Courtney The Sketchbook Project made it’s SF stop on its US tour, setting up at the San Francisco Center for the Book. Over the course of the weekend, the mobile library lent hundreds of sketchbooks to eager patrons who sat in groups and at tables sharing sketchbooks from all over the world. I had a chance to go and check out the mobile library after work.
The Sketchbook Project now has over 27k books which are housed in Brooklyn Art Library, online on the Digital Library and on the road in the Traveling Library. You can check out one sketchbook at a time, searching by artist, location, theme, medium or binding. In addition to your requested book, you’re handed a random sketchbook too.
Here are some highlights from the sketchbooks I saw…
The world of Michael McConnell aka Pooping Rabbit is filled with animals real and imagined. Mike’s sketchbook was teaming with beautifully rendered pencil drawings of animals and they spilled from page to page, uttering random remarks to one another in this weird and fantastic conversation. I especially loved the horse who said “Breaking your heart was never an option.”
Love the stylized drawings of local artist and designer, Matthieu Brajot. Each page featured a black and white line drawing, some of imagined figures, others with intricate drawings of hair or hand lettering, each image sweet and fanciful.
I ran into a friend, who happened to be viewing my sketchbook, which was so fun to see after being on tour this year.
I also snapped a few quick pics of spread from random sketchbooks…
Loved these full two page spreads by UK artist Denise Eng.
The Mobile Library facilitated an instant community. Kelsea was given a random book and the artist happened to be standing behind her in line which created an instant conversation. People shared their sketchbooks with one another, discussing themes, images and stories. I talked to artists who participated in the project and has flown from other states just to meet up and see their books on the tour.You can participate in the Sketchbook Project too! Get your sketchbook here.