Visual Journals.

A while back I did a post on sketchbooks.Sketchbooks are great - While at school, they were a required part of assessment, and then at college they were a secondary but important working tool and these days can be a work of art in themselves.

For those who are really into their art, whatever medium their final work is in,a sketchbook is a really good idea. As a record for everyday obvervational drawings, sketches,design ideas and final design ideas they are a valuable creative tool.

I try and keep one (actually I have several on the go at the moment), but do have to say that they are something that does take time. Like most peoples, my muse is a tempramental creature and will go off in a huff if I don't pay it's urgings enough attention leaving me museless and frustrated. I've taken to carrying a small notebook/sketchpad with me in my bag for sketches - a thing which amuses my friends greatly when I start drawing at dinner or at video night.I sat there on sunday sketching these.


Something I do in addition to my journal is to keep sketchbooks full of pictures from magazines and pictures I found online. A visual source book, if you will. If I am stuck for ideas I can just flip through it and see where my brain takes me.I also have a folder on my desktop of my computer with pictures in it to inspire me.

These are some photos of pages from my full visual source book, started when I was at college and finished about a year ago:



This is the first spread from my new visual journal: