128 seawhite. It’s thin paper but takes light washes. You’re spot on about the satisfaction factor and procrastination, suffering the latter at the moment. Blaming 🇬🇧 winter weather .
I think one thing that is off putting to some people about filling up a sketchbook is feeling like every page has to be a pristine sketch. While you may have sketchbooks designated for more serious work, you might want to have a sketchbook to play in, to try stuff out in, to tape stuff and stray sketches in, to write a bit of poetry or random thoughts in. That's where a big one might come in handy. Gives you a bigger playground to play in.
I personally love thicker sketchbooks. I love the feeling of hardcover books and thick books overall. I don't know what it is,but I love the feeling of drawing and sketching in a book. just thought I might share my opinion wonderful video keep it up Greetings.
I like to keep two sketchbooks at the same time! One smaller, thinner sketchbook with watercolour or mixed media paper with more polished work inside that I can look back at or show to others, and one larger, thicker sketchbook with thin/cheaper paper for roughing out ideas, practicing gesture/anatomy, and mindless doodling without having to worry/think about the end result! I find this works really well for me
I actually really love thick sketchbooks because I find all that paper inspiring. :) I find myself much less worried about "using it up", so I'm much more free to just doodle and sketch to my hearts content!
When I first decided to get serious about my art studies ( by this I mean being very intentional about practice) I made it a goal to finish my sketchbooks so that I could see my progress. I typically use 60 page mixed media books and finish them in about 3 months. I was very inspired by the sketchbook slam challenge and eventually want to get to the point where I feel comfortable enough sketching where I can fill such a large book. I think that would be very rewarding.
@@stephaniemitchell8509 Okay, your comment is already 3 years old, and you probably don't care about an answer any more. But in case somebody else reads this and asks themselves the same question: About four years ago there was challenge to fill a 600-page mega sketchbook, the size somewhere between A4 and A3. I think: in a month. I was fascinated by this huge sketchbook when I first saw it a few months ago, so I ordered it, never intending to fill it in a month, but hopefully in 3 or 4 years. The idea: If it has so many pages, then I will for certain mess it up, no chance of having 600 pages of perfect pictures. So, if it is certain that I will mess up anyway, there's no point in worrying about it. So I would be freer and practise more. However, at present I'm filling up a 120-page A4 Stillman & Birn alpha. And after my first Inktober I realized that I won't do without colour - wet paint like watercolour or gouache, just drawing and pen and ink is not enough for me. And although the Stillman & Birn alpha handles wet mediums astonishingly well, watercolour paper is really better for wet mediums. And the 600-page "Very Big Sketchbook" (as it is called) is only 110 gsm and not ideal for wet media. Yet I need to practise my drawing skills, for which it is good, but it cannot be my only sketchbook, therefore it will surely take me a couple of more years to fill. However, I really like the huge size and the many pages, and once I have filled it, it will tell about the journey of my learning process.
I laughed when you said using a larger sketchbook is a test of your character! I have a lot of thinner, watercolor and mixed media sketchbooks going and haven't finished any yet. I haven't got into a daily habit though I wish I would. I agree that filling up a smaller one more quickly would be more satisfying to me.
My issues with thick sketchbooks isn’t just that it’s daunting to complete one but more that I don’t like that it doesn’t open flat. All of the sketchbooks I’ve encountered open like a book in the middle (eg with curved pages into the spine, as shown in a couple of the thick sketchbooks you showed us in the video) and for me, that’s a deal breaker. I like mine to open and lie flat. Plus if for any reason a few pages in I realised that I don’t like the paper after all, I’m stuck with 300 pages to complete!
I completely agree on large sketchbooks being demoralizing. A friend gifted me one that's 300 pages, and I've been trying to finish it as my 20th completed sketchbook. A few months later, I'm still only about 100 pages into it. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to complete it.
Siegfried Burns holy crap! 100 is so many, congratulations! Perhaps if you “chunked” it into something like “chapters” aka every 100 is a completed “chapter” that may help and give some relief? Or every 50? I’m just speaking off the top of my head. Good luck!
Hey Teoh! I'm with you 100%. It's much more satisfying to use a small sketchbook that can be filled in a few months. It usually takes about two months to fill a Moleskine for me, and usually about that time I'm ready to change my mindset and move on with what I've learned and what I've done. Each of my sketchbooks seems to have a certain feel to it that represents that period of time in my life. Huge sketchbooks seem like a burden and drawing in them can seem like a chore!
I don't really care for the thickness as long as the paper is nice, because I mix my media's but don't like to carry more than one sketchbook. I am, however, more comfortable with thick sketchbooks because I don't feel like I am wasting paper when I doodle or experiment or fail at drawing something. I usually go for sketchbooks that are A5 so if they are thin, I already feel quite uncomfortable just sketching or doodling in them, and considering that's what my art is, for me those are kind of a "maybe not this one" types of sketchbooks. Even if I own some like that, I don't really use them.
The one I'm filling now is A5 and has 128 pages. I started it in september of this year and I filled like 88 pages of it. I kinda want to fill it before this year ends.
I have the Art Alternatives 300 sheet/600 actual pages sketchbook as my biggest one, but I specifically bought it to do loads of anatomy sketches, studies, and gestures in. By the time I finish it, I should be pretty good at people.
Make sure you have a large surface to work with it on, like a drafting table, and it'll save you a lot of headache. With something this big, it's easiest to use at an upright angle.
Thanks for this thoughtful video Teoh! I hadn't really pondered my use of sketchbooks other than for paper quality, size availability and carrying weight. I do watercolor outdoors, so if it fits in my kit and doesn't weigh too much is most important. I hadn't given thought to the fact that very thick sketchbooks can be daunting. You're right! A shelf full of completed sketchbooks glows with energy and inspiration! As a professional artist, I consider my sketchbooks the work I keep for myself. A thinner sketchbook works best all around. Most heavyweight (140lb) watercolor field books are between 15 and 20 pages. I also see each book as somewhat a 'theme' or diary of what I'm working on currently, as far as subject, style and composition goes. They become a complete show or separate stand alone book in themselves. On the shelf separately they are chapters of a life. Together they become an oeuvre!
I love your style of drawing and painting. It's imperfect, but not sloppy, and exactly how I prefer to create art too. I'm somewhat impatient, but I also just don't see the point in making artwork look perfect. If I wanted art to look as perfect as a picture, I'd just take a picture! The impressions that this style gives is what really makes art interesting and draws the eye, in my opinion.
(I should also mention how appreciative I am that you go over small details that most artists think about, but no one does videos/reviews on, like sketchbook size!)
For me there’s always been something romantic about thick books and my fascination with them will never stop... so no matter how hard it is to use thick sketchbooks, if I see a satisfyingly thick sketchbook I will buy it immediately, considering the price and quality of course.
I’ve always used sketchbooks to work out ideas and roughs when necessary. This seems to be more about just filling them up which seems weird to me. However I love your videos.
For me, quite inexperienced at sketching and watercolouring, I prefer smaller and thinner sketchbooks, such as A5 landscape. I want something I can easily carry around. I hadn't really thought about it but, as you say Teoh, it's less intimidating. I feel like, if my sketching in a thinner book isn't that good, I can (quite) soon move on to another sketchbook and improve as I go. There's also the physical weight of thicker books to take into consideration.
