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Author: Diahn_Ott, Contributing Editor
| I’m a sketchbook addict. There…I’ve said it. It’s true. I love sketchbooks. I love shopping for them, I really love owning them, and I love carrying them with me everywhere I go just in case I have a free moment to jot down an observation. I take a small one with in my handbag and use it as my journal. I draw in it, I write in it and sometimes I make grocery lists in it, but it is as essential a tool to my artwork as any paintbrush or reference book. I really believe that no artist should be without one!
That being said, they can also prove to be very frustrating if you have the wrong sketchbook, because if you don’t like it, don’t want to carry it, and hate the way your preferred medium works in it – you’ll never use it. I hope this little article will help you choose the book that will work best for you, and perhaps give you an idea or two to use in your own constant companion! |
| I’ve used many different styles of books as my sketchbook – from simple, lined composition books to the trendy Moleskine sketchbook. I’ve gone through countless spiral bound sketchbooks, glued-spine books and Coptic bound beauties. But when it comes to picking the right book – it’s all about the paper. A typical spiral bound book with the label “sketchbook” is perfect for pencil. It has enough tooth to grab the graphite, but isn’t so rough that the pencil skips across the page. This kind of book will not take any kind of wet media very well, so watercolor or very wet ink washes will be frustrating, although regular pen and ink work would do fine. Bear in mind that sketchbooks are not necessarily for making complete, finished works of art, but if it is frustrating to use, you won’t use it! Spiral bound books work well if you like working in a one-page layout, either portrait or landscape orientation. But, if you like to create two-page layouts, working across the spiral is impossible, and if you like to scan your work for posterity, or for displaying on WetCanvas! or on your personal webpage, that spiral causes some problems. |  |
 | About 18 months ago, I purchased my first Moleskine sketchbook. These are lovely little books – handsomely made and a very nice size for tucking in a purse or briefcase. There are MANY different types of Moleskine, so you have to do a little bit of research. The plain or ruled Moleskine contains a thin paper made for writing. It is NOT suitable for sketches, as anything you do – pencil, pen or otherwise – will bleed through to the other side. There are two different types of Moleskine sketchbooks. One is labeled “sketchbook” and has a bluish-purple wrapper, the other is the Moleskine watercolor sketchbook and has a pale pink wrapper. The sketchbook is bound on the long side and comes in small (3 ½ x 5 ½ ) or large (5 ¼ x 8 ¼ ). The watercolor sketchbook comes in the same sizes, but is bound on the short side. The paper is stitched into signatures, and the book opens completely flat, so drawing across the center is easy. The sketchbook can be difficult to get used to at first. The paper is heavily sized and has a slick finish, and is about the same weight as a standard cardstock. Pen work is fabulous in this book – the pen just glides across the page without any effort. Graphite is wonderful, as well and for the same reason. Adding wet media can be a little tricky, however. Washes of watercolor puddle up and soak in and aggravate, but they can be used to advantage – if you decide to accept the strange behavior and incorporate it into the sketch! Adding a little bit of soap to your water can help avoid the problem entirely. I’ve found that, while watercolor is repelled by the sizing on the paper, acrylic ink soaks in quickly and loses all it’s vibrancy immediately. |
| Other than the acrylic ink issue, however, I’ve not found a medium I can’t use in the Moleskine. I’ve used pencil, pen, colored pencil, watercolor, acrylic paint, watercolor crayon, Inktense pencil and poster markers, and have loved it all. The key is to not fight the paper – find it’s limitations and either work within them, or use them to your advantage! |  |
 | The Moleskine watercolor sketchbook contains 200 gsm cold press watercolor paper and takes a watercolor wash quite well. It actually is a good, all-around sketchbook, as both pencil and pen do well in it. I have found the landscape layout to be a little tricky for me, but that’s a personal preference. |
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