I started my sketchbook collection many years ago when I was taking a Life painting class. I remember buying it from the college shop along with a huge black portfolio carrier. It’s hard backed and with bold gold lettering on the front ‘Edinburgh College of Art’, and it was, and still is, quite special as my first sketchbook.
The portfolio carrier I have never carried anywhere other than home from the shop, but it does the job of storing my artwork nice and flat, especially the large charcoal warming up sketches from these classes. My college sketchbook is the second one down, and my (very clean!) 'gallery' one is open at the side - these are just a few I had to hand for the photoshoot!
My latest new sketchbook should have been a large square hard backed one. However, somewhere along the process of ordering I got my measurements mixed up (cm & mm!), and a small square sketchbook arrived instead. So, I decided to use this one as a miniature gallery, and in the centre of each page I’ve placed a small square painting off-cut. I’m really pleased with it, and it’s lovely to flick through and remember the paintings they have come from.
I confess that I’m a hard-backed sketchbook person. I don’t buy any particular make, but just get ones that I like at the time. I did get one that folds completely flat so that you can do a double-page sketch, but I’m not a fan of the soft cover, and it’s white. I’ve also realised that I prefer a black backing to my sketchbooks!
On saying that, I have got a couple of green ones. One was a gift, and the larger one I fancied because of its buff coloured pages. It’s made by ‘Pink Pig’, and it’s produced some nice results, especially with pastels. In fact, I’ve used a few pages for collage papers too.
I usually buy them my sketchbooks from either my local art shop, Greyfriars Art in Edinburgh, or online from Jackson’s Art in the south of England. The small one on the top of the pile I received when I attended a free sketching morning in the gardens of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. It came in a goody bag with lovely charcoals and pastels.
Each sketchbook has a bit of everything in it, I don’t keep a particular sketchbook for a particular purpose (except for my small gallery one), I just pick whichever one I fancy working in at the time. This has its drawbacks, as I can never remember what's in each one, so if I’m looking for something in particular I end up trawling through them all. Although, this does have its highlights as I find lots of inspiration in things that I’d forgotten about.
Last week I finished working on a concertina sketchbook, it was from ‘Seawhite’, it has lovely crisp acid-free pages, and a hard case which is lovely if it's for a gift. This was like my small 'gallery' book - a surprise when it arrived. Not this time with another measurement error, but by not reading the description properly - it has oodles of pages! It’s been a work-in-progress over the last twelve months or so with many more pages than anticipated!
I’ve dipped in and out of it between other projects, and it’s been a light relief when I’ve had a ‘block’ with a painting. Overall it’s been great fun to make and it’s been amazing just how much glue I’ve ploughed through. It was a lovely feeling last week when I completed it and slid it into the case ready to give to my daughter (I can’t give any more details just in case she reads this blog!). I just hope it hasn’t got stuck inside the case if any of the glue hadn’t quite dried - I’ve just had this thought while typing!
I did post a sneak-peek of a section on Instagram (April 2022) if you’re interested to see it - more posts to follow after it has been gifted!
Writing about my sketchbooks has given me the idea of making a ‘what’s in it’ index on the front of each sketchbook, but there again if I do this I’ll deprive myself of those inspirational surprises that I get when I’m searching through them.
There's just something so lovely about relaxing with a coffee (or tea!) and looking though sketchbooks, they’re so tactile and unique, and they’re also a great reminder of achievements over the weeks, months and years.
I’d love to know about your favourite sketchbooks, or recommendations - because there’s always room for another one or two!
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