What’s your favorite type of sketchbook? Do you prefer bound books, loose paper, or something completely different? Let me know in the comments 👇🏻 Grab my free Sketching Kits Guide with all my favorite tools here: juliemiette.com/newsletter
I've decided to go with cardstock. I can get different weights depending on where I am at in my art journey with different mediums. With cardstock I can put them in comic book sleeves and organize the pages in which type of studies I am doing. It's also cheaper this way to get different toned paper. I think the cost will be about the same with how much a good quality paper sketchbook cost now days.
@Julie.Miette I've abandoned sketchbooks as well, and I also wanted to solve the problems that you wanted to solve. You've come up with a system that is conceptually similar to mine, although aestheticly different. I use a set of "Punchless Clamp Binders", some plain pocket folders, and a little (very basic) bookbinding. One of the clamp binders carries a dozen or so sheets of 32# / 120 GSM copy paper for on the go sketching. It's super light and has a pocket to add an organization option. Every few days or so, I transfer the pages to one of a couple pocket folders (that are loosely dedicated to a topic). (The folders only comfortably hold about 25 sheets). When a pocket folder is full, I transfer it to a clip binder. When the clip binder fills up to about 100 sheets. I use a double fan & glue bookbinding technique and make them into a journal. I also always date all my sheets. This gives me lots of options and opportunities to change how I've organized things and by the time that I get 100 sheets of paper on a subject, it's organized and ready to be bound. I do figure sketching almost daily, so in 2024 I made 2 journals of figure sketches. I don't have quite enough yet in the other subjects to bind as journals but some are getting close.
I believe the greatest benefit comes from not having to carry and worry about all the prior completed work in a sketchbook. A sketchbook can cause some emotional baggage of sorts, so unless you make a habit of showing your informal work to others, it's probably best to leave that stuff at home. Much less to worry about as you travel, and no spillage concerns over ink, watercolors or coffee.
Spillage and getting the sketchbook damaged or dirty is a big one for sure. I don't mind showing my ugly drawings (as long as there are some nice ones in there too for balance 😂), and today if someone sees you drawing shows interest it's easy to show your work on your phone, wether you have Instagram or just a photo album.
thats actually something i like abt sketchbooks: "oh this coffee stain is from that quaint lil cafe..."^^ but i use my sketchbooks very un-preciously, more like a diary. i also used to bind my own sketchbooks, but they quickly became too thick to lie down to comfortably sketch in. same problem with gluing sketches into already existing books ie novels. i enjoy the solution in the video, however i agree that it doesnt look as personalized or approachable imho.
I'm very interested in your approach to the sketch book topic, what works well for some, but doesn't work for others, I would like to know how you made up your book that you now have.i would appreciate a tutorial video for that.❤❤❤❤
This is why I have 'show sketchbooks' and my actual sketchbooks, which look like a hot mess, actual horrible mess. Way more freeing. I take the good doodles and copy them to a 'show' sketchbook. Those kinds of show sketchbooks are not for yourself, they're for potential employers or your art course.
As a design student, I was encouraged to sketch on unbound paper, as much of the mindset of design sketching is about removing subconscious attachments or obstacles to the flow of ideas. Like the sketch before the current page shouldn't subconsciously alter or cause hesitation for the next idea. I like this way of doing it
I like your system and understand why you like it. I've been creating small pieces of art. What I started doing was cutting my paper (usually Bristol) to 6.5" x 4.5" and after I finish a piece, I have a mixed media wire ring sketch book and I put my art in that book with clear photo corners, one piece on each page. It keeps them all in one place and I can just flip through the booklet to see them. Sometimes I'll want to share or gift a piece of art to someone and I can remove, frame and send.
@@maryaltabev5275 I think it's a matter of opinion. I "Scrap book" my sketches to one big, bind sketchbook where I also make notes, and use those photo corners for finished pieces I save there, but if you take a look at the "notebook community" ppl have some real thick books there for their journals and such. So, I'd say what's too thick is solely a matter of opinion.😁
@@maryaltabev5275 No more than mixed media done in a sketchbook. Also the paper doesn't get all wrinkly and wavy from the wetness of the supplies you use to create the piece. It's a suggestion, not a must-do.
Respectfully... I am happy that you found a method that works for you and allows you to comfortably maintain a workflow that keeps you focused on your creative journey. This method however would discourage me from sketching, drawing, or painting daily. I am just wired differently. The fewer the steps involved the more likely I am to remain productive. Thank you for posting. It was nice visiting a view that is so very different from my own\.
Thank you for your comment! I think what really matters is to know what works for you and why. I'm not anti sketchbooks by any means - I wish they worked better for me, they're beautiful objects. Whatever you choose, it should allow you to draw more, not prevent you from drawing.
Same here. I travelled the inverse path: started with spare sheets of paper, until I noticed a sketchbook allows quick comparison from past drawings, I cannot hide the "bad" pages, and encourages me to draw daily as I have an objective: finishing the sketchbook (among others, like improving my values, knowing the best method for head drawing, etc...)
Finally! Thank you so much. For years I have been trying to find others who don't like sketch books. But it's always "sketchbooks are vita"l, "you will love sketchbooks after."... However, despite loving creative hobbies, I've spent my whole life in scientific academia. So because of how you organise, in science based research, along with ADHD and OCD, I have many issues with traditional sketchbooks. I either lose them, forget them, fill them with scraps of paper, find big empty books intimidating or if I make mistakes I want to rip pages out. Your idea is so simple and practical, whilst also allowing a more academic organisational system. I've searched for this idea so many times, but thought I must be crazy, as I never found another person who had the same thoughts as me....thank you!
Thank you, I'm glad it resonates and also just as happy as you are not to be alone in this 😂 I love the look and feel of a bound sketchbook, but it's just not good for organisation. I hope it helps you to draw more!
I feel SO similarly!! I get very mentally bogged down very easily, and while I love writing everything down I just can't be dealing with so many things in a space for creativity. Did scientific academia do this to me? Who knows. Glad to hear from a kindred spirit.
I am the same, ADHD with OCD tendencies. I can't stick to a journal/sketchbook set up as it is too restrictive to me. I changed to refillable loose leaf setups instead and it's so much better now
I've even bought lots of smaller sketchbooks which I never seem to bring with me because they're still too big for my purse and too heavy. And, I start using it and forget where it is and start a new one. Very annoying.
I tried loose leaf three-ring binder format for a while, but I found it is VERY susceptible to DAMAGE. The pages slide against each other and smudge the drawings and the pages can move around enough that the corners just got mangled.
Even after decades I find sketchbooks cumbersome for small incidental sketching. I started just folding a few sheets of paper in half and putting them in my purse! Whatever leads to drawing more, that is the perfect thing.
I think there is a difference btw being a "sketchbook artist" a person looking to make finished works in a sketchbook and artists who use sketchbooks. I have several completed books and several of different sizes in use. And i enjoy and use them all for different reasons. I appreciate the optionality, the variety, each has a different mood, but also common themes thread throughout. My sketchbooks are a place for discovery for me and v affordable. They don't take much thought or prep. And so make doing art more accessible to me as a hobby artist with a lot of other thibgd going on in life❤
One hesitation I had years ago before the internet was drawing in a sketchbook successfully, then closing the book and putting it on a shelf forever where no one would EVER see it. But since scanners and digital cameras have been invented, you can take an image of the artwork and put it up on the internet and the whole world can find it. So that kind of made me rethink the purpose of sketchbooks.
Sketchbooks make me feel that everything I do has to be perfect. Something to do with its being a bound volume. This isn't helped by all the artists on RUclips who flip through their "sketchbooks" filled with page after page of finished works of art. Loose paper feels like less pressure and less like I'm wrecking something.
Very true. Sketchbooks become a kind of fetish, a finished product in their own right. Which is fine for some artists, but it is not always the purpose of sketchbooks.
It's so funny you say that, I feel the exact opposite, that pictures are for the wall, so my sketchbook is very scrappy, covered in shopping lists and lists of ingredients. The big game changer for me was buying art portfolios in A3, A4 and A5, the sort that hold up to 200 pictures in 100 sleeves. I forced myself to empty my old sketch pads (not sketchbooks, half the time the paper was falling out anyway) and now I'm not constantly losing the good stuff. The best stuff always gets framed on the wall, the main reason I started painting was to decorate my house!
You are doing what I have been doing for well over a year. It is a great way to bring several sheets of the papers I normally use. I normally bring watercolor paper; hot press and cold press, 40#, white, in A-5 and A-6 sizes. Once a page is completed I have ample storage space in the folder. You have made a pretty good decision on how to selectively carry what you plan to use.
Thank you for your comment! It makes a lot of sense for plein air painting especially, as these could have value to be sold. If you're using watercolour, do you do anything to prevent your paper from buckling?
Julie Miette - When I go to the field with this set up I normally use a mechanical pencil. Occasionally, I will use a fountain pen or sharp pointed marker with waterproof ink. When doing en plein air watercolors I will go with a sketchbook or a block of watercolor paper, 140# hot or cold press.
I’ve been using a portfolio like this since I was about 12- every art teacher told me off - but it makes so much sense!! Took away so much stress and anxiety (which I’ve just learnt this way of creating my sketchbook is sign of autism!? 😅) I just like things to function. Perfectly too!! I’m 34 now and been trying to force myself into real sketchbooks!! But you’ve really reaffirmed my original opinion!! Just what I needed I hear today. The folder of paper. You can get ones similar- purpose made- with clip attached - clipboard folder.
I own many sketchbooks and watercolor journals, in a variety of sizes and different kinds of paper. Like you, I would sometimes lament the lack of freedom that can come from being confined to one sketchbook. For example, if I travel somewhere, I’d want to know I could draw or paint and I’d like the possibility of just taking one book but with more than one kind of paper. One way I’ve solved this is by using a “sketchbook” made in the Netherlands. The package includes 200 sheets, grouped by sets of 50, and they are further grouped into sets of paper in accordion style, but with micro perforations so that you can separate each sheet. Instead of being bound together, you get two thick, tough pieces of chipboard with two notches each per board in the middle, and a thick, giant rubber band. While drawing or painting, you use the chipboard for support. When you are done sketching, you simply put the paper back between the two pieces of chipboard, and bind everything together with the rubber band. This is how it comes to you from the company. But, who is to say that you can’t add in sheets, cut to size, of your favorite watercolor paper, too? Or sanded pastel paper? Or a different kind of paper entirely? It is such a simple idea, but it works. Even better: bring a few clips. Another way is to get a nurse’s clipboard. Some of those are foldable so that you not only have a rigid support, but you could fold the bottom into a triangle that will form a make shift easel. As time goes by, and artists brainstorm more, I’m sure that even more solutions will be presented. Thanks for the video and for sharing how you do it! Btw, was that John Muir Law’s book on Nature Journaling that I saw?? I love his books.
