12 Months of TinkerSketch
Favorite Tools
Paper Tips: If you’re working with 2-D media, start with heavy loose-leaf paper or a sketchbook / art journal.
- Size: Find a size that fits your situation. If you think you’ll take your sketchbook on the road, find something small enough to travel in your bag
- Paper: Choose paper that is heavy weight and designed to withstand water and wet media. Look for the weight of paper in terms of how many pounds it is: the higher the number, the heavier the weight. Something over 70 lbs. should do the trick
- Spiral or book-bound: Do you think you’d enjoy a spiral-bound book or traditional binding more? We recommend spiral binding because the pages lie flat easily. Some people like traditional binding more because they can design/paint/draw a double-page spread without having a gap between the pages.
- Strathmore: One of my very favorite sketchbooks is the Visual Art Journal for Mixed Media by Strathmore. The pages weight is 90 lb. and you can get this book in a number of sizes. My personal favorite for on-the-go is 5.5″ x 8″. If you like to work big, they have one that’s 9″ x 12″.
- Stillman & Birn: A friend just gave me a Stillman & Birn Zeta series and I love it. The paper is 180 lb.
Pen Tips
- Pens: Get yourself a few pens that you love to use, and be sure to have at least one waterproof, archival pen in the mix so that you can paint over your pen lines without worrying about your drawing bleeding with water. Micron Pens are a designer favorite, and they come in tons of sizes and colors. This all-black set includes a few different pen sizes and this brush-tip set includes six different colors. Sharpies are another wonderful choice with so many options to choose from.
Next Steps
- Print out or bookmark the list you see at the top of this page. Each day has a new prompt that will inspire you to make something.
- Interpret the Prompt: You can interpret the daily prompts however you want. “Drips” to one person may mean flicking watercolors off a toothbrush and to another person it might mean covering a page in marker and then leaving the page outside on a drizzly morning. You can take them literally or not — this is completely up to you. If you’re really at a loss, leave a comment below and we’ll help you noodle through it.
- Create: You could put all your ideas into a sketchbook, loose leaf paper, post-it notes, or something else.
- Share it! This challenge can be a totally private affair and you never have to let a soul know that you’re working on it, or you could share your creations with others.
- Tell others. If you could use some backup, share the Sketchbook Challenge calendar image from this post with a friend, and encourage others to join you on this fun, creative journey.
- Join the TinkerSketch Experience…
The TinkerSketch Experience
Build your art habit in a supportive community
Transform Your Creative Practice
Join other artists for a month of art prompts, sharing, and creative exploration. Whether you’re rekindling your creativity or developing a daily practice, TinkerSketch provides the structure and community to help you succeed.
What You'll Get:
USEFUL LINKS
GET IN TOUCH
10 WAYS TO INTRODUCE ART TO PRESCHOOLERS
An inspiring 10-point poster for your fridge, planning binder, or to share with colleagues or friends.
TinkerLab acknowledges that we operate on the ancestral land of the Ramaytush Ohlone Tribe. We pay our respects to their elders past, present, and emerging. We recognize that this land holds profound historical, cultural, and ongoing significance for the Ramaytush Ohlone people, and we are committed to understanding and honoring this relationship. As part of our commitment to meaningful acknowledgment, we make annual donations to support the Ramaytush Ohlone Tribe. To learn more about and support the Ramaytush Ohlone people, please visit the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone website.