Sarah Alfarhan
For the longest time, I always kept my sketchbooks to myself. I felt that they were too personal to share! But in my last year as an illustration student, many teachers encouraged me to share my sketchbook.
All Uarts seniors are required to attend Portfolio Day, where art directors are invited to look at students work. So I decided to display my sketchbook for the event. That was the first time I willingly showed my sketchbook to art directors, teachers and even fellow students.
A page from Sarah's sketchbook. Click it to see a bigger version.
In general, my sketchbooks display a lot of personal observations, and I used to be too self-conscious to share that with others. But slowly, I became aware of how rewarding it is to share my sketchbooks with friends – and how essential it is to share a sketchbook with an employer.
My sketchbooks show the initial steps and ideation process of any assignment or project I take up. Observational drawings pop up here there; including “things to buy” lists, notes from lectures, and even titles of books to read.
When I started showing my sketchbook for interviews, I got positive feedback. Employers liked seeing how my thought process for solving problems was clearly displayed in my sketchbook – and I think they simply enjoyed leafing through it. During interviews, I would first show my portfolio,and then I would present the interviewer with the sketchbook.
To see Sarah's sketches in greater detail,click the picture.
Employers that want to hire you – whether it’s for a job or an internship – want to see the way you solve visual obstacles. And what better way to show that than handing them your sketchbook?
Below are some links to sketchbooks I personally loved looking at. Enjoy!
Artist portfolios:
Vanesa R. Del Rey – Felipe Duarte – Mark Eberhardt – Matt Lopez – Guilherme Maueler – Charles Valsechi – Katia Wish