I think your organisation is actually quite good ! Especially when you like using different medium and train on specific things. I personally use sketchbooks more like a diary where I can doodle freely and put ideas quickly on paper.
I dealt with similar issues regarding the constraints of a sketchbook early on in my art journey until I realized the true difference between a sketchbook and a portfolio. Similar to the difference between a thumbnail sketch and a finished piece, my sketchbooks are primarily used for experimenting with line work, new compositions, basic practice or even quickly getting an idea onto paper for later when I can invest the time to make a completed piece from that idea/composition. I think what might work better for you in many ways is a type of sketchbook Koh-i-noor makes where you can actually remove the paper and then reinsert it later when you are done. Its spiral bound but the holes in the paper is slotted so then can be removed and returned easily. They also make these types of sketchbooks in multiple formats regarding paper type like mixed media and watercolor so there is no rule stating paper from other books can't go into one main book since the paper is removable and reinsertable from all the sketchbooks in their line of products. They really aren't bad quality wise either
I have never seen this one by Koh-i-noor but I discovered this system thanks to other comments, I think it's great, I just got myself a puncher secondhand to give it a try!
@@Julie.Miette thank you for helping me get out of this mindset and affirming my stance on sketchbooks! I find hard-bound books to be difficult to control as well, causing me to streak my pencil across the paper as it lifts 😅 I like this Koh-i-noor suggestion the previous commenter mentioned and might switch over, however I have a different suggestion to make for what you are currently doing. I have something called a "Padfolio" which is a 8.5 × 11" Refillable Legal Pad that you can use as an out-and-about folder, with a pocket for your loose papers and a section for completed works. It gives you that smooth hard surface to sketch on and it's super light. It also has an elastic band that wraps around it to keep it closed like a sketchbook so you don't need to use a clip! I like that they come in different designs too instead of having to D.I.Y. your own folder! :)
I don't like spiral bound sketchbooks, I like hard bound sketchbooks. They have their own issues but we like what brings us the most comfort. Notably I agree with all the issues that lead you to create a new path. I feel your pain.
Such a vital part of and what has driven my work since a teen in the late 70's. For watercolors, print studies, garden design, mostly sculpture and pottery, I have volumes. I cannot recall ever hearing someone talk on the subject. Thanks so very much for the depth and insight into something so personal for the artist, yes please continue.
I really like your DIY folding board with envelope system, I wanna try making something like it. I fell out of love with sketchbooks a few years ago for basically every reason you stated. They're just too heavy and restrictive to be of any use for working on projects. Sketchbooks are basically blank notebooks. Notebooks can make a lot of sense for writers I think, but us visual artists have different needs. The inability to use a lightbox is a big one for me too. Today I use a clipboard, one of those slimmer types where the clip doesn't stick way out. I clip slightly heavier weight copy paper to it, as well as some sheets of cardstock, and then I use a 2-pocket folder to put pages into as I finish them. Most of my drawing with this system is just sketching out ideas with mechanical pencils and fountain pens, so the copy paper is sufficient most of the time. Then I'll work on finished pieces at home on good paper or digitally. I like how flexbile and light these materials are.
Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of using sketchbooks. It is always helpful for creative people to consider the “why” and “why not”!
I like sketchbooks and my favorite result was one I started in the autumn of 2023 and I sketched plein air at the river(s) until it was filled in during the autumn of 2024. There are no masterpieces in it but I enjoy outdoor painting and filling in a themed sketchbook is rewarding. I like a theme to each one. Mainly, I watercolor so I have to have a paper that takes a lot of water. I do have some completed sketchbooks of pencil and doodling with ink. Merci beaucoup pour vous beau videos. J’adore vous et votre travail. (Beginner in French.)
Merci beaucoup ! Je pense que l'idée d'un thème fonctionne bien pour ceux qui arrivent à remplir leurs carnets. Ça fait de beaux journaux à garder et feuilleter... Pour moi, je me lasse d'un thème assez rapidement, et je me sens contrainte, mais je suis envieuse de ceux qui arrivent à donner un thème à leurs carnets de croquis et les terminer.
I like the Grumbacher brand paper pads with “In & Out” pages. They come in different sizes from small to large, and in watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media papers. You can take a page out, work on it then put it back in the binding.
I had never heard of this brand but a few comments recommended a similar system, it's very clever, I just got myself a secondhand puncher to give it a try! Thank you 😊
Another option is maintaining a dossier folder (especially if you are working with watercolors, lightboxing, some types of multimedia, collaging, etc.). Then after you are happy with the works that you have produced in the dossier, then transferring your work from the folder to a binder or your own bound book.
Dear Julie, thank you very much for your comments and your story about the use of sketchbooks, your own use of them and the wonderful alternative you have found for yourself. I have tried many times to work continuously with sketchbooks. It's similar to diaries. I understand the purpose and benefits, but I usually only manage to fill the first few pages and then it stops. So over time I have collected many sketchbooks that I have started but never ended. Since I started sketching, painting and drawing again on all kinds of materials, pieces of paper, printing paper, scraps of paper, cardboard, napkins, I feel better and get a lot more done. Like you, I keep the results in folders, sometimes organized thematically, sometimes chronologically. I enjoy it more that way. Thank you for sharing your experiences!
I love sketchbooks with special themes or material, cause it s all kind if sorted and so satisfying to look through. I handeld the "different-paper-issue" with binding my own book...
Julie this is brilliant. My goal this year is to become comfortable with my sketchbook. I’m going to try this out to see if it’s a fit for me. Thank you
Just found you! I'm 64 years old, mostly self taught, and live in a very rural area. My travel and rough sketch book is a three ring binder and copy paper. A pencil bag holds mechanical pencils and kneaded eraser. When I'm pressed for space, 2-3 sheets of copy paper get cut into about 6 pieces and stashed in my wallet for doodles. Back in the early 80's I came across a Beinfeng sketch book that had lines on the bound side of the page and plain surface on the outside of the paper. That is my go-to print out for travel, inspired characters, or painting roughs. No need to get fancy until I'm where I use the good paper. Or Gimp (Gimp is comparable to Photoshop, but it's free). It took a while to teach myself to paint on Gimp, but it's really fun when I'm out of paper or just want to explore color changes without wasting precious resources. Sometimes being 300 miles from a real art store sucks.
Wonderful! This is exactly what I was transitioning to with papers and portability, and with the added beauty of different papers to accommodate the media I wished to use! So happy that I'm not the only person dissatisfied with the limitations of sketchbooks! Such an insightful video for others and I'm now a new subscriber. Look forward to much more wisdom! 🤗💛
This is a cool idea! The idea of a Folio as your sketchbook pages is smart! You would also be able to rearrange any page if you want to group things by topics, colors, formats, etc.
genius. I love your organizing ideas and will implement them asap. I can very much relate to the reasons why not using a sketch book for the very same reasons you explained in this video. Thank you so much!
I love your solutions to the sketchbook problem! The thematic portfolio idea really speaks to me. And then the cardboard + couple of sheets trick is simple, but elegant 👌🏻
What a lovely idea. Just before new year I removed all the unused paper from my old sketchbooks, but I wasn’t sure how to use them out and about. Thank you for the inspiration.
Beautiful artwork and very interesting video! This is something I've never thought about, because I love little bound books. I also tend to just use pencil and ink on the go, so I don't really need a variety of paper. Your solution at the end was really nice and kind of reminded me of something from and earlier time period. The paper file drawer was very impressive as well.
I agree with you about sketchbooks. Being left handed, anything with a spiral binding is impossible to use unless I turn it upside down. I have many unfinished sketchbooks with different types of paper that only contain a few drawings or paintings. All these unfinished sketchbooks take up space on my bookshelves and I rarely look at them. Lately, I've been working on loose sheets of paper, then mounting the finished works in a photo album using adhesive photo corners. This allows me to look directly at the work and also allows me to remove the work and return it if I want to scan, or place the work in a frame. I also work frequently on 5"x7" papers I then store those finished works in a box designed to store 5"x7" photos. I really enjoy leafing through both the album and the box. Both the album and the box are in my living room and make interesting conversation pieces when I have guests.
Have you tried disk bound notebooks? You can customize everything with those disks, the cinch disk punch looks like a nice puncher to customize the cover, paper, make it left handed, etc. It’s nice since you can remove the pages and put them back or move them to a different notebook. I do like your photo album/box system. It’s nice since you are using standard sizes which it makes it easier/cheaper to frame them. You could also do a DIY watercolor paper block with those sizes to make it easier for plein-air painting sessions… this is making think about possibilities 😅
I have a ton of sketchbooks, and when looking through them I see that I mostly use them for practice and classes. Finished pieces are on loose paper. I like your portfolio idea to keep your finished artwork. I have a ton of page protectors I can use to store mine in. I also like your travel loose papers.
For this new year, my resolution is to be more organized in my life. After watching your approach on ditching the sketchbooks, I' decided to experiment with it after cutting down 14 by 17 inch Bristol paper to 11 by 17 inch.
This is so clever i like how it looks in a binder. it shows how much freedom and control you have with where to place your art, and the plastic covers makes it look more important and organized than if it was just in a binded sketchbook :)
I just want somewhere to buy something like the sketchbook envelope cardboard thing you made because if i tried to make it, it would be awful but I LOVE it! I bet a lot artists would buy it. I've been struggling with the sketchbook situation and was trying to figure out how to do exactly what you did. Never seen your channel before, the algorithm gods must have decided to treat me this morning. Thanks for this. ☺️ Subscribed.
Have you considered getting a manilla envelope and a clipboard? I know it wouldn't look as cute but it could be a good starting point, and you could attach the clipboard to the envelope if you want. You could decorate it too, plus you could get the materials for under $5!
They have cases with a clip attached to them in office supply stores. You will see people taking surveys or going door to door with their paperwork for things like sales who use them. Very useful stuff. I have a small version where I use printer paper with and slip my pencil and eraser into
You can find some but in plastic, look for an A5 folder. A manilla envelope or clipboard case are also excellent ideas! Thank you for your comment and welcome here 😊
I've been loose leaf for a few years and it's so liberating! I keep my journal the same way, too. I just date each sheet and save them under the date in a windows folder -- immediate chronological view. Then I add a few keywords and the whole thing is immediately sortable by subject, by medium, etc.
You mean just a digital folder on your computer? That's smart, simple, you make me want to do something like this. I use an app called Day One to have this chronological view and add notes and tags, but maybe basic folders would be better 🤔
@@Julie.Miette Yeah, just a basic computer folder with the files named by their date ID! So if I had a sheet with drawings on both sides done just now I would name it 2025-01-17-1940-Fr_r.jpg (for the 'recto' front side) and 2025-01-17-1940-Fr_v.jpg (for the 'verso' back side) and write 2025-01-17-1940-Fr on the paper itself somewhere. If I was working off of a phone alone it would be a little more finnicky (there's an app called "view exif" that together with the 'files' app on iphone would handle it), but it works spectacularly for me on a laptop -- like, no second guessing anything! And then just hashtag the living daylights out of it #charcoal #8vo_sheet #street_scene #sur_le_vif, etc.