His preference may also be due to how he uses the books. If most of the work is Urban Sketching, he needs to consider the weight and size of it. for a larger drawing, you pretty much need to take photos to refer to later because you won't be able to sit there long enough to sketch the entire thing AND paint it before the light and shadows change
i just found this video while searching khadi sketchbooks. i think you're absolutely right. i used to want thicker sketchbooks because they look like an actual book. but i don't paint often enough (maybe once a week) to fill them. and you're right that finished sketchbooks give a sense of accomplishment and makes me want to paint more. :D
It depends on the kind of paper and what its purpose for me but I love collecting sketchbook. Usually travel journal/sketchbook a little thicker like 80 pages or so but around 3.5 x 5.5 inches and study journal 5.5x 8.5 in 50 pages the less page the better so I can buy next one or use another hehe. 😊 Thicker page and large sized sketchbook demoralizes me. But probably gonna explore and try one just to see things differently. Thanks for posting this video it made me think on my sketching habit.
I am a great fan of watercolour sketch books - not too large but I love colour so the big ones also have to have watercolour paper for me. However, I can understand that thicker sketchbooks are okay to just experiment in as long as they are not too expensive!!! Another good review Teoh.
Teoh you must be a mindreader - I was thinking yesterday about how much I'm struggling with my current sketchbook, a big thick heavy thing, and considering moving to a thinner sketchbook for a while. I prefer to use sketchbooks chronologically and I'd been hoping to finish my current one before the end of the year before moving onto a new one, but that pressure to draw isn't helping me either! I started binding many of my own sketchbooks (especially watercolour ones) a while ago purely because I wanted to make thicker books than were easily available to buy, but it can definitely end up feeling strange if you've been using a single sketchbook for too long. I think sometimes the novelty of a new, fresh sketchbook can be inspiring in itself!
I like thick sketchbooks for pencilling out ideas at home. I recently threw out an unfinished one with 12 years of character ideas. It was nice and painful at the same time to look at that stuff. Day to day drawing, i use thin, softcover books. Anything else is heavy and a hassle to stuff in my purse. My current thick sketchbook for home is a canson xl mixed media pad which, unlike the book i threw out, i can splash on a little marker and watercolor to my idea sketches and pull out the pages I want to toss or put in a folder.
I've never filled a sketchbook for the reasons you describe but lately I have decided to use 1 book for scrap paper and thumbnails and another for finished lineart. It's been working great for me because the pressure to do nice work is off while the work I am proud of can go into 1 book without eraser marks or graphite smudges.
I like to have at least 100 to 200 pages pages in a sketchbook. I draw daily, and keeping a book to work on for about 3-4 months works. I think setting a goal for the book also helps with completing the larger ones as well.
A few months ago I promised myself to stop being wasteful with sketchbooks. a lot of the ones I had were only half, 1/3 or even 1/4 full. It's because I forced myself to work in one sketchbook at a time, which didn't work for me at all. I'd quickly be unhappy with my work in said sketchbook and try another to never come back to the old one. That's the same as buying a completely new sketchbook and immediately throwing it away! Such a waste of paper. Now I easily hop from one sketchbook to the next when I'm not feeling it at that moment, with the added bonus of being able to sort them into themes. I fill up 100% of my sketchbooks now (quite literally I must say; I can't STAND leaving one side of the page empty), i even go back to ones that are over 6 years old. So basically, whether a sketchbook has 60 or 600 pages doesn't really matter to me, i have to fill it.
Teoh,I'm sure there are many people who would love to have one of these books you are not ever going to use.Please consider sponsoring an art student in your area?! We sometimes forget how stretched for art resources they can go thru.One of my goals of 2019 is to share the many supplies I've been lucky enough to acquire over time. Wishing you and your family the best in the New Year!
Teoh, seeing some of your sketchbooks like this is always a treat... Your an amazing artist. As for me I pretty much have the smaller ones as even those are a challenge to fill. I have one or two thicker ones, but used mostly for drawing, planning, and lol ! doodling.
Thank you for the "411" on sketchbooks. It's uncanny how you described large "thick" pages sketchbooks vs. thinner ones. You were so much on point with your artistic critiques. I agree. The thinner sketchbooks make you want to draw more. They're less cumbersome and very mobile. You can fit them in a coat's pocket; purse and back pack. Thank you always.
I haven't found a particular preference for myself since I don't draw as much I imagine doing so. HOWEVER, I tend to stay away from thicker book-like sketchbooks due to the fact that you might have to fight the binding as you get closer to the center. I try to stick to spirals or lay-flats if I can.
Teoh, I love your videos and your art! And thank you for this video, but I don't think you've actually mentioned a pro argument for big sketchbooks. The way I see it: Every page in a thin sketchbook is precious because there are so few of them. So you hope you have the chance of a beautiful picture book (you just need to make an effort for a few pages). Maybe the first three pictures turn out great. Then I would be terrified to mess up my potentially perfect picture book and would hesitate to paint in it. But that is counterproductive! If a sketchbook has many pages, then there are many more chances of messing up a picture. Since it will happen anyway, there's no point in being scared of it. A second reason that speaks for a big sketchbook: You don't have so many single items flying around, but all your drawings and painting and exercises are in one place (if the paper quality allows it) and after some years you can leaf through your sketchbook and can be proud of the inevitable improvement you've made. I doubt that much improvement is noticible within a very short period of time, so no discernable progress in a thin sketchbook. (Okay, that is only partly true. After Inktober I did notice progress....)
It takes me FOREVER to fill up sketchbooks. I usually pick the paper right for whatever project I intend on starting so I have several sketchbooks I work in. If it is spiral bound I only use certain media so the pencil/etc doesn't rub off. I guess I'm just a bit too particular about paper to stick to one huge sketchbook. It'd feel like a big waste of paper to me. Right now I'm bouncing between a cold pressed bockinford for watercolor, canson mixed media for things I'm not sure about, bristol for markers, sketch paper for sketches that I plan on transferring to other pieces, toned paper in regular and mixed media for sketches and more finished pieces, and a stillman and birn zeta I'm experimenting in. I'm thinking the canson mixed media is the biggest atm, but actually completing a sketchbook is SO satisfying and gives you a boost to do it again.
This is great, but I have trouble with my brain thinking when I want to use several different types of sketch books to prepare for a canvas painting. I then have my research pieces spread across different books instead of nicely all in one place.....I also find doing it all on different types and sizes of loose paper doesn't work either because they can become scattered......lol-I don't think there is any help for me!!!!
Homestly I feel like I'm the only Artist in the world who's no problem wich filling a sketchbook. I'mean I also struggel sometimes and sometimes I wish I can fill them faster but i just keep going and going wich is weird beaucuse usually I'm really bad in finisching thigs but yeah 😂(edit :I'm so for any grammar or spelling mistakes englisch is not my mother language)
I recently rediscovered the world of watercolors ( hadn’t painted in about 15 years!!) .. I have filled up 2 sketchbooks , so far( rediscovered urban sketching as well:-)))) I never filled up a sketchbook in my life!! Soooo excited and constantly learning and inspired by you , and other artists!!! I agree that the larger sketchbooks are demoralizing... perfect way to put it !!! I would rather approach filling up a sketchbook as something exciting , not obligatory ( to have end goal of filling it up , etc) You are fabulous to learn from .. thank you so much as always .. happy holidays and happy healthy new year to you and yours:-)))
I'm actually switching to thicker A4 size sketchbooks these days, but I understand where your coming from. I only like to use pocket size sketchbooks for outdoors sketching or on the go. Indoors, I gravitate towards A4 nowadays. Truth be told, I did leave off sketchbooks unfinished in the past, but thats usually because I either disliked the paper quality or the binding, or I simply put the sketchbook aside for too long for another project, and by the time I would have come back to it, I was already in a different "phase" artistically, so I never picked up again.
