Reference

"They function like a security blanket for me"

(Michael Bierut, Tumblr, Random)

They are the stepping stones to making and creating work. They hold all the scrapes we think we think will come in useful. Sketchbooks are like 'security blankets' because they are full of the original ideas the artist comes up with. 

Whether digital or physical you know you will always have a place for your collect objects and that it won't get lost or deleted. Like "security blanket" they keep your work safe.

"Sketchbooks allow creatives to engage with the domain as a form of preparation"

(Shaleph O'neill, Designing a digital sketchbook, 5.1 Engaging with the domain)

Without a hand written book it can be hard to start creating. Sketchbooks are the foundations and research to a project. 'Preparation' gives the artist chance to work and make something great. Everything needs to be planned and a sketchbook to an artist is a plan. 

"Majid Abbasi, Tehran-based creative director of Did Graphics, admits that many of his sketches are digital, not drawn" - (Graphic., Thams & hudson, 8)

Whereas my other quotes spoke about the appeal of sketchbooks because of the usefulness within the pages being like a 'security blanket' and getting 'engaged'.

This quote represents why the digital is better. It can still be easy to collect images together with the right devices and even easier to make your own with the right programmes. 

Is the sketchbook becoming obsolete?

I have chosen the question whether 'the sketchbook had become obsolete?'
This is because recently I have started a graphics course and to me it seems quite digital based, I enjoy working in sketch books a lot. It's looks like the USB has over taken the sketchbook.

During my research I have come across a book called 'Graphic.' It is full of artist sketch books. One of the artists admits to doing most of his sketches digital rather than free hand. This could be the proof that sketchbooks are becoming obsolete in the design process.

Whereas in a quote from ken carbone he states " used sketchbooks since 1970" which means he is a long term sketchbook user however this could stem from the fact In 1990 a museum curator let ken carbone look at some of Paul Gauguin's sketchbooks which made him say" it was remarkable work of art and I felt like I was peering into the soul of this great artist" meaning that these books used for notes and doodles can have a major effect on the viewer of them.

From looking around on the Internet I have realised that mainly younger artists use digital / on line sketchbooks rather than the handheld because of the neatness of a blog and the speed of a social network spreading the word of the up and coming. Whilst being on the Internet searching for digital sketchbooks I have come across a lot of apps and programmes that help you to make your own.  This could be the reason to why digital is taking over because of the usefulness and easy access.

Looking through tumblrs and blogs for research I have realised they are very neat and monochrome this is because they are used to show of final work rather than the plimnary stages of work. Whereas sketchbooks are used to fuel more ideas from previous pieces to help move on and make more work.

Every artist enjoys a different style of working. Most artist do keep a diary or some form of record of information whether it be a sketchbook or a digital sketchbook. For me it will always be a hard copy but through out researching I have come to realise there is a different technique for everyone and I don't think the sketchbook will be going out of style whilst a select few people are still using them. 

Brief notes

digital sketchbook - Are the traditional ways of working being eradicated?

http://cengman.tumblr.com

I found this tumblr whilst researching in to digital sketchbooks. 

Like your average sketchbook it is full of images the person wants to convey there work around. Cengmans work looks to be fashion based. with strong imagery that has been photos hoped to overlay text.

The differences i have found whilst looking at online and digital blogs are that they are cleaner cut and more compelling to invite viewers rather than the manual hard back sketchbook which is personal and often private use.Digital sketchbooks could be useful in the sense of never have to cut and paste or print out relevant images. This takes away the personal aspect of a sketchbook because you are trying to please a viewer.

http://www.pinterest.com/mica08/digital-sketchbook/

Here is another link to a Pinterest which is about the digital sketch book. Unlike before the images on this site are hand drawn illustrations which are either scanned or photographed then put on the internet. 

Online and digital sketchbooks are great for collecting resources and images quickly in one place. The images can vary and come from different location because of the internet. This makes it easier to find different artist and styles to accompany your work.

Blogs are mainly used for online and digital sketchbooks, its easy to like of favourite a piece or even repost it on a blog.this is great for artist because it means there work is easily accessible. whereas the work wouldn't be viewed until it is created and put in a gallery.

Mindmap

Ken Carbones work here is done in a sketchbook. It spans out across two pages. The page on the left is filled with the hole punched reminisces of a dollar bill. On the other side Ken has made a page filled with memorabilia from what looks like a holiday in France. Which includes leaflet pieces, photos, and ticket stubs.

The composition of the piece evokes the thoughts of love and hate, this is because of the severity of what he has done to the money where as his holiday to Paris is displayed beautifully and organizes. The dollar bill conjures up ideas of maybe he is trying to portray “ holes in the economy”.

The work is laid out in a sketchbook which means its is research and ideas for a final outcome. The right hand page looks like a collage of a trip to Paris, with a mixture of notes and found text. The colours of the page resemble that of the French flag, which is linked with the theme but is a juxtaposition of the opposite page. There is also a hand rendered heading, which differs to the previous page where there is no explanation for the piece of work. The right-hand page reminds me of a scrapbook rather than a sketchbook.

The double page spread is so varied with two different countries being used. These two pages are obviously a collection for research and practice.

Sketchbooks and there uses

I have recently come across the book ‘Graphic.’ Whilst mulling around water stones. It has opened up my mind to the importance of keeping a sketchbook even for a subject like Graphics. Where most projects are computer based. In the opening pages of the book there is a brief explanation in to why sketchbooks should be an important process to coming up with an idea and creating it.  The piece of text explains why we have sketchbooks and our attachments to them.

Maybe it is the appeal of the smell, the clean crisp pages or the vast amount of possibilities this one book can turn into.  Designers are compelled towards a new sketchbook. They are practical and useful and like a diary to a writer a sketchbook is filled with thoughts and loves of a designer.

The text goes on to say “A sketchbook is a physical manifestation of unfettered thoughts” and whether a sketchbook is cluttered or neat and pristine, what matters the most is that the information is clear and consist. Many factors can affect our minds and how we view the world, such as the government, political parties and religion. But the writer of the text says that we shouldn’t let that influence what we put on paper and we should always go beyond the boundaries.

Overall sketchbooks are portrayed in the text to be an extension to a designer in both a physical and mental form. They serve the purpose to make an idea possible and that those ideas shouldn’t be controlled by anyone.