i keep tearing out the pages of my sketchbooks?

Question

i seem to always be unsatisfied with my artwork when i first begin, on top of that, if i dont like it, i rip out the pages. for some reason i have this crazy fear of ruining new sketchbooks and when i first start drawing in them i always seem to find a way to screw it up and rip out tons of pages. this makes the binding messed up and the sketchbook just looks horrible now. im not sure what to do about it. the sketchbook is pretty thick so maybe i can salvage the last couple signatures and rebind them myself. please leave some suggestions on things i could do. thank you <3

Answer 1

Always consider your sketches & drawings as a learning curve -- these can teach you how & in what ways you've improved in subsequent pages.

They can even act as references to later drawings - you can refer back to some early doodle you may not have liked then, but which may fit into a new composition.



Have fun while you draw, & don't be judgmental.

If you don't like how a drawing is going, simply flip the page & start over or try something different. This way, you can actually come back to the earlier ones when you feel you are ready to tackle it or know where you need to improve it.

You can even jot down a few pointers or tips or your own idea when you started this incomplete or "unsatisfactory" drawing for later reference & guidance.



View your earlier works with a sense of humor. You can even give them some witty caption or quip ! You can look back after all the pages are used up & give yourself a pat of the back for your progressive improvement from page 1 to the end !



Have fun. A sketchbook should be at least 50% fun if not more; the rest is a study & improvement in technique, medium, style, observation, etc.

Happy sketching :-)



Add : Oh, in case you feel dejected by your first drawing pages, instead of ripping them off, why not clip them together. This way, you won't have to keep stumbling into them But you are left with the option of returning to them whenever you want to.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

If you're concerned about ruining the sketchbook, I have a few suggestions that may help:



-You can get one that is relatively cheap that you use just for practicing in. Make it a rule for yourself to never pull out the page if you hate it, simply use the back for more practice, erase what you don't like, or use the rest of the blank page and start over, once you like it, redraw it better on a clean page, or leave it as practice.

You can make finished pieces in a nicer/different sketchbook, or on a loose page and keep it in a portfolio.



-You can segment off the back of the sketchbook for practice. You can use the last third of the pages for practice and make a tab on the page it starts you can find your practice section easily. That way, all of your nice work stays in the front, and you don't buy a second sketchbook.



-You can get a sketchbook with rings or perforated edges to save the binding. If the sketchbook has pages that are meant to be torn out, it won't ruin the binding. If you don't want to rebind the one you have, you can draw in the sketchbook, and even if you like it, pull it out (carefully, or cut it if possible) and save it in a portfolio. Then your sketchbook is like a holder for loose paper.





It seems that you have some anxiety about how your work comes out. If you keep yourself from pulling out the pages, and embrace the mistakes, you can use your sketchbook to gauge your improvement over time.

Anything you like and then "mess up" can still be worked into something good, and if you give up hope on it, save it anyway. You might want to draw something again someday, and you can refer back to the practice/old work and reproduce the elements of it that you like.



I never draw on the first few pages of a sketchbook, for some reason, I always leave at least the very first page blank. I guess we all have our idiosyncrasies about new sketchbooks, haha.

Also, don't feel bad about not finishing a sketchbook!

You never know, years from now you could come across it and flip through your old work. Next thing you know, you're inspired to draw again and you can work in the blank pages. I've done it, I also still have a lot of sketchbooks with blank pages.



I hope I helped!

Stay creative!

Answer 4

First pages are always intimidating. When I start a new sketchbook, I make a horrid scribble in the middle of the first page. It takes away from the preciousness of the book, and, there's no way I could accidentally create anything worse than it!

Answer 5

yeah usually. a sketchbook is usually used for practice and collecting ideas. it's not usually used for a final piece, only practice for the final piece. so why waste space? art has no limits. do what comes natural to you and you'll be right.