2011 Sketchbook Digitally Archived

My sketchbook has been digitized. Check out the entire book here.

2011 Sketchbook Project Exhibition Now in Brooklyn!

From an email from the Art House Co-op:

Hello Sketchbook crew!

Thank you for participating in this year's Project. We are absolutely overwhelmed by the incredible response - it's an honor to kick off the 2011 Sketchbook Project Tour this weekend!

To accommodate everyone at the exhibition here in New York, we are expanding our opening at the Brooklyn Art Library. Please join us anytime on Saturday from noon until 10pm and on Sunday from noon until 8pm. And please note: we'll be welcoming visitors to the Library every day except for Mondays until February 27, so feel free to visit over the next two weeks and experience this year's incredible work in a more relaxed setting.

Brooklyn Art Library:

103A N. 3rd St.

Brooklyn, NY 11211

L train to Bedford Ave.

 I hope I haven't lost my library card, it's time to put it to good use!

Sketchbook Project 2011 - 6

The last completed pages from my sketchbook for the The Sketchbook Project. My theme is "make mine a double."  The final mailing date was yesterday, January 18th.  Did you send your book?  I mailed mine on the 13th even though it didn't feel finished to me.  There are a few pages that I consider incomplete, but overall I'm very happy with what I sent.

Sketchbook Project 2011 - 5

More pages from my sketchbook for the The Sketchbook Project.  My theme is "make mine a double."  The pages in the back half of the book are perforated for easy removal, unfortunately this also means they're easier to rip (which is what I've been doing), so I've been taping the ends of the seams once I finish a page.  I don't see tape in any of these photos, but I'm sure there's some in my previous Sketchbook Project post.

The only page that is blank is the center spread.  Everything else is in progress, done or "was done, but now I've got another idea."  Once I finish tweaking those earlier pages I'll post them too.

Sketchbook Project 2011 - 4

More pages from my contribution to The Sketchbook Project. My theme is "make mine a double."  I have about 5 double spreads left to do, plus the front and back inside cover.

The pages continue to take a beating. The paper is thinner than what I usually use so I'm constantly reminding myself  to take it easy.  Sometimes this work.  Other times I'll accidentally tear an edge or let some ink bleed through to the other side.  I shake those moments off and plow ahead.

Sketchbook Project 2011 - 3

More pages from my contribution to The Sketchbook Project.  My theme is "make mine a double."  Does anyone know the best glue to use in this book?  I want to glue something to the first and last pages.

I'm having a hard time keeping the book tidy.  When it arrived I intended to keep it as spotless as I keep my other work.  Now some of the pages have random marks on them, or have pencil lines I haven't completely erased or the corners look a little dog-eared.  The desire is still there, but I've accepted that it's just not possible to maintain absolute cleanliness given the time constraints.  Are you familiar with the project triangle concept of fast, good and cheap? Replace cheap with clean and you'll see what I mean.  Wear and tear is inevitable once the book goes on tour, but I'm still going to clean up what I can before I deliver it to Art House.

Sketchbook Project 2011 - 2

Here's a few more pages from my book for The Sketchbook Project.  My theme is "make mine a double."  I'm halfway through!  My original plan was to alternate between ink and pencil, but I was concerned about the durability of pencil drawings, even if they were sprayed with a fixative, so I abandoned that idea and went exclusively with ink.  I would like to finish the book before Christmas, that way I can enjoy the holidays without stressing about this project, and then use the remaining days after the new year to make some last minute tweaks if I feel like it.  I'm trying very hard not to get too attached to this book,  focusing more on the process and less on the end product seems to help.  How is everyone else doing?

Sketchbook Project 2011 - 1

If anyone is wondering why my latest phoenix tribal is taking so long it's because all of my drawing time, most my free time actually, has been consumed with The Sketchbook Project.

It's like a concert tour, but with sketchbooks.  Thousands of sketchbooks will be exhibited at galleries and museums as they make their way on tour across the country.

80 pages (40 double spreads) due by January 15th has left me very little time to work on anything else.  This book goes everywhere with me stuffed into the bottom of my bag.  I pencil sketch during the day at work and ink at night at home.  I'm having a lot of fun working on this book, I can't wait for it to go on tour.  My theme is "make mine a double."  Here's a sneak peek at a few pages.