The Wonders of a Sketchbook

Hi Everyone!

For this blog entry I would like to focus on sketchbooks. When I was in college I had a sketchbook for every class. I have a sketchbook for when I travel and a sketchbook for lesson planning. Sketchbooks have become invaluable tools for me as an artist and educator. I have my students use sketchbooks in the studio classes I teach. I would like to focus on the sketchbook that I use in my 3D Design II classes and share with you how I have students construct the sketchbook and how they use them throughout the quarter.

PURPOSE:

My 3D Design II classes are a mix of students. Some of my students have or have had experience in other drawing classes (Art II, Art III, or AP Studio). While some have a strong background in drawing realistically, some do not. It is for these students that I have developed this sketchbook. When my students leave my class I want them to understand that sketchbooks have multiple purposes outside of sketching, including note taking, idea gathering, reflecting, and creative brainstorming. I want them to feel comfortable using a sketchbook outside of class and I want them to be able to maximize how they use the sketchbook.

CONSTRUCTION:

Sketchbooks are generally a decent chunk of change for either students who have to purchase them from the class, or for teachers who have to budget them. I am fortunate to have access to a binding machine which I use to construct the sketchbooks. Not only is it significantly cheaper to create them from scratch, they can be customized to meet the needs of the class. The only material that students have to provide is a piece of fabric to cover the sketchbooks. I recommend that students purchase a Fabric Quarter from Jo Anne’s Fabric (costs about 1 – 2 dollars.) The sketchbooks that we create are 9” X 12”. We cut the paper fabric and adhere it to 2 pieces of book board using spray adhesive. We also make a pocket folder to hold sketchbook entry directions within the sketchbook. I allow the students to customize the sketchbook by incorporating various papers and by adding designs to pages using markers, scissors, or colored pencils. This is THEIR sketchbook; I want them to be excited each time they open it up.

SECTIONS:

The sketchbook incorporates numerous sections to help students stay organized and maximize its use. All students have their studio hour log in their sketchbook. This serves as a reminder to have students fill out their log and have me sign off on it once they have completed studio time. It also prevents them from losing their studio log. Students have a section dedicated to due dates, where they can record due dates for class projects. There is also a section for notes. I am trying very hard to get students to take notes during demonstrations so they have a reference later. I also have a section for reflections. Occasionally I will issue a question asking students to reflect on a project. Their feedback helps me greatly in improving projects. The final section of the sketchbook is the inspiration pages. At the beginning of each year I have students fill pages with a minimum of 25 images that they find inspiring. I encourage them to focus on the elements of design and to avoid logos and copyrighted material. This visual diary is extremely helpful to students, especially when they have that “I don’t know what to create” moment. I tell students they may fill the pages with magazine clippings, drawings, and photographs. I encourage them to add to the inspiration page throughout the year. Also, to help the students stay organized I print out mailing labels with directions for sketches, notes, or titles for entries. Students paste the stickers up in the corner of the page. This helps them stay organized and also helps to ensure they complete the entries. This is a great trick I learned from this awesome site! This is an excellent resource for art teachers!

ENTRIES:

At the beginning of each quarter I issue students a list of entries to complete. In addition to using the sketchbook to sketch out ideas for projects and take notes, students are given a list of 10 entries. They are required to complete 6 of the 10. If I have an entry that I want all students to complete as 1 of the 6 I put a star next to the entry. (On their mailing labels I have them pull that sticker off right away and paste it in the corner of one of their pages so they don’t forget to complete it.) There is usually 1 art history or art criticism entry that I require the students to complete. I strive to get students to develop their problem solving skills through art and visual imagery through the completion of these entries. It gives them an opportunity to stretch their divergent thinking muscles. Students must pay attention to design requirements for each entry. Some entries require color, some require marker, some require graphite, some are collage, and some are free-choice of medium. Students have the entire quarter to complete entries.

I must stress that when I first began this I searched far and wide in my education books and the Internet to find ideas. The entries are a mod-podge of my ideas and some really awesome ones I have found from other sources and teachers. This is my second year using the sketchbook and I continually make changes to enhance its quality and learning potential. Here is a list of some of the students’ favorite entries.

