Keeping A Sketchbook with Jill Gustavis
Hey, Aimee here!
As some of you know, one of my goals this summer is to incorporate a consistent sketchbook practice as part of my overall creative practice. Believe it or not, I almost never use a sketchbook and I feel like it’s time to give it a go because there are so many benefits. Sketchbooks are a great place to store inspiration, play with new materials, and just create for the joy of creating without the pressure of creating something “perfect”.
Since this is relatively new to me, I was able to interview my friend, Jill Gustavis, who is a sketchbook pro! She has been keeping a steady sketchbook practice for years and I’m excited to share her wisdom and experience with you! Read more from Jill below…
Hi Jill, can you give a short introduction of yourself?
I'm a life-long, self taught artist living in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. I've done some form of art since childhood, but have been focusing on watercolors since 2016. I love painting botanicals, landscapes, and still life scenes.
When did you first start keeping a regular sketchbook practice?
Being an artist with a "sketchbook practice" was always an aspiration of mine but my consistency was always super sporadic due to a perfectionist tendency of judging what I put in my sketchbooks. The pressure to make my sketches perfect kept me from using my sketchbook to improve, which is not a good cycle. My sketchbook practice actually took off in 2018. The year doesn't matter, but the events or change in practice was 2-fold. I started doing thumbnails in my sketchbooks and I started making my own sketchbooks. These two changes took pressure off each session and I started actually using my sketchbooks more consistently, and behold, I started improving!
What do your sketchbooks include?
My sketchbooks include a myriad of content. Everything from an actual full painting that happened to be done in the sketchbook, to working out ideas with sketches that use trial and error to problem solve, to entire spreads of swatches and random brush strokes. I often use my sketchbooks outside as well, so many of the sketchbooks may include plein air work.
What benefits have you seen in your own creative practice from keeping a sketchbook?
My sketchbook is my go-to location for learning, so technically everything benefits from work in my sketchbooks. To highlight the most beneficial practice I do in my sketchbook would be solving things I'm stuck on using thumbnails. I have an entire Skillshare class on my thought process and a hashtag (#problemsolvinginyoursketchbook) to encourage other artists to noodle on their own. For example, say I'm trying a new subject and I don't know how to structure the painting in terms of layers or colors (especially in watercolor). What I do is try multiple approaches in separate thumbnails to see what I like best instead of Googling "How to paint...so and so." In one thumbnail I may work light to dark in layers, and then maybe throw everything in wet-in-wet, or perhaps then reserve highlights in masking fluid. By relying on my intuition to create results and then choosing a favorite that suits my own personal taste, I come up with an approach that's purely my own style. Not saying I don't look up technical skills, but more like "How to create a gradient wash." than "How to paint a sky."
What are your go-to art supplies for your sketchbook?
I usually use watercolor in my sketchbooks, but occasionally I'll use gouache, some water-soluble watercolor or graphite sticks, or do some drawing with a fountain pen or pencil. If I am trying something new, it'll probably happen first in my sketchbook.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to grow in their sketchbook practice or is just starting to keep a sketchbook for the first time?
Ask yourself honestly why you're not already keeping one. Time, cost, approach? Finding whatever is holding you back is a good first step on addressing a fear or obstacle and finding a solution. For example, a lot of artists don't want to "mess up" the "good" sketchbook they treated themselves with, they see it as money wasted. But, if you paint on cotton, while keeping a cellulose sketchbook, this can lead to a lot of frustration. I was stuck here a few years ago, but got around this fear by creating my own sketchbooks to ease into, or trick myself into a practice first.
What I did was start making my own "everyday sketchbooks", or ugly sketchbooks, as I lovingly call them. They're 90lb paper with old sketchbook/pad backboards for covers. The stitching is wonky and the product is less than beautiful to put it kindly. But that's the magic formula, I get the quality of the cotton paper in a bare-bones package. They don't cost a lot because there's no finishing details, no upcharge for manufacturing labor since I made it, and since I can just cut the thread at the end, the "book" never existed (another stumbling block is thinking that your less than perfect sketches are forever bound in a beautiful book). Each page in my everyday sketchbook feels like a scrap of paper, which is so freeing. I keep the pages I like, and recycle the pages that were purely there for growth. After a few sketchbooks, not only do you start to find you like more and more of the pages but you also get over messing up a page or two even in those fancy sketchbooks!
Where can we find you?
I actually have a whole page devoted to my sketchbook practice on my website! (Link) I'm also active on Instagram (@jillgustavisart) and most of my posts are also shared on my Facebook Page (@Jill Gustavis Art). If you're interested in expanding your sketchbook practice, I have the two sketchbook-focused classes on Skillshare: Build a Healthy Creative Habit: Make a Simple Everyday Sketchbook (Link) and Problem Solving in Your Sketchbook: Energize Your Creative Practice (Link).
Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this interview with Jill, I’d love to do more artist interviews in the future. And make sure to check out Jill’s Skillshare classes (linked above) if you’re interested in learning more from her!
