So, a question for all you artists with sketchbooks!

[kaoskat]

A bookshelf dedicated to sketchbooks? That's what I do with poetry notebooks.

[flyawayraven]

A bookshelf dedicated to sketchbooks? That's what I do with poetry notebooks.

That is genius!

[Griffin]

To be honest I kind of envy you, guys, even though I can imagine that's a real problem. I've been drawing all my life but I never learned to keep a sketchbook. I used to doodle on miscellanious scrap pieces of paper, and all my school handouts were always filled with sketches and doodles. Ever since I started to make handdrawn decos (booklets that are passed on from one artist to another until they're full and returned to the owner -- most people use printed or magazine pictures to decorate them, though) I've had little time to draw anything for myself to keep. I mostly work in traditional media and nearly always do the inking and colouring on top of the sketch. This means that more often than not I send my original art away and I'm left with nothing but a scan of my finished work. One ring binder is quite enough for all the sketches and originals I get to keep (i.e. art that is not used on decos or ATC cards)... But every now and then I wish I had more, I always envied people with sketchbooks filled with art!

A separate bookshelf sounds like a good idea to me! I think I once saw some deviantART member selling off their old sketchbooks. If the pile gets totally unmanageable and the artist thinks they can do with scans of their work, I guess that's a viable option, too. Provided that you can find interested buyers, of course.     

[ponygirl74]

To be honest I kind of envy you, guys, even though I can imagine that's a real problem. I've been drawing all my life but I never learned to keep a sketchbook. I used to doodle on miscellanious scrap pieces of paper, and all my school handouts were always filled with sketches and doodles. Ever since I started to make handdrawn decos (booklets that are passed on from one artist to another until they're full and returned to the owner -- most people use printed or magazine pictures to decorate them, though) I've had little time to draw anything for myself to keep. I mostly work in traditional media and nearly always do the inking and colouring on top of the sketch. This means that more often than not I send my original art away and I'm left with nothing but a scan of my finished work. One ring binder is quite enough for all the sketches and originals I get to keep (i.e. art that is not used on decos or ATC cards)... But every now and then I wish I had more, I always envied people with sketchbooks filled with art!

A separate bookshelf sounds like a good idea to me! I think I once saw some deviantART member selling off their old sketchbooks. If the pile gets totally unmanageable and the artist thinks they can do with scans of their work, I guess that's a viable option, too. Provided that you can find interested buyers, of course.   

That's interesting- selling off one's old sketchbooks- I guess it depends on DA who it is someone might buy it, but does one give up rights to their sketches when they sell them?

[SALTY5621]

my scetchbooks reside in a bookshelf dedicated to them so i dont really hav this problem. can always build more bookshelves

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I have mine stacked in a Rubbermaid tub in a closet

Pretty much this.  I don't actually want people picking them up and flipping through them, so this keeps them safe.

[SALTY5621]

I have mine stacked in a Rubbermaid tub in a closet

Pretty much this.  I don't actually want people picking them up and flipping through them, so this keeps them safe.

oh wow i didnt even think of people looking through mine. theres some NSFW stuff id prefer no one saw as well as drawings i did as a 13 year old...

[Koudoawaia]

I keep all of mine. I couldn't fathom getting rid of any of my art. It would be like throwing myself away.

[faeriesblood]

I keep them on a shelf or hidden somewhere if I don't want people to look  It's great to look back and see the progress you've made

[Bekuno]

Well about 75% of mine are in a plastic tub under my bed. I also have another smaller tub under my desk filled with old sketchbooks and one more with old scraps. And then a huge stack of sketchbooks under the desk because I'm out of room in the tubs 

Luckily my bed is big so I can hide more tubs under it, but I just dont have any more yet

[Griffin]

That's interesting- selling off one's old sketchbooks- I guess it depends on DA who it is someone might buy it, but does one give up rights to their sketches when they sell them?

Yes, I would imagine you'd have to be a well known artist with an established fanbase to be able to do that. I'm pretty sure no one would be interested in buying my sketches. As far as the rights go, the artist retains the copyright, just like with any other piece of traditional art that is sold. It should not matter whether it's a sketch or a finished piece of art, the rights to any piece of art are sold separately.

[ashes]

I have them mixed in my bookshelf that has all my reference books.  And I also teach art classes, so it's handy to have my sketches about to show my students examples and stuff.

[ZennaBug]

I'm a sketchbook hoarder; I still have sketches from when I was in elementary school.  I store them all in a big plastic tub with the other sentimental things I want to keep.

[ringwraith10]

Sounds like you're going to have to become famous and donate your sketchbooks to a library or museum.