Written by Bee Paper
Art is a process, not a final product. Within that process there will be PLENTY of mistakes. However, art supplies can be expensive which makes mistakes more frustrating than they need to be. This is where the benefits of having a practice sketchbook can be found.
Though there are plenty of benefits of having a practice sketchbook, here’s a quick list of some of our top reasons:
Quick Sketching as a Tool for Reflecting
There is certainly plenty of research proclaiming the benefits of journaling. It relieves stress and helps you process difficult emotions, but artists get the additional benefit of using it as a creative outlet. Using practice sketch paper as a place to quickly draw thoughts as they come along allows you to leave more expensive art papers for finished projects.
Additionally, reflecting on your thoughts through art creates an opportunity to change your perspective. Had a bad day? Draw how you feel about it. And if you hate what you made, who says you have to keep it? Crumble it up and recycle it! There’s plenty more paper to work with.
A Sketchbook for YOUR EYES ONLY
Art is personal no matter who you are and making mistakes is even more so. You don’t have to show anyone your art, but sometimes sketchbooks end up feeling very public, especially in the age of social media where it seems like everyone is showing perfect art all the time. Practice sketchbooks give you a separate space to work on projects you never want to share with the world.
Speaking of social media, it may seem like all those amazing Instagram artists never mess up. But most of those journals you see are filled with someone’s BEST work, the stuff they spent hours and hours learning how to do before hand, what you don’t see are the hours they put into it. Think of your practice journal as your art diary—would you share your most private thoughts with the world? Probably not! You deserve a place to keep your private thoughts. Your practice sketchbook is a place where you can put in your own hours where no one has to see them. Making mistakes is a part of life and it’s nice to have a place where they don’t matter.
Experimenting in a Practice Sketchbook
Learning new techniques is prime mistake-making time. From new media to something as simple as learning to hold your pencil differently, it takes time to perfect a new skill, which is an ideal reason to have a separate practice sketchbook. Sometimes to learn you have to draw the same thing over and over again, which takes up a lot of space. Having paper that's affordable and available to you all the time means you can spend as much time on a skill as you want without worrying about running out of supplies or the cost of the supplies you're using.
Another part of experimenting is having fun! A practice sketchbook gives you the freedom to be silly with your work. If you know no one is going to see it, then why worry? You have the choice to scribble out a page or take notes on what works and what doesn’t. It’s a place to learn and grow freely. See something you like online? Copy it! Want to try freehand for the first time? Go for it!
Bee Sketchbooks
For this reason, Bee Paper has our sketch paper series. If you’re looking for the practice sketchbook for you, we have some recommendations. The Jumbo Bee, the Quick Rough Sketch, and the Rough Newsprint as journals the well work perfectly as your less than perfect practice sketchbook.
Share with us: What does practice sketching look like for you?