Sketchbook Conversations -- A Chat with Lizzie Christian

Today's Sketchbook Conversation is with Lizzie Christian, an artist based in Minneapolis who focuses mainly on block printing. I'll let Lizzie take it from here in her own words:

I’ve kept sketchbooks (and written journals) since I was a kid. I always enjoy finding giant books of newsprint in the storage room, filled with charcoal drawings from college figure drawing class. It’s fun to revisit previous themes or mediums and potentially get inspired that way; sometimes I forget all of the subjects I’ve experimented with over the years.

I keep sketchbooks because I have many ideas storming around in my head; doodling or sketching visualizes ideas that would maybe otherwise disappear. Sometimes I’m proud of my sketchbook pages and I’m excited to share them. 

Other times, the drawings are really embarrassing (I may never be able to draw a profile of a face!) and I keep them to myself. I’m always tempted to rip out the terrible drawings and keep only the “good” pages, but keeping the imperfect work is helpful for keeping track of progress and changes.

I feel most comfortable as a printmaker (mainly blockprints made with rubber blocks), so some of my sketches end up as carvings, and then prints. 

Oftentimes, I use my sketchbooks for practice with different media (brush pens, Sharpie, Caran d’Ache Neocolor II wax pastels [my mom’s favorite!], gouache, or soft lead pencils. 

Recently I’ve checked out library books featuring photography, or women in a fashion context, and I find references like these really helpful for expanding my drawing practice. I struggle with drawing the human figure so photographs are especially useful for this.

Motivation and inspiration often come from Instagram; seeing others’ hard work pushes me to do the same. I find that I might have a flash of an idea, I need to get started on it right away; if not, the idea either goes away or doesn’t appeal anymore. And usually, these ideas persist so much that I finish a project (such as a carving and print) in one or two evenings. It’s a positive sort of pressure and I always appreciate when it happens! 

For someone starting out sketchbooking, I would recommend just jumping in, and draw what you like. Don’t worry about showing anyone. Even treat it like a journal. I think it should be a fun practice, and pressure-free (even though it’s easy to put pressure on yourself!) It’s rewarding to have a collection of sketchbooks to look back on; it can read like a really interesting and honest personal history.

Thank you, Lizzie for sharing your sketchbooks and your story with us today.

You can find Lizzie:

on Instagram: @rarepress

on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RarePress

*Photos in this post © Elizabeth Christian. Used with permission.