I prefer thinner sketchbooks, too, although for me, the only drive to "finish" them is probably to make a flip-through video. We don't have visitors, so no one will ever see them in-person, and so I would probably really enjoy an abnormally thick sketchbook. I hate having to dig out old sketchbooks to find a specific idea, unable to remember which book it's in. One fat book would keep everything close. HOWEVER: To me, i think the biggest con to thick sketchbooks is if I have to pack up to go anywhere overnight, that's gonna be an extra kilo or so pulling on my shoulders and jabbing me in the back. That's a no-go!
I use a small sketch books. I Bring a tote bag to work with a small sketch book ,the global arts book you showed, and a sketching kit with watercolors,pencils and pens, etc... i don't go anywhere with it. I will be trying a stillman and birn next.!!!
I have trouble drawing in nice, fancy books (or journaling in them either) because I know I'm going to make a bunch of bad drawings I don't like very much. But for some reason a spiral notebook works ok for me. I like that it lies flat and it seems very "casual" so the drawings don't have to be perfect. But I really like your sketchbooks and the way you paint over the center of the page.
I personally agree with you. Drawing in a thinner sketchbook is less daunting and thinner sketchbooks are easier and lighter to carry. Though, if money is an issue, you can save a lot of money by getting fewer sketchbooks that are thicker.
Filling a sketchbook is the goal? Hmmm. Perhaps there is a sense of accomplishment when I have filled one, but there is also a touch of sadness that it won’t be in my hands again on a regular basis. I prefer smaller sketchbooks because they are easier to handle.
The fancy hard back cover and huge size would feel like a burden to fill. Finishing sketchbooks are a way to mark periods of time, similar to writing in a journal. I just counted the pages in my first watercolor sketchbook presuming it would be a lot, and it was just 60 pages! Also the fancy covers on those giant books are impressive and make filling the books more daunting. I wouldn't want to feel like I have to work so hard to fill pictures in a sketchbook, especially since I can't sell the painting later.
This is a thoughtful video - I am trying to decide what sketchbook to get next after finishing a moleskine watercolor, and maybe I will go for a similar size rather than something larger...
I like the Stillmen & Burn sketch books. I like to chart my art supplies in them and put stickers and other types of paper from the things I buy for art.
I always filled my thin sketchbooks and always loved thin sketchbooks. Because I don't like spending so much time on one sketchbook for more than 2 months. i like to keep it going with new sketchbooks as the months goes one. The amount of pages I go for are 60 to 80 pages. Plus, I've gotten into sketch journaling more often and and well, writing and drawing things from my past. ( I was inspired to do it thanks to watching tangled the series after seeing rapunzel using her sketchbook to write/draw her experiences.)
Teoh, great video! It would be nice to see a video of what made you choose watercolor as your primary medium over other popular painting mediums like oil, pastel, or acrylic!
Completely concur a big thick sketchbook is daunting. But worse than that is heavy to hold as travelling light and simplicity is my attraction to pen and wash. And painting scooters!.
This topic is interesting. At this time, though I've been workin on three sketchbooks with three different sizes, I jump from one to the other on a case to case basis, depending on the subject. Having said that, I haven't filled up a sketchbook yet. But I agree with you Teoh. I would get more inspired filling up a 60 page sketchbook than a 100 page one. I know the feeling of not getting excited filling up a thick one.
I get too bored of sketchbooks if they have too many pages ... I tried to do a 365 page, draw a day challenge and all the negative emotions about all the past doodles or how the paper reacted when I had a bad day just builds up over time. Thats why I have so many sketchbooks at once so when I'm not feeling it with one, I have another to play with >
I always have many sketchbooks going at the same time, with different paper or for different purposes. Some might have paper that is good for markers, others for watercolours and I also have a grey tone sketchbook. I also have sketchbooks for different subjects of study, like one for gesture drawing and another for animal studies. Having so many sketchbooks usually means that I fill them slowly. I don't mind that, since the most important part for me is to have the right paper for what I want to do and I draw every day anyway. So far I've only filled two sketchbooks, one gesture drawing sketchbook and a small A6 Hahnemühle watercolour book, but I have like 3-5 more sketchbooks going right now and some of them are half filled. It felt good to finish these two sketchbooks, but I don't really mind chipping away at my other sketchbooks slowly, since I used to just draw on loose paper. I'm also not the kind of person who gets discouraged easily or who needs every single page to be a beautiful piece of art. My gesture drawing sketchbooks are usually filled 99% with drawings that I would consider "bad". They are just for practice and I keep them just to have a record of my progress. I also make tons of studies just in the back of my journal on thin paper that is meant for writing. I've heard advice that one should fill a sketchbook a month to consistently make progress, but that could mean anything. Like a small moleskine cahier? A whopping 600 page tome? Studies? Original stuff? Gestures? It all fills paper at different time scales and I might learn more from a little sketch in the corner of a page than from a full page painting of something that I have painted before.
Good review. The smaller books (11"x8" and under and with 60 pages or less) are much more manageable when working mobile. I love the larger books with good mixed media paper for working out issues (i.e., color palettes, ideas, etc.) and journaling.
I don't really have a preference. If something about the sketchbook takes my interest and I feel that the paper's reasonably thick then sometimes I'll buy it. My most recent purchase was Action Publishing's landscape sketchbook 12 x 6.75 inch, 90lb, 50 sheets 100 pages. There's not a weight in gsm listed. I like the size and panoramic format. I'm not sure I'd ever use a big sketchbook with so many pages. Interesting subject. 😄 Thanks Teoh.
I like using smaller sketchbooks with less papers, but i get a lot of them because it makes me motivated and inspired when i finish sketchbooks and when i start new ones. Although i got a thick A4 one which I'm using only for realism and studies/practicing to try and encourage myself to do more studying- lets hope it works
It's really inspirational video for me that the way you sketched everything , by ball pen , water colours , mix media .👍🏼✌🏼 Because m a beginner . Love from India. :)
i made the unfortunate mistake of starting my sketching and drawing journey with a thick sketchbook... but i found if i put little page flags where the quarter and halfway points are, it makes it less daunting because i have more than just THE WHOLE SKETCHBOOK to achieve. i have little baby steps to achieve too. makes it a bit exciting when i'm nearing a check point. :)
The biggest and thickest sketchbook I have has 98 pages and is 8.5x11 in. I bought it to practice human body drawings but I only filled few pages. I prefer smaller sketchbook but I really want to try to fill the big one. A new year resolution? 😅 Thanks for sharing this video, Teoh 😊
I prefer thinner sketchbook right now but I think I would really like just having one thick sketchbook for daily studies and stuff/ They look like books which I really love. The feeling after finishing one of those beasties would be amazing.
My thickest sketchbook is 400 sheets i prefer thick ones because they become old and its much more comfortable for me to draw in old sketchbook, unlike with thin one which im hesitant to draw in at first and then it is already finished
I like thin ones because I use more than one at the same time, and I want to use all the pages. I started watercolor in December 2016, but I also like Pen & Ink and I do not have time to draw or paint every day, but I recently finished my first WC sketbook.
