Alan Ashworth-Muñoz is a Chilean-born artist based in London. His dream-like watersoluble pastel works on paper draw inspiration from history, folklore, and theatre. Here, he takes us through the pages of his sketchbooks and tells us how he approaches drawing as though speaking a second language, why simplicity and portability are crucial, and how Post-it notes liberate his drawing practice.
Alan Ashworth-Muñoz Takes Us Through His Sketchbook Practice
I use my sketchbook religiously every day, maybe five or six times. I reach for it when an idea pops into my head, or when I see something that I need to get down so I remember it for later. I tend to walk a lot, which can generate lots of ideas and plant a seed for a piece. My work is quite theatrical, it’s inspired by history, dreams, and stories. It’s often dark, and it’s often surreal. I’ve always worked with images, not words, so I don’t write at all in my sketchbooks. Although I know a lot of artists do, it’s just not something I feel I need to do.
In the past, I’ve felt pressure to always create something in my sketchbooks that I’m satisfied with, which made the process much longer and less liberating. So I have several sketchbooks on the go now, rather than just one. It keeps the ideas fresh and interesting.
I tend not to carry a big bag, so what works for me is anything small or loose. Post-it notes are ideal. They are such a liberating way of working. They’re detached, they are their own moment, and there’s no pressure for it to be good. Now I have a sketchbook where I file the Post-it notes. Sometimes they inform a larger piece of work, but mostly they are a momentary flash of an idea that I want to get down on paper. Often, my ideas pass just as quickly as I have them.
I really like using lay-flat sketchbooks because the drawings I do aren’t restricted to that one page. They have the freedom to travel across another. I also find that it gives the piece a bit of depth as well. I like my sketchbooks to be quite small, about A6 size, so I can carry them around easily. Paper between 100 gsm to 150 gsm works for me – it’s great for pen and pencil which are my usual drawing mediums.
For large finished pieces I work with lots of colour, with watersoluble pastels on paper. However, in my sketchbooks, I prefer dark graphite pencils, usually 2B to 8B. And I love using biro. They are always available, and I love the boldness and the slight sheen. They are an immediate, everyday drawing tool. Speaking on a purely practical level, I don’t want my sketchbook materials to be too messy because I want to work quickly on the go. I want to be able to put my sketchbook back in my pocket straight away. I want to keep it simple.
I see sketchbook drawings as a map to the main pieces. I retain a simplicity in the sketchbook, and it’s in the main pieces that I go into detail. Sometimes I’ll draw it out directly from a sketch. It alleviates the pressure because I have a map that I’ve already created. However, the final piece always looks very different. From where it begins to where it ends, the journey in between is never linear. I am often inspired by an older drawing, or I find that an old sketch comes through in new work without me even realising. The creative process is mysterious like that!
I need to keep drawing to keep fluent, and doing a little often helps me to get in the flow. It’s like speaking a second language– if you don’t keep it up you become more shy, hesitant, and less articulate. My sketchbooks are just for me, not for anyone else. There’s an immediacy in how I use them, a freedom that I don’t really get anywhere else. I don’t have to worry about a drawing in a sketchbook, or on a Post-it note, being any good. I don’t have to worry about whether an idea is going to come to something. For ideas that do persist, my sketchbook helps me map them out and develop them. It eases me into the process.
For artists who are looking to make the most out of using a sketchbook, my advice is not to take your sketchbooks too seriously. It’s your place to play around and make mistakes. Also, take your sketchbook out with you. The best way to make good use of it is to always keep it with you. Do a little, often. I think you get more out of it this way.
If you’re stuck creatively, then take yourself out for a walk and bring your sketchbook. It could be to a museum (I love the Wallace Collection in London), or just around your local area. Something will come up, and when it does you’ll have your sketchbook there to capture it.
Materials
Faber-Castell Series 9000 Graphite Pencil, 2B
Faber-Castell Series 9000 Graphite Pencil, 8B
Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Artist Watercolour Crayons
Post-it notes
Jackson’s Lay-Flat Hardcover Sketchbook 15 x 12 cm, A5 or A4 100 gsm
About Alan Ashworth-Muñoz
Alan Ashworth-Muñoz is a Chilean-born artist. Raised in the west of England, he currently lives and works in East London. He studied Fine Art at Gloucestershire College, and continued his art education at Cardiff Metropolitan University. His practice is infused with his passion for history, folklore, and theatre, with a strong South American influence. He weaves together mythology and surrealism in a variety of mixed media, including watersoluble wax pastels and gouache. He is currently taking his practice towards oil painting, exploring the possibilities that the medium has to offer.
Further Reading
Expert Advice on Making Your Way as an Artist
How to Create the Best Digital Photographs of Your Artwork
In Conversation with Pete Cole of Gamblin
Inside the Sketchbook of Luisa Rivera
Shop Sketchbooks on jacksonsart.com
Trending Products
