The reMarkable 2 Tablet, Flashcard Apps, & How to Draw a Handshake

Issue #9 of Simply Sketched

Earlier this week I began using the reMarkable 2 tablet, which I hope will fill a particular role in my creative process as a digital legal pad. Hear me out.

I have many fond memories over the past decade of sitting on a front porch, in a coffee shop, or on a train with just a legal pad and pen, writing and sketching out ideas for new projects.

I want that feeling back, but with the benefits of digital storage and access.

With its stripped down technology and paper-like approach, the reMarkable provides a simpler, quicker, and calmer experience than pulling out the iPad and deciding which app to use.

Here’s what the drafting of a video about mental models looked like:

It’s quick and sloppy work, and I love it.

The iPad will continue to be my production tool for making videos and capturing live sketchnotes during workshops, but it’s looking like the reMarkable 2 will be my go-to thinking and drafting tool.

I found this review as well as this walkthrough to be helpful—they’re what pushed me over the top to finally hit that buy button.

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In a new video for the Doug Draws Icons YouTube channel I show you how to draw a handshake, as well as how you might use it within a sketchnoting session:

That’s one more element that you can add to your visual vocabulary!

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Speaking of visual vocabulary, I heard from a Verbal to Visual community member this week who’s starting to use the flashcard tool Anki capture and practice new drawings, like that of a pointing finger.

I’ve become interested in flashcard apps after hearing about the benefits of active recall and spaced repetition within the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, and am curious to explore integrating sketchnotes into that type of self-quizzing tool.

If you’ve used Anki or any other flashcard app, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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It wasn’t until I was breaking down a Brooks shoebox for recycling that I noticed this hand-sketched infographic on the underside of the lid:

I love seeing that type of visual work coming from established companies and brands!

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In my latest essay, Turning a Book into a Lens, I describe how I approach the reading and sketchnoting of books:

The desire to remember more of what I read is what pulled me into the world of sketchnoting in the first place, and it feels good to be spending much of my time these days with that type of work.

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When I pull my head out of those books and come up for some fresh air, I’ve got the community within Verbal to Visual to keep the spark of sketchnoting strong.

Like seeing this sketchnote selfie from Kerstin Paulik, created in preparation for the upcoming International Sketchnote Camp in the Netherlands:

I also really enjoyed this take on a prompt I gave to sketch out the concept of “reconcile” from community member Coach Jason:

As another community member shared in the comments, “Ah, the tongues say it all!”

If you’d like to see more of that work and share your own, while also building your skills through our library of courses and weekly live events, then come join us inside of Verbal to Visual!

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Good luck as you continue building your visual thinking skills and applying those skills to work that you care about.

Cheers,

-Doug