Like most people who work in a creative job, I have sketchbooks. Many sketchbooks. Over the years, the way I use my sketchbooks has grown and changed.
When I first took up drawing and was learning to draw, my sketchbook pages were pretty precious to me. I didn't want to "waste" any pages and I definitely didn't want anyone else to see them. It all seemed so new and sort of uncertain. I felt vulnerable in exposing those images to other eyes. After a few years, you get a little more skilled and a little less embarrassed. But sketchbooks are still a personal thing - and they should be.
I can flip through an older sketchbook and it brings back memories of what I was doing during that time, the things I was working on, the season of our life and how our days were spent. They really are a record keeper as well as a workbook. For instance, in the page below, you'll see evidence of my knitting and spinning interests. I was also thinking about making some cafe curtains for the library window, and I can picture clearly the stuffed whale that Riley has in his mouth...it was one of his favorites.
Early on, I did a lot of what I would call 'doodling', like you see above. Just playing around with pens and/or pencils, practicing perspective or trying to draw a smooth ellipse - something I still struggle with. Sprinkled in between might be an idea for a design, a list of things to do, a quote or who knows what else.
Here are a few random pages from over the years:
When I first decided to learn to draw, it was because I was designing knitting patterns and I wanted to be able to draw line art or schematics a little better. That didn't last very long, but the joy of drawing took on a life of its own and became a pursuit all its own.
A lot of my ideas for cross stitch designs begin in my sketchbooks, even if they're not realized for years. In one of the images above you can see a first little sketch of All Dogs are Precious, which became a little sampler I designed. You'll also see the first germ of what became the Americana series.
After a bit, I began playing around with watercolor and I did a lot of line and wash over the years. I've since leaned more towards gouache and oil paints, but all those watercolor sketches served me well.
I'm Robin, the designer behind October House. You've found my journal, where I talk about stitching, sewing and anything else that might catch my fancy!
Make something beautiful today!
"My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read." - Abraham Lincoln
