Focus on Communication Over Perfect Illustration

In this final episode of The Sketchnote Army Podcast season 16, we’ve compiled the tips from nine great visual thinkers into a single episode. We hope these tips inspire and encourage you on your visual thinking journey. Happy New Year!

Tips from: Emily Mills, Joran Oppelt, Kelvy Bird, Javier Navarro, Blanche Ellis, Peter Durand, James Durno, Diana Ayoub, and Justin Hamacher.

Sponsored by Concepts

The Concepts Sketchnote Workshop video — a unique, FREE, hands-on workshop video where I show you how I use the Concepts app to create sketchnotes on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.

In this one-hour, eighteen-minute video, I cover:

• The Infinite Canvas as a sketchnoting power feature
• How vectors give you complete control of brushes and sizing as you create sketchnotes and
• How vector elements let you size and repurpose your drawings for ultimate flexibility.

The workshop video includes answers to common questions about Concepts.

Watch the workshop video for FREE at:
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Be sure to download the Concepts app at concepts.app and follow along with me during the workshop!

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If you enjoy this episode of the Sketchnote Army Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at https://sketchnotearmy.com/buymeacoffee

Running Order

• Intro
• Emily Mills
• Joran Oppelt
• Kelvy Bird
• Javier Navarro
• Blanche Ellis
• Peter Durand
• James Durno
• Diana Ayoub
• Justin Hamacher
• Outro

Links

Amazon affiliate links support the Sketchnote Army Podcast.

• Emily’s website
• Joran on LinkedIn
• Kelvy's website
• Javier's website
• Blanche's website
• Peter’s website
• James' website
• Diana on LinkedIn
• Justin on LinkedIn

1. Emily’s Tips

1. Keep on experimenting.
2. Try something outside your practice but still creative.
3. Be careful when sketchnoting becomes work then find something else to supplement that joy factor.

2. Joran’s Tips

1. Own the problem.
2. Break down the big thing into smaller digestible pieces.
3. Ask for help.

3. Kelvy’s Tips

1. Experiment and try new tools/approaches.
2. Preserve a sense of mystery and beauty in your work.
3. Prioritize self-care both physically and mentally.

4. Javier’s Tips

1. Don't be obsessed with perfect illustrations.
2. Work around your strengths.
3. Improve your craft one step at a time.
4. Ask clients a lot of questions before the onset of a project.
5. Prep a lot.
6. Always remember that it is all about the audience.
7. Train your mind to be visual 24 hours.

5. Blanche’s Tips

1. Try different ways into the same activity.
2. Keep experimenting to find your style.
3. Keep a Sketchbook with you always.
4. Only show the kind of work you want to do.
5. Don't underestimate the background of being an entrepreneur as an artist.
6. Appreciate the part that you do well.
7. Drawing on public transport.

6. Peter’s Tips

1. Create custom color palettes for each client/event.
2. Manage self-negative talk and nerves through preparations and rituals.
3. Approach your work as a gift to share rather than something to be self-conscious about.
4. Being positive and supportive of each other's work.
5. Look for inspiration from artists and eras that are not closely adjacent.

7. James’ Tips

1. Slow down to speed up.
2. Abandon the idea of perfection. Practice, but practice makes proficient, not perfect.
3. Learning the rules, principles, and elements of what makes a good art.
4. Listening to understand.
5. A drawing is not just what we intend it to be but also how it's understood. Make sure that we get it right in terms of what we pack into a drawing.

8. Diana’s Tips

1. Just doodle. Just let yourself go with the pen.
2. Keep a sketchbook on you all the time.
3. Talk to people. Find a community, a group of people who inspire and motivate you to think outside the box.
4. Join the Think Visual Meet-up.

9. Justin’s Tips

1. Draw where you aren't conventionally permitted to do so. Push your boundaries of drawing.
2. Have the easiest materials possible that you will use.
3. Try to have you and your tools as close to each other as possible to develop that relationship and open those channels of expression and communication with yourself.

Credits

• Producer: Alec Pulianas
• Shownotes and transcripts: Esther Odoro
• Theme music: Jon Schiedermayer

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