How to Start Your First ArtBook — Even If You’re Not Ready

Creating an artbook might sound like a final step in your artistic journey — a polished portfolio, a printed dream, something you do after you’ve mastered your skills.
But what if your first artbook is the very thing that helps you grow?

The truth is: you don’t need to be “ready” to begin.
You just need to start with what you already have.

Start Where You Are

Waiting for perfection kills momentum.
If you’re sketching daily, painting occasionally, or even collecting photo references — you already have raw material. The artbook process isn’t about flawless output. It’s about gathering, shaping, and telling a story.

Ask yourself:

  • What themes keep appearing in my work?
  • What mood or colors feel natural to me?
  • What’s the thread that connects my drawings?

Your answers are the beginning of your concept.

Embrace the Draft Phase

Don’t think of your first layout as “the book.” Think of it as a sandbox.

Arrange spreads, try out titles, play with page flow.
Mix mediums. Include messy lines. Print mockups on your home printer. The goal isn’t to impress — the goal is to explore.

This messy middle stage will teach you more about storytelling, sequence, and rhythm than months of overthinking ever could.

Curate — Don’t Just Collect

It’s tempting to fill every page with everything you’ve ever drawn. Resist.

Instead, choose intentionally:

  • Select works that fit the mood and message
  • Leave white space — let some pages breathe
  • Think in terms of pacing: bold + quiet + bold again

Your artbook is not just a gallery. It’s a rhythm, a mood, a visual experience.

Print to Learn

Even a simple, printed-at-home version changes how you see your work.

Hold it. Flip through it. Show it to a friend.
You’ll notice transitions that feel off, colors that need adjusting, or new possibilities in your layout.

Print makes it real — and that’s where growth lives.

Final Thought

Your first artbook isn’t your last.
It’s a snapshot of now — imperfect, honest, alive. It’s your permission to create without waiting.

Start with what you have. Build as you go. Turn your art into something you can hold.