Sketchbook discussion

I'm new to dedicating myself to this whole thing, but there's an Artist's and Craftsman's here nearby in NYC that sells these blank, white cover bounded sketchbooks that appealed to me. Now that I realise they're just like 45 sheets I doubt it was worth $5, but it's alright, no logos or branding at all tho.

>>2902056
It's 6" by what I think is 8/9" long, I often don't realise which side is the cover and hold the book upside down, lmao

>>2902000
I've got 2 Moleskine-esque books dedicated to heads/faces and animals. It's nice to keep it in one place because I can easily observe improvement.
I've got 2 white A5 sketchbooks, one for drawing on the go, and one for a shitty comic I'm working on.
I've got 3 white A3 sketchbooks lying around in my apartment, so I just pick the closest one for when I want to use it. I also use these for figure drawing classes.
I've got 1 A6 Moleskine for quick sketches when abroad.
I've got 1 white A2 for when I want to do something slightly bigger.
And I've got a bunch of DIY A5 sketchbooks in different colours because coloured paper is fun to draw on.

Favourite brands would be Moleskine and Cheapest Shit I Can Buy
I really like the A5 size. It's comfy to draw on. But if I want to do something where I actually put down effort it's: bigger = better
I finish a A5 with 70 sheets in about a month if I don't have a stacked schedule.
Media is usually: Ballpoint, ink brush, ink pen, pencil.

I keep a few at a time. I have a small one I keep in my [spoiler]purse[/spoiler], a large one I just keep near my desk, and one I keep in my room for those middle of the night creative bursts.

Size: 5.5.x8.5 inch to 7x10 inch generally. Sometimes smaller, sometimes larger. I don't really venture out of that range, though.

No brand in particular. I just want something with heavy paper for a good price.

I use markers, ink, and pencil.

>How often do you finish your sketchbooks?
I used to go through a sketchbook a month. Now they last me a good couple of years. I miss being young and naive. Now even my sketches have to be perfect.

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>>2902000

I buy toned sketchbook (Strathmore) and I finish about one in two months, but I also draw on the back side of the paper once I get to the end. I use gouache, pencil, copic marker, and ink.

For white sketchbooks, I go to the office supply store and buy heavyweight printing paper, then get that binded to my liking. I also do a lot of storyboards, so I'll print a storyboard template out on 200 pages of good printing paper and then get that binded.

I have five sketchbooks at the moment. A medium, large, and extra large toned sketchbooks, an A4 sized white sketchbook, and an A4 sized storyboard sketchbook.

I carry a sketchbook everywhere I go, because ideas are always waiting to be drawn or jotted down.

pic related isn't me. I'll post pics if requested however.

>>2903969
Can you draw as smoothly and confidently as KJG

>>2903969
>I go to the office supply store and buy heavyweight printing paper, then get that binded to my liking
I've recently been doing the same. How do you bind yours?

>>2903973
Smoothly and confidently, yeah, but just as well? Lol no I wish.

>>2903976
I get the store's printing service to do it for me. I get the plastic spiral ones because they're pliable and won't get crushed and bent like wire bound. It's also the cheapest option of the binders.

>>2903988
>the store's printing service
I never really thought about something like that. I've been doing it myself, with not amazing results (but crazy cheap).
I'll check out if some local store offers the same service.

>>2903988

How much does the whole thing usually cost? I might start doing this.

Do you use wet media? If so how well does heavy printing paper hold up?

>>2904031
It was $4 to bind 200-300 pages of paper and make a massive sketchbook out of it.

Watercolor kills anything that's not watercolor paper, but a bit of brushing with properly diluted gouache doesn't hurt. I usually go for the 28lb because that's all I need, but higher poundage will hold up better. Alcohol based markers shouldn't hurt the paper at all. I prefer heavy printing paper over actual marker paper for marker work, but it's preference.

>>2902000
I usually go around 3 sketchbook:

1 for life drawing.
1 for illustration/ freelance stuff thumbnailing and studies.
1 personal project.

As for the brands, I generally just buy whatever books I can buy but most of the time it's in the A5 size.
that's about it.

Since I'm still not gud, I draw on everything that I can get my hands on, which is printing paper most of the time.
I also inherited a bunch of larger sketch blocks and drawing paper from my grandfather who never managed to git gud due to parkinsons but I'm glad I can put that stuf to good use.

Never felt comfortable with sketchbooks, I don't like the step from the table to paper that gets in the way of my arm
So I mostly draw on A3 printing paper

>>2902000

>1 toned paper sketchbook for sketching for learning
>1 normal A3 sketchbook for perspective work
>A4 printer paper for muscle practice and randum doodling thumbnail loling.

>>2904039

Can you use toned paper for that?

>>2904220
Yeah. That's my plan after I finish 20+ toned sketchbooks I bought on sale.

>>2902000
>buy a sketchbook
>have to hold the left side down because it keeps closing itself

Just fuck my shit up

>>2904371

But, where do you get toned paper that can sustain copic markers? Do the print store provide them? If that's the case, your idea is awesome.

>>2904416

What kind of sketchbook is it? I've found with soft cover books you can just open it to the middle page and give it a good stretch (IE fold it completely back on itself) and it'll stay put easier.

Hardbounds are a cunt though, I don't buy them much anymore.

I have one that I draw with strong intent so that each page is meaningful in terms of what I am studying. This is the one I show my friends and people who ask. The other sketchbook is full of scribbles, mistakes, and experiments that really hit or miss. No one will see this one. (It also has all my degenerate animu, furry, porn stuff). I end up burning through my scribble sketchbook quickly.

>>2905066
Hardbound, I tried folding it a million times it works for a while but then it just goes back to closing itself

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I do the vast majority of my drawing in a sketchbook that I carry around at all times. Most of the pages are okay but I dont consider composition too often since I'm typically in a hurry, so it looks unfinished or neglected on most pages.

