Other Artists' work

Many of my sketchbook pages are taken up by clippings, photocopies, postcards, and other things that inspire me. Sure, it's a requirement of my art school classes but more and more I find it helps my own work, rather than just taking up valuable space.

These shots from my current sketchbook show some images by various artists I collected this year while looking for examples of sketches and drawings by other artists. Often artists become recognizable for a certain style or medium, but it can be so much more exciting to dig up some of their lesser known work, or examples from their sketchbooks. One great book I found on the library shelves is Travels with pen, pencil and ink By David Hockney. It's a fairly old book so forgive the lack of information in the link provided but if you can track it down it has some wonderful examples of quick sketches, pencil work, color, basic ink outlines, etc. He's possibly most famous for paintings like 'a bigger splash' or these photographic works, but I'm a sketcher at heart and just can’t go past his drawings and etchings.

Another great (and ancient) book I found was "From Manet to Toulouse Lautrec: French lithographs, 1860-1900", again little useful information online but really, if you're interested try looking up any printmakers, especially lithographs and etchings, since many printmaking methods are based on replicating drawings and detail. The above spread shows a pair of beautifully sketchy ladies by Toulouse Lautrec, amongst some more David Hockney, Da Vinci and a Foujita.

What other artists inspire you? Who, and what, do you paste in your sketchbooks? What other sources help you develop your ideas? Share your secrets with us!