the dreaded first page in a new sketchbook
Canson watercolour sketchbook - first page
A few weeks ago I went to an artists talk where he showed his sketchbooks - I love sketchbooks as you may have noticed :>)
He often used Canson watercolour sketchbooks 12ins wide x 9in high and I really liked them and the proportion/size of the book (his work was interesting too!) . I ordered one from Great Art and it came yesterday, it's lovely, a smart red fabric cover with black trim, smooth watercolour paper and lots of pages.
To break that First Page thing of feeling that whatever you do first needs to be a 'good' one to start off well .......... or don't you worry like that? I decided to try out watercolour, neocolor II, Inktense, watercolours pencils, normal coloured pencils and mix of any or all to see how they behave.
I like it :>) it worked well with all of them. It's only a 'play' but it now has a page with work on and so I'll feel happy to carry on working in it at the coast now.
Do you find that first page intimidating? or have expectations of it?
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Comments
I start at the last page, sometimes,
though not much is going to keep me
from that awful feeling of intimidation until I do more work on a daily basis. I think color studies ARE a good way to go and I just broke in my studies workbook (almost a scrapbook)this way.
I find every new piece intimidating. I want everything to be good. I will keep working on it until it is. I never give up on a piece.
Lovely first page - another book??
Cheers
I always leave the first couple of pages of a new sketchbook blank; then I may go back and use them when I'm not so self-conscious.
I am, however, astonished that you suffer from 'first page syndrome' - I would never have thought it. Empty sketchbooks surround me. I've taken to sketching on scrap paper in order to escape the stress. You must be aware of the stress, too associated with those unfinished half-pages in the Flying Pictures Books. Eeeeek!
Shirley - This book is for taking to the coast - maybe another book in time - who knows?
Laura I've done that too :>) leaving the page blank and going back to it when I'm tuned in!
Robyn I so agree about those scary half pages in the FPP exchange! it's the fear of ruining someone else's work and putting something awful there! I don't like what I've done in the current one and it's going to be totally reworked and freed up before the book travels on. Liked your work in the last one on the site :>) and love your garden
It's only paper .....
and yes Harry - the angst does carry on a bit but I don't mind pages where I'm simply thinking through or jotting down ideas so it doesn't have to be perfect, just worthwhile
I know that every page won't be to my liking but some will. Its funny how we want to set up our sketchbooks so that the first page heralds what is inside. I guess its a bit like reading the first page of a book. If page one hooks us, then we continue reading. We want that in our sketchbooks too.
When it's my own sketchbooks I am fearless - the sooner they are marked the better regardless of what I do. Then I can get on with filling them up!
'Setting it up' is right Jeanette, that's exactly it.
And I always have more than one "on the go" so perhaps that helps.
and after the first page I don't mind much ups - there's just something about the first page ....
sad and strange!
I suddenly realise when my non-painting colleagues are looking at me in amazement for something I thought was normal!