After watching your sketchbook reviews and reading a lot about it on your blog I purchased the Global Art Materials 5-1/2 by 5-1/2 and the 5-1/4 by 8-1/4 sketchbook. I love them SO much that I haven't even started sketching on it which is terrible! >.< . But I think at some point in life when I feel like my sketching has gotten better I would like to own a thick sketchbook to record my major accomplishments through art.
Im just hoarding cheap sketchbooks max a4 size but never filling them up 😂😅 but i really love thick sketchbooks of A5 sizes down. I find them magical and lil bit obsessive to collect them😅
I think when it comes to Urban Sketching, I would prefer taking a couple thinner ones to alternate with while one sketch is drying. Those big books can be back breaking and draw attention to themselves which makes sketching incognito harder. When it comes to drawing at home, the main concern I would have is quality of the paper and the quality of the book. I like those plain old black Pentalic sketchbooks ( it has to be Pentalic to have good quality paper to draw and sketch in when just practicing. The no name black books' paper pills too easily.) Got into habit of using those as a poor art student. I love the Global Arts sketchbooks for when I'm feeling confident and going to spend some time on a drawing. They are pricey but Hobby Lobby carries them and I use their weekly 40% off coupons to purchase them. I also like the Aquabee sketchbooks with the red cover. They are spiral bound but the paper is nice for watercolor and the back cover is firm and thick so you can still sketch without an additional support. They are inexpensive so it helps me be less precious and more willing to be free and expressive in watercolor and pencil. When I want to just sketch in pencil, I like the cream colored 90 lb. Strathmore drawing paper. I like the texture of it. Sometimes I like to do light studies with light washes of yellow and violet with pencil drawing. The Strathmore paper comes in pads. If you do a loose sketch, you can always affix it in a hardbound sketchbook if you want to help fill it up and gain pleasure by looking at your work.
I would go for thinner sketchbook. Since I love to try out new sketchbooks and try to keep my determination in finishing them one by one. Yet.. My speed to draw usually opposite my speed to buy. Lol! My thickest is a A5, 116 pages sketchbook, which obviously took very sloooow progress filling it up.
Great video! I love seeing thick sketchbooks but you are right, they are VERY intimidating, especially for someone who doesn't draw regularly. For the last few years I have drawn/painted on loose leaf papers and then bound them into sketchbooks when I got a large enough pile. Now I am using the Midori MD Cotton, I enjoy the small size and the paper. Would you do a review of this Tomoe River paper? it seems to be very popular now.
I dislike thick sketchbooks for the same reason, I like to finish in a month or two every sketchbook I start and with a thick one it is so hard. It might be that I need more patience, even shampoo or body washes or perfumes that last too long bore me and I can't wait for them to finish I have to buy small sizes.
I prefer a thinner sketchbook: It is much easier to carry it all day. The thick ones tend to be quite heavy. Even on days when I know I will be painting, I carry a folder made of coroplast that has an elastic at the binding. I slip some folded pieces of Arches under the elastic and away I go, light as a feather.
Since you made me known the Khadi sketchbook, I almost use this one (rough and smooth paper). I'm on the fourth book, the landscape format suits me and its weight too, I use it when I’ m at home as outdoors, I think the big carnets are harder to take with oneself on a travel. I also have smaller Stilmann and Birn, soft cover, for quick sketches. I would now like to try the square or portrait format. Thank you for this interesting video Teoh !
Yes ! Like this one you show in your video. You can see my draw here : www.flickr.com/photos/90516613@N08/with/45423078875/ Except my « tests of Colors » with animals, the others sketches are made on Khadi sketchbook. I like watercolor on this paper and the hard cover to sketch on my knees when I draw outside.
Bonjour Yasmine S., j’achète mes carnets ici : www.jacksonsart.com/fr-fr/marques/khadi/show/60 Les frais de port ne sont pas élevés et la livraison en une dizaine de jours environ. J’aime ce papier, peut être plus le « rough » que le « smooth ». J’utilise tout type de stylo plume encré avec la Noodler’s black, même les plumes recourbées et ça ne pose aucun problème. L’aquarelle (sennelier pour moi ) se comporte bien et la rugosité du papier donne du relief. J’ai acheté aussi en promo des feuilles Arches que j’ai coupées pour en faire un carnet format paysage et un autre au format portrait. J’en suis très contente aussi.
I care more about the quality of the paper than the thickness .. but i guess i do prefer a bit thicker sketchbooks ..cuz i don't want to go searching/buying another sketchbook
I don't have a thick sketchbook, but I want to get one because I feel like a smaller one will fill up too fast. I've not filled one though 😂 I'm always too worried to use them up so a thick one might help!
Oh, I have thick sketchbooks like 60-100 pages but I don't really think about filling them up. Rather, I just do pieces and just wonder if I still have paper/pages for that. (More about just making things than thinking about finishing sketchbooks)
I'd like to take this moment to admit I've never completed a full sketchbook. I believe that is because I'm frequently buying new ones. Both large and small, I can't help but feel a bit unaccomplished.
@@namope359 LOL Well I've already done that I work at a printing shop and I have tons of scrap paper I've been hoarding to use for practice and rougher drawings and SO many stick figures Ahahahaha
How thick is your thickest sketchbook?
It has 100 sheets. Used half of it in a span of 6 months, tossed it away. Bought new one. 🤔
Teoh Yi Chie 60 pages for watercolor and 100+ for regular sketchbook
128 seawhite. It’s thin paper but takes light washes.
You’re spot on about the satisfaction factor and procrastination, suffering the latter at the moment. Blaming 🇬🇧 winter weather .
usually I stick to 60 pages or so. I feel the same as you about really thick sketchbooks -they just don't give the satisfaction of thinner books
100 pages, I use it for anatomy studies and pose studies mostly tho, so I end up finishing them rather quickly. They're A4 sized.
I think one thing that is off putting to some people about filling up a sketchbook is feeling like every page has to be a pristine sketch. While you may have sketchbooks designated for more serious work, you might want to have a sketchbook to play in, to try stuff out in, to tape stuff and stray sketches in, to write a bit of poetry or random thoughts in. That's where a big one might come in handy. Gives you a bigger playground to play in.
I personally love thicker sketchbooks. I love the feeling of hardcover books and thick books overall. I don't know what it is,but I love the feeling of drawing and sketching in a book.
just thought I might share my opinion
wonderful video
keep it up
Greetings.
I like to keep two sketchbooks at the same time! One smaller, thinner sketchbook with watercolour or mixed media paper with more polished work inside that I can look back at or show to others, and one larger, thicker sketchbook with thin/cheaper paper for roughing out ideas, practicing gesture/anatomy, and mindless doodling without having to worry/think about the end result! I find this works really well for me
I would rather have a thicker sketchbook as I draw every day. But I have smaller ones when I'm on the go.
I actually really love thick sketchbooks because I find all that paper inspiring. :) I find myself much less worried about "using it up", so I'm much more free to just doodle and sketch to my hearts content!
I don’t think I’ve ever actually filled up a sketch book in my life. The thick books definitely feel overwhelming!
When I first decided to get serious about my art studies ( by this I mean being very intentional about practice) I made it a goal to finish my sketchbooks so that I could see my progress. I typically use 60 page mixed media books and finish them in about 3 months. I was very inspired by the sketchbook slam challenge and eventually want to get to the point where I feel comfortable enough sketching where I can fill such a large book. I think that would be very rewarding.
