Sketchbook Review

I was gifted with, much needed, new sketchbooks this Christmas. I'm still in the process of getting a feel for each one and what they are capable of. Here is a GREAT article written by an artist about several  sketchbooks at Stutler.cc He goes into great detail about each one's pros and cons - this is actually what my husband used as a guide to purchase mine!

Here are my initial, quick thoughts on using the new books. I haven't used any to great lengths yet, but I'm definitely playing favorites to a few:

Moleskine®

Cahier Journal: These are tiny enough to fit in your pocket, and flexible enough to be comfortable. Now, I will say that I haven't actually PUT one in my pocket, but it does hang out in my purse most of the time, which is small! I tried to paint with watercolor, just to see what would happen, and it's definitely a "no-go" with anything wet. (The curly page was sort of cute, but... I like my pages flat, just sayin') But, there is a nice flow and cleanliness to my ink lines that I did not have before with my cheaper books. The paper is pretty thin, so anything you draw with ink you can sort of see through on the next page. I think it's more for actual writing and journaling than anything else.

Watercolor Notebooks: These ROCK! Now, I admit I'm an amateur painter and self teaching as I go, so I DO NOT have much experience with watercolor paper. But, I do have enough knowledge to know when something is "working" or not for me. These are nice. The texture is rough but not too rough to where it interferes with your work. The paint can be reworked without damaging the paper to easily (which is good for my beginner mess ups!) This notebook is one of my favorites right now.

Paperblanks®

See how tiny it is! Great size for traveling with me.

What's really awesome about these little gems is how they look! The have that "old world" journal feel to them, that make you just want to leave them lying around for "coolness" sake. I also really enjoying sketching in them as well. They are really smooth with the ink and micron pens, but the paper is just a little too thin for watercolor and even heavy marker use. I've learned that lesson using a Sharpie, which completely ruined the drawing on the backside! Oh well - C'est la vie!

Paperblanks also has different series, and the one I'm currently enjoying is called Safavid Binding Art. It's small with a magnetic lock and easily fits into my laptop bag. The pages are not bright white, but rather an ivory color - which really compliments the vintage feel of the book. I also have the larger version called Old Leather Embossed. I have not used this one yet, but it's basically the same paper, just bigger. So far, these are one of my favorites - and BEAUTIFUL!

Stillman and Birn

Epsilon Series Sketchbook: I haven't explored this one too much yet, except for a few watercolor test pages. It's made to handle watercolor, just like the Moleskine Notebook (although I prefer the Moleskine one a little more than the Stillman and Birn, it's nicer). It looks and feels like your classic spiral-bound sketchbook, most-likely used at one point in a college art class.

Handmade Art Paper

This paper is just lovely, although I'm having a little trouble figuring out how to use it to its ability. Since it is handmade paper, it tends to soak up any water immediately. Which means, once you put a paint stroke down there is NO blending or moving the paint. I may try some Japanese ink brush paintings on it with my old bamboo brushes for my next attempt.

I hope this helps get anyone who is looking to get started with some more professional sketchbooks. There are soooo many that it's hard to narrow down what's right for you. I'll try to do a follow up over the next few months on how I'm liking the new books.

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