I have a reoccurring problem and I am curious if other artists have the same issue. I carry a sketch book with me, pretty much everywhere, as I am sure most other artists do. My problem is that many people ask to look at it. Now, while I enjoy showing my finished work or even final WIP, I am really reticent to let anyone see my sketch book. I don't know about other artists sketch books but mine is a mess. I have seen pictures of so called sketch books that are filled with pristine, smudge free, reproduction ready art and it just makes me roll my eyes. My sketch book is filled with half started, super sloppy sketches that you would need a Rosetta stone to figure out. It is all stick figures, gesture drawings and hastily scribbled ideas that I am trying to get out before my brain races too far forward and I lose the idea. It all makes perfect sense to me, but on the rare occasion I have handed over my book for others to peruse I am always met with the snarky little smiles and condescending looks as they hand it back. I can read the 'Wow, you think you are an artist? You suck." right in their eyes. I stopped letting people look, but I have had perfect strangers actually get offended that I won't hand over my book.
To be honest, if I didn't know me, and looked through my book, I would have thought it belonged to a below average 4 year old or an above average chimpanzee. I take the scribbles and later turn them into final drawings and or paintings. Some get half finished in the book if I am trying to work out a detail or light source, but mostly not. So, tell me, what does your sketch book look like? is it all scribbles and ideas for later or do you work out final pieces? Do you ever let people look at your sketch book?
It's your journal ... just with drawings and sketches, not words. It's really no one else's business what is in there and frankly, anyone who gets offended at not looking through your sketchbook is probably going to be equally offended by not getting to look through your diary.
ReplyDeleteEasy solution? explain that you're not comfortable showing your sketchbook as it is full of incomplete ideas and personal notes ... equate it to a journal. If they get offended, too bad. It's not theirs to begin with and they have no more expectation to be able to look through your personal notes than to look through your diary. As you're well aware, I don't let people look through my sketchbooks or journals.