The 30-Day Sketchbook Project

Book excerpt: Build a Consistent Art Habit With One Inspiring Challenge a Day The 30-Day Sketchbook Project will forever transform the way you view your sketchbook. Through gorgeous yet simple step-by-step projects for each day of the month, illustrator Minnie Small will help you improve your skills, build your confidence and eradicate your fears of the blank page. Each day presents a new practice with three forms of inspiration: first, an overview of the topic with an approachable tutorial, followed by a prompt to help you make the lesson your own. Last, you’ll get a glimpse into Minnie’s process, as she shares some of her own sketchbook pages. Through this insight, you’ll not only learn how to put the prompts into practice, but you’ll also gain a greater appreciation of intuitive learning and the beauty of creative imperfection. Get started in the first days with exciting exercises like the Timed Challenge and Master Study before easing into more elaborate ones like Observational Drawing and Monochrome Paintings. Keep the rhythm going with Collage Paintings and Ink Illustration. Then, see how far you’ve come when you reach more advanced lessons like Plein Air, Realism and Alternative Self-Portrait. Whether your artwork lives only in the pages of your sketchbook or you use these exercises as a launching point for other work, it won’t take long to see the positive impact of this daily practice in your art. Let your imagination run wild, your love of creativity renew and your faith in your skills flourish, one day at a time.