Sketchbook slam? What is that, and is it still ongoing, or are these challenges done once then tossed out forever?
@@stephaniemitchell8509 Okay, your comment is already 3 years old, and you probably don't care about an answer any more. But in case somebody else reads this and asks themselves the same question: About four years ago there was challenge to fill a 600-page mega sketchbook, the size somewhere between A4 and A3. I think: in a month. I was fascinated by this huge sketchbook when I first saw it a few months ago, so I ordered it, never intending to fill it in a month, but hopefully in 3 or 4 years. The idea: If it has so many pages, then I will for certain mess it up, no chance of having 600 pages of perfect pictures. So, if it is certain that I will mess up anyway, there's no point in worrying about it. So I would be freer and practise more. However, at present I'm filling up a 120-page A4 Stillman & Birn alpha. And after my first Inktober I realized that I won't do without colour - wet paint like watercolour or gouache, just drawing and pen and ink is not enough for me. And although the Stillman & Birn alpha handles wet mediums astonishingly well, watercolour paper is really better for wet mediums. And the 600-page "Very Big Sketchbook" (as it is called) is only 110 gsm and not ideal for wet media. Yet I need to practise my drawing skills, for which it is good, but it cannot be my only sketchbook, therefore it will surely take me a couple of more years to fill. However, I really like the huge size and the many pages, and once I have filled it, it will tell about the journey of my learning process.
I laughed when you said using a larger sketchbook is a test of your character! I have a lot of thinner, watercolor and mixed media sketchbooks going and haven't finished any yet. I haven't got into a daily habit though I wish I would. I agree that filling up a smaller one more quickly would be more satisfying to me.
My issues with thick sketchbooks isn’t just that it’s daunting to complete one but more that I don’t like that it doesn’t open flat. All of the sketchbooks I’ve encountered open like a book in the middle (eg with curved pages into the spine, as shown in a couple of the thick sketchbooks you showed us in the video) and for me, that’s a deal breaker. I like mine to open and lie flat. Plus if for any reason a few pages in I realised that I don’t like the paper after all, I’m stuck with 300 pages to complete!
I completely agree on large sketchbooks being demoralizing. A friend gifted me one that's 300 pages, and I've been trying to finish it as my 20th completed sketchbook. A few months later, I'm still only about 100 pages into it. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to complete it.
Siegfried Burns holy crap! 100 is so many, congratulations! Perhaps if you “chunked” it into something like “chapters” aka every 100 is a completed “chapter” that may help and give some relief? Or every 50? I’m just speaking off the top of my head. Good luck!
Hey Teoh! I'm with you 100%. It's much more satisfying to use a small sketchbook that can be filled in a few months. It usually takes about two months to fill a Moleskine for me, and usually about that time I'm ready to change my mindset and move on with what I've learned and what I've done. Each of my sketchbooks seems to have a certain feel to it that represents that period of time in my life. Huge sketchbooks seem like a burden and drawing in them can seem like a chore!
I don't really care for the thickness as long as the paper is nice, because I mix my media's but don't like to carry more than one sketchbook. I am, however, more comfortable with thick sketchbooks because I don't feel like I am wasting paper when I doodle or experiment or fail at drawing something. I usually go for sketchbooks that are A5 so if they are thin, I already feel quite uncomfortable just sketching or doodling in them, and considering that's what my art is, for me those are kind of a "maybe not this one" types of sketchbooks. Even if I own some like that, I don't really use them.
The one I'm filling now is A5 and has 128 pages. I started it in september of this year and I filled like 88 pages of it. I kinda want to fill it before this year ends.
I have the Art Alternatives 300 sheet/600 actual pages sketchbook as my biggest one, but I specifically bought it to do loads of anatomy sketches, studies, and gestures in. By the time I finish it, I should be pretty good at people.
just got this and I am so intimidated by it! Do you have any thoughts 1 year later? Thanks!
Make sure you have a large surface to work with it on, like a drafting table, and it'll save you a lot of headache. With something this big, it's easiest to use at an upright angle.
I really like how you show that lines don’t need to be perfect in order to make a good drawing.
Thanks for this thoughtful video Teoh! I hadn't really pondered my use of sketchbooks other than for paper quality, size availability and carrying weight. I do watercolor outdoors, so if it fits in my kit and doesn't weigh too much is most important. I hadn't given thought to the fact that very thick sketchbooks can be daunting. You're right! A shelf full of completed sketchbooks glows with energy and inspiration! As a professional artist, I consider my sketchbooks the work I keep for myself. A thinner sketchbook works best all around. Most heavyweight (140lb) watercolor field books are between 15 and 20 pages. I also see each book as somewhat a 'theme' or diary of what I'm working on currently, as far as subject, style and composition goes. They become a complete show or separate stand alone book in themselves. On the shelf separately they are chapters of a life. Together they become an oeuvre!
I feel the opposite, when I have less paper I'm less inclined to use it because I'm afraid of running out.
I love your style of drawing and painting. It's imperfect, but not sloppy, and exactly how I prefer to create art too. I'm somewhat impatient, but I also just don't see the point in making artwork look perfect. If I wanted art to look as perfect as a picture, I'd just take a picture! The impressions that this style gives is what really makes art interesting and draws the eye, in my opinion.
(I should also mention how appreciative I am that you go over small details that most artists think about, but no one does videos/reviews on, like sketchbook size!)
When finishing thick sketchbooks, the feeling is extremely satisfying :)
For me there’s always been something romantic about thick books and my fascination with them will never stop... so no matter how hard it is to use thick sketchbooks, if I see a satisfyingly thick sketchbook I will buy it immediately, considering the price and quality of course.
I like thick sketchbooks because they look good. But when it comes to using them, it's a different story 😂
I’ve always used sketchbooks to work out ideas and roughs when necessary. This seems to be more about just filling them up which seems weird to me. However I love your videos.
I actually love thick sketchbooks and journals because I feel so accomplished when I finish them
For me, quite inexperienced at sketching and watercolouring, I prefer smaller and thinner sketchbooks, such as A5 landscape. I want something I can easily carry around. I hadn't really thought about it but, as you say Teoh, it's less intimidating. I feel like, if my sketching in a thinner book isn't that good, I can (quite) soon move on to another sketchbook and improve as I go. There's also the physical weight of thicker books to take into consideration.
His preference may also be due to how he uses the books. If most of the work is Urban Sketching, he needs to consider the weight and size of it. for a larger drawing, you pretty much need to take photos to refer to later because you won't be able to sit there long enough to sketch the entire thing AND paint it before the light and shadows change
i just found this video while searching khadi sketchbooks. i think you're absolutely right. i used to want thicker sketchbooks because they look like an actual book. but i don't paint often enough (maybe once a week) to fill them. and you're right that finished sketchbooks give a sense of accomplishment and makes me want to paint more. :D
Your work is amazing, so so talented !!!! Your books are truly a vision....
Teoh! WOW!! Your sketchbooks are brilliant! What a pleasure to see the work inside these books 😊
It depends on the kind of paper and what its purpose for me but I love collecting sketchbook.
