7 Surprising Benefits of Using a Sketchbook for Watercolor Beginners

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Cultivate Creativity and Build Confidence

✅ Quick Overview

🎨 Discover 7 beginner-friendly reasons watercolor sketchbooks can boost your growth
🔄 Use your sketchbook as a low-pressure space for practice, play, and experimentation
💡 Build confidence, refine composition, and track your creative progress over time
🔑 Learn why mistakes, messy pages, and quick tests are essential to learning
👩‍🎨 Includes personal insights from a self-taught artist who once resisted sketchbooking

Introduction

If you're a watercolor artist, whether beginner or experienced, I want to encourage you to start using a watercolor sketchbook in your creative process right now—and yes, I admit it, I was wrong about sketchbooks.

From the start of my watercolor journey, I resisted using a sketchbook. I wanted to jump straight into painting. But after some reflection, I realized how essential it is, and I don't want you to make the same mistake I did.

In this post, I'll share the 7 surprising benefits of incorporating a sketchbook into your watercolor practice.

Why You Need a Sketchbook in Your Watercolor Practice

Artists have used sketchbooks for centuries to expand their creativity, and for good reason. The earliest known sketchbooks date back to ancient Egypt, where papyrus scrolls were used to record observations of daily life and nature. Iconic artists like Da Vinci, Picasso, and O'Keeffe used sketchbooks to develop their art.

A sketchbook isn’t just for drawing—it's a tool that supports creative growth, experimentation, and more.

Image of my two watercolor sketchbooks

7 Benefits of Using a Sketchbook for Watercolor Artists

1. Practice and Experimentation

A sketchbook provides a risk-free space to experiment with different techniques, colors, and styles. It’s the perfect place to test new methods without worrying about wasting expensive materials or making mistakes on a final piece.

“I often work in the sketchbook because I can be freer there. It is a way of thinking, a space where I can throw things down, a practice, and a place of exploration.”
— Gerhard Richter

2. Improved Confidence

Using a sketchbook helps build confidence by giving you a space to practice without judgment. As we all know, repeated practice leads to improvement, which results in a stronger sense of self-assurance in your watercolor abilities.

“I can’t tell you how many people tell me, ‘I can’t draw,’ but I tell them to start with a sketchbook. Keep filling up pages, and soon you’ll have something beautiful.”
— Kurt Vonnegut

3. Space for Mistakes

Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process, and a sketchbook is a forgiving space where you can make mistakes without worrying about ruining a major piece. In fact, mistakes often lead to unexpected discoveries that help you grow as an artist.

“A sketchbook is a place where one can express ideas freely without concern for the final product.”
— John Tenniel

4. Refining Composition

Sketchbooks are ideal for learning and practicing composition techniques. Whether it’s arranging elements or understanding balance, sketchbooks provide the perfect space to refine your ability to compose a painting before diving into more complex works.

“Drawing is rather like playing chess: your mind races ahead, but you can’t move until your hand has caught up.”
— David Hockney

5. Tracking Your Progress

Your watercolor sketchbook becomes a visual record of your artistic journey. Flipping through older pages helps you track improvements, spot patterns, and see areas that need more attention. This visual progress can be incredibly motivating!

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. And to truly love it, you need to be willing to see your progress, embrace your growth, and continually evolve.”
— Steve Jobs

6. Creative Freedom

Sketchbooks are all about unrestricted creativity. They're a place to be messy, playful, and spontaneous. Whether you're experimenting with new techniques or developing your unique artistic voice, sketchbooks provide the space to go wild!

“I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.”
— Pablo Picasso

7. A Reference for Future Work

Your watercolor sketchbook can serve as a valuable reference. Revisit past ideas, compositions, or techniques when you're working on future projects or in need of inspiration.

“The painter who has no sketchbook is in danger of losing a good deal of spontaneous inspiration.”— Leonardo da Vinci

Image of two pages of quick floral drawings in my sketchbook

My Story: How Sketchbooks Changed My Creative Practice

A few years ago, I was given a bundle of three sketchbooks. I hadn’t asked for them, and they sat collecting dust for months. But one day, when I was puzzling over a design in my head, it clicked: Why not draw it out in one of those sketchbooks?

So I did. And it worked.

It was fun. It was useful. And most importantly, it changed my approach to painting.

Since then, using a sketchbook has become a regular part of my creative process. Whether I'm practicing brushstrokes, sketching out shapes, or just having fun with colors, I always return to my sketchbook.

Now, I encourage every watercolor artist—beginner or experienced—to start using a sketchbook in their practice. Trust me, it will make a difference!

Image of tree sketches I recently drew in my sketchbook

Conclusion: Embrace the Sketchbook for Artistic Growth

To recap, using a sketchbook in your watercolor practice allows you to:

Experiment freely without fear of mistakes
Build confidence and refine your skills
Track your progress and revisit ideas for future works

If you're not using a sketchbook yet, I highly encourage you to start today! Choose one with thick, high-quality paper (preferably 100% cotton, at least 140 lb) to support your watercolor paint without warping or bleeding.

So, what’s holding you back from using a sketchbook? If you already use one, how has it impacted your watercolor practice? Share your experiences below, or feel free to ask me questions if you’re just getting started!

And, if you're new to sketchbooking, try filling a page with color swatches or practicing a single brushstroke technique. Let me know how it goes!

📚 References

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✍️ About the Author

Written by Mary Moreno of Mary Moreno Studio, a self-taught watercolor artist since 2020 and creative blogger sharing beginner-friendly tutorials, tips, and resources to help new artists find joy and confidence through watercolor.

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