about your sketchbooks is that they're just that: sketchbooks, not art books.
For me, I'm currently at my first "real" sketchbook but I have been creative for 2-3 years now... though it has been very irregular, not that often.
So, my first sketchbook that is a watercolorsketchbook. And for me, it's difficult to induldge into "messy" spreads. I actually need clean edges and a finished picture every time.
I tried not to do that when attempting to start a sketchbook (that's why I'm currently at my first "real" sketchbook, the other ones were just give-ups) but that just turned into me being really sloppy and not carefult, so planning my pages, mapping out spaces with washitape etc. really, really helps me.
My sketchbook having a rather organized, clean look, all pages filled gives me a lot of satisfaction and need to continue.
And I actually started this sketchbook, thinking: "oh, I'm just gonna draw pictures" but then my first spread where I was just trying to draw scenes from a TV-show turned into practicing shadows on tiny faces. That then made me want to improve skin tones and shadows so that turned into the second spread. And then I realized I really suck at drawing hair, so that is the third spread.
So if you feel like having a sketchbook that looks rather messy, or if you find yourself turning sloppy with it, or just being de-motivated, I think planning a page or a spread would help you to get a feeling, if taped-out spaces could be the thing for you.
I hope this helps someone!
I just posted a sketchbook video the other day, its a wild mix of finished pieces, learning and completely ugly and messy pages and I like it that way. Its the first sketchbook I ever finished because in the past when I messed up on a page or something didn´t turn out I felt like the entire book was ruined. I am proud that I am now able to just flip past the "bad" pages and continue because thats the only way to learn and grow as an artist.
that is so awesome!! you should be proud of yourself 🥹💖💕
Yo, this was a really good time for me to see the video. I’ve been getting really tired of art because I haven’t been making “perfect” pieces all the time and that’s been pretty demotivating but taking a step back to just appreciate each “bad” artwork I make just because of the fact that it existed and I learned from it is nice.
People online tend to mostly show off their best work. I mean no one wants to show something off that they don’t like very much so you shouldn’t compare your everyday art to what they post. Art is not a competition. It’s a place of self growth and development. Sometimes you just have to let yourself be “bad” at art to bring the joy back to it again.
For me, that means drawing my oc’s more and doodling silly nonsense, but for you that might be something else. Every artist is different, every sketchbook is different and they all have different purposes and goals. Thank you for reminding me of that :}
Love this sentiment!! This is so important to remember, thank you so much for sharing this!
I love when artists are honest about their process and experience with art because it makes the struggles I experience feel a lot more valid. Thank you for making this video :))
you’re so very welcome! wanted to make sure I wasn’t alone either 😅💖💕💗
Comparison I think is our greatest downfall as artist. Inspiration can quickly turn rotten as imposter syndrome and envy sets in. It’s hard haha especially if you follow ‘masters’ Kim Jung Gi(rip 💙). Social media harms and enhances artists.
You’ve helped me alot with my own art journey as college applications slowly start to seep in and senioritis starts haha(im not even a senior). Thank you for the vid and reminding us that it’s important to stay true to yourself and your own art journey is a unique struggle we should embrace
so true! thank you so much for watching!!💖
a lot of people need to hear this, such a good video. i used to struggle with the image of my sketchbook a lot. but now that i'm having trouble just picking it up regularly, i realize that it doesn't matter wether your sketcbook spreads look good or not, what matters is that these spreads are filled in lol
This is so helpful. I find that after a year of ap art (my last year of high school) I’ve become like really burned out. I always felt like I had to come up with the next idea, and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be good enough to continue. Now that it’s over, and I have time to settle down for the summer I can just create just for fun. I can do fanart, and doodles. I’ve been trying to find a good and healthy relationship with my sketchbook again. I think as artists we forget what it means to create, and we get lost in how many people see and praise us for it. I know by questioning why I’m doing this, and what it means to go into it really helps. It takes the pressure off of views and social media, and really is a better way to cope through imposter syndrome. Thank you for your words, and to know that it’s okay to not be perfect. Not every page needs to be the next da Vinci. Sometimes it can just be simple doodles of a cat. (Which I loved them by the way ^^)
Such great points. I watched another video a few days ago, similar to this. It talked about the distinction between sketch books and *art* books, which is what most people are uploading and sharing; fully fleshed out finished pieces, not the dozens of hand studies and shading practice and random things we scribble in our *sketch* books. Thanks for this!
would love to watch that video! I think it’s great to distinguish between the two! both are so valuable and fun to look at, but it’s great to have that context, thank you for your insight!!💖💕
@@sketchesofshay I believe it’s called “Are Sketchbook Tours Lying To You?” on a channel called Louise Creates Art.
