Claudia Nice - How to Keep a Sketchbook Journal

How To Keep A Sketchbook Journal

BY CLAUDIA NICE

NORTH LIGHT BOOKS
Cincinnati, Ohio
www.nlbooks.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claudia Nice is a native of the Pacific Northwest and a self-taught artist who developed her realistic art style by sketching from nature. She is a multimedia artist, but prefers pens, ink and watercolor when working in the field. Claudia has been an art consultant and instructor for Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph and Grumbacher. She travels across North America conducting workshops, seminars and demonstrations at schools, clubs, shops and trade shows. Claudia has recently opened her own teaching studio, Brightwood Studio (www.brightwoodstudio.com), in the beautiful Cascade wilderness near Mt. Hood, Oregon. Her oils, watercolors and ink drawings have won numerous awards and can be found in private collections across the continent.

Claudia has authored fifteen successful art instruction books, including Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink, Creating Textures in Pen & Ink With Watercolor, Painting Nature in Pen & Ink With Watercolor and Painting Weathered Buildings in Pen, Ink& Watercolor , all of which were featured in the North Light Book Club.

When not involved with her art career, Claudia enjoys hiking and horseback riding in the wilderness behind her home on Mt. Hood. Using her artistic eye to spot details, Claudia has developed skills as a man-tracker and is involved, along with her husband, Jim, as a search-and-rescue volunteer.

How TO KEEP A SKETCHBOOK JOURNAL . Copyright 2001 by Claudia Nice. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F&W Publications, Inc., 1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207. (800) 289-0963. First edition.

This hardcover edition of How TO KEEP A SKETCHBOOK JOURNAL features a self-jacket that eliminates the need for a separate dust jacket. It provides sturdy protection for your book while it saves paper, trees and energy.

05 04 03 02 01 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Nice, Claudia

How to keep a sketchbook journal / Claudia Nice.1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 1-58180-044-4 (alk. paper)

1. DrawingTechnique. 2. Notebooks. I. Title.

NC730 .N52001

741.2dc21 00-045213

Editor: Amy J. Wolgemuth
Production Editor: Christine Doyle
Production Coordinator: Sara Dumford
Designer: Amber Traven

METRIC CONVERSION CHART

SMOKEY MOUNTAIN FARM HOUSE
8 11 (22cm 28cm)
Watercolor textured with a glass dip pen, calligraphy ink and the pen blending technique(See for the preliminary thumbnail sketches.)

Table of Contents

CATHIE SKETCHING FOXGLOVES
7 9 (18cm 24cm) Watercolor

Introduction

What is a sketchbook journal? As the name suggests, it is a book, usually bound, containing both sketches and bits of personal history and observations. More than a diary of written words, it is an outlet for visual expression and artistic creativity. Where words leave off, the sketchbook journal awakens the mind with shapes, colors and textures, all seen through the eye of the recorder and preserved in his own personal style.

As a very personal work, the sketchbook journal need not be shared with everyone. It is not a minigallery open to public critique, but rather a safe haven where the creative mind is allowed to express, experiment, discover, document and dream, with no thought of pleasing others. Therefore, one should never apologize for the art or thoughts contained within. Rarely are the sketches contained in a journal the recorder's best art. The sketches are often quickly made; if they catch the essence of a memory, they have done their job. Only the illustrations in an in-depth study journal need be as detailed and precise as possible.

Within the pages of this book, I have shared many entries based on my personal memory and sketchbook journals. Some of the illustrations are detailed and elaborate, reflecting days when I had plenty of time and interest to devote to the subject; other sketches are mere scribbles. Nevertheless, each one reminds me of a specific subject or experience and is therefore adequate. The written journal entries are penned in uppercase block letters so that you can distinguish them from other text. Any idiosyncrasies or unique spellings in the journal pages add to the inherent integrity of the artwork and should be enjoyed as such. They only enhance the work and make it more personal.

It is my hope that this glimpse into the pages of my life, as well as the instruction and advice contained within this book, may inspire you to begin your own sketchbook journal. Remember that there is no greater way one can celebrate life than to create a legacy of memories.

Best wishes,

Chapter 1 Getting Started

MATERIALS

Good tools and art supplies are essential to the success of any project. The joy of creation can be greatly discouraged when the artist has to fight with her art equipment to succeed. One need not buy the most expensive tools, but a few good-quality supplies are better than a bucketful of inferior implements. One must learn the nature of art materials in order to choose wisely.