Your private sketchbooks

[yatsura7]

Sketchbooks are suppose to be private. A place where an artist can let loose and be as messy as we want.. right? Well, what did you do when someone ask you to take a look at your sketchbook that has some of your worst scribbles and doodles? And if you were so kind as to allow them to flip thru it, what was there reaction?

This is what I fear most.

[~Faust~]

If it is a beautiful girl, I don't mind at all. Reactions have _all_ been positive though so far. Noone was judgmental about my scetches, as am I when I ask to see the scetchbooks of others.

Also, yes, it's private but unless you keep your scetchbook as your diary too where you write down personal thoughts and embarrassing stuff, I don't really see the problem.

[Zirngibism]

I have a feeling everyone's going to say that you shouldn't care about what people think, yadda yadda. Easier said than done!

But probably the best workaround would be to have two sketchbooks. One you keep at home for more personal work, and one for more rendered studies and doodles that you can take around with you in public. You could still tell people that you do looser, more personal stuff at home, but you'd rather not show that.

It'll add to your mystique!

[Elwell]

Sketchbooks are suppose to be private.
No, sketchbooks are supposed to be whatever you want them to be. Some people are very private about them, treating them almost like visual diaries. Some people treat them as public documents, meant for display. And most folks probably fall somewhere in the middle.

[Kiera]

If I want to note something private I turn my sketchbook and write it upside down. You either look at the pictures or you read the text.
No one will read this and if the rare 1% of the people who see that sketchbook turns it upside down you just kindly say that you don't want to them to read it.

Also, better don't draw your sadistic torture fantasies of every person you know or the detailed study of your own anus in the sketchbook you always carry with you.

The worst reaction you can get by showing an absolute horrible sketchbook to strangers is a stare, a nod, and a "yeah, you're on a good path" or "study some further, I think you have talent".

[yatsura7]

I agree with you guys. I've never gotten a negative comment anytime i've doodled or sketched in public. It's always a napkin or scrap piece of paper though. Which is why I can't figure out why i'm so anal about what i put in my books and what it looks like. The average person will almost always tell me that they can't even draw a straight line.
This will always motivate me and make me realize how lucky I am to be able to draw. But this last until I come here and see all the awesome work that you guys do. I try to stay away, but I can't...Lol:lounge:: Thanks for chiming in

[Baron Impossible]

Sketchbooks are suppose to be private. A place where an artist can let loose and be as messy as we want.. right?

Up to you, really. There isn't a sketchbook rule that all need to abide by.

And if you were so kind as to allow them to flip thru it, what was there reaction?

"Holy Jesus, that's my wife!"

[Black Spot]

I know where the crap is and tend to point it out first. It's a sketchbook, not some 'OMG look at me book', it's going to contain crap.

[tobbA]

If I want to note something private I turn my sketchbook and write it upside down. You either look at the pictures or you read the text.

I don't really have a problem with reading upside down text so I'd probably read it anyway...

[Kiera]

I don't really have a problem with reading upside down text so I'd probably read it anyway...
also if it's cursive?
I should get back to write in my own letters.

[Black Spot]

I read backwards and upside down.

[gutss]

ah man, I generally don't care. and nobody really ever says anything bad (I get people at college jokingly saying, "Bethan, is that me? I didn't even notice you doing that. you're such a perv!")

the worst I had was when a psychiatrist I once had looked through my sketchbook. there was nothing really telling in there, and I was quite happy for her to have a look, but it was pretty uncomfortable when she started trying to gleam my inner most thoughts from my pictures. and I'm sat there pleading, "no, it doesn't mean anything! it's just an elephant! I just wanted to draw an elephant!" at the time it was stressful but it's pretty funny now :D

I also have this tendency to stick newspaper and stuff on the opposite side of the paper when the marker bleeds through, and once this guy started tearing at the newspaper because he thought there was some kind of UNLOVED PICTURE I WANTED TO HIDE AWAY FROM THE WORLD beneath it. made me laugh more than anything!

[Oblivia Enna]

I usually get anal about it because I put nothing but crap in sketchbooks :p

[Liz Edwards]

I treat my sketchbooks like a diary, pouring everything that's in my head onto the paper.. I don't mind a stranger looking through it, but when friends or family members go through and ask WHAT IS THAT WHO IS THAT OH WHY HAVE YOU DRAWN THAT I just cringe and want to rip it away. It's not that I care about them seeing bad sketches, just personal ones because they like to assume odd things and ask a million questions -_-

[German-s]

i'll let anyone see it, but I usually just preface it that it's just my place for thoughts & studies.

[DavePalumbo]

yeah, I don't generally care who looks but I do tell them right off that it's not that interesting, just thumbs for paintings and composition studies mostly. Blobs and scribbles in other words.

I hope the douchebag who walked off with mine at comic con was very disappointed.

[ZenzybaR]

I used to be a little bothered about it, but when i realised people are going to have to see what i draw sometime anyway i got over it.

[JJacks]

I like my sketches better than my finished drawings. Sometimes they seem to tell a narrative. :) So I don't mind if people look as long as they don't have anything against nudity.

[Ito Saith Webb]

I you are writing personal thoughts in your sketch book then I then it is up to you if you want them to see your sketch book. However, many people want to see your sketch book, especially people who are going to hire you because it shows a measure of your skill past any finished piece of art that you have done for your portfolio. Also like JJacks said sketches also offer a narrative not only for the sketch but about you. A painting can tell a story of a thousand words but a sketch book can show you the artist. For example, Leonardo Da vinci is my favorite master not because of his finished work but because of his sketches, it not only makes me feel that he truely is a master artist but makes me feel that I know him a little more because of those sketches. One of the hardest thing an artist has to learn is how to get over one's self, I struggle with this often but I do try.