I keep about 3 regular folders (the kind one used in grade school holds 8.5 x 11 paper) and they are all labeled with a tab I made that sticks off the back of them saying “WIPS” - these are full of loose leaf sketches, art, ink drawings, gouache paintings that are Works In Progress. I also keep a myriad of sketchbook types, they’ve helped me learn what kind of papers I like for different things, but yes, I do find myself cutting finished art out of them to gift or frame. And I have left a sketchbook in a friend’s car and there is one painting in it I am so fond of that I wish I had back! Also so many times I have ruined art I had loved in sketchbooks either just from the damages of carrying around in my bag, or colors bleeding through from another page ;_; , all in all, I love your little sketch folder idea Julie! I will try
I used to have a clip board during college days, it work fantastic, clip boards you should be able to find it for half letter (8.5x5.5") format also convenient for to carry in smaller bags.
Very informative and useful video! I keep a hardcover A5 sketchbook that has slightly cream coloured paper in them (white paper in the sunlight is a strain) and a B4 pencil attached by a band that keeps the book closed. But I must admit I am very inspired by your latest method! That's an excellent way and I full intend to copy this, only in A5 size, making it super easy to carry around (I take a quick photo of the scene/subject for general colour/theme reference). Different textured/coloured sheets hand cut into a folder. Perfect! Using soft cover plastic portfolio's are good. I do the same - they are totally cheap, and I personally don't care what others may think about their look. 🙃 Am looking forward to your next video - and your newsletter was nice to read, the downloadable PDF file VERY aesthetically presented and informative. Enjoyed it much and love the subtle humour in the chapter titles! Well done!
This is exactly what I have been using for about 5 years now. Itoya has an excellent “art portfolio” that is reasonably priced and comes in a range of sizes. I also use a clipboard as a drawing surface. I use a Japanese “pencil board” under the paper that comes in various types of hardness and thickness (softer for ballpoint, harder for pencil, etc.
Thank you for some really nice ideas on an alternative to sketchbooks. It's a nice way to have a selection of paper types on hand and to consolidate one's work in a variety of media. I bought a spiral binding machine a few years ago, so I might consider organizing and binding past pages into sketchbook archives.
here's what i do differently to you, perhaps will give you a different perspective: 1. i take notes and save ideas on my sketchbook. a lot of times these things will increase with time, so having a sketchbook that can be added when any idea strikes, and have it added to a list where it belongs is very important to me as a creative. 2. i re-use a lot of my pages so that i don't feel that i've wasted some pages. i use all sorts of media to cover up those pages that i think can be re-used, most of the time i use grey colored acrylic to cover my previous pencil lines more effectively. so i end up with quite some grey pages, that i can play with some tonals. 3. use sketchbook as an interaction tool. while leading a person who's interested to your work to your iG or gallery is fine, letting them flip through my messy sketchbook to see their reaction is also fun. 4. having a messy sketchbook also helps me as a teacher. that i show my students a wide range of finished, unfinished, failed artworks. and let them know the importance of practice, and moving forward. as you might guess from the above, i carry a thick, but cheap sketchbook. if it can hold a couple layers of watercolor, it's good enough for me. but most of the time, i also carry a better quality one at hand, so that i don't do any of the above on my higher quality, more expensive sketchbook. that one i make sure i do the best quality i can. but still, i still hold on the idea that a sketchbook is not always meant for finished artworks. scrolling through the comments, i see that a lot of people are very afraid to show people their sketchbooks. being a teacher, i always encourage my students to not be so. they HAVE to show their works to me anyways, and if they dare to show their sketches/drawings with the mates, it's even better that they critique each others' work sincerely and grow together.
I, too, left behind my bound sketchbooks a few years back. I make unbound concertina sketchbooks from rolls of paper. I use the concertinas for working out some ideas - particularly for exploding the picture plane and carrying a line across so many leaves. I also use them for mixing colors using a limited palette. I am delighted with your content and just subscribed. thank you 💙💚💙
I found a sketchbook product that allows you to REMOVE the individual pages to work on the drawings, and then put them BACK into the book. It is sort of an open spiral binding. I found I can get a few sketchbooks, and title them by theme, and have one I named "Rough Work", that I carry with me always. Then I can draw into the Rough Work book in ANY medium, then when I get back to my studio, I can sort the resulting drawings into the other themed sketchbooks in any order I want them in. I am finding this to be a wonderful way to work. Also, I can keep some sketchbook pages in my chair by the fireplace, another few next to my bed, another few in the car, another few in my briefcase, etc. Then "file them" when I choose to sort them all out. I also divided the Rough Work book into sections, including a reference section for prompt lists, an envelope for rulers and templates, etc., and have sections for themes or mediums. I do like your solution very much and may find a way to do something similar.
13:14 Museums often offer foldable stools. I do this all the time and it makes the sketching experience much better. At my local Natural History museum they even have drawing boards that you can borrow. Check out what's available in your city. Thanks for this. I am all oooking for a way to avoid carrying heavy sketchbooks around. It was useful to see what works for you.
I give credit to my sketching teacher, who took me to the museum, to alert me about the drawing board. As for the stools, I always thought it was something for people with mobility issues...and never for sketching. Just a small perspective change made all the difference. @Julie.Miette
Great idea. I have started storing my sketches in folders with plastic sleeves. I have just bought some multimedia paper ( A3 size )and may cut some sheets down to A5 to take out with me sketching. Thank you for the inspiration
I travel with a sketchbook and loose papers. Sometimes I place my loose drawings in my sketchbook. I like mixed media sketchbooks for travel. What I do is make my own sketchbooks now. I put great quality watercolor paper in one and mixed media in another. I can customize sizes and types of paper. I also place my smaller loose pages of art in a 3-ring binder with sheet protectors at home. I travel but have created adaptable art kits that are portable. Great to see that all artists adapt to their own needs.
I have sketchbooks but like you I have found it better to have different papers with me. I have two loose leaf organiser files with a variety of papers cut to size in them. I also bought a second hand stamp album that has screw pegs for mounting the pages, This is the height of A4 paper but wider so the fastening holes are to the left, away from the drawing. This way i have a complete A4 or slightly larger sheet to draw on or I can put smaller papers in it.
Like you I have many sketch, drawing, watercolor books; and a separate folder just for color swatches. I do a similar thing but I use a clip board. Love the protector page idea for completed/semi-completed work! BTW you are delightful to listen to.
I've been using an Itoya Profolio (looks a lot like your portfolio) to keep my favorite sketches and drawings for decades - I thought I was the only one! I've seen many sketchbook tours on RUclips that are filled with gorgeous finished pictures and it can be a bit discouraging. I guess it's mostly because I have a different purpose - I use them to work through drawings & illustrations and end up with a lot of not-so-great sketches. I tear out the good ones and put them in the portfolio. ☺
I have several different sketchbooks, each serving another purpose. So you definitely have a point with just using paper. But what I don't want to miss, is my sketchbook diary. Or my vacation diaries.
I just started a new alternative sketchbook as well. My main frustration was paper types restricting what I used or feeling like a waste and not being able to transfer notes to a new sketchbook. I have decided to go the route of hole punching into a a5 planner binder. The pages are easily moveable so I can add in a marker, pencil or watercolor paper depending on what is needed. I did also hole punch a 1.5mm thick mdf board to make it more sturdy in case I don't have a desk or table. Might be helpful to toss in your setup as well. I signed up for the newsletter, looking forward to seeing more content from you
Thank you and welcome! After reading all the suggestions in the comments I got myself a puncher and discs to give this a try, that's such a clever system!
I like how realistic you are talking about the materials and the use of them. Great video it gave me a lot to think about the things I really need with me x whatever I carry with me all day
You can take a stack of loose drawings, on different paper, even different size pages, to a print shop to be bound. It makes a creative looking book without all that plastic.❤️
I have various sizes at home but rarely bring more than a 4"x5" moleskin when out because of weight and convenience. I always tell myself a photo I take will be sketched at a later date into one of the "home" sketchbooks (which rarely happens). I like the idea of different paper in a folder. Can't wait to try it. Thanks for this video. Also I have the same little lamp as you 🙂
Very interesting method of sketching on the go. i have been a hobbyist artist for almost 8 years and sketchbooks where something invested in 4 years ago, i collected maybe over 30 sketchbooks that ieither bought on impulse or on sale or been gifted to, and i only managed to finish 5 of them. I also have small hands and i cant carry an A4 sketchbook while standing and trying to sketch something for longer time. i think i may find a hybrid method of doing a lighter sketchbook of sort and that serves my purpose. i also don't have an art desk nor a studio at home so i store my sketchbooks in my shelves and take them out whenever i go. Thank you again and i hope you have an artistic day
I am nowhere near your level as an artist, but I do draw, and for me, varying the types of paper I use always appealed to me. I have always kept multiple sketchbooks because they each have a different quality of paper. Eventually, I started to seek out drawing paper in sheets, not books, with different weights and finishes, and just select a paper each time I draw. I keep them in a folder which stays more-or-less chronological. This also gives me the benefit that single sheets are easy to scan and digitize, because there's no binding. I love your method here, I also use binders and plastic sheet protectors for my favorite pieces, but to implement them as sketchbook/time capsules is quite brilliant. Thanks!
I think trying and playing around with supplies until we find something that works for us is the best way to go! I use half bound sketchbook, half loose sheets. I like the bound option when i travel but prefer loose sheets when i'm at home ^^ And i really admire your accent ^^ as a fellow French person, i struggle so much with that 😂
I agree so much,that's my biggest problem with sketchbooks...I've seen other's which always seem amazing...while mine are so full of disasters...it's more pressure to me than just separate sheets of paperi love your ideas and want to try them out!
I will start doing that from now on. I tend to arrange my drawings now by date but my how much i like them. So when i finish a sketchbook i rearrange them now i can do that more easily with a clear book thank you ❤
These are excellent ideas! I think I will try them, because I don't like to carry a lot of stuff I don't need either. Your portfolios look wonderful! BTW, I lived in France between the ages of 7 and 11 growing up. My father was in the U.S. Army working for the American Battle Monuments Commission, and we met and befriended artists, visited the Louvre and other art galleries and museums regularly. I thank those years in France for the inspiration to become an artist. Thank you, Julie, for these insights and great ideas.
Thank you! Being part of a global community has made me gain a lot of appreciation for the museums and artworks I'm surrounded with, and although I don't have anything to do with this heritage I'm happy that it's appreciated 😊
Julie, ton contenu est toujours très intéressant et bien présenté. Bravo pour ton excellent travail! - Je suis une grand-maman de 63 ans qui peint des portraits à l’huile depuis 50 ans et je dois te dire que je te trouves tellement jolie! Ton visage est digne d’une peinture de Bouguereau! Si un jour tu décides de faire du portrait tu devrais considérer des auto-portraits. Je te verrais facilement dans une peinture de Scott Waddell. En attendant ce jour je continues de t’écouter en me disant que j’aimerais tellement que tu sois modèle pour mes peintures!
