6 Tips on How to Fill Up a Giant Sketchbook

Hi sweet friend,

I recently finished one of my largest sketchbooks. It took quite a bit of time to get through all the pages, but it was so worth it to see it to the end.

Years ago when I started my sketchbook practice, I would use really tiny sketchbooks. Tiny sketchbooks are great and super portable, but sometimes can make you feel constricted. So I decided to challenge myself with a larger format and ended up really enjoying it.

Here are a few tips that I’ve come across when keeping up with this larger sketchbook. By the way, scroll to the bottom to take a peek inside my sketchbook pages.

1. Give Your Sketchbook Time

It’s perfectly okay to keep a giant sketchbook for years. It took me over two years to finish mine because I’d return to it whenever I wanted to explore a technique or experiment. Keep it somewhere visible so you don’t forget it’s there (been guilty of this myself!). When creativity strikes, grab it, open it up, and start playing.

2. Give Your Sketchbook a Purpose

At any given time, I juggle multiple sketchbooks, each serving a different purpose. While many are for illustrations, I always have a few dedicated to pure experimentation and play. That’s what I did with this sketchbook—it became a space for pushing limits and embracing the freedom to mess things up.

3. Embrace the Imperfections

Did I mention I once wrote “This Sucks” on top of one of my pages? Spoiler: the sky didn’t fall, and I’m still here. Ugly pages are part of the process. You don’t have to show them to anyone. You can even glue them together or turn them into a collage. I like to revisit those less-than-stellar pages—they’re great reminders of what didn’t work and teach me what to avoid next time.

4. Keep a Sketchbook Theme—or Don’t

You could give your sketchbook a theme: portraits, landscapes, or even sketches of your pet. Having a theme can act as a creative restriction that helps focus your ideas. That said, you don’t have to stick to a theme. For this giant sketchbook, I started with some landscapes but eventually bounced around with different styles, tools, and ideas. It became a delightful mix of randomness.

5. Join a Challenge

Who doesn’t love a good creative challenge? They’re fun, engaging, and can bring fresh inspiration. The best part? You don’t have to finish them to enjoy the process. During my time with this sketchbook, I joined several challenges and tutorials, especially ones on urban sketching (with Sketching Scottie) and loose fruits (with Ohn Mar Win).

6. Too Big? Break It Up

Working in a large sketchbook can feel intimidating. I usually prefer smaller formats, so tackling this giant one was a challenge in itself. To make it more manageable, I divided the bigger pages into smaller sections, creating bite-sized areas to sketch. Breaking it into chunks not only made it less overwhelming but also fit into shorter sketching sessions on busy days.

Let me know if you have any questions about keeping up with a sketchbook practice or if you want to share your recent sketchbook spread with me! :)

your friend,

-Volta

Here are some of my favorite spreads from the sketchbook.