As part of my prep for the Live Version of Sketchbook Design (starting this week on Wednesday, 9th September), I’ve been looking through old sketchbooks and have been struck by how important it is for me that my pages contain both images and words.

It’s been interesting to see how my combination of text and sketches has evolved over the years, and today I want to share a few examples with you. (Note: I included some of these in an email I sent out recently, but I’m adding more examples in this article!)

Before I started regularly sketching, I kept written journals when I travelled and only occasionally added a drawing.

Whenever I included a sketch, the stories were richer.

So I was determined to learn how to paint with watercolour so that I could create more image-based travel sketchbooks.

In January 2007, I started sketching my life in preparation for a 5-week visit to Europe later that year. (Sketching my life was simply a means of training for this upcoming trip!)

I was so happy that I filled two Moleskine sketchbooks on that trip – filling my pages with a few sketches per day, accompanied by my usual written accounts of my adventures.

I became obsessed with sketching after this trip, and sketching my life became an end in itself. It helped me see beauty in the ordinary and enjoy the small moments of life.

Over the years, I created habits to incorporate sketching into my busy everyday schedule, but I often rely on writing to complete the narrative for each day.

Special memories are encoded into my sketches, but my handwritten notes record (often with a touch of humour) additional little moments that I would otherwise forget.

I’ve also come to realise that the process of composing my sketches and notes on the page is a very distinct creative act – one that I enjoy almost as much as the sketching itself.

Here are some examples (from my sketchbooks over the years) showing a few different ways I add text to my sketchbook pages.

Writing in a long text block aligning with the width of my sketch.

Writing in a small text block fitting into an open-corner of my sketch.

Columns of text.

Varying the colour of my text in random text blocks across the spread.

More random notes across the page.

Text incorporated into the sketch.

A full page of text contrasting with the openness of the opposite page.

Text as background.

Text in a shape with an overlapping sketch.

There is so much that you can do when you add a bit of writing to your sketchbook pages! And this is something that I’m really looking forward to exploring inside Sketchbook Design in the coming weeks, as there are always so many wonderful ideas shared in the classroom!

Just for the record: You don’t have to have neat handwriting, or journal your life as I do- there are lots of different ways to add text that will contribute to story-telling within your sketchbooks. And yes, we also look at these options inside Sketchbook Design.

I’m so excited to be going through this course again – starting this week!

Live Version starting 9 September 2026
Work through the lessons in 9 weeks with  an inspiring group of sketchers
+ take part in 9 bonus weekly Q&A livestreams

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Finally, I have a question for you…

Do you add writing to your sketchbook pages?

If yes, I would love to hear why you do and what kind of things you write about.

If no, why not?

If it is something that you wish you did more of, I would love to know what’s stopping you. What are the barriers to writing in your sketchbook?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.