Merci pour le compliment ! J'ai déjà fait deux autoportraits pour des cours, un à l'aquarelle et un deuxième à l'encre, ils sont tous les deux sur mon site (dans "œuvres" pour l'aquarelle et "formation artistique" pour l'encre) 😊
Brava! Your idea makes a lot of sense to me. I love the idea of a sketchbook, but it can be intimidating, especially doing that first drawing. I prefer single sheets that can go in a portfolio as you did. That way, I feel freer to do what I want and not worry how it might turn out.
For my urban sketching (generally watercolor), sketchbook. At home, I'll use a regular sketchbook for doodling or loose sheets. Something to recreate, I'll use a block. Your system for loose sheets is excellent ...mine are all over the place.😊 Thanks!
When you’re drawing out in the field, what surface do you lay your paper down upon to support it while you work? A café table? The cardboard backing you use to protect your paper? I find that I often tear a page at a time out of my spiral bound sketch pads, so that I can tape by each one to my drawing board and work out various designs using drafting tools.
I use my cardboard backing, even if I'm at a café I would use my backing for protection against the table and because it is a nicer surface to draw on 🙂
You are very right, I have the same problems with my sketchbooks. The problem is I hate plastic. The plastic pockets are kind of ”eating” the art and plastic is ugly. I will maybe cut and glue the art papers somehow I have made. I will also make some small stickers of my art that I can add to my calendar.
I feel you, I hate plastic too, I'm looking for a better long term alternative. Without plastic, you could use binders (but pages would rub against one another, more than in a sketchbook, if you're not using plastic sleeves), a thesis binder like I show in the video, or get your drawings bound together after the fact by a professional. A few people also mentioned in the comments using a thick album and photo corners, this can be a good option.
I found this very interesting, and am so impressed by your effort to hunt down the perfect option! Thanks for sharing :) what I find interesting is how when I fell down this similar rabbit hole, I felt so overwhelmed that instead of letting my high standards win (this would mean ultimately too much attachment to supplies leading to creative block), instead I turned the spotlight inward and made myself the flexible option. Now I just make art on anything with anything, take a picture of it and then let it disappear into the void or give it away to strangers. The less I care, the more I create, and that works so well for me. But my art focus is more on the process and less on the outcome, I study art therapy and it seems like you study something more outcome focused. Which I totally respect :). I just wanted to share the observation. Goes to show the sheer variety of minds in this world!
Thank you for your comment, I'm so glad it was useful! I have been thinking about sketchbooks and organisation way too often as well, and I relate to the high standards leading to creative block. Yet, I think high standards are a good thing and not something to fight off... We just need a place to practice without pressure, and another one to give our best effort. For me, loose sheets are better for both of those options. I love the idea of letting art go (however, I prefer to scan it first for HD records)!
An interesting & liberating perspective! Thanks for sharing. I think your approach might be helpful for me at some times and in some ways, while I would also (probably mostly? I’ll find out!) continue prioritizing storing/preserving my work & growth in some kind of chronological, readily available order. Thanks for adding variety to my outlook!🌹
AGREED! Personally, I don’t do projects, per se. I just pencil sketch for the enjoyment of it. My system is copier paper clipped to a piece of foamcore. This is especially handy for scanning my work quickly. I can do a whole pile at the same time.
I’m so very glad I came upon your channel, I watched a few videos already and I’m very hooked. Can you please tell me, and put a link, to the black bag you put your stuff in and closed in your video. I didn’t see that in any of the Amazon links. Looking forward to seeing so much more.!
I'm really happy you enjoy my videos so much! This is a handbag by Hexagona, I can't find it anymore on their website so I suspect it's an old collection, but here's the link to Amazon France: amzn.to/3Wh86ao
I love your idea, too. I want to do my own sketchbook with my favorite papers. I have my own idea to built my sketchbook with lightweight materials. And you are right, the sketchbook sometimes could be very heavy for the hands. I like to use certains sketchbook like mix media for working at home.❤
I just stumbled upon your video and I'm so glad I was brought here coz' I have the same problem. Thanks for sharing the different alternatives to this dilemma
I dont do much traditional drawing anymore nowadays, but in the past i bring papers in a folder instead of a sketchbook, not bcs i have a problem with a sketchbook (i still use them, but for notes taking), but i just end up just bring papers in a folder for my drawing need. I do understand that sketchbook is somewhat limiting, maybe thats why i do that in the past.
Hi Julie--your work is masterful and you're the one who motivated me to go back to NMA! Please, I love the botanical plates and decorative patterns you've been working on--my favorite art is rococo decoration with acanthus and cupids, mouldings and scrolls. I was wondering if there is a class that covers how to design these decorative elements?...I looked through the course catalog but I couldn't find anything about drawing classical ornaments.
Hi Daniel, thank you and I'm so happy for you that you decided to go back to NMA! There is no class that I'm aware of (at NMA or elsewhere) covering ornamentation design. This trimester, the 2 year program will have an Exploration of Ornamentation lecture with Joshua Jacobo. This is only available for the cohort, but that's content he is likely developing to offer to all students later 🙂 Until then, you can learn a lot with master studies, like I have been doing with my botanical plates. The book I use is called Nature Drawing and Design and it is available to download for free on Internet Archive. If you help about how to approach this, I recorded the full process of copying two plates for the NMA Discord, you can find the link of the videos in my sketchbook on the Discord - and I'm also recording more at the moment for a project I have in 2025.
@@Julie.Miette Wow, thank you so much--that really helps! So I'm going to try alternating drawing ornaments from reference and then making them up from memory/imagination. I thought this topic was something Joshua would be into. Please, if you get the chance let him know the interest is there, like you said there's there's hardly any resources, he could have the first course on this lost art form! Thank you again, and keep up the beautiful work😊
You can always ask for a little stool from the museum or gallery :) This is a great idea, I love my bound sketchbooks but you have to look for what works for you!
This has really struck a note with me- I’m one of those people who admires the classic sketchbook thing, and I’ve done this, with sketches crossing the centre join in the page, with little notes, coffee cups… you know the vibe 😂 But then I go for a few days with a creative block, and produce something half hearted. Yes, I learn from it, but I hate carrying those pieces around with me! I end up, even when I’m trying out techniques (as a watercolour learner) trying to make the page aesthetically pleasing, even though that’s not the point of the exercise. I even end up starting another sketchbook! Finding a way to create a mentally comfortable place (if that makes sense)for creativity is a lifelong struggle I think (I’m 65!) I’ve just ordered an A5 clipboard (so it’s easier to tote round) £12 from Amazon, with various pockets on one side for papers, as you’ve suggested. I could also keep photos or whatever is inspiring me there. I’ll work out storage later, possibly a portfolio, as you’ve done. Thank you again, I wish you huge success on your art journey- I wish I had been as analytical about my creative needs as you are, when I was your age!
i completely agree! big bulky sketchbooks are inconvinient and a bit unnecessary imo, i also find it creates a lot of pressure to be *perfect* for sketchbook tours, especially for the last few pages 😅 i started using sewing machine to sew thin and light weight sketchbooks this year, and i find it to be so freeing. i'm also experimenting with a nurse's clipboard for bring loose pages of paper outside to sketch. so glad i found your channel!
My last few pages are usually pretty bad, as I approach the end of the sketchbook I want to be done with it 😂 How do you use your sewing machine for that? That's a super interesting option, I'd love to know more if you can explain it or redirect me to a video. Maybe sewing A4 pages to create a mini A5 sketchbook inside a separate hard cover, and then unsewing the pages would be perfect for me! Welcome here!
@@Julie.Miette yes i showed how i made it in 01:32 ruclips.net/video/O472KrDSNxc/видео.htmlsi=5v_ZRqjHxepYMVum i just used the basic straight stitch to sew together 7 or 8 pieces of A3 paper, to make a small A4 sketchbook, but A5 would also work :p it's very low effort and takes only a few minutes. I'm also planning a trip to france this year, so if you have any gallery or art shops to recommend i would love to hear/see that! cheers! 😍
Artist, crafter and stationery nerd here, inherently bound books of any kind (sketchbook, notebook, journals etc.) give me anxiety, I ALWAYS gravitate towards binders and systems that allow the swap of individual sheets such as Filofax Notebook (my personal preferred choice due to it being lightweight too) and discbound. Something as utterly simple as sheets with 2 holes and 2 O rings is perfect for me, and I know this since out of all sketchbooks I ever received and bought, one I received in my childhood that was exactly that description is what I finished! If you still like a bit more structure than simply loose sheets, consider the traveler or midori style, that have a cover (usually leather or vinyl), with elastics for small notebooks with fewer sheets to go within. Traveler notebooks are esentially a compact "package" of bound notebooks (if you want to DIY, you can even skip binding said notebooks and opt for simply folding the paper and nesting them like book signatures under the elastic). I also enjoy loose papers, if only there was a way to get a narrow wooden box with loose sheets inside that has a perfect top surface for drawing, that'd be the dream! People made DIY projects like this ( like HandiDesk), but they made them with carpentry tools which I have no access to. I do not know why so many people get so hung up on sketchbooks alone when I spent a good while in my rabbit hole of alternatives and realize that is so easy to find the alternatives but not everyone talks about it. I guess people know only of the codex style of binding and assume that is the only option.
I have sketch books primarily for non watercolor media. Historically i started drawing on the edges of my school notes and cafe napkins and the back of envelopes. No one system covers my needs. However, the more "precious " the bound book the less I would use them. These days my watercolor experiments get 'filed' in folders by theme ( landscape, animals etc).
I write. I use a fountain pen, and a big part of writing for me is the sensory experience-when I type, I use a mechanical keyboard-and that requires a nice, textured paper. Right now I'm using cotton paper because I like the brand of the notebook, Tuk Tuk Press, and because I like the form factor and because cotton is the only type of paper I can be sure I like and I actually know what it's called so that I can search for it. For me, having one particular type of notebook is the ticket.
Look into a coin-bound notebook. It is mostly considered for journalists, but if you get the custom hole punch you can do exactly what you wish, add a custom set of papers for each outing. The covers have a huge range of options, from very simple clear plastic to very fancy leather with pockets. Store the results in archive boxes, so you can organize them any way you wish. I do this and put each image that I like into an acetate sheet. I think of it as card-sleeving my art.
Thank you for the suggestion! I can't find what you're talking about, googling "coin-bound notebook" gives me notebooks with bitcoin logos on the cover 😂 Does this have another name?
