Sketchbook Reviews

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Here is a review of several sketchbooks that you journal keepers should know about

Bear Books are great low-budget journals for teachers.

Kunst & Papier Sketchbooks are cool bound sketchbooks that can be folded back on themselves.

Komtrak Inspiral Notebooks allow you to add whatever type of paper that you like.

  • Pamela

    For your Komtrak assembled sketching journals, as described in your book: Where you use pastel papers, it occurred to me that the pastel board might hold up better than the pastel paper for the washes you do. I didn’t check to see if they come in the colors you prefer to use, but I have seen the product in my local art supplies store. The board is maybe bristol 2 ply weight and the Mi-Teintes is glued to it with the rougher, pastel side as the work surface. A fellow botanical artist developed a technique so we could paint with gouache on the Mi-Teintes paper (the smoother side, not the pastel side) by attaching Mi-Teintes to 3/16 inch foam core with a sheet of MacTac. That held up well with more water than one would be able to use with just the paper. However, that setup would rapidly create a very thick sketchbook, so it isn’t practical, I wouldn’t think, for the setup you use. But the pastel board might work. Just a thought.