Why Your Sketchbook Might Be the Most Powerful Tool in Your Studio

When we think about the tools that shape a painting, we often focus on brushes, pigments, or paper. But for artist Steve Griggs (Ep.59), the most essential tool in his process isn’t any of those. It’s his spiral-bound sketchbook.

Griggs’ work is known for its loose, expressive quality. And that expressive style starts long before he touches his “final” paper. It starts in the sketchbook—a place not for perfection, but for exploration.

Here’s how he does that (and why you might want to too).

A Safe Place to Think Visually

Sketchbooks serve as a kind of visual laboratory for Griggs. They offer protected space—a judgment-free zone—where he can play with ideas, break rules, and see what happens.

Here’s how he uses his sketchbook to warm up and build toward a finished piece:

1. Start with Observation
   First, Griggs takes a scene and paints it as he sees it. He sticks with the real-world colors, shapes, and values—the “local” colors and the natural composition. This gives him a grounding point, a sense of what is before asking what could be.
   
   

2. Ask “What If?”
   Then he starts pushing:

   • What if the green grass was purple?

   • What if I used an analogous color scheme instead?

   • What if I made the format long and horizontal?
     

   Each idea becomes a new page in the sketchbook. He follows the trail of curiosity, often chasing an idea through multiple iterations. He calls these explorations “motifs,” and uses the sketchbook to develop and refine them.
   
   

3. Select and Expand
   Once he’s run through his ideas, Griggs doesn’t just pick one and paint it. He picks the ones that speak to him—the versions that surprise, excite, or feel truest to the story he wants to tell. Then he moves into a larger painting, more confident in his direction.

Why This Works

Griggs’ process gives him both creative freedom and structure. The sketchbook keeps the stakes low, so he can try bold moves without fear. 

But it also serves as a launchpad—when it’s time to create a painting, he’s not starting from scratch. He’s already walked through his ideas and made decisions from a place of play, not pressure.

For many artists, this might be the missing step. Not a lack of skill or discipline, but a lack of protected space—a step in the process that exists purely for exploration.

Put It to Practice

There is a real pressure to finish a painting when you walk into your studio each day. You might hear it as soon as you enter:

It might sound like: When are you starting a real painting?” or “Sketching doesn’t count!” 

It can get loud.

But creative work needs warmups just like physical work. Athletes don’t sprint without warming up. Musicians don’t perform without practicing scales. Artists shouldn’t feel guilty for needing space to play, test, and discover.

Here’s how to start building your own protected space:

1. Designate a Sketchbook for Exploration
   Choose a sketchbook (like Griggs’ favorite, the Arteza spiral-bound) that feels freeing. The paper should be good enough to handle your medium, but not so precious that you hesitate to use it. Spiral-bound books lay flat, making them easier to paint in.
   

2. Give Yourself “What If” Time
   Set aside part of your studio session (even just 10 minutes) to experiment. Paint one version as you see it. Then try bold color swaps, compositional shifts, or extreme cropping. Follow your curiosity.
   

3. Use Affordable Materials for Idea Work
   If you ever feel like you're “wasting” paint or paper, consider using cheaper versions specifically for idea development. This lets you work freely without second-guessing whether an idea is “worth it.”
   

4. Reframe the Goal
   The sketchbook isn’t for finished work. It’s for finding the work. Protect that space from the perfectionist voice. Trust that even if nothing “final” comes from a session, you’re still building your vision and artistic voice.
   

When you allow yourself space to explore without pressure, you might discover two things:

1. You like your finished paintings more.

2. You enjoy the process of making them a whole lot more, too.

So this week, try this: Open your sketchbook before you open your canvas. Ask, “What if?” Follow it where it leads. Let your sketchbook be the place your next great painting begins.