@@ArtemisNYC thank you so much!
Hey pretty girl I just wanted to let you know you inspired me to just sketch and draw and be messy and make wrong lines and just feel cozy and be motivated and make evaluation in my art and find my own style so thank you 🐋🐚🌺🐌
Thanks 💕 it was really nice hearing you address the issue with comparison when doing art. Not only bc I was busy but bc I saw so many other ppl, older and younger doing art better than mine, I just couldn’t draw for a long time. But I’m happy I’m starting to get back into it :)
I feel like Instagram is definitely the worst social media for this, it's full of perfection and can really have you comparing and questioning your own abilities, unfortunately ❤
exactly, it can be really damaging to our mental health :(
Theres something quite beautiful in looking to a sketchbook full of “raw” art, is like having a more close relation with the artist, it becomes more real.
very true 💗💗
Just wanted to say I think you worded everything wonderfully here. I can’t express how reassuring it is to see other artists to feel the same struggles I do. It’s been a rough month for me creatively because I’ve have a horrible habit of comparing my talent and style with others, but I’m working to improve on that!
Thanks again for the lovely video and art Shay! Hope all is well 💕
I’m so glad you don’t feel alone💖 thank you so much for watching!
drawing a new piece for my portfolio while watching this, made me feel so much better about myself and my art
that makes me so happy!! happy drawing my dear 💖
This was such a lovely reminder! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts & art with us 🫶
Awesome breakdown! A sketchbook is for learning. I remember Todd McFarlane saying he drew 100 of each body part to learn anatomy. That's they type rugged, rough, ugly stuff that should be in there. Social media is commerce. You want real art craft experience, buy different types of paper, different sizes of paper, markers, pens, pencils...some books on the craft and just create. Take life drawing courses. Over time, you will develop your own curriculum, your own flow, your own style. That's what those sketchbooks are for... development and growth.
exactly!! 💖
somehow each video you upload is exactly what I need to hear. i’ve been struggling with drawing recently and find myself in the instagram loop a lot but your videos always bring me back to earth thank you so much for being my biggest inspiration 🩷🩷
I’m so happy my lil videos can help you!! happy drawing 💖💕
Thank you! I really needed this to be honest, I started my current sketchbook in december as a sketchbook to just draw in it and allow ugly drawings but now whenever I draw something that I do like I’m scared that the next time I draw something it won’t be that good, resulting in me not drawing at all, while drawing is something I absolutely love doing.
you got this! Just keep going and keep drawing regardless of how it turns out 💖
thank you for explaining this :) i have a problem with comparing myself to others and hating my art in any way possible and you talking ab this rlly lifts my spirit
I’m so happy your spirits are lifting! I have the same issue, but sometimes we just have to remember ourselves we shouldn’t compare 💖
I am always afraid of showing my sketches or sketchbook, because my is really messy, because I try to learn a lot these past few days and using my sketchbook to experiment. Seeing your sketchbook motivates me to leave that behind and doing what i have to do to get better. thanks for the video!
I’m so happy this has helped ! keep drawing, don’t give up 💖
I have sketchbook hacks that make it so I can be happier with more of my pages even if they have a lot of 'bad' doodles.
Basically, I pick a blank spread and glue down some cute matching paper to draw around later.
Something else I do is put down a light water color wash on a blank page to draw on later.
Doing stuff like this leaves me happier if a few sketches on the page look bad and relieves pressure to make an aesthetic spread because it's already got some things to tie everything together.
When I do this I don't worry about making pages that look bad because I know I set some pages up to be satisfying if that makes sense.
this is a cool idea! I'll definitely have to try it :D
Oh man, I was planning on making a video on this exact same topic!! 😆 I absolutely love hearing your perspective on this. I have really been enjoying all of your videos, though...your art is so lovey and you seem very real and authentic. Thank you for sharing your work and world with us!!!
thank you for watching! I still think you should make a video, it’s always good to have more than one opinion💕
@@sketchesofshay I just might!! 💖
so unrelated BUT! it feels so nice to see an artist that like,,, sorta looks like me?? and who has had the same sorta experiences as me (such as trying to perfect sketchbooks). like i also have short short hair, glasses, and am an artist! it makes me absolutely love watching your videos even more!!
