If you are feeling creatively blocked or stagnant, I highly encourage the daily practice of working in a mixed-media sketchbook. When you allow yourself to play with paint and drawing materials or write freeform, you open the door for insight to enter, breathing new life into your work and process!

Sketchbook cover and custom bookmarker

TEXTURED COVERS & ASSEMBLAGE ACCENTS
Onto the cover of an ordinary sketchbook or journal, apply matte gel medium evenly across the front, back and spine. While it is still wet, deboss some of your favorite textures directly into the surface, making a unique imprint.

Once the surface has dried overnight, apply several acrylic washes using various blotting techniques to infuse pattern. To reveal the tactile surface, employ a fan brush and metallic acrylic paint, using a dry brush technique. The bookmark is made from handmade paper that is imbued with natural fibers. An embossed metal tip-in is placed on top as an accent.

For my sketchbook shown above, I also added a metal assemblage accent to the surface, giving it an intriguing focal point that has a meaningful message. When I open the sketchbook, I open the door to discovery.

Sketchbook with paper clay sculptural accent

Cover wrapped with metallic tape and accented with debossed molding paste and self-drying clay.

Lost in Fear Sketchbook Detail

In addition, you can use custom sculptural accents on your covers. The sketchbooks featured above use paper clay and molding paste as well as self-drying clay. The interior front cover featured below uses layers of molding paste applied with custom die-cut stencils that I created.

Sketchbook Interior Front Cover Detail created with molding paste and custom stencils that I designed and cut using a small die-cutting machine.

ALTERNATIVE FORMATS & CUSTOM BOOKMARKS
Exploring alternative formats, custom tip-ins, gate folds and die-cut borders is a creative way to challenge yourself in the sketchbook. In the illustration below, I show the use of an alternative format that employs die-cutting, a custom tip-in and a handmade bookmark. The sketchbook art is produced using a plethora of mixed-media techniques, including texturing, dripping, collage, spraying, dissolving, palette knife, marbling and sponging just to name a few. A bookmark accent folds in half and is placed in the sketchbook, marking the page through the use of a magnet in the back.

Embossing metal, making handmade paper, exploring collage techniques, embossing and debossing surfaces and many, many other exciting techniques are demonstrated throughout my mixed-media books Experimental Painting and Art Revolution. I also have an upcoming lecture called Experimental Painting: Inspirational Approaches in Mixed Media Art where I will show both two and three dimensional techniques!

Sketchbook Series: Juliette’s Song
11″ x 22 3/4”
sequential mixed-media gatefold series on paper

DECORATED & EMBELLISHED SLIPCASES & BOXES
To store your custom sketchbook, decorate and embellish a slipcase or box. The example shown below features eachniques such as resists, gesso texturing and the creation of a unique assemblage accent using self-drying clay.

Custom painted slipcase with clay accent

CREATE INTRIGUING ENVIRONMENTS
The work featured below are pages from my various sketchbooks. I never throw away paint at the end of the day. Instead, I use the leftover paint to create color field paintings in my sketchbooks. Many of these are created with a razorblade that I use to scrape up leftover paint at the end of the day! You can check out more work from my mixed-media sketchbooks HERE.

Sketchbook spread in mixed media

Sketchbook detail in mixed media

Sketchbook detail in mixed media

Sketchbook detail in mixed media

If you are interested in learning more about working in experimental mixed-media techniques, check out my Masterclass on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/lisalcyr

Copyright 2020 Lisa L. Cyr, CYR STUDIO LLC