Creative Sketchbooks

This creative sketchbooks course is designed to develop creative sketchbook ideas, namely develop personal creativity through the exploration of a wide range of media and materials, and culminates in the design and production of two personalised books.

Students will learn to utilise line, tone, colour, texture and pattern in their sketchbook ideas, and to manipulate a variety of mark making media, papers, inks, paints and dyes using both conventional and unconventional approaches.

The Creative Sketchbooks course allows students to explore the formal elements of visual art and to develop their own personal creativity; at the same time gaining skills in a wide range of drawing and mixed media techniques. They are also shown how to identify and work with chosen themes, gather source material and develop creative visual ideas.

The course culminates in the production of two finished pieces; a sketchbook which is creatively modified and adapted, and a constructed presentation book. Both pieces allow the student the opportunity to produce a finished work which is at once unique, creative and imaginative.

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Looking and Recording: Surface Texture

This activity is about creating surface textures, which relate more closely to your chosen theme or subject. You should have your theme in mind when creating your samples and think about the textures that you can see within your subject. You may wish to include colour, and also incorporate some of your monoprinted papers into some of your samples; alternatively you can continue to work in white paper if you wish.

You will need:

• A selection of papers in white and neutral colours.
• A small cartridge sketchbook.
• PVA glue or a gluestick.
• Scissors, a craft knife and cutting mat or other safe surface for cutting.
• Masking tape.

We were interested in the texture of the steps in this photograph taken on The Great Wall of China and decided to try and interpret them in a number of different ways.

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