Megasketch Monday -- My Big Regret

Part of my current "Inspiration Wall" in the studio

Project Megasketch has influenced and improved my art and creativity in more ways that I can count. However, if there were a single thing I wish I'd done differently, it would be this: I wish I'd taken the book apart from the very beginning, and used only one side of each page.  That is my big regret.

Initially, I didn't see that a 600 page bound volume would be a problem. As the page numbers grew, the negative aspects of a double-sided, single volume multiplied. I didn't realize the full impact until the project was over.  If you're part way through the project, and working in a stitch-bound book, you may want to consider changing to a loose sheet system. I wish I had for so many reasons.

To arrive at our destination, we need to use what we've learned, see the path we are on, and use that for inspiration in moving ahead.

• What has inspired you on your megasketch journey so far? 
• Which sketches represent what you need to see more of in your work, or a direction you'd like to pursue further? 
• What have you done that could serve as references for a series, or to chase an idea all the way to its conclusion? 
• Which ones teach lessons, alerting you when you've taken a wrong turn?

I use a wall in my studio to answer these questions. It influences the way I work. The image above
shows a portion of the display area where I put up works in progress, recently completed paintings and sketches, some that need to dry, others I want as references, bits and pieces of ideas I am experimenting with, and series I'm considering or that are underway. Some are there to remind me of things I want to see more of in my work; others tell me what to avoid. It's my artistic brain dump, mind map, production assistant, teacher, critic, and so much more. It gives me perspective on my work. I was not able to use my inspiration wall with Project Megasketch because of the way I had physically formatted the project.

When I began that drawing project, I thought keeping it together as a book would be the most valuable way to store it as a collection. Working on both sides of each page would insure that I was doing it to learn, rather than to create finished works for shows or galleries. However, Project Megasketch is not the same as having a travel journal, or other smaller collection of works on paper. Much as I love my sketchbooks, Project Megasketch isn't 60 or 100 pages; it's 600 large format pages. I underestimated what that means!

When I reached the end of the project, and wanted to take my knowledge into a more creative zone, or explore subjects further, I was unable to display many of the pages I wanted for information/inspiration on a particular topic, even though I'd removed the signatures from the binding of the book. Some of them had another sketch on the other side that I needed to access simultaneously for that same subject or a different one. This has hindered my ability to make the most creative use of the work I did.

Working on a single side of separate sheets has so many advantages:

• You can pull out sketches for your own reference later on, and view them together as a group.
• You'll have the freedom of working on paper with different tooth, weight, color, and quality right from the start. That gives you additional creative options.
• You can pull your work together by media, subject or quality, to photograph or write about it. You won't have to sort through 600 pages every time you're looking for one of the sketches.
• You can always have the option of framing or showing something if you decide you want to do so later, without destroying work on the other side, or having it show through your work.
• If you want to rework a page or add to it, it will be much easier to do so.
• You can use your work on a light box to create derivative work or a series.
• You can always bind your work at a later date, grouped by subject, or chronologically, or any way you wish. But you cannot detach work done on both sides of the pages!

If you're a person who might someday use your past work for inspiration for future work, and you're working on many different subjects/styles/media for Project Megasketch, I'd advise the single side, single sheet approach. Find a craft storage box, archival clamshell box, or make something out of your sketchbook covers that can hold all your single sheets. That box or portfolio can be your sketchbook/journal, even though it's not bound. You'll thank me later!

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For an overview of Project Megasketch and what it entails, see this post.
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I try to post Project Megasketch installments on Mondays, under the subject heading "Megasketch Monday", but I reserve the right to be late from time to time! ;)
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