My Sketchbook Journey: Raw Art and Creative Process
These pages aren't for the gallery wall. They are where I process the world, experiment with ink, and embrace the messy, honest path of learning to draw again.
A flat lay of many of my sketchbooks, filled with drawings from various live sketching sessions. Each book holds countless memories and miles of lines.
A quick flip-through of some random pages from my sketchbook. It's a mix of quick drawings, color explorations, and finished ideas.
A sketchbook spread showing a mix of styles. On the left, a ballpoint pen scene from life, and on the right, a colorful graffiti and character exploration.
Another spread showing the variety in my sketchbook. A detailed architectural sketch in pink sits next to a colorful character and some abstract lettering.
This spread features a detailed ink drawing of a living room, an exercise in perspective and interior sketching.
A colorful spread using markers to capture people I observed. I love experimenting with limited and bold color palettes.
A page of botanical doodles next to some portrait studies. My sketchbook is a playground for any idea that comes to mind.
This reel reflects on a time I focused heavily on brush pen work to reconnect with hand-drawing after relying too much on digital tools. It was a response to my own internal questions about my craft.
Part one of a sketchbook tour, sharing a favorite spread from my latest book. I enjoy sharing these behind-the-scenes looks at my process.
A full sketchbook spread from January, filled with anatomy studies, sculpture drawings, and random thoughts, all done in ballpoint pen.
About My Sketchbook Journey
When I work on a commercial commission, every line is calculated. But in these pages, I give myself permission to be wrong. Whether I am experimenting with ballpoint pens in Sanjay Gandhi National Park or testing new markers, these sketches are how I keep my hand steady and my ideas fresh. If you want a custom illustration, you are essentially asking for a piece of this ongoing experiment, where the final output has that same raw, textured energy you see in my rough sketches.
I started keeping these sketchbooks when I realized I was losing touch with physical, tangible work. I was too reliant on screens and digital correction, and I missed the anxiety of a permanent ink mark on paper. This gallery is a collection of that response.
Why the mess matters
For me, an artist's value isn't just in the polished final file I send you. It is in the thousands of wrong lines that came before it. You will see studies from my time with the Urban Sketchers Mumbai group, quick studies of architecture, and even character designs that didn't make the cut for any client project. This is where I learn how light hits a surface or how to capture a fleeting expression on a train.
Translating this to your project
When you hire me for a portrait, a storybook illustration, or a wall mural design, I bring this exact sketchbook sensibility to the table. I don't just jump to digital perfection. I start with pencil and ink, ensuring the foundation is solid and the feeling is right. We establish the composition and the emotion on paper before I move to digital tools like Procreate to finalize the colors and crisp edges. This ensures your final piece has a heartbeat, not just a clean look.
If you are looking for art that feels human, whether it is a stylized portrait of a loved one or a complex scene for a brand, this is the process I follow. I focus on consistency and storytelling, one page at a time.
Shirish Ghatge
I am an illustrator who stopped chasing perfection and started chasing stories. Most of my day is spent with a sketchbook in hand, observing the quiet chaos of Mumbai or just filling pages with ink until an idea sticks.
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