Why experiment in a sketchbook with grids?
Sketchbooks are a great place to test ideas, discover new things, or play with art supplies. One way to experiment is to use a grid of smaller compositions all on one page.
Grids are attractive to the eye and have been used by artists to practice, develop a theme or display finished work. Creating several smaller compositions on one page allows for working fast on an idea or theme.
Working with colours and marks
Testing colours, materials and marks in a sketchbook is fun. Not every page has to be a finished piece, a perfect painting or drawing or something that you share. There are lots of ways to experiment in your sketchbook but the grid makes it easy and quick to explore ideas and make mistakes without high risk.
Choosing materials
Your sketchbook paper will probably determine the materials you can use for your grid experiments. I like to use the Seawhite of Brighton sketchbooks because they are a local company, the extra strength cartridge paper suits me without being too precious and they are reasonably priced.
Choose your art supplies to work well with your sketchbook paper, so you can work freely. You might want to use a limited palette, particular materials or decide that every square must include a particular style or element. You might create many pages with the same theme or choose something different for each page.
Creating a sketchbook grid
There are three ways I have worked in a grid formation in my sketchbook page, freehand, drawn grids or taped areas. All of these have their pros and cons and my preference is for taped squares. The grid doesn’t have to be perfectly measured either.
Freehand your grid by eye, work in small areas, create “thumbnails” or rough compositions, many on a page. For this method I usually paint swatches in rough squares across the page, in the same colour, to start.
Another option is to draw a series of squares or rectangles on your page in pencil before you begin. This is a quick way to get started with a clear grid set up. It can be rough or measured with a ruler but the pencil lines give you a guide.
Masking tape
Taping the page is my preferred method because I like to work across the whole page before honing in on the details in each section. Use masking tape around the edges of the page and then across to create a grid of sections across the page. This method also comes with a gorgeous reveal at the end.
The size of your grid is up to you and might depend on your sketchbook size. My current sketchbook is 19.5cm x 19.5cm and works well divided into four sections. I don’t usually measure, I just apply the tape by eye in rough squares which keeps the process fast and fun for me.
If you prefer precision, I recommend measuring out your grid, marking in pencil lines and then applying masking tape if needed.
Which masking tape do I use? I struggled to find a masking tape that didn’t leak horribly, tear badly or just melt into gluey lumps. I’ve tried different brands from budget to expensive but when I can afford it I come back to decorators Frogtape. It costs more but I’ve never wasted any and I can use the strips multiple times. The coloured tape can be quite gorgeous after a few passes.
A wash background across the page
I start with a wash across the page. This is loose, unintentional and gives me something to respond to in the next layers. I like to keep this layer diluted and washy.
If you have a clear idea of your compositions then you might want to approach each grid square with something more deliberate.
Adding layers
Next I use my materials to apply areas of colour and marks. These can be loose and playful or intentionally testing composition. Using the whole page over the tape, rather than focusing on each section separately, allows for more surprises and discoveries. I find the edge of each square is more interesting this way.
Using contrast
The next layer focuses on creating some difference within each section. This might be a complementary colour, a contrasting mark or something that feels unexpected.
I am free to experiment, try things and step outside my comfort zone. My sketchbook pages can be ugly and that’s ok, it teaches me something. This page was too heavy on the opaque, saturated colour. This dense look was not what I was looking for.
Adding details
Lastly I add small details as I try to loosely “finish” each square. This might be a small mark or a big swatch of colour to balance the composition. It might be that I want every square to have a black ink splash or some other element that ties them all together.
I don’t spend a lot of time with this. The sketchbook paper won’t allow for endless revisions or layers. If something doesn’t work that’s ok. (I might make a note next to it later, with my thoughts about what’s not working.)
Removing the tape
I like to leave my page to dry before I remove the tape. A lot of wet media warps the paper a bit in my Seawhite sketchbook, so I find it’s best to wait a while. Then I warm the tape briefly with a hairdryer or heat gun before peeling back the tape. This reduces the risk of tearing the paper.
Sketchbook grids
Sketchbook grids are a fun way to experiment with ideas, create smaller pieces and the process could even be used to create finished pieces if you use large sheets of heavier paper.
Have fun exploring ideas in your sketchbook using grids. If you’re interested in seeing more from my sketchbooks, follow me on Instagram, where I post my pages as well as finished art.