Usually travel journal/sketchbook a little thicker like 80 pages or so but around 3.5 x 5.5 inches and study journal 5.5x 8.5 in 50 pages the less page the better so I can buy next one or use another hehe. 😊
Thicker page and large sized sketchbook demoralizes me. But probably gonna explore and try one just to see things differently. Thanks for posting this video it made me think on my sketching habit.
I am a great fan of watercolour sketch books - not too large but I love colour so the big ones also have to have watercolour paper for me. However, I can understand that thicker sketchbooks are okay to just experiment in as long as they are not too expensive!!! Another good review Teoh.
Teoh you must be a mindreader - I was thinking yesterday about how much I'm struggling with my current sketchbook, a big thick heavy thing, and considering moving to a thinner sketchbook for a while. I prefer to use sketchbooks chronologically and I'd been hoping to finish my current one before the end of the year before moving onto a new one, but that pressure to draw isn't helping me either! I started binding many of my own sketchbooks (especially watercolour ones) a while ago purely because I wanted to make thicker books than were easily available to buy, but it can definitely end up feeling strange if you've been using a single sketchbook for too long. I think sometimes the novelty of a new, fresh sketchbook can be inspiring in itself!
I like thick sketchbooks for pencilling out ideas at home. I recently threw out an unfinished one with 12 years of character ideas. It was nice and painful at the same time to look at that stuff. Day to day drawing, i use thin, softcover books. Anything else is heavy and a hassle to stuff in my purse. My current thick sketchbook for home is a canson xl mixed media pad which, unlike the book i threw out, i can splash on a little marker and watercolor to my idea sketches and pull out the pages I want to toss or put in a folder.
I've never filled a sketchbook for the reasons you describe but lately I have decided to use 1 book for scrap paper and thumbnails and another for finished lineart. It's been working great for me because the pressure to do nice work is off while the work I am proud of can go into 1 book without eraser marks or graphite smudges.
I like to have at least 100 to 200 pages pages in a sketchbook. I draw daily, and keeping a book to work on for about 3-4 months works. I think setting a goal for the book also helps with completing the larger ones as well.
A few months ago I promised myself to stop being wasteful with sketchbooks. a lot of the ones I had were only half, 1/3 or even 1/4 full. It's because I forced myself to work in one sketchbook at a time, which didn't work for me at all. I'd quickly be unhappy with my work in said sketchbook and try another to never come back to the old one. That's the same as buying a completely new sketchbook and immediately throwing it away! Such a waste of paper. Now I easily hop from one sketchbook to the next when I'm not feeling it at that moment, with the added bonus of being able to sort them into themes. I fill up 100% of my sketchbooks now (quite literally I must say; I can't STAND leaving one side of the page empty), i even go back to ones that are over 6 years old. So basically, whether a sketchbook has 60 or 600 pages doesn't really matter to me, i have to fill it.
Teoh,I'm sure there are many people who would love to have one of these books you are not ever going to use.Please consider sponsoring an art student in your area?! We sometimes forget how stretched for art resources they can go thru.One of my goals of 2019 is to share the many supplies I've been lucky enough to acquire over time. Wishing you and your family the best in the New Year!
Teoh, seeing some of your sketchbooks like this is always a treat... Your an amazing artist.
As for me I pretty much have the smaller ones as even those are a challenge to fill. I have one or two thicker ones, but used mostly for drawing, planning, and lol ! doodling.
Thank you for the "411" on sketchbooks. It's uncanny how you described large "thick" pages sketchbooks vs. thinner ones. You were so much on point with your artistic critiques. I agree. The thinner sketchbooks make you want to draw more. They're less cumbersome and very mobile. You can fit them in a coat's pocket; purse and back pack. Thank you always.
I haven't found a particular preference for myself since I don't draw as much I imagine doing so.
HOWEVER, I tend to stay away from thicker book-like sketchbooks due to the fact that you might have to fight the binding as you get closer to the center.
I try to stick to spirals or lay-flats if I can.
Yeah. Those big books seem daunting! The "never ending" sketchbook! Lol
Teoh, I love your videos and your art! And thank you for this video, but I don't think you've actually mentioned a pro argument for big sketchbooks. The way I see it: Every page in a thin sketchbook is precious because there are so few of them. So you hope you have the chance of a beautiful picture book (you just need to make an effort for a few pages). Maybe the first three pictures turn out great. Then I would be terrified to mess up my potentially perfect picture book and would hesitate to paint in it. But that is counterproductive! If a sketchbook has many pages, then there are many more chances of messing up a picture. Since it will happen anyway, there's no point in being scared of it.
A second reason that speaks for a big sketchbook: You don't have so many single items flying around, but all your drawings and painting and exercises are in one place (if the paper quality allows it) and after some years you can leaf through your sketchbook and can be proud of the inevitable improvement you've made. I doubt that much improvement is noticible within a very short period of time, so no discernable progress in a thin sketchbook. (Okay, that is only partly true. After Inktober I did notice progress....)
I have thinner sketchbooks .. this is a newer thing for me using sketchbooks . I usually just paint on paper. Your work is lovely :)
Thanks :-)
It takes me FOREVER to fill up sketchbooks. I usually pick the paper right for whatever project I intend on starting so I have several sketchbooks I work in. If it is spiral bound I only use certain media so the pencil/etc doesn't rub off. I guess I'm just a bit too particular about paper to stick to one huge sketchbook. It'd feel like a big waste of paper to me. Right now I'm bouncing between a cold pressed bockinford for watercolor, canson mixed media for things I'm not sure about, bristol for markers, sketch paper for sketches that I plan on transferring to other pieces, toned paper in regular and mixed media for sketches and more finished pieces, and a stillman and birn zeta I'm experimenting in. I'm thinking the canson mixed media is the biggest atm, but actually completing a sketchbook is SO satisfying and gives you a boost to do it again.
This is great, but I have trouble with my brain thinking when I want to use several different types of sketch books to prepare for a canvas painting. I then have my research pieces spread across different books instead of nicely all in one place.....I also find doing it all on different types and sizes of loose paper doesn't work either because they can become scattered......lol-I don't think there is any help for me!!!!
Homestly I feel like I'm the only Artist in the world who's no problem wich filling a sketchbook. I'mean I also struggel sometimes and sometimes I wish I can fill them faster but i just keep going and going wich is weird beaucuse usually I'm really bad in finisching thigs but yeah 😂(edit :I'm so for any grammar or spelling mistakes englisch is not my mother language)
I recently rediscovered the world of watercolors ( hadn’t painted in about 15 years!!) .. I have filled up 2 sketchbooks , so far( rediscovered urban sketching as well:-))))
I never filled up a sketchbook in my life!! Soooo excited and constantly learning and inspired by you , and other artists!!! I agree that the larger sketchbooks are demoralizing... perfect way to put it !!! I would rather approach filling up a sketchbook as something exciting , not obligatory ( to have end goal of filling it up , etc)
You are fabulous to learn from .. thank you so much as always .. happy holidays and happy healthy new year to you and yours:-)))
I'm actually switching to thicker A4 size sketchbooks these days, but I understand where your coming from. I only like to use pocket size sketchbooks for outdoors sketching or on the go. Indoors, I gravitate towards A4 nowadays. Truth be told, I did leave off sketchbooks unfinished in the past, but thats usually because I either disliked the paper quality or the binding, or I simply put the sketchbook aside for too long for another project, and by the time I would have come back to it, I was already in a different "phase" artistically, so I never picked up again.
