Independent Sketchbook Prompts

SKETCHBOOKS: Creating habits for creative thinking & technical excellence

In this class you will be required to keep a sketchbook.  This is similar to keeping a written journal or a lab notebook, which you may have done in English or Science classes.  A sketchbook is a visual record of your ideas and experiences.  It will primarily consist of drawings, but it may also include writing, collages (gluing things inside), and experiments with materials.  Sometimes we will work on sketchbooks in class, but you are expected to work in your sketchbook outside of class.  Keeping a sketchbook is like exercise for your artist brain and hands.  Like training for a sport, or practicing an instrument, working in your sketchbook will make you a better artist and a more flexible thinker.

Each week, you will be expected to complete at least 2 sketchbook entries from this list. Each entry is worth up to 10 points.  Sketchbooks will be checked regularly and you will have advance notice of Sketchbook Checks. 

Sketchbook Prompts:

Please respond to the prompts thoughtfully, creatively, and honestly, using a variety of media.  There are no right or wrong answers, but you will be graded on your effort, craftsmanship, and creativity.  You are expected to spend at least 30 minutes on each sketchbook entry. You can choose any prompts that you like, and go in any order, just check off the prompts as you complete them. 

Always date and title your sketchbook entries, referring to the SB# provided on the list of prompts. (Ex: 9/1/10 “Favorite Song” SB#1). 

SB #1:

Open your journal and listen to one of your favorite songs.  Put it on repeat if you like.  Write, draw, scribble, list, tear, color, fold….let the music guide your actions on the page.

SB #2:

Listen to a piece of music and scribble to the music.  Pick a word or phrase from the song, or one that the music reminds you of.  Go back and place that text into the image, repeat.  Do the same with color.

SB #3:

Word image: think of a word that brings to mind an instant, concrete image.  Merge the word and the image together – draw the word as the image or vice versa.

SB#4:

List five emotions.  Use only line to express each.  Next, try color.  What would that emotion look like?

SB#5:

Look around where you are sitting and draw the three objects closest to you.  See if you can combine them into a picture that tells a story.

SB#6:

Gesture Drawing:  Don’t worry about details! Just get the essence!

A)   Sit across from a partner and draw each other.        

B) Sit in a public space and draw someone you don’t know.

SB#7:

Design a chair to reflect your personality.  Use and combine images from books, magazines, or the internet to design and accurately draw your chair.

SB#8:

Draw a metallic object and all the shapes you see reflected in it.  Forget that it is the object you know (spoon, window); just look at the shapes.

SB#9:  Do you believe that making art is partially about play?  Explain in words and images.

SB #10:

Design a tattoo for yourself or someone else.  Utilize layers of symbolism, including imagery, colors, and placement on the body.  Describe why you designed the image you did.  What does it symbolize?

SB #11:

“Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.” – Henry Miller

Sit still somewhere and just watch what happens for 10 minutes.  Pay attention to things as they happen, as they catch your interest.  Focus on one person or activity.  Write or draw to describe it in detail.

SB #12:

Sit still somewhere and just watch what happens for 10 minutes.  Notice the things that stay still and those that move or change.  Sketch the landscape around you and try to render stillness and motion.

SB #13:
What does your name mean? Where does it come from, or how did it come to be yours? Draw your name or initials to express these meanings.

SB #14:

Leaving footprints: Trace your foot.  Inside it, write and draw some of the impressions that you have made in your life – places you lived, people you knew, things you did. 

SB #15:

Make a visual representation of major goals you have for your life.  Is there a way to chart or map them on the page?

SB #16:

What is your first visual memory?  Write about what you remember from a very early age, including sounds, smells, and textures if you can.  Draw from your description.

SB #17:

How do you procrastinate? Make a visual representation of things that help you stay “off task” in your life.

SB #18:

Do you have a role model or mentor? Is there someone in your life to whom you look for guidance or advice? Draw a picture in the middle of the page and write a thank-you note to him or her.

SB #19:

Make a list (in words and pictures) of things you love, things that help you feel positive. 

SB #20:

Make a list (in words and pictures) of things you hate or dislike, things that cause you to feel negative.

SB #21:

Open the dictionary and choose an adjective you have not used before, then do a drawing of this word.

SB #22:

Choose a portion of a magazine or newspaper picture (not the entire image). Glue it on a page in your sketchbook. Create a drawing that incorporates that picture into a story.

SB #23:

If I didn’t have to do it perfectly, I would try…..”  Visually represent your answers.

SB #24:

If you could have a super-power, what would it be? Draw yourself as a superhero in action.

SB #25:

Draw an object from nature (plant, fruit, vegetable) and make it look like a machine.  Transform the organic lines and shapes into geometric ones.  Add mechanic parts to make the object “work.”

SB #26:

Transformation:  What would our school look like as another type of building?  What if it was a shopping mall, a cabin, a skyscraper, or a cave? What other structures can you think of?

SB #27:

Partner drawing:

Sit across from a partner and interview him/her about his/her hobbies, friends, family, and other interests.  Find out at least 5 things that are important to that person.  Make a list while talking. Create a drawing combining those 5 things into a “portrait” of that person.

SB #28:

Imaginary history:

Find a small object that you can sit with and study for a while.  Draw it in as much detail as possible.  While studying it, think of its possible “history”: where did it come from, what is its purpose?  Now imagine a new history for the object and write it down.  Include some of the new details in your drawing. 

SB #29:

Opposites:  Draw two things that are opposites next to each other.  See how they interact on the page.  What other things can you add to the drawing to show the interaction that you see?

SB #30:

Self-portrait:  Sit in front of a mirror and sketch yourself.  Next to the drawing, write a long paragraph describing yourself, as if you are a character in a book.  Use “he is” or “she is” instead of “I am.”  Describe your appearance and your inner beliefs or feelings.  See what you can discover about yourself.