The last day of summer slipped by almost unnoticed here in New York. The summer invitational, Pimp Your Sketchbook, continues with Blair Thornley.

I use sketchbooks to hunt for and collect images, information, gestures, study the light on something, or to just make unplanned drawings from my unconscious. Of course, also for illustration concepts and lists of what i want to do. I use at least three or four sketchbooks at a time, for everything, and with any medium. I have drawers and piles of work on paper as well as sketchbooks. It’s very hard to locate things. 

Ideas and reference for a painting often can come directly from a sketchbook, especially from the mixing up of things. Using your own sketch for reference, things have already been edited, some of the choices have already been made.

What I really love is that you can create something while you're waiting, you never have to waste time sitting around. I always have a sketchbook in case.

Sometimes i do these while watching the news. I did these every night for several years.

I definitely always try to get my students to keep sketchbooks, no matter what the class is.

Blair Thornley‘s work has been published in New York Times, LA Times, Atlantic Monthly, Herman Miller and Neiman Marcus, etc. Her animations were aired on European arts channel ARTE/ZDF, and screened at various international festivals. She teaches at The University of California, San Diego.

https://instagram.com/blairthornley/

http://issuu.com/blairthornley

http://www.harmongallery.com/blair%20thornley.htm

https://www.facebook.com/blairthornley3

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