See to me when you go look back at coursework or something else, all the pages and notes around them or maybe the few unrelated Pages earlier can really shine a light on things that you may have forgotten. So you may not just get the information you wanted about your coursework but you may remember some other personal things you were going through at the time, or what have you
Yes that's a way to see it, and I like having an unfiltered chronological view of all my works. I prefer to do this in a journaling app (I use Day One for this now, and I add notes and tags, I have a video planned about it), and have the physical drawings organised by theme 😊
I've explored a lot of alternatives as well. I went through a period about a year ago where I used a small clipboard(roughly A5 size) and carried it in my vest pocket. I just always wear the vest and make it my uniform because the climate allows for it, so there is nothing to forget when I store art supplies there. However, the clipboard doesn't offer much protection for the paper so I would have smudged pencils after some time. And I was using large index cards as the standard paper stock which are not good drawing papers - they're made to be cheap and to be handled frequently but most supplies have an unflattering appearance on it. I moved back over to ring sketchbooks, which I like because they lay flat, but over time I started questioning the additional weight, and also the page count: the commercial sketchbook makers tend to want it to feel like you're getting a lot of "book" for the money, which isn't actually good for portability. Near the end of last year I started a few different things: First, I started collecting printed illustration reference in prong portfolios. Since I'm mostly focused on characters and comics, the thing I use the most is thumbnail reference - character refs and cheat sheets and poses and moodboards with ideas to drop into a scene. Having all the types of things I want to draw in book form is a great starting point to build off of, and from this starting point I made an "illustration binder" for the holidays - a ring binder that had some of the essential references, plus grid paper and some loose drawing sheets in pocket portfolios. I've just gotten started with it but it has a kind of self-contained lifecycle: I develop an idea on the grids first, transfer it to the loose paper if it's ready, and store things I want to keep in the plastic covers used for references. I think this will be the space I use for comics work - it's only limited by paper size(I use US letter paper) but I can target zine minicomics, which use letter size folded in half, and make final pages for those at 130% scale. Second, I explored zinemaking, and this has some crossover with bookbinding since one of the most effective ways to manufacture a zine is to take loose sheets and staple or glue them down the middle. Staples don't preserve well, but the PVA glue used in glue sticks is actually pretty well regarded. A limitation of this approach is in not having a backing board unless you add one, which I might try. A third thing I found is to get my sketchbooks from Daiso. Daiso is a Japanese dollar store chain that has expanded globally - what they have is representative of Japanese stationary, and good for the price, although it does not compare to the really nice drawing papers. Most importantly, they keep the page counts low, so it's very easy to just get a lot of those.
That's true, the binding and cover are probably more expensive to make than the paper content, so they need to put a lot of paper in there for it to make sense financially - and as a consumer, I do look at the price per page when buying a sketchbook. I had never seen a prong portfolio, thank you for the discovery! Having it all self contained is a great idea, I also find that having references ready makes it easier to draw often, which is the point of a sketchbook of any kind. I had never heard of Daiso but I'll take a look, again thank you for the discovery!
Have you tried clipboard cases (idk what they are called)? The version which people doing surveys and operating door to door use to carry around their documents? They hold paper and small miscellaneous items in a thin case that flips open, and have a clip on the outside. Typically there will be an additional flat piece on the outside that can be flipped over the papers clipped on top of the board/case which is generally used to protect papers when you are signing documents so you only sign the top layer, but you can use that to protect your artwork while leaving it clipped outside as well. I don't think they have index card size for these though... =/ I could be wrong though since I do have a old one that works nicely with half-sheets of printer paper
I love sketchbooks because for me it's a place to play. However when I am planning or doing more intentional drawing I usually use a clipboard as well.😉
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What’s your favorite type of sketchbook? Do you prefer bound books, loose paper, or something completely different? Let me know in the comments 👇🏻
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I've decided to go with cardstock. I can get different weights depending on where I am at in my art journey with different mediums. With cardstock I can put them in comic book sleeves and organize the pages in which type of studies I am doing. It's also cheaper this way to get different toned paper. I think the cost will be about the same with how much a good quality paper sketchbook cost now days.
Loose paper
@Julie.Miette
I've abandoned sketchbooks as well, and I also wanted to solve the problems that you wanted to solve. You've come up with a system that is conceptually similar to mine, although aestheticly different.
I use a set of "Punchless Clamp Binders", some plain pocket folders, and a little (very basic) bookbinding.
One of the clamp binders carries a dozen or so sheets of 32# / 120 GSM copy paper for on the go sketching. It's super light and has a pocket to add an organization option. Every few days or so, I transfer the pages to one of a couple pocket folders (that are loosely dedicated to a topic). (The folders only comfortably hold about 25 sheets). When a pocket folder is full, I transfer it to a clip binder. When the clip binder fills up to about 100 sheets. I use a double fan & glue bookbinding technique and make them into a journal. I also always date all my sheets.
This gives me lots of options and opportunities to change how I've organized things and by the time that I get 100 sheets of paper on a subject, it's organized and ready to be bound.
I do figure sketching almost daily, so in 2024 I made 2 journals of figure sketches.
I don't have quite enough yet in the other subjects to bind as journals but some are getting close.
I believe the greatest benefit comes from not having to carry and worry about all the prior completed work in a sketchbook. A sketchbook can cause some emotional baggage of sorts, so unless you make a habit of showing your informal work to others, it's probably best to leave that stuff at home. Much less to worry about as you travel, and no spillage concerns over ink, watercolors or coffee.
Spillage and getting the sketchbook damaged or dirty is a big one for sure. I don't mind showing my ugly drawings (as long as there are some nice ones in there too for balance 😂), and today if someone sees you drawing shows interest it's easy to show your work on your phone, wether you have Instagram or just a photo album.
thats actually something i like abt sketchbooks: "oh this coffee stain is from that quaint lil cafe..."^^ but i use my sketchbooks very un-preciously, more like a diary.
i also used to bind my own sketchbooks, but they quickly became too thick to lie down to comfortably sketch in. same problem with gluing sketches into already existing books ie novels.
i enjoy the solution in the video, however i agree that it doesnt look as personalized or approachable imho.
I'm very interested in your approach to the sketch book topic, what works well for some, but doesn't work for others, I would like to know how you made up your book that you now have.i would appreciate a tutorial video for that.❤❤❤❤
This is why I have 'show sketchbooks' and my actual sketchbooks, which look like a hot mess, actual horrible mess. Way more freeing. I take the good doodles and copy them to a 'show' sketchbook. Those kinds of show sketchbooks are not for yourself, they're for potential employers or your art course.
I have/usecheap mead sketchbooks that i use for stuff that i dont care if the public finds and kind of hope somene finds.
As a design student, I was encouraged to sketch on unbound paper, as much of the mindset of design sketching is about removing subconscious attachments or obstacles to the flow of ideas. Like the sketch before the current page shouldn't subconsciously alter or cause hesitation for the next idea. I like this way of doing it
That's an interesting take, thank you for sharing!
I like your system and understand why you like it. I've been creating small pieces of art. What I started doing was cutting my paper (usually Bristol) to 6.5" x 4.5" and after I finish a piece, I have a mixed media wire ring sketch book and I put my art in that book with clear photo corners, one piece on each page. It keeps them all in one place and I can just flip through the booklet to see them. Sometimes I'll want to share or gift a piece of art to someone and I can remove, frame and send.
That's such a clever idea! Photo corners and a thick paper sketchbook. I'm sure it showcases your artworks beautifully. I'll keep that one, thank you!
Doesn’t your sketchbook become too thick after a while?
@@maryaltabev5275 I think it's a matter of opinion. I "Scrap book" my sketches to one big, bind sketchbook where I also make notes, and use those photo corners for finished pieces I save there, but if you take a look at the "notebook community" ppl have some real thick books there for their journals and such. So, I'd say what's too thick is solely a matter of opinion.😁
This is so clever! I work small, with a paper substrate, so this will be really useful for me.
@@maryaltabev5275 No more than mixed media done in a sketchbook. Also the paper doesn't get all wrinkly and wavy from the wetness of the supplies you use to create the piece. It's a suggestion, not a must-do.
Respectfully... I am happy that you found a method that works for you and allows you to comfortably maintain a workflow that keeps you focused on your creative journey. This method however would discourage me from sketching, drawing, or painting daily. I am just wired differently. The fewer the steps involved the more likely I am to remain productive. Thank you for posting. It was nice visiting a view that is so very different from my own\.
Thank you for your comment! I think what really matters is to know what works for you and why. I'm not anti sketchbooks by any means - I wish they worked better for me, they're beautiful objects. Whatever you choose, it should allow you to draw more, not prevent you from drawing.
Same here. I travelled the inverse path: started with spare sheets of paper, until I noticed a sketchbook allows quick comparison from past drawings, I cannot hide the "bad" pages, and encourages me to draw daily as I have an objective: finishing the sketchbook (among others, like improving my values, knowing the best method for head drawing, etc...)
Finally! Thank you so much. For years I have been trying to find others who don't like sketch books. But it's always "sketchbooks are vita"l,
"you will love sketchbooks after."...
However, despite loving creative hobbies, I've spent my whole life in scientific academia. So because of how you organise, in science based research, along with ADHD and OCD, I have many issues with traditional sketchbooks.
I either lose them, forget them, fill them with scraps of paper, find big empty books intimidating or if I make mistakes I want to rip pages out.
Your idea is so simple and practical, whilst also allowing a more academic organisational system.
I've searched for this idea so many times, but thought I must be crazy, as I never found another person who had the same thoughts as me....thank you!
Thank you, I'm glad it resonates and also just as happy as you are not to be alone in this 😂
I love the look and feel of a bound sketchbook, but it's just not good for organisation. I hope it helps you to draw more!
I feel SO similarly!! I get very mentally bogged down very easily, and while I love writing everything down I just can't be dealing with so many things in a space for creativity. Did scientific academia do this to me? Who knows. Glad to hear from a kindred spirit.
I am the same, ADHD with OCD tendencies. I can't stick to a journal/sketchbook set up as it is too restrictive to me. I changed to refillable loose leaf setups instead and it's so much better now
I've even bought lots of smaller sketchbooks which I never seem to bring with me because they're still too big for my purse and too heavy. And, I start using it and forget where it is and start a new one. Very annoying.
All of this! Starting one, then project interruptions, life interruptions!
My sketchbook is a small loose leaf binder. That way I can mix and match paper.
Same.
that's a wonderful idea
I tried loose leaf three-ring binder format for a while, but I found it is VERY susceptible to DAMAGE. The pages slide against each other and smudge the drawings and the pages can move around enough that the corners just got mangled.
@@allanfink6138perhaps a 6 ring binder would be better
Even after decades I find sketchbooks cumbersome for small incidental sketching. I started just folding a few sheets of paper in half and putting them in my purse! Whatever leads to drawing more, that is the perfect thing.
