Free Illustrated Guide to Learn How to Use a Sketchbook to Tell Stories

Dive into the world of illustrated storytelling and find out how to use a sketchbook to bring your ideas to life

You know that feeling when you just can't think of anything new or original to create? Or maybe you have a lot of ideas flying around in your head, but can’t work out how to develop them further?

Artist’s block is a real issue that has affected everyone in the creative industry at some point in their career. While it may be a common occurrence, it is still extremely frustrating, not to mention damaging to your confidence as it feeds those irrational feelings of self-doubt and insecurity.

Luckily, there are several techniques and practices that can help to get your creative juices flowing and combat any fear or uncertainty you may have about your abilities as a creative. One simple yet effective strategy that is used by even the most famous and successful artists is to keep a sketchbook.

Karishma Chugani (@karishma_chugani) is an artist, designer, writer, and illustrator. She has worked as a fashion designer, published several books including To Night and Back and Songs of the Jungle, and participated in collective and solo exhibitions.

With her moveable school, L'École de Papier, she holds creative workshops for children, teachers, and illustrators, using the mediums of shadow theatres, theatre books, leporellos and story boxes.

She has a deep fascination with using storytelling in her illustrations, finding inspiration in the most unlikely places, including a myth, a poem, or even a recipe book.

Her sketchbook goes with her everywhere and becomes a home for her projects, using it to gather together her research, ideas, and inspiration.

Why is it important to keep a sketchbook?

Sketchbooks are an essential tool for bringing your ideas to life. They are a place to experiment, explore, and make mistakes, without having to worry that anyone else will see or judge your work.

Your sketches could be part of a wider project, or just a series of ideas that inspired you in the moment with no particular goal in mind. The important thing to remember is that it is your personal space where you have complete freedom to do what you please.

By sketching regularly, you can develop your own unique style, play around with different ideas, and perfect your technique, giving you the confidence you need to go on and create work you will share with a wider audience.

What’s more, sketchbooks are easy to transport, so you can carry one with you wherever you go and add to it whenever you feel inspired.

Remember - very few creatives are able to produce a perfect piece of work from the word go. The majority start with a sketch or rough idea, which is then developed into something more tangible.

You should use the sketchbook stage as a natural part of the creative process, a way to have fun, and a means to stretch the limits of your imagination.

Learn How to Use a Sketchbook to Tell Stories

In this resource, Karishma Chugani shares with you a step-by-step illustrated summary of how she uses her sketchbook to house the entire creative process of a project, from the initial ideas right through to the final result.

After clicking on the button below, you will find a PDF file in the Downloads folder on your computer containing the illustrated guide A little story about how I like to tell stories, by Karishma Chugani.

If you want to keep learning, you can sign up to Karishma Chugani’s online course Paper Playground: Create a Papercut Picturebook and learn how to unlock your creativity with illustration techniques to record and develop your creative process for artistic projects.

You may also like:

- 10 Easy Ideas to Get You Sketching
- 15 Reasons to Use a Sketchbook by Sergio Bleda, Miguel Gallardo and Puño
- What Is a Sketchbook?
- Exploratory Sketchbook: Find Your Drawing Style, a course by Sarah van Dongen
- Urban Sketching: Express Your World in a New Perspective, a course by Lapin