I’m glad you find a bit of your identity in my videos!! 💖💕 thank you for watching!
thank you so much for this. since the first covid lockdowns in 2020 i have felt so stuck and uninspired with my art. i have tried to start over a few times but it has just been too hard. i haven't drawn almost at all in the last few months especially, but in the past couple days i've started rediscovering the things i love and am inspired by, and trying to apply it more. since i discovered your videos literally yesterday, i've felt so much more motivated again, and it has been super refreshing to see your sketchbooks and listen to you talk about things like in this video. much love, shay. thanks again :)
I’m so happy you’re feeling motivated again!! thank you for watching 🥹💕💖
Thank you so much ❤ I've been coming back to my sketchbook after a 5 years break, and the state of the "sketchbook" game 5 years ago was really less stressful than it can be nowadays. Your videos are certainly soothing ❤
you got this!! 🥹💗💕💖
I’m addicted to your videos and your personality!
AHHDHF thank you so much!!💖💕💕
i feel like sketchbooks can be what you want or need it to be tbh. but yeah when learning and exploring not having any expectations is good approach.
exactly 🙌🙌🙌
I have two sketchbooks and one of them is a “ugly” sketchbook and the other one is a more pretty and is for finished pieces. Plus thanks for the good advice:)
I know I comment the same sort of thing on almost every other videos of yours, so I apologise, lol. I recently just came home from the hospital, due to struggles with my mental health. I watch many youtubers to make me feel better, and you're one of them!! I rewatch all your videos basically every day. Thank you so much, Shay.
I’m feel honored that I can make your day a little easier💖 hoping my videos continue to give you that same comfort 💕
Something I’ve found that helps keep art fun and exploratory is a trick from LilStarNerd who lets her little sister draw blobs or scribbles with colored pencil and then she takes a darker color and creates something from her sisters scribbles. I tried it the other day and got a few good drawings out of it, if you don’t have someone to scribble for you, you can always close your eyes and scribble yourself (that’s what I did) Hope this helps!
sounds like a fun idea!! thank you for sharing 💖
i needed this , i’m currently in a art block ..
I’m so happy this has helped!! I really want to make more content talking about it and encouraging artists to keep going ☺️💕💖
I'm sort of the opposite in a way, having a watercolour sketchbook where I make 'nicer' more realised sketches & art really helped me. Otherwise my sketches are super messy and I have no in-between. I still have 'messy' sketch & note books though, that's really needed! I think I had to realise I 'think' better in paint than drawing sometimes.
i also find painting much more calming and relaxing than drawing. and yeah having multiple sketchbooks can be a good idea.
I totally understand this as a painter! “thinking in paint” is such a good term, thank you for your insight!!💖💕
honestly i feel just scared to even start on a new sketchbook page personally, its also hard to even come up with ideas along with wanting to make it look pretty too so there is a lot of pressure! T-T this helps out a lot thanks shay
I’m so happy this has helped you! just take it easy, and over time it’ll come more naturally 💖
Your videos are super helpful and relatable in everything you say, so just wanted to say thank you for this reminder
I’m so happy my videos are helpful for you 💖💕💗
i love this sm, i just finished my art gcse exam, so i can finally start drawing for fun again and i cant wait to fill all the sketchbooks i never got round to finishing !! also i just found your channel a couple days ago and i love your videos!
I’m so glad this has made you excited!! and thank you for watching my channel 🥺💖🙌
Hiya this was so helpful, iv only just found your channel so iv subscribed.. 😊 lovely sketches .. great camera presence.. and I look forward to watching more of your videos yay 😊👍
I really needed that.
I just started to learn to draw, and i hated that i could'nt draw well,and my little sketchbook is terrible.
But now i understand .
Thank you:>
(And sorry for my bad english)
i clicked on this video randomly and i'm honestly very glad i did, if only for the abrupt feeling of camaraderie i got upon seeing you write little notes to yourself in your sketchbook about what you're drawing lmao i thought i was kinda silly for doing that all these years. as well, goodness, i haven't drawn in A While now (mostly due to work dominating my life atm) but watching you doodle all these cats really kinda woke up my art muse again, haha. i think i'll doodle tonight, thank you :>
yay so happy you’ve gotten a lil inspiration from this video!! and yeah I have to write things down because future me Will Forget lol 😂💖💕 happy drawing!
your passion is so beautiful
Thank you so much for the video! Also the cat picture you drew was SOO~ cute!!! I think personally, Artists should share the rougher side of things, or the more 'real' side. Most of the time I get super discouraged because my sketches don't look as 'refined' as the one's shown on social media. An I understand most artists have to keep an image or whatever. But I'd like to see your ugly, messy, went over 1,000 times sketches, because I CAN relate to that. I think most artists starting out really want to be able to relate to those with higher followers or with good art.
Like, tell us how hard it was growing or finding inspiration, tell us about your burn out/art block days.
This is just my personal opinion!
Again thanks for the video!!
thank you for sharing!! I can relate to a lot of what you said 💗🙌 its definitely great to be transparent and share struggles along with triumphs 🌸
Hi Shay, your hatching is so amazing! Would you mind doing a tutorial on that in the future?
