24 Comments
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Nikki Hawkins's avatar

I love your sketches! It’s very liberating reducing expectations of how a drawing is going to look! I like wonky, not quite right sketches- they have way more character ☺️

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Cait B.'s avatar

Totally agree!!

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Teresa Barroso's avatar

I got to say that I love my eraser 😂 but I embrace all my mistakes too!! I think social media is guilty of this pressure artists feel about their sketchbooks. All masters had sketchbooks too with rough sketches, studies, planning, sketchbooks were made for that... to study, to learn, improve and of course they will have a lot of mistakes, but masters never shown their sketchbooks to the world (usually the world only have seen those in museums many years after their death!) but now the "world" thinks a sketchbook must be immaculate for pictures 🤪 luckily I think a lot of artists are beginning to change this mindset and recover the real meaning of having a sketchbook practice! Great post Cait and sorry for the long comment 💕

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Cait B.'s avatar

Love this Teresa!! You're so right, the instagram expectation that our sketchbooks have to be masterpieces is so real, UGH. I think this is changing too, but not soon enough!

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Marzieh Abbas's avatar

Thanks for sharing

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sarah hoenicke flores's avatar

Such a beautiful approach - thank you!

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Jess Stride's avatar

Since my old computer died and took photoshop along with it I haven’t been obsessing about tidying up ‘mistakes’. You’re so right, I enjoy drawing so much more now!

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Cait B.'s avatar

Right?! Sometimes you need a lil' push!

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Lori Manning's avatar

I just found your wonderful Substack site! So inspiringand I adore your sketchbook art!

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Cait B.'s avatar

Thank you so much Lori, so glad you found me!

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Deborah Babin's avatar

No mistakes! That is not how I look at my sketchbooks!

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Cait B.'s avatar

That’s a great way to look at it!

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Rachel Madrigal's avatar

Your posts have inspired me to buy a sketchbook and actually try drawing in real life again (as opposed to on an ipad). I’m so excited to fill it up!

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Cait B.'s avatar

Oh, I can’t even express how much this warms my heart! I’m so excited for you

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John Tommervik's avatar

This is great. I used to hate making mistakes but now I invite them. It can add so much character.

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Cait B.'s avatar

Same here! Once you can shift your mindset your “mistakes” suddenly become special

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Adam Ming's avatar

Your sketches are beautiful! I’m always inclined to draw another version rather than erase because I can make comparisons..

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Cait B.'s avatar

Oh that’s great! Then you can combine all the best parts of each drawing- love that

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Iris's avatar

Cait, you've reminded me that I can draw my ideas of how things are, and not have to draw an exact representation (which never seems to leap to page regardless of any drawing or painting instrument I use). I already feel more relaxed with just that reminder. And the no comparison! Thank you!

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Carolyn Yoo's avatar

How I love your scratchy ink drawings 🥹 so much life! I embrace the no eraser lifestyle, though it pains me when I’m trying to draw people outside and they look so stiff and botched 😂 but committing to the lines already on the paper is a fun exercise in itself.

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Cait B.'s avatar

Thank you so much Carolyn! YES, I find drawing moving people to be suuuper tough too, they definitely end up looking a little janky sometimes, ha!

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Iris's avatar

and to be fair, people are janky sometimes!

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Jezz Lundkvist's avatar

I tested to draw with a pen thinking ti would not work. Oh gosh I was wrong! Now I draw with graphite without a eraser. Messy sketches is just my secret love 😁

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Cait B.'s avatar

That's awesome, I love a messy sketch too!

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