Thursday, December 11th, 2008
sketchbook
We’ve started grading the students final work of the semester in the design studio I’m teaching, and my favorite part is always going through their sketchbooks. We ask them to keep a record of their process from the beginning to the end of the studio and it’s amazing to see their progress. We ask them to photograph everything they make and stick a copy of the photo into the book. Then they can draw over it, sketch next to it, and add notes and other images as they progress.
The magical part for the students is seeing how what they are working on in the end relates to where they started. It always comes full circle.
Generally this is how I work, but as I was going through their books I realized that I hadn’t been working that way for several months. As I get busier I tend to skip the recording part. I think it’s essential to make this a regular part of my process so that I’m not just recording but also seeing new connections in the things I make and moving forward with new ideas.
I took these photos of my sketchbook months ago for the article I wrote for Stitch magazine, and now looking at them again, I realized I was working with the mottled dye technique I’ve been using lately over a year ago. I guess ideas do keep circling back.
on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 5:57 pm:
I love looking at people’s sketchbooks and learning about their process..and in my own study,I also like to document…it’s such a treat to look back on. I never regret taking the time to record but always regret if I don’t. Thanks for sharing your sketchbook, it’s inspirational.
on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 6:56 pm:
I so need to do this. Now that my classes are finished I was like, cool, now I can just do whatever I want, but I’ve very quickly realised that without the focus, my work activity has become slightly shambolic and not that productive. Your notebooks look so beautiful too - I’m going to copy you!
on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 7:28 pm:
i love looking at sketchbooks, but i’m terrible about keeping my own.
on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 10:00 pm:
I always love seeing people’s sketchbooks it is always amazing to see a peek into the soul of there creative processes.
Thanks for sharing.
on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 1:55 am:
i was just talking about your journal today to my friend, berry….saying how i wish i was more organized, like you - i find my thoughts on random pieces of paper all over the place …………….. no good!
on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 5:33 am:
It’s wonderfully inspiring to take a peek inside someone else’s sketchbook. The idea of taking photos and sticking them in, and sketching over them is fantastic. It’s something I’ve done once or twice before, but I can imagine it being really benefitial as a regular design exercise.
on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 10:43 am:
A very good reminder…..
on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 1:49 pm:
i am an obsessive documentarian, but when i go back through my sketch books looking for answers or patterns, all i seem to find are more questions to pile onto the questions that are already there… i guess resolution isn’t part of my studio practice right now.
i really love the way you map out your ideas and projects visually.
on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 4:14 pm:
great process, but also good to get a kick and make you re-focus of the creative part- rather than racing to the end, perhaps missing vital ideas along the way…… always ” do as I say, no as I do” for the students
on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 6:07 pm:
Thank you very much for sharing your sketchbook and your process. Just recently I started to get more organized and thoughtful about my own process of creating things, before I used just to think about things and not recording…
on Saturday, December 13th, 2008 at 7:12 am:
thanks for allowing us a peek. i have fallen out of the habit of writing in my journal. you have inspired me to start again. happy weekend martha! xo
on Sunday, December 14th, 2008 at 10:03 pm:
yes yes yes to the sketchbook.
i always forget how much i love working in them when i get swamped. but i always return….