This was so inspiring! :) Thank you so much, I needed this today
you’re welcome!! wishing you the best with making art💕
as a young artist this is a incredible video
Yes the comment is late ...Idk but,I have always feel like I needed to make my art perfect and i dont know what is perfect tho,it just has to be perfect ,i always ask myself,what is perfect? And my brains answer is just "Well idk... its just perfect" ,idk maybe its because my parents afford my sketchbooks and stuff so i kinda feel if it isnt gonna be perfect, i feel like its a waste of time and money (cause art stuff is so damn expensive here) but you have me more confident with my artstyle Tysmmmm :) ♡
so happy I could help you a bit! I defintely want to touch on this topic of "perfectionism in art" in a future video and your insight was really helpful to my brainstorming. wishing you the best!
Can you please talk about color, painters seem to have such a great understanding besides complimentary
I recently heard a good way of dealing with seeing other artists' pieces that you think are better than yours. Instead of thinking that they are so much better, start thinking "Wow, this is possible, I can do this too!" and the whole world changes. At least it did for me.
I love that way of thinking!!💕💖 thank you for sharing that!
You have an amazing perspective on this, and it’s something I will keep in mind moving forward. Also, it seems silly, but I never thought to sketch digitally like I do in my sketchbook! I always go in expecting to make a final piece, and then often get frustrated when it doesn’t turn out like I wanted it to. But then, if I don’t practice there too, how am I going to get better? I’ll def try it in the future! Thank you for this!
I thought the same way!! I really recommend starting off small and simple with digital, it’s been really helping me in my own journey 💖
Thank you for this! I love sitting and drawing along with you. I wondered if there were any other reference resources you know about? I downloaded the George Bridgman PDF that you talked about in your other videos and they’ve been super helpful! Also all of your art is so inspirational and you’ve pushed me to try new things and not feel bad about them not going how I want, and allowing myself to fail and try again
I’m working on more in depth art advice videos for the future, but I’m glad you found my reccs useful! In the meantime, keep on drawing! You got this💕💖💗
@@sketchesofshay thank you !
Great tips, subscribed💕
Totally resonate with this video ❤❤
that is why instead of a sketchbook i call mine a ruinbook. I am one of those people that needs to have perfect notebooks, that somehow looks like it has been planned and curated by an art director, haha and it is not helpful for progress and trying new things. naming mine a ruinbook allowed me to have awful pages, rip or add things, and honestly, it looks chaotically beautiful in the end.
loveeeee this idea!! might start doing that in the future, it sounds like a great strategy 👌😳
needed this so much
thank you for this video c: also I just couldn't keep my eyes from your paintings. Im studing art as well but I just hate painting (I realy mean it) they are so beautiful, I would love to see a video about them or your painting process c;
thank you so much! I plan on sharing more of my process as I make more videos and get better at speaking 😅💖
Thank you for motivation!
you’re welcome 💖🌸💕
Thank you..❤
I came to conclusion that artists have many sketchbooks, and one of them is "pretty for a display" one.
I believe this too 🙌🙌
This was amazing and definitely what I needed to hear, tysm! I just started a new sketchbook and couldn't figure out how to get it started and this really inspired me to push past the fear of it not being perfect. Your videos are amazing, keep it up!
P.s is there anywhere where I could find the brushes you were using on Clip studio? :)
I just use the default clip studio brushes! And also I’m happy my videos can help you! you got this 💖💕💗
@@sketchesofshay awww thank youuuu!!
I do my best drawing on loose sheets of paper. Drawing in a sketchbook for long periods of time gets uncomfortable. With your hand hanging off the edge or straddling the spine. Having to force the pages to stay flat. No thanks. A single sheet of paper makes it easier to focus, plus you've got the hard surface of the desk to draw against, unlike a mushy stack of paper.
that's a great option! I'm happy you found success in drawing in a way that works for you
It is doing the doodles and ugly stuff that gems appear.
so true!
Я очень рада, что попала на этот канал!💛🌟
miss the times before i knew you knew you could improve when u would draw on anything i think if your trying to lean drawing now when you didn’t have a passion for it it’s hard to get in the mind of someone who didn’t care if there art was good or bad and as kids get on social media younger and younger they constantly being told how to do art correctly instead of having the time to grow into the want to improve. to summarize draw what ever when ever on homework napkins anything build your want to draw then think about sketch books not as a means to improve but to just do art then you can naturally just fill up sketch books as long as your drawing your improving
I'm wondering if you can share your art portfolio sometime? I'm super interested
I’ll write it down as a future video idea!! although a lot of my more finished work are in earlier posts on my instagram 👍💖
hi shay 😊😊
hi!