"Sketchbooks tell a story because we perceive them page by page" -Rama Hughes

This will be maybe the last giveaway post I do! So just to get you up to speed I am giving away the book "An Illustrated Life", a book featuring sketchbook pages and interviews with over 30 illustrators, designers and artists. For this post I picked Rama Hughes. I picked Rama because I think just from looking at his work you can kind of tell how important his sketchbooks would be to his process. However in his interview he mentions having to be coaxed at certain periods into drawing in his sketchbooks,

" One day I realised that I hadn't drawn in my sketchbook for almost a year. I felt bad about it. Taking my brother's advice, I started working out projects in my sketchbook."

Rama says he used to sketch people in class in High School and that it became a hit with with them. Which is something I can relate to! He also mentions that when you are drawing from life there is a performance aspect.

This is actually something I enjoy, I like that when you sit down to sketch in a public space you become a part of the public spectacle. People prod you, kids ask you what you're doing, people try to inconspicuously look over your shoulder, and maybe sometimes become a part of the piece you're working on, and I kind of enjoy it. It's nice to read about other illustrators viewing drawing in their sketchbooks in this way.

"I have always enjoyed the experience of books: holding them, turning the pages, having them! As an object, a book is a beautiful thing. Sketchbooks tell a story because we perceive them page by page."

I firmly recommend a flip through Rama's website. Every illustration he's posted (and there's a lot) comes with a backstory, the one above in particular has some interesting philosophy behind it. And perhaps that's often what sketchbooks help us out with, not just working through an idea for a piece but working out our minds, they're like little peeks into how we creative people keep their minds in order.

So you want to see more now right? Because there's a hell of a lot more! I mean I've showed you the work of Robert Crumb and Butch Belair and even a snippet of James Jean but you guys, there's over 40 artists in this book right here! So if you want to win it you've got TWO DAYS LEFT. 

here's how you go about entering the giveaway:

- send me a tweet with a link to this blog post, or indeed any other blog posts involving this giveaway, 

- leave a comment on this blog post or indeed any other blog posts involving this giveaway. 

-like my facebook page
(or any combination of those will get you entered in there too, feel free to do any of these more than once!)

YOU HAVE UNTIL THE 28TH. I will post the book out on the 29th (it has been pointed out to me that the 29th is Good Friday and thus after that it is Easter Weekend, if the post office is shut it will be posted out to the winner at some point next week).
 I'll be keeping you updated on the giveaway over on twitter and facebook, so keep your eyes peeled.

Good luck!