--- title: "My Sketchbook Journey: Raw Illustration and Creative Process" description: "Explore my raw sketchbook pages, filled with ink drawings and character studies. See the process behind my custom illustrations and Mumbai urban sketches." canonical: https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/my-sketchbook-journey last_updated: 2026-02-10 --- # My Sketchbook Journey: Raw Art and Creative Process Tribe Verified · Featured artist in Design India Magazine By [Shirish Ghatge](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams) · Available online; Based in Mumbai · ₹7,500 per illustration (estimate) Part of [Custom Illustration](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration). [View full gallery](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/gallery) 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. ## Photos and videos - ![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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/2d84fca4-a0ae-46f2-9e17-fe8f06740bfb) - [Video: A quick flip-through of some random pages from my sketchbook. It's a mix of quick drawings, color explorations, and finished ideas.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/93c9e1eb-792d-4b75-b10c-3b0286bce791) - ![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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/ae625662-a759-44bc-a647-d95d1799f433) - ![Another spread showing the variety in my sketchbook. A detailed architectural sketch in pink sits next to a colorful character and some abstract lettering.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/ed36a3ad-91cc-400a-8d51-db2b147fc252) - ![This spread features a detailed ink drawing of a living room, an exercise in perspective and interior sketching.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/6361b35a-7a26-4a43-9717-0dce09067f97) - ![A colorful spread using markers to capture people I observed. I love experimenting with limited and bold color palettes.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/4a958a2d-0654-470b-8545-403745f40a05) - ![A page of botanical doodles next to some portrait studies. My sketchbook is a playground for any idea that comes to mind.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/b127250e-1066-49b2-87de-68b9f1f4372b) - [Video: 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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/2f451178-56fa-404c-9ede-1601f9509f2a) - [Video: 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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/ea6aaafe-5cee-4d73-b319-1baafdb0ddcd) - ![A full sketchbook spread from January, filled with anatomy studies, sculpture drawings, and random thoughts, all done in ballpoint pen.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/d4f4a7c9-6825-4617-a6c7-ab8ec1c20af1) - [Video: A short reel on what I draw when I don't know what to draw. Sometimes, just making simple, bold shapes with a Posca marker is enough to get the creativity flowing.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/eb9cadb9-a337-4a07-9792-5bfec0771581) - ![My 'Art vs Artist' compilation from 2024. It was a year of returning to traditional mediums, and I'm proud of the growth and consistency I achieved.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/e79eb6f1-dc83-470f-baa8-476c509daa3b) - ![A photo of my workspace, my creative sanctuary. This is where the ideas, sketches, and final pieces all come together.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/fdd4d385-e70f-4c1c-b485-13eb4946d174) - ![A feature on my work in Design India Magazine. It was an honor to be included and to share my thoughts on art and inspiration.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/eb8471b5-8faf-4ae1-aa00-fbde05b2fb7b) - ![Another shot from my feature in the magazine, showing my photo next to one of my illustrations, 'God of small things'.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/e7d3c50c-d6e2-4f12-8bd0-266063e0f8b2) - ![The full-page spread in Design India Magazine. Seeing my work in print is always a special feeling.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/ad68c3ae-a99a-45cb-b542-9374defc8a8e) ## 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. ## About 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. [See all of Shirish Ghatge's services](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams) ## More from Custom Illustration by Shirish Ghatge - [Featured](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/featured) - [Large-Scale Mural Design](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/large-scale-mural-design) - [Storybook & Character Artwork](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/storybook-character-artwork) - [Portraits & Character Studies](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/portraits-character-studies) - [Editorial & Conceptual Illustration](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/editorial-conceptual-illustration) - [Live Sketching: Capturing Mumbai's Pulse](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/live-sketching-capturing-mumbai-s-pulse) - [Digital Illustrations & Patterns](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/custom-illustration/digital-illustrations-patterns) ## More services by Shirish Ghatge - [Art Education & Speaking Engagements](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/art-education-speaking-engagements) - [Live & On-Location Sketching](https://mytribe.in/voyager_of_dreams/live-on-location-sketching) ## Similar work from other experts - [My Sketchbook Stories](https://mytribe.in/youknowhertoo/art-workshops-classes/my-sketchbook-stories) by Divya Bhatia · Art Workshops & Classes · Online & in-person workshops across Mumbai; Studio in Goregaon West - [Raw Concept Sketches and Illustrations](https://mytribe.in/dexter_graffitii/digital-illustration-graphic-design/from-the-sketchbook) by Dexter · Digital Illustration & Graphic Design · Available online - [Sketchbook Art and Hand-Drawn Illustrations](https://mytribe.in/cookshop_ruin/illustration/sketchbook-explorations) by Noopur Choksi · Illustration · Available online globally - [Inside My Sketchbook and Studio Practice](https://mytribe.in/2flatbrush/illustration-services/from-my-sketchbook-studio) by Girija · Illustration Services · Available globally as digital download - [Inside My Creative Journey: Sketches and Experiments](https://mytribe.in/thebombay_doodler/personalized-doodle-art-portraits/the-artist-s-sketchbook) by The Bombay Doodler · Personalized Doodle Art & Portraits · Based in Mumbai; Ships artwork and travels for live painting across India - [My Personal Sketchbook & Urban Art Journal](https://mytribe.in/dikshitaartstudio/art-workshops-and-classes/my-personal-sketchbook) by Dikshita Jain · Art Workshops and Classes · Online classes; Workshops at Noida studio, NCR, and Indore ## Book To book Shirish Ghatge, message mytribe on WhatsApp: [Chat on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/916360004054?text=Hi%20Shirish%2C%20I%20saw%20your%20sketchbook%20gallery%20and%20love%20your%20style.%20I'm%20interested%20in%20discussing%20a%20custom%20illustration.)