Which tools and techniques does Shola Ajibade recommend for creating vibrant sketchbook pages?

Hi, I’m Shola Ajibade from Mission to Inspire.

Based on the sketchbook covers and pages shared, leans into a mix of playful, bold tools and simple techniques to keep pages vibrant and dynamic:

• Tools

  • Fineliners and black pens for clean outlines and lettering
  • Colored markers and brush pens for bold blocks of color
  • Colored pencils for shading and soft gradients
  • Highlighters or mildliners for accents and glow effects

• Techniques

  • Layering light colors first, then adding darker details on top
  • Mixing line art with hand-lettered words or quotes
  • Using borders, frames, and simple patterns (stars, dots, lines) to fill empty spaces
  • Limiting each page to a small, cohesive color palette so everything feels unified and “pops”

What tools do you currently use most in your sketchbook?