Have Sketchbook, Will Travel (HS,WT) is an online collective of artists who would like to enhance their craft and support others to do the same. The concept of a common studio space also serves as an incubator for possible collaboration and sharing ideas. This is for those with a genuine interest in learning about art process and an introduction into what to expect from a college level studio class. 

It's suggested that there are two primary functions for a sketchbook:  Observation (what we see and record from life) and Invention (deconstructing ideas and coming up with new ones). HS,WT will send artists out with their personal sketchbooks to record their thoughts and observations and then return to share their pages. Simultaneously, the instructor will be presenting and revisiting different techniques for students to implement into their sketchbook regime throughout the duration of our time together and learn new habits in order to develop into greater artists. 

Each class will allow the first several minutes for the artists to share and comment on each other's work, which will be based on the assignments and/or drawing prompts decided by each individual artist. 

The following several sessions will be rotating themes that we'll be introduced and revisited:

Week of May 7:  Introduction to Sketchbooks and Warming Up w/ Ink Pen
Activity: Overview of how to utilize a sketchbook; discussing and showing examples from The 1,000 Journals Project; being comfortable using an ink pen and specific uses for different nib sizes; when to use hatching, cross-hatching and techniques for shading and properly using a sharpie; abstract drawing and "taking your pen for a walk"'
Exercise: practice drawing straight lines, geometric shapes and patterns
Homework: create a two page spread with a composition representational and nonrepresentational interconnecting abstract elements, patterns and designs. 

Week of May 14: Object Studies and Thumbnail Sketches
the sketchbooks of Tim Burton. 
Exercise: draw an inanimate object and make it anthropomorphic (having human features).  
Homework: still life drawing--lay 4-6 objects down on a surface  [examples: a Barbie doll, a box of Kleenex, a Boxcar Children paperback from the library at school, a hair dryer, a pillow with a checker design on it, etc] sit in front of it (or take a photo for reference) and draw what you see from your perspective on a two-page spread. Choice of pen or pencil.

Week of May 21: Mixed Media
Activity:  outside print sources to add to sketchbook pages to create new compositions; showing selections from instructor's sketchbooks as exemplars; experimenting with different paper stock and/or media; emphasis on David Hockney's photo collages, Ralph Steadman's Paranoids and Henry Darger's Story of the Vivian Girls. 
Exercise: adding wider and folded paper to the sketchbook for more panoramic pieces. Have at least one spread ready for next week's session. 
Homework: Create a mixed media composition on a two-page spread.

Week of May 28 :  Landscapes
Activity: Finding interesting things to draw outside--natural and manmade; review one, two and three-point perspectives; exploring Thomas Hart Benton's sketchbook adventures and landscape artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Wesley Willis. 
Exercise: Blind contour line drawing
Homework: draw an outdoor scene from your perspective containing both manmade and natural objects with ink pen.
 
Week of May 21: Figure Drawing and Intro to Faces
Activity: Emphasis on Figure drawing; discussion of Benton's 3D model process as well as Pablo Picasso's early years.
Exercise: draw the screen in front of you, complete with a mini portrait of each student. 
Homework: draw an impressionistic full rendering of  a person in their natural posture who's in the room with you with ink pen; finish drawing class if not finished in class (take screenshot for reference)

Week of May 27: Blueprint and designs
Activity: using your sketchbook as a notebook to deconstruct ideas and for reference material; discussing sketchbooks of Leonardo da Vinci, Frank Gehry and Chris Ware; discuss engineering and design in sketchbooks; use Google Images to find vehicles to practice drawing
Homework: 2-4 pages of vehicle studies 

Week of June 4: Drawing Faces
Activity: Understanding how to draw faces; focus on Leonardo's sketchbooks and Chuck Close's grid paintings
Exercise: practice thumbnails of pics of people.
Homework: draw a self portrait using a mirror with a pencil.

Although the sessions will not necessarily build on one another we will be focusing on, and revisiting the above listed, as well as the following:
•  drawing-prompts to work on during and between meetings (drawingprompt.com)
•  understanding how to navigate and utilize Google Images for reference material 
• growing reference archive of drawing-prompt contributions from students (Prompt Morgue)
•  utilizing the camera on the iPad
•  Print Morgue (interesting and relevant clippings from publications to be pasted/taped into the sketchbook for  reference material at later times)
• Adding pages of different length and paper stock 
•  record/note keeping (write down ideas as they come to you, feel free to use for other information like important dates, grocery lists, email addresses or whatever else you think you need to keep)

The closing of our session will allow for students to further share out, either, pre-class work or what has been created during class.  All 50 minute sessions will allow for time to draw and/or implement the technique presented. 

"My sketchbook is a witness of what I am experiencing, scribbling things whenever they happen."
-- Vincent Van Gogh