The goal of a sketchbook is not to fill it up but to make good use of the white space. Sometimes it can be hard to do this after making art and having 40% of the paper still showing. So I want to talk about 15 ways to fill up a sketchbook.
1) Stickers
Fruit stickers, brand stickers, Apple logo stickers, any type of sticker! Even stamps bring a nice touch to your sketchbook.
2) Rip out School Doodles and Glue Them
All of us are guilty of doodling on our schoolwork and homework. So rip out those little sketches and glue them into your sketchbook. And maybe write a little note around the drawing about where you drew the doodle and date it.
3) Paste in Random Magazine Clippings
Take some junk mail and magazines, cut out the images you like, and paste them into your sketchbook. Whether you see some good food, your favorite celebrity, or a nice outfit, cut it out and glue them. Make a collage of what you cut out.
4) Make a Waterfall Card
Waterfall cards are fun to make, and add an interactive element to your sketchbook. Make a waterfall card of your favorite cartoon characters, people, or objects. Just pull the tab to see all your little, neat drawings.
5) Do a Crossword, Cut it Out, and Glue It
You don’t need to complete the crossword, but you can just cut it out and glue it into your sketchbook. And if you are bored, you can always go back to the crossword and fill out a few rows or columns. A crossword will give your sketchbook an academia aesthetic.
Cut out a crossword from your local newspaper or print out an online crossword.
6) Glue Receipts/Clothing Tags
Glue receipts from shopping trips into your sketchbook. Any receipts from anywhere, whether it’s from a cafè, restaurant, or thrift store. If you bought some clothes, you can also glue the clothing tags in with the receipts. For fun, I suggest you add up the total amount you spent or draw what you bought.
7) Glue Business Cards
Business cards are everywhere and we usually throw them away without a second thought. But the next you get a business card, glue it into your sketchbook and draw around it. If it is a plumbing business card, draw a toilet or a plumber fixing the toilet. If it is banker’s business card, draw the banker.
8) Dedicate a Page to a Film Journal
Make a page or two in your sketchbook all about a movie or show you love. Print out pictures of your favorite characters or scenes, and write the summary or some quotes from your movie/show. In another article, I wrote about how to make a film journal.
9) Post-Its
Post-Its come in many colors and can easily brighten up your sketchbook. Draw a little sketch on a Post-It and simply stick it wherever you want. You don’t have to draw on it either. You can just write a little note to yourself or cover up an ugly drawing.
10) Glue and Draw on Paint Samples
Home Depot and Lowe’s have numerous rows of paint samples. So the next time you see rows upon rows of paint samples, grab a few and draw on them with markers or paint on them(pencil doesn’t work that well).
11) Pressed Flowers
Pressed flowers are easy to make and easily add color and some nature to your sketchbook. Use your favorite flowers and sketch around them.
12) Washi Tape
Washi tape comes in many colors, patterns, and designs to make your sketchbook more full and aesthetic. If you are sketching and have lots of white space, use washi tape to fill in the dull white paper or use washi tape for a specific drawing project.
13) Write a Letter To Your Future Self
Write a letter asking your future self how you’re doing, if you have already accomplished your goals, or ask any questions you have about what has happened in the future. Then, seal your letter in an envelope to make things official, with a “to and from” and a stamp ✉️.
14) Fortune Cookie Sayings
Stop throwing away those Panda Express fortune cookie papers and start gluing them into your sketchbook. And while you’re at it, you can also draw the food you ate with your fortune cookie.
15) Rip Out Pages from Old Books
Make good use of old books you don’t want anymore, and rip out some pages to fill your sketchbook. You can do blackout poetry or simply cut out the quotes you like from your book.
After reading these 15 ideas of how to fill in your sketchbook, it better be full of amazing art! 🖼 🎨 But in the end, the most important thing is that you enjoyed making the art in your sketchbook!!
ACMonis 