I think there is a difference btw being a "sketchbook artist" a person looking to make finished works in a sketchbook and artists who use sketchbooks. I have several completed books and several of different sizes in use. And i enjoy and use them all for different reasons. I appreciate the optionality, the variety, each has a different mood, but also common themes thread throughout. My sketchbooks are a place for discovery for me and v affordable. They don't take much thought or prep. And so make doing art more accessible to me as a hobby artist with a lot of other thibgd going on in life❤
Thank you for your comment, this distinction makes a lot of sense.
One hesitation I had years ago before the internet was drawing in a sketchbook successfully, then closing the book and putting it on a shelf forever where no one would EVER see it. But since scanners and digital cameras have been invented, you can take an image of the artwork and put it up on the internet and the whole world can find it. So that kind of made me rethink the purpose of sketchbooks.
Sketchbooks make me feel that everything I do has to be perfect. Something to do with its being a bound volume. This isn't helped by all the artists on RUclips who flip through their "sketchbooks" filled with page after page of finished works of art. Loose paper feels like less pressure and less like I'm wrecking something.
Very true. Sketchbooks become a kind of fetish, a finished product in their own right. Which is fine for some artists, but it is not always the purpose of sketchbooks.
It's so funny you say that, I feel the exact opposite, that pictures are for the wall, so my sketchbook is very scrappy, covered in shopping lists and lists of ingredients. The big game changer for me was buying art portfolios in A3, A4 and A5, the sort that hold up to 200 pictures in 100 sleeves. I forced myself to empty my old sketch pads (not sketchbooks, half the time the paper was falling out anyway) and now I'm not constantly losing the good stuff. The best stuff always gets framed on the wall, the main reason I started painting was to decorate my house!
You are doing what I have been doing for well over a year. It is a great way to bring several sheets of the papers I normally use. I normally bring watercolor paper; hot press and cold press, 40#, white, in A-5 and A-6 sizes. Once a page is completed I have ample storage space in the folder. You have made a pretty good decision on how to selectively carry what you plan to use.
Thank you for your comment! It makes a lot of sense for plein air painting especially, as these could have value to be sold. If you're using watercolour, do you do anything to prevent your paper from buckling?
Julie Miette - When I go to the field with this set up I normally use a mechanical pencil. Occasionally, I will use a fountain pen or sharp pointed marker with waterproof ink. When doing en plein air watercolors I will go with a sketchbook or a block of watercolor paper, 140# hot or cold press.
I’ve been using a portfolio like this since I was about 12- every art teacher told me off - but it makes so much sense!! Took away so much stress and anxiety (which I’ve just learnt this way of creating my sketchbook is sign of autism!? 😅) I just like things to function. Perfectly too!!
I’m 34 now and been trying to force myself into real sketchbooks!! But you’ve really reaffirmed my original opinion!! Just what I needed I hear today.
The folder of paper. You can get ones similar- purpose made- with clip attached - clipboard folder.
I own many sketchbooks and watercolor journals, in a variety of sizes and different kinds of paper. Like you, I would sometimes lament the lack of freedom that can come from being confined to one sketchbook. For example, if I travel somewhere, I’d want to know I could draw or paint and I’d like the possibility of just taking one book but with more than one kind of paper. One way I’ve solved this is by using a “sketchbook” made in the Netherlands. The package includes 200 sheets, grouped by sets of 50, and they are further grouped into sets of paper in accordion style, but with micro perforations so that you can separate each sheet. Instead of being bound together, you get two thick, tough pieces of chipboard with two notches each per board in the middle, and a thick, giant rubber band. While drawing or painting, you use the chipboard for support. When you are done sketching, you simply put the paper back between the two pieces of chipboard, and bind everything together with the rubber band. This is how it comes to you from the company. But, who is to say that you can’t add in sheets, cut to size, of your favorite watercolor paper, too? Or sanded pastel paper? Or a different kind of paper entirely? It is such a simple idea, but it works. Even better: bring a few clips. Another way is to get a nurse’s clipboard. Some of those are foldable so that you not only have a rigid support, but you could fold the bottom into a triangle that will form a make shift easel. As time goes by, and artists brainstorm more, I’m sure that even more solutions will be presented. Thanks for the video and for sharing how you do it! Btw, was that John Muir Law’s book on Nature Journaling that I saw?? I love his books.
I think your organisation is actually quite good ! Especially when you like using different medium and train on specific things.
I personally use sketchbooks more like a diary where I can doodle freely and put ideas quickly on paper.
I dealt with similar issues regarding the constraints of a sketchbook early on in my art journey until I realized the true difference between a sketchbook and a portfolio. Similar to the difference between a thumbnail sketch and a finished piece, my sketchbooks are primarily used for experimenting with line work, new compositions, basic practice or even quickly getting an idea onto paper for later when I can invest the time to make a completed piece from that idea/composition. I think what might work better for you in many ways is a type of sketchbook Koh-i-noor makes where you can actually remove the paper and then reinsert it later when you are done. Its spiral bound but the holes in the paper is slotted so then can be removed and returned easily. They also make these types of sketchbooks in multiple formats regarding paper type like mixed media and watercolor so there is no rule stating paper from other books can't go into one main book since the paper is removable and reinsertable from all the sketchbooks in their line of products. They really aren't bad quality wise either
I have never seen this one by Koh-i-noor but I discovered this system thanks to other comments, I think it's great, I just got myself a puncher secondhand to give it a try!
Great comment, @JustMe88419 Thanks.
I do similar with a disc bound book
@@Julie.Miette thank you for helping me get out of this mindset and affirming my stance on sketchbooks! I find hard-bound books to be difficult to control as well, causing me to streak my pencil across the paper as it lifts 😅
I like this Koh-i-noor suggestion the previous commenter mentioned and might switch over, however I have a different suggestion to make for what you are currently doing.
I have something called a "Padfolio" which is a 8.5 × 11" Refillable Legal Pad that you can use as an out-and-about folder, with a pocket for your loose papers and a section for completed works. It gives you that smooth hard surface to sketch on and it's super light. It also has an elastic band that wraps around it to keep it closed like a sketchbook so you don't need to use a clip! I like that they come in different designs too instead of having to D.I.Y. your own folder! :)
I don't like spiral bound sketchbooks, I like hard bound sketchbooks. They have their own issues but we like what brings us the most comfort. Notably I agree with all the issues that lead you to create a new path. I feel your pain.
Such a vital part of and what has driven my work since a teen in the late 70's. For watercolors, print studies, garden design, mostly sculpture and pottery, I have volumes. I cannot recall ever hearing someone talk on the subject. Thanks so very much for the depth and insight into something so personal for the artist, yes please continue.
I really like your DIY folding board with envelope system, I wanna try making something like it.
I fell out of love with sketchbooks a few years ago for basically every reason you stated. They're just too heavy and restrictive to be of any use for working on projects. Sketchbooks are basically blank notebooks. Notebooks can make a lot of sense for writers I think, but us visual artists have different needs. The inability to use a lightbox is a big one for me too.
Today I use a clipboard, one of those slimmer types where the clip doesn't stick way out. I clip slightly heavier weight copy paper to it, as well as some sheets of cardstock, and then I use a 2-pocket folder to put pages into as I finish them. Most of my drawing with this system is just sketching out ideas with mechanical pencils and fountain pens, so the copy paper is sufficient most of the time. Then I'll work on finished pieces at home on good paper or digitally. I like how flexbile and light these materials are.
Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of using sketchbooks. It is always helpful for creative people to consider the “why” and “why not”!
I couldn't agree more!
I have both a sketchbook and a folder full of loose papers 😊 I guess its finding what works for you!
💯
I like sketchbooks and my favorite result was one I started in the autumn of 2023 and I sketched plein air at the river(s) until it was filled in during the autumn of 2024. There are no masterpieces in it but I enjoy outdoor painting and filling in a themed sketchbook is rewarding.
I like a theme to each one.
Mainly, I watercolor so I have to have a paper that takes a lot of water.
I do have some completed sketchbooks of pencil and doodling with ink.
Merci beaucoup pour vous beau videos. J’adore vous et votre travail. (Beginner in French.)
Merci beaucoup !
Je pense que l'idée d'un thème fonctionne bien pour ceux qui arrivent à remplir leurs carnets. Ça fait de beaux journaux à garder et feuilleter... Pour moi, je me lasse d'un thème assez rapidement, et je me sens contrainte, mais je suis envieuse de ceux qui arrivent à donner un thème à leurs carnets de croquis et les terminer.
I like the Grumbacher brand paper pads with “In & Out” pages. They come in different sizes from small to large, and in watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media papers. You can take a page out, work on it then put it back in the binding.
I had never heard of this brand but a few comments recommended a similar system, it's very clever, I just got myself a secondhand puncher to give it a try! Thank you 😊
This is cool. I keep folded paper in my pocket, unfold to draw on hard surface... I like the fold marks on my final drawing
Another option is maintaining a dossier folder (especially if you are working with watercolors, lightboxing, some types of multimedia, collaging, etc.). Then after you are happy with the works that you have produced in the dossier, then transferring your work from the folder to a binder or your own bound book.
Dear Julie, thank you very much for your comments and your story about the use of sketchbooks, your own use of them and the wonderful alternative you have found for yourself.
I have tried many times to work continuously with sketchbooks. It's similar to diaries. I understand the purpose and benefits, but I usually only manage to fill the first few pages and then it stops. So over time I have collected many sketchbooks that I have started but never ended. Since I started sketching, painting and drawing again on all kinds of materials, pieces of paper, printing paper, scraps of paper, cardboard, napkins, I feel better and get a lot more done. Like you, I keep the results in folders, sometimes organized thematically, sometimes chronologically. I enjoy it more that way. Thank you for sharing your experiences!
I love sketchbooks with special themes or material, cause it s all kind if sorted and so satisfying to look through. I handeld the "different-paper-issue" with binding my own book...
Julie this is brilliant. My goal this year is to become comfortable with my sketchbook. I’m going to try this out to see if it’s a fit for me. Thank you
Just found you! I'm 64 years old, mostly self taught, and live in a very rural area. My travel and rough sketch book is a three ring binder and copy paper. A pencil bag holds mechanical pencils and kneaded eraser. When I'm pressed for space, 2-3 sheets of copy paper get cut into about 6 pieces and stashed in my wallet for doodles. Back in the early 80's I came across a Beinfeng sketch book that had lines on the bound side of the page and plain surface on the outside of the paper. That is my go-to print out for travel, inspired characters, or painting roughs. No need to get fancy until I'm where I use the good paper. Or Gimp (Gimp is comparable to Photoshop, but it's free). It took a while to teach myself to paint on Gimp, but it's really fun when I'm out of paper or just want to explore color changes without wasting precious resources. Sometimes being 300 miles from a real art store sucks.