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>>2906031
They always fall apart by the time I am done wih them so I have to find new ways to keep them bound together, which makes each one look kinda unique. the one on top is new so it doesnt look like shit yet.

I got few, they are all a4s but with different textures
I got thick multi use sketchbook, thin smooth one, couple heavy textured ones and two toned ones

I am on my 25th sketchbook, started keeping them since 2006, I've a drawer full of other books and loose printerpaper from before then. I still can't draw worth shit.
On that note, I don't really care what kind of paper they are, I've used toned, cheap, expensive, all kinds. Sketchbooks are sketchbooks, and they go everywhere with me. They're all gross.

Anyone have any good recs on sketchbook paper that can handle watercolors/copics reasonably well? I dont mind some bleed so long as the shit doesn't leak through the page. Or would a paperweight of 50 or 60 lb be good enough?

>>2906031
>>2906036
Post up some drawings, I want to see.

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>>2907525
Ok! Here is one from Book 1, where I was bad and most things were unfinished. Carried it around for about 6 months.

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>>2907525
Book 2 in pen, took about 6 months.

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>>2907525
Book 3, ~3 months.

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>>2907525
Book 4 only took me 2 months and it feels soft.

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>>2907525
Book 5 I got gifted for Christmas and I finished it a few days ago, only a few pages into a new one. of course there are hundreds of more pages and they also are used as a journal of sorts but there are a few 'good' ones.

>>2907506
Can I see?

>>2902000
i just draw on spiral notebooks because they cost like 1 cent

>>2902000
I have both a small and a large sketchbook each for drawing and watercolor. I like the canson xl mixed media book, since it's not too big or small and it takes watercolors, but they are pricier and only have 60 pages.
I keep my larger ones at home, while I travel with the small ones.

With several sketchbooks at a time, I fill the larger ones in around 5-8 months and the small ones in 2-3 months.

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>>2908338
oops forgot pic

>>2908327
ngmi

>>2902000
i have a bunch of cheaps ones, in different sizes, to sketch whatever I want at home.
Then a small decent one that I use just to draw outside, so when people ask me to show them my sketchbook I dont become embarassed

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>>2907525
here ya go.

>>2909542
Nice, I like the linework.
What media do you use?

>>2909542
your tumblr just popped up on my feed. nice stuff ;^)

>>2909626

I use alot of brush pens and ball pens with the use of a water color to wash some color out of the lines.

My optional tools are colored pencils and markers.

>>2909632
Kek I rarely update might as well show I'm still alive.

>>2902000

My sketchbook is a clipboard with blank printer paper. 400 pages of printer paper for $2 makes for a cheap sketch book.

>>2902000
>Do you keep a sketchbook? Just one, or several?
Many. I have like six floating around right now.
>If several, what sort of different things do you do in each?
Basically I retire a sketchbook from public use when I start drawing lewd shit in it. Other than that I just draw whatever in them.
>Do you have a favorite brand? Favorite size?
I generally use Strathmore 400 series 9x12. Wirebound >>>>> Tape bound.
>How often do you finish your sketchbooks?
Haven't a clue, really.
>What media do you use in it?
Pencil, pen and ink, watercolor.

what's the minimum paper weight for a sketchbook that can take watercolor? i just want to doodle and have the option to slap on watercolors if i want without worrying about wasting perfectly good watercolor paper.

>>2913365
From my experience, it varies from how much water you use. other than that anything above 96 gsm is good as it is pretty durable.

Been using A4 printer paper recently when sketching at home. Feels nice.

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>>2908326

Most of this can go up in flames as far a I am concerned. :D

>>2914039
that 19 is glowing..
open it in the middle!

>>2914039
This is really inspiring, anon. I'm really terrible at keeping sketchbooks because I'm so used to digital.

How long does it usually take to go through a sketchbook?

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>>2914051
Oof, 19 dates 2014, shit's old! But, that's the middle.

>>2914055
It depends on the size, and there's a couple that took me a full year, because either I was working digital or just not drawing at all. I've been gaining momentum again lately and 25 took me a month to get halfway.

>>2902000
Is it so bad to keep your sketchbooks? I want to keep my old ones so I can see all the progress I`ve made after years of drawing.

>>2913701
for real? that's not the case with the paper i've used... what brand are we talking here?

>>2914039
when did you start sketchbook 1? can you share a page from a recent one? i love seeing piles of filled sketchbooks and hope to one day fill this many myself.

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>>2914083
This is the last page I drew, and like I said, still can't draw worth shit. I hope to one day git gud.

I ended 1 in March 2009. That's when I started numbering and dating them, anyway. The third pile is all from before that.
And, well, all I can say on the hoping to fill that many is to just keep drawing. Take them everywhere and draw everywhere.

>>2914114
You've been drawing humans for 17 years?
uhh, maybe it's time to get serious

>>2914083
I'm using monologoue basics by grandluxe. pretty fairly priced and durable. One of the best papers I've used.

I like to have lots of sketchbooks, my most important one would be my Canson A3 paper sized sketchbook
My other sketchbooks are mostly just school notebooks that at the end of the school year have some blank papers, so I keep them and I doodle a little on them sometimes
I do simple pencil-based drawings, but sometimes I use a finepen to do some stuff
I would share a drawing but I'm kind of lazy

>>2914651
Oh for clarification. grandluxe has 146 gsm not 96.

The 96 gsm one is the brown paper and it's pretty okay with water color.

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I fucking love buying sketchbooks but it takes me forever to fill them up
At this point I'm just hoarding them, they're so clean and nice I don't want to taint them with my crap drawings


>>2909542
good shit

>>2914147
kek