I prefer thinner sketchbooks, too, although for me, the only drive to "finish" them is probably to make a flip-through video. We don't have visitors, so no one will ever see them in-person, and so I would probably really enjoy an abnormally thick sketchbook. I hate having to dig out old sketchbooks to find a specific idea, unable to remember which book it's in. One fat book would keep everything close.
HOWEVER: To me, i think the biggest con to thick sketchbooks is if I have to pack up to go anywhere overnight, that's gonna be an extra kilo or so pulling on my shoulders and jabbing me in the back. That's a no-go!
I use a small sketch books. I Bring a tote bag to work with a small sketch book ,the global arts book you showed, and a sketching kit with watercolors,pencils and pens, etc... i don't go anywhere with it. I will be trying a stillman and birn next.!!!
I have trouble drawing in nice, fancy books (or journaling in them either) because I know I'm going to make a bunch of bad drawings I don't like very much. But for some reason a spiral notebook works ok for me. I like that it lies flat and it seems very "casual" so the drawings don't have to be perfect. But I really like your sketchbooks and the way you paint over the center of the page.
I personally agree with you. Drawing in a thinner sketchbook is less daunting and thinner sketchbooks are easier and lighter to carry. Though, if money is an issue, you can save a lot of money by getting fewer sketchbooks that are thicker.
Filling a sketchbook is the goal? Hmmm. Perhaps there is a sense of accomplishment when I have filled one, but there is also a touch of sadness that it won’t be in my hands again on a regular basis. I prefer smaller sketchbooks because they are easier to handle.
You can always refer to your sketchbooks. I do that all the time not just for making videos like these. lol
Teoh Yi Chie You definitely spend more time filling them and “loving on them” than I! LOL! It is fun to look back through them.
The fancy hard back cover and huge size would feel like a burden to fill. Finishing sketchbooks are a way to mark periods of time, similar to writing in a journal. I just counted the pages in my first watercolor sketchbook presuming it would be a lot, and it was just 60 pages! Also the fancy covers on those giant books are impressive and make filling the books more daunting. I wouldn't want to feel like I have to work so hard to fill pictures in a sketchbook, especially since I can't sell the painting later.
This is a thoughtful video - I am trying to decide what sketchbook to get next after finishing a moleskine watercolor, and maybe I will go for a similar size rather than something larger...
I like the Stillmen & Burn sketch books. I like to chart my art supplies in them and put stickers and other types of paper from the things I buy for art.
I always filled my thin sketchbooks and always loved thin sketchbooks. Because I don't like spending so much time on one sketchbook for more than 2 months. i like to keep it going with new sketchbooks as the months goes one. The amount of pages I go for are 60 to 80 pages. Plus, I've gotten into sketch journaling more often and and well, writing and drawing things from my past. ( I was inspired to do it thanks to watching tangled the series after seeing rapunzel using her sketchbook to write/draw her experiences.)
Teoh, great video! It would be nice to see a video of what made you choose watercolor as your primary medium over other popular painting mediums like oil, pastel, or acrylic!
Watercolor is more convenient to use and requires less clean up after use.
Completely concur a big thick sketchbook is daunting. But worse than that is heavy to hold as travelling light and simplicity is my attraction to pen and wash. And painting scooters!.
This topic is interesting. At this time, though I've been workin on three sketchbooks with three different sizes, I jump from one to the other on a case to case basis, depending on the subject. Having said that, I haven't filled up a sketchbook yet. But I agree with you Teoh. I would get more inspired filling up a 60 page sketchbook than a 100 page one. I know the feeling of not getting excited filling up a thick one.
I get too bored of sketchbooks if they have too many pages ... I tried to do a 365 page, draw a day challenge and all the negative emotions about all the past doodles or how the paper reacted when I had a bad day just builds up over time. Thats why I have so many sketchbooks at once so when I'm not feeling it with one, I have another to play with >
I think with thick sketchbooks you'll probably need a drawing prompts so the momentum are ongoing.
I think filling up my clearbooks with a4 /legal paper would be more challenging... Nice vid sir
I always have many sketchbooks going at the same time, with different paper or for different purposes. Some might have paper that is good for markers, others for watercolours and I also have a grey tone sketchbook. I also have sketchbooks for different subjects of study, like one for gesture drawing and another for animal studies. Having so many sketchbooks usually means that I fill them slowly. I don't mind that, since the most important part for me is to have the right paper for what I want to do and I draw every day anyway. So far I've only filled two sketchbooks, one gesture drawing sketchbook and a small A6 Hahnemühle watercolour book, but I have like 3-5 more sketchbooks going right now and some of them are half filled. It felt good to finish these two sketchbooks, but I don't really mind chipping away at my other sketchbooks slowly, since I used to just draw on loose paper. I'm also not the kind of person who gets discouraged easily or who needs every single page to be a beautiful piece of art. My gesture drawing sketchbooks are usually filled 99% with drawings that I would consider "bad". They are just for practice and I keep them just to have a record of my progress. I also make tons of studies just in the back of my journal on thin paper that is meant for writing. I've heard advice that one should fill a sketchbook a month to consistently make progress, but that could mean anything. Like a small moleskine cahier? A whopping 600 page tome? Studies? Original stuff? Gestures? It all fills paper at different time scales and I might learn more from a little sketch in the corner of a page than from a full page painting of something that I have painted before.
Good review. The smaller books (11"x8" and under and with 60 pages or less) are much more manageable when working mobile. I love the larger books with good mixed media paper for working out issues (i.e., color palettes, ideas, etc.) and journaling.
I don't really have a preference. If something about the sketchbook takes my interest and I feel that the paper's reasonably thick then sometimes I'll buy it. My most recent purchase was Action Publishing's landscape sketchbook 12 x 6.75 inch, 90lb, 50 sheets 100 pages. There's not a weight in gsm listed. I like the size and panoramic format. I'm not sure I'd ever use a big sketchbook with so many pages. Interesting subject. 😄 Thanks Teoh.
I like using smaller sketchbooks with less papers, but i get a lot of them because it makes me motivated and inspired when i finish sketchbooks and when i start new ones. Although i got a thick A4 one which I'm using only for realism and studies/practicing to try and encourage myself to do more studying- lets hope it works
It's really inspirational video for me that the way you sketched everything , by ball pen , water colours , mix media .👍🏼✌🏼
Because m a beginner . Love from India. :)
Thanks :-)
The sketch at 4:40 is so fascinating 😍😍
I have multiple sketchbooks. Personally I prefer sketching on thicker sketchbooks when I'm at home and carry a small A6 sketchbook when outside.
i made the unfortunate mistake of starting my sketching and drawing journey with a thick sketchbook... but i found if i put little page flags where the quarter and halfway points are, it makes it less daunting because i have more than just THE WHOLE SKETCHBOOK to achieve. i have little baby steps to achieve too. makes it a bit exciting when i'm nearing a check point. :)
The biggest and thickest sketchbook I have has 98 pages and is 8.5x11 in. I bought it to practice human body drawings but I only filled few pages. I prefer smaller sketchbook but I really want to try to fill the big one. A new year resolution? 😅 Thanks for sharing this video, Teoh 😊
I prefer thinner sketchbook right now but I think I would really like just having one thick sketchbook for daily studies and stuff/ They look like books which I really love. The feeling after finishing one of those beasties would be amazing.
I prefer the thinner ones and I always keep at least 2 at the same time. I also have a small one near my bed to sketch something before sleeping.