Wonderful! This is exactly what I was transitioning to with papers and portability, and with the added beauty of different papers to accommodate the media I wished to use! So happy that I'm not the only person dissatisfied with the limitations of sketchbooks! Such an insightful video for others and I'm now a new subscriber. Look forward to much more wisdom! 🤗💛
Thank you and welcome! It seems that many of us are dissatisfied with traditional sketchbooks, I'm glad it resonated with you!
This is a cool idea! The idea of a Folio as your sketchbook pages is smart!
You would also be able to rearrange any page if you want to group things by topics, colors, formats, etc.
genius. I love your organizing ideas and will implement them asap. I can very much relate to the reasons why not using a sketch book for the very same reasons you explained in this video. Thank you so much!
I love your solutions to the sketchbook problem! The thematic portfolio idea really speaks to me. And then the cardboard + couple of sheets trick is simple, but elegant 👌🏻
I'm in love with sketchbooks. It has taken the stress out of creating and showed me joy in creating. of course, I'm just a novice.
Nothing wrong with being a novice, it's great that you found a passion!
I agree with you.
Brilliant!! My bag will be SO MUCH lighter. I love this. Thank you for sharing!❣️
Thank you. I’ve felt this for 30 years!
it gives a sense of starting new and gives confidence in what you will want to create
What a lovely idea. Just before new year I removed all the unused paper from my old sketchbooks, but I wasn’t sure how to use them out and about. Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you for your comment, I'm glad it can help you to use this paper!
Beautiful artwork and very interesting video! This is something I've never thought about, because I love little bound books. I also tend to just use pencil and ink on the go, so I don't really need a variety of paper. Your solution at the end was really nice and kind of reminded me of something from and earlier time period. The paper file drawer was very impressive as well.
I agree with you about sketchbooks. Being left handed, anything with a spiral binding is impossible to use unless I turn it upside down. I have many unfinished sketchbooks with different types of paper that only contain a few drawings or paintings. All these unfinished sketchbooks take up space on my bookshelves and I rarely look at them.
Lately, I've been working on loose sheets of paper, then mounting the finished works in a photo album using adhesive photo corners. This allows me to look directly at the work and also allows me to remove the work and return it if I want to scan, or place the work in a frame. I also work frequently on 5"x7" papers I then store those finished works in a box designed to store 5"x7" photos. I really enjoy leafing through both the album and the box. Both the album and the box are in my living room and make interesting conversation pieces when I have guests.
I love this idea, I think it has the convenience of the portfolio with a lot more elegance!
Have you tried disk bound notebooks? You can customize everything with those disks, the cinch disk punch looks like a nice puncher to customize the cover, paper, make it left handed, etc. It’s nice since you can remove the pages and put them back or move them to a different notebook.
I do like your photo album/box system. It’s nice since you are using standard sizes which it makes it easier/cheaper to frame them. You could also do a DIY watercolor paper block with those sizes to make it easier for plein-air painting sessions… this is making think about possibilities 😅
I have a ton of sketchbooks, and when looking through them I see that I mostly use them for practice and classes. Finished pieces are on loose paper. I like your portfolio idea to keep your finished artwork. I have a ton of page protectors I can use to store mine in. I also like your travel loose papers.
For this new year, my resolution is to be more organized in my life. After watching your approach on ditching the sketchbooks, I' decided to experiment with it after cutting down 14 by 17 inch Bristol paper to 11 by 17 inch.
Happy New Year 🥂
I hope this solution works as well for you as it does for me! What are your struggles with organisation that are art related?
This is so clever i like how it looks in a binder. it shows how much freedom and control you have with where to place your art, and the plastic covers makes it look more important and organized than if it was just in a binded sketchbook :)
I just want somewhere to buy something like the sketchbook envelope cardboard thing you made because if i tried to make it, it would be awful but I LOVE it! I bet a lot artists would buy it. I've been struggling with the sketchbook situation and was trying to figure out how to do exactly what you did. Never seen your channel before, the algorithm gods must have decided to treat me this morning. Thanks for this. ☺️
Subscribed.
Have you considered getting a manilla envelope and a clipboard? I know it wouldn't look as cute but it could be a good starting point, and you could attach the clipboard to the envelope if you want. You could decorate it too, plus you could get the materials for under $5!
They have cases with a clip attached to them in office supply stores. You will see people taking surveys or going door to door with their paperwork for things like sales who use them. Very useful stuff. I have a small version where I use printer paper with and slip my pencil and eraser into
You can find some but in plastic, look for an A5 folder. A manilla envelope or clipboard case are also excellent ideas! Thank you for your comment and welcome here 😊
@@Julie.Miette & @gaerekxenos . . 💓 Ooooo 💓yesyesyes . . . envelopes ✉ and maybe velum 🪟 windows! You see, I avoid plastics ☁😶🌫🏭😶🌫☁
So ingenious to put them in a binder after working on the loose paper. The envelope was also clever. Thank you for this video ❤
I've been loose leaf for a few years and it's so liberating! I keep my journal the same way, too. I just date each sheet and save them under the date in a windows folder -- immediate chronological view. Then I add a few keywords and the whole thing is immediately sortable by subject, by medium, etc.
You mean just a digital folder on your computer? That's smart, simple, you make me want to do something like this. I use an app called Day One to have this chronological view and add notes and tags, but maybe basic folders would be better 🤔
@@Julie.Miette Yeah, just a basic computer folder with the files named by their date ID! So if I had a sheet with drawings on both sides done just now I would name it 2025-01-17-1940-Fr_r.jpg (for the 'recto' front side) and 2025-01-17-1940-Fr_v.jpg (for the 'verso' back side) and write 2025-01-17-1940-Fr on the paper itself somewhere. If I was working off of a phone alone it would be a little more finnicky (there's an app called "view exif" that together with the 'files' app on iphone would handle it), but it works spectacularly for me on a laptop -- like, no second guessing anything! And then just hashtag the living daylights out of it #charcoal #8vo_sheet #street_scene #sur_le_vif, etc.
That's brilliant, thank you for sharing!
I keep about 3 regular folders (the kind one used in grade school holds 8.5 x 11 paper) and they are all labeled with a tab I made that sticks off the back of them saying “WIPS” - these are full of loose leaf sketches, art, ink drawings, gouache paintings that are Works In Progress. I also keep a myriad of sketchbook types, they’ve helped me learn what kind of papers I like for different things, but yes, I do find myself cutting finished art out of them to gift or frame. And I have left a sketchbook in a friend’s car and there is one painting in it I am so fond of that I wish I had back! Also so many times I have ruined art I had loved in sketchbooks either just from the damages of carrying around in my bag, or colors bleeding through from another page ;_; , all in all, I love your little sketch folder idea Julie! I will try
Thank you! I hope you get this sketchbook back soon!
I used to have a clip board during college days, it work fantastic, clip boards you should be able to find it for half letter (8.5x5.5") format also convenient for to carry in smaller bags.
Very informative and useful video! I keep a hardcover A5 sketchbook that has slightly cream coloured paper in them (white paper in the sunlight is a strain) and a B4 pencil attached by a band that keeps the book closed. But I must admit I am very inspired by your latest method! That's an excellent way and I full intend to copy this, only in A5 size, making it super easy to carry around (I take a quick photo of the scene/subject for general colour/theme reference). Different textured/coloured sheets hand cut into a folder. Perfect!
Using soft cover plastic portfolio's are good. I do the same - they are totally cheap, and I personally don't care what others may think about their look. 🙃
Am looking forward to your next video - and your newsletter was nice to read, the downloadable PDF file VERY aesthetically presented and informative. Enjoyed it much and love the subtle humour in the chapter titles! Well done!
Thank you for your comment! Mine is A5 too, it's also the easiest format to carry for me. I'm glad you enjoyed the newsletter end guide 😊
This is exactly what I have been using for about 5 years now. Itoya has an excellent “art portfolio” that is reasonably priced and comes in a range of sizes.
I also use a clipboard as a drawing surface. I use a Japanese “pencil board” under the paper that comes in various types of hardness and thickness (softer for ballpoint, harder for pencil, etc.
Thank you for some really nice ideas on an alternative to sketchbooks. It's a nice way to have a selection of paper types on hand and to consolidate one's work in a variety of media. I bought a spiral binding machine a few years ago, so I might consider organizing and binding past pages into sketchbook archives.
That's a great idea! I'll consider it too, as these don't take a lot of paper on the margin 👍🏻
here's what i do differently to you, perhaps will give you a different perspective:
1. i take notes and save ideas on my sketchbook. a lot of times these things will increase with time, so having a sketchbook that can be added when any idea strikes, and have it added to a list where it belongs is very important to me as a creative.
2. i re-use a lot of my pages so that i don't feel that i've wasted some pages. i use all sorts of media to cover up those pages that i think can be re-used, most of the time i use grey colored acrylic to cover my previous pencil lines more effectively. so i end up with quite some grey pages, that i can play with some tonals.
3. use sketchbook as an interaction tool. while leading a person who's interested to your work to your iG or gallery is fine, letting them flip through my messy sketchbook to see their reaction is also fun.
4. having a messy sketchbook also helps me as a teacher. that i show my students a wide range of finished, unfinished, failed artworks. and let them know the importance of practice, and moving forward.
as you might guess from the above, i carry a thick, but cheap sketchbook. if it can hold a couple layers of watercolor, it's good enough for me. but most of the time, i also carry a better quality one at hand, so that i don't do any of the above on my higher quality, more expensive sketchbook. that one i make sure i do the best quality i can. but still, i still hold on the idea that a sketchbook is not always meant for finished artworks.
scrolling through the comments, i see that a lot of people are very afraid to show people their sketchbooks. being a teacher, i always encourage my students to not be so. they HAVE to show their works to me anyways, and if they dare to show their sketches/drawings with the mates, it's even better that they critique each others' work sincerely and grow together.
I, too, left behind my bound sketchbooks a few years back. I make unbound concertina sketchbooks from rolls of paper. I use the concertinas for working out some ideas - particularly for exploding the picture plane and carrying a line across so many leaves. I also use them for mixing colors using a limited palette. I am delighted with your content and just subscribed. thank you 💙💚💙
Thank you and welcome here! 🙇🏻♀️ Accordion sketchbooks look great, that's a more unusual option for me, but a great way to use paper rolls!
I found a sketchbook product that allows you to REMOVE the individual pages to work on the drawings, and then put them BACK into the book. It is sort of an open spiral binding. I found I can get a few sketchbooks, and title them by theme, and have one I named "Rough Work", that I carry with me always. Then I can draw into the Rough Work book in ANY medium, then when I get back to my studio, I can sort the resulting drawings into the other themed sketchbooks in any order I want them in. I am finding this to be a wonderful way to work. Also, I can keep some sketchbook pages in my chair by the fireplace, another few next to my bed, another few in the car, another few in my briefcase, etc. Then "file them" when I choose to sort them all out. I also divided the Rough Work book into sections, including a reference section for prompt lists, an envelope for rulers and templates, etc., and have sections for themes or mediums.
