Brooklyn Heights artist Samantha Dion Baker published her first book last August. She is a BASIS Independent Brooklyn parent, and has been holding student workshops there.
“Draw Your Day: An Inspiring Guide to Keeping a Sketch Journal” is an instructive guide that delves into Baker’s creative process and provides ways to develop and master a daily illustrated journaling practice. The 144-page book offers recommendations for materials, prompts and helpful tips and tricks. Its companion piece, “Draw Your Day Sketchbook: Making Ordinary Days Come to Life on Paper,” is a mixed-media sketchpad that helps get imaginations and creativity activated. Baker believes drawing is not as commonly practiced nowadays and encourages readers to draw in unexpected ways.
“You can draw by playing around with colors or lines and doodles, and express yourself through writing,” she told this paper. “Note taking, drawing, doodling — the brain remembers things through these practices. I know that’s how I learned.”
Baker went to The Cooper Union School of Art and studied graphic design, pursuing the profession for the next 20 years of her life.
“I picked up my journal around five years ago, drawing every day. One thing led to another, [and] I started illustrating my days,” Baker said. “Every day is totally different.”
She would reflect on and record all the things she did, saw and experienced in her daily life, like drawing animals, what she ate for breakfast or even a New York City scene for example. Baker said she hasn’t counted how many pictures she’s drawn through the years, but she estimates there are between at least three years’ worth of illustrated days in her collection.
Becoming Insta-famous
Baker began to share her illustrations on Instagram in 2014. She quickly amassed thousands of followers. Baker never imagined becoming so popular and that an agent would approach her one day about her drawings.
“Because of sharing the pages, people [were] enjoying my approach,” she said. “I got a book deal and then I sort of transformed myself into an illustrator.”
She and her agent then worked on a book proposal — with Baker writing the book, helping to design it and putting the artwork in. The process took a year and a half.
As of late December 2018, she has more than 78,800 followers — many who like and comment on her illustrated, colorful posts and want to see more. Since becoming Insta-famous, she said it feels like a responsibility to post as often as possible. Baker also added that it’s interesting for her to share her private journal with so many people. She must be careful with what’s shared to protect a certain amount of personal privacy.
“I don’t know if I signed up for that, but I also love it,” Baker said. “I wouldn’t be doing the work that I’m doing without it, so I’m very thankful for it.”
Connections to Red Hook
Baker holds art and writing workshops every so often at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. Her most recent hour-long workshop was held Nov. 29, in which she talked about the importance of handwriting and the lost art of letter writing. She enjoys playing around with lettering and typography. She explained that while handwriting is a form of communication and an art form, it’s also a tool for learning and for remembering details that are taught in class.
“I know that without cursive it’s hard for kids, and I see it with mine, for them to get their thoughts out very quickly,” she said. “That’s one of the benefits of cursive writing — that you don’t have to lift up your pen and you can write much faster. Without knowing how to do that, note-taking is more time-consuming.”
Baker also taught those in attendance how to embellish their natural handwriting, making it look pretty and fancy when addressing an envelope for example.
What’s Next?
After finding much success with “Draw Your Day,” Baker said she’d like to continue down this path and make another book. Plus, she’d love to get more comfortable drawing individuals for future illustrations.
Her next “Draw Your Day” workshop will be held on Jan. 10 at CW Pencil Enterprise (15 Orchard Street), 7-9 pm. It’ll focus on using handwriting, lettering and typography to enhance journal pages — with a sketchbook and supplies provided. Limited seats are available, and tickets can be purchased at cwpencils.com/collections/events.
“Draw Your Day: An Inspiring Guide to Keeping a Sketch Journal” and “Draw Your Day Sketchbook: Making Ordinary Days Come to Life on Paper” can be purchased at local bookstores or online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s and Penguin Random House. For more information about Baker, visit sdionbaker.com and check out her illustrations on Instagram (@sdionbakerdesign).
Top photo reprinted with permission from Draw Your Day: An Inspiring Guide to Keeping a Sketch Journal by Samantha Dion Baker, copyright (c) 2018. Published by Watson-Guptill, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc.
