I first found out about Carty Sewill when an insanely bright portrait of Marty McFly popped up on my tumblr feed. Thankfully the image linked back to Carty's website and I spent the next couple of hours eagerly clicking the next page button until I came to the end.



Carty has the wonderful knack of being able to put a subtle fantasy spin on his otherwise realistic artwork. I'm so hungry for some multicoloured bacon right now.

I love the fact that Carty still produces so much work in his sketchbook. It was really difficult to pick out just a few examples to represent his work here, so if you still have a taste for sketchbook envy (and multicoloured bacon) head over to his website to check out the rest of his work.

Imagine we're in a real-life gallery right now. You rush up beside me, grab my hand and pull me over to these sketchbook doodles by Russian artist Vladimir Smokov. You say "amazing, huh!" and I nod with a certain kind of stink-face. That certain kind of stink-face that only happens when something is just too good for words.

Then maybe afterwards we'd get a toasted sandwich at a cafe nearby. It'd be a nice day, don't you think?

The drawings in Sophie Roach's sketchbook are intricate, colorful, and slightly reminiscent of artwork by Mike Perry and Will Bryant, but a touch more austere and feminine.

It's been a while since I've seen a sketchbook this filled to the brim with goodness. I literally want to tear out each spread and frame it for my walls. If you're interested in process, be sure to follow Sophie on Instagram, where she does a great job documenting her drawings prior to adding color and for those of you into ping pong, scroll down for the loveliest paddle you've ever laid eyes on.

I'm so in love with these sketchbooks of Sao Paulo architect, Gabriel Kieling. The precision and balance of an architecture blueprint, mixed with slumped shoulders and soft skin. I can't help but stare, and wonder about the moments these people are lost in…

It's cool to see a lion in the zoo, absolutely. But to go on safari and spot a lion prowling around in the wild is undeniably cooler! Same with sketchbooks. (stick with me... I'm going somewhere with this...)

To see a scan of a sketchbook is one thing, but to see a sketchbook out in the "wild", in front of the parks and street corners where they were first doodled... even better! This is what artist Paola Gaviria Silguero from Buenos Aires does. She photographs her playful sketchbooks along with a different background, like a postcard of where she was for each page.

It also helps that her doodles are really great. Random puddles of colour, like being swept up in a street parade or a happy sugar-high! Ok now, the sketchbook safari begins...

This lady has been sitting pretty in my blogroll for a few years now, serving-up cute faces and colours that go pop. She's the illustrator who spoke-up about "chronic bitchface" (pictured below) and her fashion illustrations are my ticket into a world of lavender-tipped ponytails, and art that hangs on shoulders rather than walls.



Her sketchbooks are so freakin' lovely! Oh, and she goes by the name Kris Atomic.

Martha Rushworth runs around sketching parts of her town, or maybe it's more walk than run. Actually she probably just stands still and sketches, adds color, then continues on her merry way. No matter the method, it's the color palette she uses that has me so fascinated. Look at how bright and wonderful it completes her thinly drawn lines. I want to live in a Hollywood set made of these drawings. Make it happen.