KEYHOLES: Requires 2 pages. Transform the first page into a door, cut out a keyhole. On the second page immediately after, add a scene – can be a landscape, an interior, fantasy or realistic. Please complete in color.

DOODLE A DAY: On your calendar (I have them paste a small calendar in their sketchbook), take a minute to draw a doodle, 1 per box for a month. Doodles can be realistic, stylized, or non-objective. Complete in graphite or color.

ECHO LINES: Draw an interesting line going from one corner of a page to another (no loops!) Echo off this initial line by tracing around this line on both sides. Try not to crash into the walls! Complete in marker.

15 MINUTES OF FAME: Andy Warhol once said, “Everyone will be famous for at least 15 minutes in their lives.” Illustrate what you will be famous for one day. Complete in color.

NON-STOP LINE: Begin in one corner of your paper. Draw a non-stop line that fills the ENTIRE pages. Lines can be curvy, swirvy, zig-zag, dashed, thick, thin, etc. Mark where you start and where you finish. Complete in marker.

ABSTRACT SCRIBBLES: Take a black marker and draw a scribble with overlapping lines and shapes. Make sure you stop where you start to create an enclosed space. Using three colors, and ONLY three colors, add color to the sections in such a way that colors do not share sides. (Green cannot be next to green etc.) (Note: You would not believe how challenging this can be depending on how difficult the students make the scribble. Also, it is always interesting to see who begins by adding color right away and who plans ahead by pre-marking first with a pencil before adding color.)

LOGO DESIGN: You are an artist, a designer. Create a logo that represents your style; must include your name and imagery. Free-choice of medium.

TREE ICONS: An icon is a visual representation of an object. Design 5 different ways to represent a tree. (The tree can be substituted with other objects, such as a sun.) Free-choice of medium.

CIRCLE SEARCH: Fill a page with drawings of 20 objects that are circular. Complete in color.

FLAVORFUL DRAWINGS: Pick your favorite flavor. (Sweet, salty, chocolaty, spicy, fruity, etc.) Draw 10 objects that represent your favorite flavor. Complete in color.

FAVORITE COLOR COLLAGE: Fill a page in your sketchbook with images associated with your favorite color. Use lots of different imagery and FILL your page – no white spots!

PATTERN COMBINATION: Find 3 examples of pattern from a magazine or the Internet. In a 5”X7” box create a new pattern that incorporates aspects from all 3 patterns. (This is a great exercise to help students learn how to manipulate imagery as opposed to copy it.)

PURPLE DUCKS: Draw 5 ducks on your page. Add a different pattern to each duck using shades and tints of purples. Fill the background space in with a color.

ASSESSMENT:

Sketchbooks are worth 100 points each quarter. I frequently remind students of when they are due and encourage them to work on them early. Each entry is worth 10 points, so 60 points comes just from completing the entries. When I grade these entries I look for fulfillment of requirements for each entry, overall completion, and creative risk-taking; did the student complete the entry just to get it done or did they take the time to work within the entry to come up with a unique, well-crafted solution? I also assess craftsmanship, creativity, & completion of notes and reflections to make up the other 40 points. For feedback I use the “2 Stars and a Wish” method. This method was shared with my by one of the assistant principals and I have found it very helpful. Under the “2 stars” I write down two things that the students did really well. Under the “wish” I write down something “I wish they would have done better.”

BENEFITS:

Not only does the sketchbook help students sketch out ideas, take notes, and develop divergent thinking and problem solving, it also has many other benefits. When students finish a project early they can work on their sketchbook. Also, the sketchbook can be worked on with a substitute teacher. Sometimes sketchbook entries can be project sparkers. For example, last year my students did such a fantastic job on a sketchbook entry that required them to create a radial design that I had them create ceramic plates using the design. In addition, the students enjoy the sketchbook entries. It's a great artifact to document what goes on throughout the year and remember the class once the students leave *tear*.

Below are some photos of some pages that students have completed this year. I didn't get to photograph all that I wanted to, but for the time being I hope this will suffice. Thanks for reading! I hope you found this blog entry helpful and informative!

Until next time, keep it artsy!