Artists, Animators (includes 3D artists), and filmmakers should draw in a small sketchbook or journal consistently – or at least try to. When designing a character or drawing thumbnails for a scene we are about to animate, the research we do for these assignments is really only half of the research – the other half of our research comes from our daily observations that we see/experience and sketch or doodle in our journals. These doodles are not meant to impress but are to represent a glimpse into a moment in time of people, animals, objects, flora, architecture reacting to the physical forces of nature and emotions. This process of doodling these moments will filter into our work – this second half of our research will help us create a more unique design or animated performance.

It’s always a wonderful opportunity to sketch while riding a bus, a train, or in a car (not driving). This only gives you one or two seconds to see a moment, capture it in your mind, and sketch the main objective of the subject – was it the gesture, was it the composition of three people having a conversation at a street corner? There is no time for extraneous details – only enough time to capture the spirit and expression of the subject. Also, drawing while in transit guarantees no straight lines or details – remember, these are rough scribbles.