When I start to get near the end of a sketchbook I do two things: I panic a bit and start seeking out a new replacement – I’m very very picky about these things so it takes awhile to find something suitable (does it lay flat, is it leather-free, is the paper just so, etc.) – and I begin to look back through it in its entirety and re-read entries to look for key points and emerging themes.
I will get into the “key points and emerging themes” a bit more in a separate post but for now, here are a few layouts from the sketchbook I’ve been keeping this past year. These are not really in the order that they appear in my sketchbook… just in a way that seems logical and has more continuity between concept and/or imagery.
Cry The Bird 
Thanks for sharing. I love seeing inside people’s sketchbooks. It’s hard to believe considering how intensely I used to work in mine, but I haven’t used a sketchbook in about a year or so. Weird, right? I’ve just been moved straight to drawing or painting from the idea. Planning to experiment with other options, though, mostly for storing relevant visual information. You’ve got such great references in your sketchbook.
I don’t think that’s too odd – For me making work and planning work are two very different mental states and it’s really hard to do both at the same time. And you’ve been making some great work this past year from what I’ve seen of the images you’ve shared from your recent shows. If it works – it works! 🙂
Wonderful work. Passed this post on to friends & family. 🙂
Thanks! 🙂
I just found this beautiful post because I am looking for ways to write in my sketchbooks without ruining hours of work on a sketch. Some images are careful and detailed, others just “practice” sheets. I find your book to be enormously inspiring! Thank you!