An Artist’s Preferred Canvas

It’s World Sketchnote Day! As artists, we’re expected to have the most expensive, high-end sketchpad on the market to fill with our drawings. After all, the hallmark of a creative person is their tools, and for sketchers, in particular, you can almost always expect them to carry a sketchpad. 

Regardless of whether you’re an artist, you’ve undoubtedly doodled in a notebook. There are plenty of benefits to those seemingly mindless doodles. For starters, it sharpens our memories, hones our listening skills, and helps us sift through information to capture important details in a visual format. 

In college, I’d see my classmates with these quality sketchbooks. Even today, my fellow designers usually arm themselves with a notebook to pour their most inventive, artistic ideas into. 

However, that’s not me. I feel more at home sketching and doodling on scraps of paper or napkins than a sleek sketchpad. Believe it or not, I’ve designed logos and website layouts on them. 

Besides its subjectivity, the great thing about art is that there’s no “right” way to create it. You can design, draw, doodle, paint, etc., on just about anything. You’re not confined to sketch paper or a fancy notebook. Whatever resonates or is the best template for your creativity is what works best for you. Scraps of paper or napkins might not vibe with other artists, and that’s okay. 

Find the “canvas” that makes you the most comfortable and allows your art to sing.