My thickest sketchbook is 400 sheets
i prefer thick ones because they become old and its much more comfortable for me to draw in old sketchbook, unlike with thin one which im hesitant to draw in at first and then it is already finished
I like thin ones because I use more than one at the same time, and I want to use all the pages. I started watercolor in December 2016, but I also like Pen & Ink and I do not have time to draw or paint every day, but I recently finished my first WC sketbook.
After watching your sketchbook reviews and reading a lot about it on your blog I purchased the Global Art Materials 5-1/2 by 5-1/2 and the 5-1/4 by 8-1/4 sketchbook. I love them SO much that I haven't even started sketching on it which is terrible! >.< .
But I think at some point in life when I feel like my sketching has gotten better I would like to own a thick sketchbook to record my major accomplishments through art.
That sketchbook is so T H I C C Aku's ordering it by phone!
Great video!
I go for the thinner ones that are mainly watercolor paper. I dont want a big one that isn’t working for me and it takes f o r e v e r to finish. 🥴
I like sketchbooks that you can draw on the cover, I like those type of sketchbooks
Im just hoarding cheap sketchbooks max a4 size but never filling them up 😂😅 but i really love thick sketchbooks of A5 sizes down. I find them magical and lil bit obsessive to collect them😅
I'd be happy to take those two thicker sketchbooks off your hands Teoh ! :)
I like thinner sketchbooks too.
I think when it comes to Urban Sketching, I would prefer taking a couple thinner ones to alternate with while one sketch is drying. Those big books can be back breaking and draw attention to themselves which makes sketching incognito harder. When it comes to drawing at home, the main concern I would have is quality of the paper and the quality of the book. I like those plain old black Pentalic sketchbooks ( it has to be Pentalic to have good quality paper to draw and sketch in when just practicing. The no name black books' paper pills too easily.) Got into habit of using those as a poor art student.
I love the Global Arts sketchbooks for when I'm feeling confident and going to spend some time on a drawing. They are pricey but Hobby Lobby carries them and I use their weekly 40% off coupons to purchase them.
I also like the Aquabee sketchbooks with the red cover. They are spiral bound but the paper is nice for watercolor and the back cover is firm and thick so you can still sketch without an additional support. They are inexpensive so it helps me be less precious and more willing to be free and expressive in watercolor and pencil.
When I want to just sketch in pencil, I like the cream colored 90 lb. Strathmore drawing paper. I like the texture of it. Sometimes I like to do light studies with light washes of yellow and violet with pencil drawing. The Strathmore paper comes in pads. If you do a loose sketch, you can always affix it in a hardbound sketchbook if you want to help fill it up and gain pleasure by looking at your work.
Good idea on using two sketchbooks. I used to do that, but now I spend the waiting time recording videos
I would go for thinner sketchbook. Since I love to try out new sketchbooks and try to keep my determination in finishing them one by one.
Yet.. My speed to draw usually opposite my speed to buy. Lol!
My thickest is a A5, 116 pages sketchbook, which obviously took very sloooow progress filling it up.
Great channel! Thank you for sharing.
Great video! I love seeing thick sketchbooks but you are right, they are VERY intimidating, especially for someone who doesn't draw regularly. For the last few years I have drawn/painted on loose leaf papers and then bound them into sketchbooks when I got a large enough pile. Now I am using the Midori MD Cotton, I enjoy the small size and the paper.
Would you do a review of this Tomoe River paper? it seems to be very popular now.
I have reviewed Tomoe River paper before ruclips.net/video/q0yTviYqSLk/видео.html
I dislike thick sketchbooks for the same reason, I like to finish in a month or two every sketchbook I start and with a thick one it is so hard. It might be that I need more patience, even shampoo or body washes or perfumes that last too long bore me and I can't wait for them to finish I have to buy small sizes.
I like thicker sketchbooks for pen and ink. I like loose sheets for watercolour work!
its so true! the bigger the sketchbook the scarier it is to finish.
I draw on loose paper and save it in a map. This so I can keep all my drawings organized and I can use whatever paper
I prefer a thinner sketchbook: It is much easier to carry it all day. The thick ones tend to be quite heavy. Even on days when I know I will be painting, I carry a folder made of coroplast that has an elastic at the binding. I slip some folded pieces of Arches under the elastic and away I go, light as a feather.
Since you made me known the Khadi sketchbook, I almost use this one (rough and smooth paper). I'm on the fourth book, the landscape format suits me and its weight too, I use it when I’ m at home as outdoors, I think the big carnets are harder to take with oneself on a travel. I also have smaller Stilmann and Birn, soft cover, for quick sketches. I would now like to try the square or portrait format. Thank you for this interesting video Teoh !
Fourth Khadi?
Yes ! Like this one you show in your video. You can see my draw here : www.flickr.com/photos/90516613@N08/with/45423078875/
Except my « tests of Colors » with animals, the others sketches are made on Khadi sketchbook. I like watercolor on this paper and the hard cover to sketch on my knees when I draw outside.
Your art is really nice! Makes me want to draw on a Khadi sketchbook again.
It’s very kind of you Teoh ! I’m happy to give you envy 🖌🖋👍🏻
Bonjour Yasmine S., j’achète mes carnets ici : www.jacksonsart.com/fr-fr/marques/khadi/show/60
Les frais de port ne sont pas élevés et la livraison en une dizaine de jours environ. J’aime ce papier, peut être plus le « rough » que le « smooth ». J’utilise tout type de stylo plume encré avec la Noodler’s black, même les plumes recourbées et ça ne pose aucun problème. L’aquarelle (sennelier pour moi ) se comporte bien et la rugosité du papier donne du relief. J’ai acheté aussi en promo des feuilles Arches que j’ai coupées pour en faire un carnet format paysage et un autre au format portrait. J’en suis très contente aussi.
I care more about the quality of the paper than the thickness .. but i guess i do prefer a bit thicker sketchbooks ..cuz i don't want to go searching/buying another sketchbook
I also prefer thinner sketch books as well. It took me 3 years to complete a 40 page sketch book.
awsome review...thank you
I don't have a thick sketchbook, but I want to get one because I feel like a smaller one will fill up too fast. I've not filled one though 😂 I'm always too worried to use them up so a thick one might help!
Oh, I have thick sketchbooks like 60-100 pages but I don't really think about filling them up. Rather, I just do pieces and just wonder if I still have paper/pages for that. (More about just making things than thinking about finishing sketchbooks)
I've found I like carrying the thinner ones for portability, and the thicker seem to stay at home and get used there.
That's what I found too. It's a drag to bring the heavy ones out
I'd like to take this moment to admit I've never completed a full sketchbook. I believe that is because I'm frequently buying new ones. Both large and small, I can't help but feel a bit unaccomplished.
Agree :)
The thickest sketchbook I own is 150 pages and it's a very nice one but I'm to scared to put anything in it until I get better at drawing
I feel you on the drawing part. I sometimes even think of hoarding barely printed scrap paper just so I can use cheap paper just for rougher work.
@@namope359 LOL Well I've already done that I work at a printing shop and I have tons of scrap paper I've been hoarding to use for practice and rougher drawings and SO many stick figures Ahahahaha
Does the link you put have all the sketchbooks you have or not all of them? I love your reviews they are ALWAYS great :) thanks
Only selected sketchbooks. Some cannot be found online