Whether you're an experienced artist or a complete beginner, you will have experienced the fear of the first page of your art journal or sketchbook. Maybe it's because we are afraid of making a huge mistake and having to look at it for the rest of the time we use the sketchbook, or because we don't want to waste an expensive book on what we feel is a terrible piece of art. While there are no easy ways to overcome this, there are lots of places to find inspiration and ideas to help. In this article I will discuss over 10 simple ideas to use on your first page that are a fun way to ease into your new book whilst guaranteeing a good-looking result!
· This sketchbook belongs to…
Sometimes, notebooks, sketchbooks or other books will contain a page saying ‘this book belongs to’ with a place to write your name or contacts. This can be a great place to start in a sketchbook. You can simply write your name or decorate it in some way. This could be with simple doodles, some type of painting or a collage. Since you’ve written your name, you could represent yourself on this page, perhaps by drawing your favourite things or sticking in your favourite pictures.
If your sketchbook doesn’t have this page you could easily make your own. There are countless examples online or on Pinterest to inspire you.
· A “Welcome to my Sketchbook” Page
You could use the first page to welcome yourself and other viewers to your sketchbook. In my example, I included some fancy text, some simple plant doodles, and a list of goals with empty circles beside them which I can fill if I’ve completed the goals when the sketchbook is finished. Again, this page can easily be tailored to your needs and art style. For example, you could draw a cartoon who leads you into the sketchbook with speech bubbles or create a scrapbook-style spread.
· Something you always draw
Drawing a specific object or in a style you are confident with can be an easy way to overcome the fear of the first page of your sketchbook. Whilst a sketchbook is the perfect place to experiment with your art, drawing something you always draw is almost always going to give a result that you are happy with. For me, this includes drawing with graphite pencils, coloured pencils and acrylic paints, and usually something from nature (especially flowers).
· Something really simple, e.g. simple doodles, following a tutorial
Personally, when I try to create artwork that is over-complicated or requires an extensive amount of effort, I often find that I’m not overly pleased with the result. That’s why I recommend drawing something very simple. This could be something as simple as a cartoon character, a zentangle pattern/ mandala or some basic doodles. You could even follow a tutorial from social media; I suggest searching for ideas on Pinterest of YouTube. I drew some cacti and succulents with a paint pen, and despite their simplicity, I think they would make a perfect addition to any sketchbook. Let me know if you'd like to see this as a colouring page in the future!
· Meet the artist or a self-portrait
If you’ve never done a ‘meet the artist’ piece of art before, this is the perfect chance. There are many examples on Instagram if you’re unsure, but the overall idea is that you draw yourself in your own art style, including facts about you, your likes and dislikes and what you keep in your bag. Of course, you do not have to follow exactly what you see online; you can adapt what you see to fit the type of art you enjoy to create and look at. If you’re not keen on including any writing, it would be fun to try to draw yourself in your art style.
· A quote
If you’re worried about messing up your art on the first page of your sketchbook, you might like to try a quote. This can be art related, or something you are passionate about and decorated in any way you see fit. You could try creating unique backgrounds with watercolours or adding small doodles around your writing. And no, you do not have to have amazing writing to create beautiful quote pages! If you want some ideas, check out my previous blog post here, and my Pinterest here.
· A collage
You can make a collage out of any unused paper you can find and there are many creative ways to do so. I created some art on an old book page with watercolours and stuck it into my sketchbook, but you can use old magazines, printed pictures, or a page from a newspaper. You could make a scrapbook spread using the same techniques as you would when creating a collage to treasure your favourite pictures, tickets or other items that you’ve collected.
· Art challenges and drawing ideas
If you’re really stuck for art inspiration, you could fill the first page of your sketchbook with future drawing ideas. There are thousands of art challenges and ideas online which you could write down or print out. Here’s the list that I’ve come up with myself.
· Swatches and colour combination ideas
Testing out your art supplies or keeping a colour chart at the front of your sketchbook means you can easily refer to it in the future. It’s also a great opportunity to test how you supplies work with your paper. You could also find colour combinations you like and document them so they can inspire you later.
· Your name in different fonts
If you want a really simple way to start your sketchbook, try writing your name in different fonts. You can find font inspiration everywhere, from Pinterest to magazines and books.
· Fill the first letter of your name with drawings
If the prospect of filling a whole page is daunting, try only filling in one letter. You could outline the letter or draw it lightly in pencil to rub out later depending on what you prefer. What you fill it with can greatly vary, but the ideas I have come up with are…
o Patterns
o Mandalas/ zentangles
o Objects that begin with the same letter
o Things you like
· Patterns
Filling a page with patterns can not only make for an interesting looking piece of art, but it can be relaxing too. You could draw different shapes, use different colours or experiment with different mediums to create something really unique. Perhaps you could try creating your own stamps with household items or drawing one continuous, squiggly line and filling in the sections with different colours.
· Create a background
There are many ways to create simple backgrounds in a sketchbook, and because they tend to be less detailed and accurate, they can be fun to do. Paint is the best medium for covering large areas so will be perfect for this idea. You could try all sorts of watercolour techniques, such as using salt or clingfilm on top before it dries to add texture, or applying acrylic paint with a sponge. If you find that having a very plain page at the start of your sketchbook is boring, you can always revisit it later to create a beautiful mixed media piece using what you’ve already created to inspire you further.
Hopefully this article has given you some art inspiration so you can create something you’re proud of in your sketchbook!
