The sketchbook is a powerful place. It’s a place where artists and illustrators can play—try out new techniques, subject matter, or even jot down the occasional note. Many people prefer to keep these books private, and I don’t blame them. They can be incredibly personal spaces. So, I’m always delighted by those who choose to let us in on their sketchbook—it’s like seeing how someone’s mind works.
There are some who, with little effort, are able to make every page of their sketchbook look like a finished work of art. These books, in turn, are not just places to jot down lists or make a silly doodle. Rather, they’re intimate galleries that travel with them as they move throughout the world.
Here are 5 different illustrators who take the sketchbook to a whole new level.
Carolyn Gavin
If you want to see some amazing painting take place, just watch Carolyn Gavin’s videos on her Instagram. Using gouache and other water-based media, vibrant bouquets of flowers come alive before our eyes.
Sarah Walsh
Sarah Walsh paints gouache delights on the spreads of her sketchbook. From portraits to ponies, they’re a combination of fantasy and diary of her life at that moment.
Stephanie Birdsong
Stephanie Birdsong’s sketchbooks are colorful records of her day-to-day life. (The pages are even dated.) Look closely and you’ll see that the collage spreads contain to-do lists, fun doodles, and interesting cutout images.
Abigail Halpin
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell where Abigail Halpin’s sketchbook ends and her “finished” illustrations begin. They often feed off one another, with similar, almost interchangeable motifs of leaves and long-haired ladies.
Julianna Brion
Julianna Brion recycles old books for her illustrative experiments. Beneath the colorful paintings and drawings are bits of text—here, they’re obscured become a base of texture for her work. It provides Julianna’s subjects a ground to stand on.