[FloatThruThis]

I’ve never finished a sketchbook. My goal for 2024 is to finish a 9”x6” (22.86cm x 15.24cm) 236 page sketchbook I made. I’m copying drawing tutorials I find on Pinterest.

So far, I’ve filled 11 pages. I need to fill about 20 pages a month in order to accomplish my goal. I just want to see if I can even finish a sketchbook and what will happen if I do.

[TheGal]

What a good goal!! So good...

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by FloatThruThis

I’ve never finished a sketchbook. My goal for 2024 is to finish a 9”x6” (22.86cm x 15.24cm) 236 page sketchbook I made. I’m copying drawing tutorials I find on Pinterest.

So far, I’ve filled 11 pages. I need to fill about 20 pages a month in order to accomplish my goal. I just want to see if I can even finish a sketchbook and what will happen if I do.

I never use "sketchbooks" for my artwork.

when I do my charcoal, lead or color pencil sketching's, I choose loose, unbound materials. that way I am not constantly tearing out of a sketchbook when I want to frame something or throw the page away or store it in a protective case.

I have also found sketch books takes a huge chunk of my finances. a ream of loose leaf (unbound) sketching paper cost a heck of a lot less than buying bound sketch pads with less and smaller paper.

sometimes I purchase my art paper by the roll if I'm working on something that needs unlimited sketching space.

[FloatThruThis]

Originally Posted by FloatThruThis

I’ve never finished a sketchbook. My goal for 2024 is to finish a 9”x6” (22.86cm x 15.24cm) 236 page sketchbook I made. I’m copying drawing tutorials I find on Pinterest.

So far, I’ve filled 11 pages. I need to fill about 20 pages a month in order to accomplish my goal. I just want to see if I can even finish a sketchbook and what will happen if I do.

I finished 12 pages for January, so my mini goal for February is to finish 12 more pages, or 3 pages a week. I’m just following tutorials I find on Pinterest, but I did check out a book about sketchbooks from the library today.

[FloatThruThis]

Originally Posted by FloatThruThis

I finished 12 pages for January, so my mini goal for February is to finish 12 more pages, or 3 pages a week. I’m just following tutorials I find on Pinterest, but I did check out a book about sketchbooks from the library today.

I filled 6 pages in February and so far no pages for March. I want to experiment with scheduling time to draw and see if that helps. Ideally, I’d like to do a little every day, but it may be more realistic to just draw on the weekends.

[FloatThruThis]

Originally Posted by FloatThruThis

I filled 6 pages in February and so far no pages for March. I want to experiment with scheduling time to draw and see if that helps. Ideally, I’d like to do a little every day, but it may be more realistic to just draw on the weekends.

Knock wood/cross fingers, but I am excited to report modest success with this strategy: I’ve sketched every day for 35 days straight, filling 28 pages! At this rate, I will accomplish my goal with several weeks to spare. I’m absolutely thrilled since I’ve been trying/failing to build a daily drawing practice off and on for literal decades.

[FloatThruThis]

Today’s stats:

I’ve drawn 71 days straight, filling 52 pages. At this rate, I will fill this 236 page sketchbook by January 6th, 2025.

[FloatThruThis]

Today’s stats:

I’ve drawn 91 days straight, filling 67 pages. At this rate, I will finish this 236 page sketchbook by October 4th, 2024. Wow.

[FloatThruThis]

Just some quick stats I’ve been meaning to update:

I have drawn every day since March 16, 2024–218 days straight.

I’ve been making smaller drawings, so I’m currently only on page 136 (of 236). That’s around a half page a day. At this rate, I will finish my sketchbook in 200 more days, or May 8th of 2025…

[FloatThruThis]

End of year stats:

Day 349 of this goal and I’m only on page 156 of my 236 page sketchbook. That’s about 0.45 pages daily, meaning it may be another 179 days until I finish the remaining 80 pages (June 11th, 2025). I have drawn every day since March 16th, 2024 though—272 days straight!

[Blue_Bird]

That’s awesome! I’m currently working on a sketchbook as well. I’m not aiming for a specific number of drawings but am aiming to sketch daily. Whether that’s one, two, three etc whatever I happen to feel like each day but at least one everyday

Have you found your drawing skills improved over the time you’ve been drawing?

[FloatThruThis]

Originally Posted by Blue_Bird

That’s awesome! I’m currently working on a sketchbook as well. I’m not aiming for a specific number of drawings but am aiming to sketch daily. Whether that’s one, two, three etc whatever I happen to feel like each day but at least one everyday

Have you found your drawing skills improved over the time you’ve been drawing?

If my drawings have improved, it’s not been a dramatic improvement. That’s okay with me though.

[FloatThruThis]

My daily drawing streak lasted 340 days, from March 16th, 2024 to February 19th, 2025. I was just too sick on the 20th, but I’m back to drawing daily again. I’m on page 195 of my 236 page sketchbook, so I’m getting there. I’m pleased; it’s good enough for me and better than I thought I could be.

[FloatThruThis]

So it took 460 days, but I finished my sketchbook! What worked for me was to set a consistent time and place, which was before bed at my desk. I also found working from books to be the most productive, because I can waste a lot of time and brainpower trying to decide what/how to draw. With a book, I just turn the page.

What was most important to me was to build a daily-ish habit. To do that, I set the intention of drawing every day for at least two minutes. It’s very doable for me even if I’ve had a taxing day and I want to go straight to bed. So many nights I only drew for two minutes, but the rest of the time I drew for much longer.

I feel like I’m recapturing the joy of drawing I had as a small child. I enter a completely different headspace—it’s like a mental escape. It’s not always effortless to get to. Sometimes I sit at my desk for 10s of minutes before I can even do two minutes of drawing, but I am feeling less awkward about drawing in general. It’s becoming much more natural to me than before.

I’m starting a new sketchbook today. This one is little more challenging. I bound up drawing paper, newsprint, black drawing paper, and watercolor paper together, whereas the last sketchbook I just bound up plain white drawing paper only. I’m looking forward to using some wet media this time: ink, watercolor, gouache, and liquid acrylic. I’m cleaning my desk off today to get ready!