Sketchbooking with Purpose
How I Tailored My Sketchbook Practice
I long dreamed to fill sketchbooks without ever filling sketchbooks. Turns out thinking about how avid I am to jot down ideas on paper is not much use if I am not actually doing it!
Types of paper
I restarted my drawing practice in 2022 with the cheapest sketchbook I could find. I discovered the Urban Sketchers movement and realized even if I cannot draw from imagination anymore, at least I could draw what I see in front of me. I traveled with this book to fabulous places across the world, imprinting beautiful memories into the subpar quality paper. I was breaking out of my mold from graphite only to seeing what I could do in ink, then adding color with my portable watercolor palette.
Introducing watercolor nearly broke my burgeoning sketchbook habit. My eagerness to add colors did not account for the need for heavier and higher quality paper suited to watercolor’s demands. I understood layers were necessary to improve the value differentiation in my illustrations, but the paper would not tolerate this and I also did not understand water control.
So, I upgraded my paper. I fell in love with the Stillman and Birn Alpha series. The heavyweight 150 gsm paper with a smooth grain (medium per their words - it’s very lightly textured without catching your pen or pencil tip) was a delight and a major upgrade. Now I had a better chance with watercolor!
Now as much as I love the Stillman and Birn Alpha series, it is a moderately expensive sketchbook for what you receive: soft cover and decently heavy white paper ($19.99 for the A4 at Blick). I needed something that I could more reliably “trash” with abandon and that’s when I discovered the delightfully inexpensive Talens Art Creations sketchbook ($11.95 at Blick for the same size). These are hardcover books with a ribbon bookmark and elastic closure enveloping cream 140 gsm paper. I was starting to experiment more heavily with gouache mixed with colored pencils and neocolors, and this book is a dream taking this mix. Wet media does give some gentle ripples to the paper, but I like the used feel of it. The one place that the Talens sketchbook struggles is with watercolors; it is dull as well as difficult to manage edges and layers.
Tempo
I was initially of a mind that one sketchbook at a time is my best course. I am very fond of chronological travel logs and I love seeing progress clearly depicted over time. This was a great strategy restarting my creative practice as it allowed me to remain focused towards filling a single sketchbook and I did not have to question or lose track of which book I’m currently in. I might also have secretly harbored the fear that I did not have enough creative momentum to maintain anything more than a single book at a time.
As I have progressed over these past two years, I am finishing my singular sketchbook faster and faster - and I realized paper is still a limiting factor depending on my preferred medium.
Current practice
Taking into account I have different media that I like to work in for different ideas as well as the increased speed I have been able to fill sketchbooks lead me to my current practice. I am very excited to have acquired a few new sketchbooks.
Talens Art Creations (4.7” x 4.7”) 140 gsm - This is the most “trashable” of all the sketchbooks and I’m dedicating it to daily mundane drawings and a general life log. It can collect small daily ephemera, comments, and stray ideas. I envision this little book as the workhorse of my creative process. It’s portable, cheap, and great for my day to day needs.
Talens Art Creations (8.3” x 11.7”) 140 gsm - I am engaged in a number of live sessions throughout YouTube, Instagram, and Patreon, and this will serve as my art challenges book. Look out for my upcoming post that will highlight these communities!
Stillman and Birn Nova (5.5” x 8.5”) 150 gsm - This beautiful toned paper sketchbook is my dedicated travel log and urbansketching book. Toned paper gives a great advantage in achieving better value contrasts because of the medium ground at the start.
Arteza (5.5” x 5.5”) 230 gsm - I find this book to be affordable for the quality of the paper. It handles very heavy wet media applications and I am using it for my watercolor sessions to practice ideas. It’s not the ideal as the watercolor does dry fairly quickly making it challenging to work multiple layers, but it’s good enough for the price. I have not loved it for my gouache layered with colored pencil since the cold press paper makes it hard to achieve a smooth finish.
Other - I have a small stash of small format watercolor sketchbooks with partial or full cotton paper that I will consider for dedicated travel destination needs. I also have unbound large paper sheets of Arches and Stillman and Birn paper that I occasionally handmake into my Travelers Notebook inserts.
All in all, I’m pleased with this updated direction and focus on my growing creative needs. What’s your favorite sketchbook and why?
Stay curiously creative,
✨Lila
Have you tried the Hahnemuhle sketchbooks yet for watercolours? Here where we are they are priced somewhere between the Talens and the Stillman&Birn.