THE SKETCHBOOK TRIBUNE: June Issue

JUNE 2025

Written by Rayhan Bengougou

Illustration by Rayhan Bengougou.

Welcome back to this month's issue of the Sketchbook Tribune, the newsletter where I break down the art and sketches, I've done in the last couple of months and share the valuable things I've learnt during my time working on these pieces. 

This month's issue is all about concept art and the beauty of rough, incomplete artwork and how helpful these rushed, simple doodles can truly be.  

Now this isn't really a great discovery; concept art has existed for a long time and is used in multiple different mediums from film to television, to comics and even stage productions and fashion. The idea of making imperfect sketches which will eventually come together and become a brilliant piece is a process that, in my opinion, is rewarding and satisfying.

GALLERY:

Illustration by Rayhan Bengougou.

Illustration by Rayhan Bengougou.

Illustration by Rayhan Bengougou.

These are some of the sketches that I did at the start of the month and were all made with the intention of fixing proportions and getting down as much detail as I can. Doing these sketches was nothing short of fun and proved to be a great way of applying the skills and techniques I have learnt when it came to art and illustration, whilst also challenging myself with a smaller canvas to work with. 

The first two sketches depict the characters of Batman and Mister Miracle. These where done with the idea for some artwork I want to do in the near future, and learning some newer forms of anatomy and posing in the process really trying to push an action pose with these concepts. With Batman, it's leaping out into the dark Gotham night, free falling with his grapple gun ready, and the other is Mister Miracle trapped in locks and shackles, trying to pry his way out of his latest predicament. The third sketch was inspired by the character Floria Tosca in Giacomo Puccini's Opera 'Tosca'. This specific pose was based on the poster that is synonymous with the play. Similar to the first two drawings, I did this sketch as a way to build up a larger portfolio of different poses and perspectives. 

The thing I quite enjoyed about making these was seeing what began as a series of scribbles and pencil become something a bit more linear and whole(ish). The raw nature of concept art is truly interesting since it provides a gateway to the little details and ideas that were created by the artist. You aren't just seeing the surface level of the art; you are seeing an entire story that is being played out.  

Overall, I would say the biggest take away from this, would be allowing to express your ideas by creating something that while imperfect, it can still pack a large amount of detail and storytelling, something that can interest people, presenting an established look that can make you think and analyze something. 

All illustrations by Rayhan Bengougou