I do like your solution very much and may find a way to do something similar.
13:14 Museums often offer foldable stools. I do this all the time and it makes the sketching experience much better. At my local Natural History museum they even have drawing boards that you can borrow. Check out what's available in your city. Thanks for this. I am all oooking for a way to avoid carrying heavy sketchbooks around. It was useful to see what works for you.
You're right, mine has stools too and I should ask for them. I never heard about drawing boards you can borrow, that's nice!
I give credit to my sketching teacher, who took me to the museum, to alert me about the drawing board. As for the stools, I always thought it was something for people with mobility issues...and never for sketching. Just a small perspective change made all the difference. @Julie.Miette
Great idea. I have started storing my sketches in folders with plastic sleeves. I have just bought some multimedia paper ( A3 size )and may cut some sheets down to A5 to take out with me sketching. Thank you for the inspiration
Good video. I feel that any single approach has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Yes indeed! My authentic self feels confined to any bound, blank pages book! I'm also tired of so much paper in rectangular shapes. Ugh! 🥴
I travel with a sketchbook and loose papers. Sometimes I place my loose drawings in my sketchbook. I like mixed media sketchbooks for travel. What I do is make my own sketchbooks now. I put great quality watercolor paper in one and mixed media in another. I can customize sizes and types of paper. I also place my smaller loose pages of art in a 3-ring binder with sheet protectors at home. I travel but have created adaptable art kits that are portable. Great to see that all artists adapt to their own needs.
I have sketchbooks but like you I have found it better to have different papers with me. I have two loose leaf organiser files with a variety of papers cut to size in them. I also bought a second hand stamp album that has screw pegs for mounting the pages, This is the height of A4 paper but wider so the fastening holes are to the left, away from the drawing. This way i have a complete A4 or slightly larger sheet to draw on or I can put smaller papers in it.
Like you I have many sketch, drawing, watercolor books; and a separate folder just for color swatches. I do a similar thing but I use a clip board. Love the protector page idea for completed/semi-completed work! BTW you are delightful to listen to.
I've been using an Itoya Profolio (looks a lot like your portfolio) to keep my favorite sketches and drawings for decades - I thought I was the only one! I've seen many sketchbook tours on RUclips that are filled with gorgeous finished pictures and it can be a bit discouraging. I guess it's mostly because I have a different purpose - I use them to work through drawings & illustrations and end up with a lot of not-so-great sketches. I tear out the good ones and put them in the portfolio. ☺
I have several different sketchbooks, each serving another purpose. So you definitely have a point with just using paper. But what I don't want to miss, is my sketchbook diary. Or my vacation diaries.
I just started a new alternative sketchbook as well. My main frustration was paper types restricting what I used or feeling like a waste and not being able to transfer notes to a new sketchbook.
I have decided to go the route of hole punching into a a5 planner binder. The pages are easily moveable so I can add in a marker, pencil or watercolor paper depending on what is needed. I did also hole punch a 1.5mm thick mdf board to make it more sturdy in case I don't have a desk or table. Might be helpful to toss in your setup as well.
I signed up for the newsletter, looking forward to seeing more content from you
Thank you and welcome! After reading all the suggestions in the comments I got myself a puncher and discs to give this a try, that's such a clever system!
I like how realistic you are talking about the materials and the use of them. Great video it gave me a lot to think about the things I really need with me x whatever I carry with me all day
Thank you, I'm glad it resonated with you!
You can take a stack of loose drawings, on different paper, even different size pages, to a print shop to be bound. It makes a creative looking book without all that plastic.❤️
I have various sizes at home but rarely bring more than a 4"x5" moleskin when out because of weight and convenience. I always tell myself a photo I take will be sketched at a later date into one of the "home" sketchbooks (which rarely happens). I like the idea of different paper in a folder. Can't wait to try it. Thanks for this video. Also I have the same little lamp as you 🙂
Very interesting method of sketching on the go. i have been a hobbyist artist for almost 8 years and sketchbooks where something invested in 4 years ago, i collected maybe over 30 sketchbooks that ieither bought on impulse or on sale or been gifted to, and i only managed to finish 5 of them.
I also have small hands and i cant carry an A4 sketchbook while standing and trying to sketch something for longer time. i think i may find a hybrid method of doing a lighter sketchbook of sort and that serves my purpose. i also don't have an art desk nor a studio at home so i store my sketchbooks in my shelves and take them out whenever i go.
Thank you again and i hope you have an artistic day
I am nowhere near your level as an artist, but I do draw, and for me, varying the types of paper I use always appealed to me. I have always kept multiple sketchbooks because they each have a different quality of paper. Eventually, I started to seek out drawing paper in sheets, not books, with different weights and finishes, and just select a paper each time I draw. I keep them in a folder which stays more-or-less chronological.
This also gives me the benefit that single sheets are easy to scan and digitize, because there's no binding.
I love your method here, I also use binders and plastic sheet protectors for my favorite pieces, but to implement them as sketchbook/time capsules is quite brilliant.
Thanks!
I think trying and playing around with supplies until we find something that works for us is the best way to go! I use half bound sketchbook, half loose sheets. I like the bound option when i travel but prefer loose sheets when i'm at home ^^
And i really admire your accent ^^ as a fellow French person, i struggle so much with that 😂
Thank you! It's tough from French, I struggle too 😂
I agree so much,that's my biggest problem with sketchbooks...I've seen other's which always seem amazing...while mine are so full of disasters...it's more pressure to me than just separate sheets of paperi love your ideas and want to try them out!
I will start doing that from now on. I tend to arrange my drawings now by date but my how much i like them. So when i finish a sketchbook i rearrange them now i can do that more easily with a clear book thank you ❤
Thank you, I'm glad it's useful!
These are excellent ideas! I think I will try them, because I don't like to carry a lot of stuff I don't need either. Your portfolios look wonderful! BTW, I lived in France between the ages of 7 and 11 growing up. My father was in the U.S. Army working for the American Battle Monuments Commission, and we met and befriended artists, visited the Louvre and other art galleries and museums regularly. I thank those years in France for the inspiration to become an artist. Thank you, Julie, for these insights and great ideas.
Thank you! Being part of a global community has made me gain a lot of appreciation for the museums and artworks I'm surrounded with, and although I don't have anything to do with this heritage I'm happy that it's appreciated 😊
Julie, ton contenu est toujours très intéressant et bien présenté. Bravo pour ton excellent travail! - Je suis une grand-maman de 63 ans qui peint des portraits à l’huile depuis 50 ans et je dois te dire que je te trouves tellement jolie! Ton visage est digne d’une peinture de Bouguereau! Si un jour tu décides de faire du portrait tu devrais considérer des auto-portraits. Je te verrais facilement dans une peinture de Scott Waddell. En attendant ce jour je continues de t’écouter en me disant que j’aimerais tellement que tu sois modèle pour mes peintures!
Merci pour le compliment ! J'ai déjà fait deux autoportraits pour des cours, un à l'aquarelle et un deuxième à l'encre, ils sont tous les deux sur mon site (dans "œuvres" pour l'aquarelle et "formation artistique" pour l'encre) 😊
Brava! Your idea makes a lot of sense to me. I love the idea of a sketchbook, but it can be intimidating, especially doing that first drawing. I prefer single sheets that can go in a portfolio as you did. That way, I feel freer to do what I want and not worry how it might turn out.
For my urban sketching (generally watercolor), sketchbook. At home, I'll use a regular sketchbook for doodling or loose sheets. Something to recreate, I'll use a block. Your system for loose sheets is excellent ...mine are all over the place.😊
Thanks!
When you’re drawing out in the field, what surface do you lay your paper down upon to support it while you work? A café table? The cardboard backing you use to protect your paper?
I find that I often tear a page at a time out of my spiral bound sketch pads, so that I can tape by each one to my drawing board and work out various designs using drafting tools.
I use my cardboard backing, even if I'm at a café I would use my backing for protection against the table and because it is a nicer surface to draw on 🙂
You are very right, I have the same problems with my sketchbooks. The problem is I hate plastic. The plastic pockets are kind of ”eating” the art and plastic is ugly. I will maybe cut and glue the art papers somehow I have made. I will also make some small stickers of my art that I can add to my calendar.
I feel you, I hate plastic too, I'm looking for a better long term alternative. Without plastic, you could use binders (but pages would rub against one another, more than in a sketchbook, if you're not using plastic sleeves), a thesis binder like I show in the video, or get your drawings bound together after the fact by a professional. A few people also mentioned in the comments using a thick album and photo corners, this can be a good option.
I found this very interesting, and am so impressed by your effort to hunt down the perfect option! Thanks for sharing :) what I find interesting is how when I fell down this similar rabbit hole, I felt so overwhelmed that instead of letting my high standards win (this would mean ultimately too much attachment to supplies leading to creative block), instead I turned the spotlight inward and made myself the flexible option. Now I just make art on anything with anything, take a picture of it and then let it disappear into the void or give it away to strangers. The less I care, the more I create, and that works so well for me. But my art focus is more on the process and less on the outcome, I study art therapy and it seems like you study something more outcome focused. Which I totally respect :). I just wanted to share the observation. Goes to show the sheer variety of minds in this world!
Thank you for your comment, I'm so glad it was useful! I have been thinking about sketchbooks and organisation way too often as well, and I relate to the high standards leading to creative block. Yet, I think high standards are a good thing and not something to fight off... We just need a place to practice without pressure, and another one to give our best effort. For me, loose sheets are better for both of those options.
I love the idea of letting art go (however, I prefer to scan it first for HD records)!
An interesting & liberating perspective! Thanks for sharing. I think your approach might be helpful for me at some times and in some ways, while I would also (probably mostly? I’ll find out!) continue prioritizing storing/preserving my work & growth in some kind of chronological, readily available order. Thanks for adding variety to my outlook!🌹
Heavy duty card stock is a great option for ink, gouache, acrylic.
AGREED! Personally, I don’t do projects, per se. I just pencil sketch for the enjoyment of it. My system is copier paper clipped to a piece of foamcore. This is especially handy for scanning my work quickly. I can do a whole pile at the same time.
I’m so very glad I came upon your channel, I watched a few videos already and I’m very hooked. Can you please tell me, and put a link, to the black bag you put your stuff in and closed in your video. I didn’t see that in any of the Amazon links. Looking forward to seeing so much more.!
I'm really happy you enjoy my videos so much! This is a handbag by Hexagona, I can't find it anymore on their website so I suspect it's an old collection, but here's the link to Amazon France: amzn.to/3Wh86ao
@ that was very sweet of you! Really love your videos!
I love your idea, too. I want to do my own sketchbook with my favorite papers. I have my own idea to built my sketchbook with lightweight materials. And you are right, the sketchbook sometimes could be very heavy for the hands. I like to use certains sketchbook like mix media for working at home.❤
I just stumbled upon your video and I'm so glad I was brought here coz' I have the same problem. Thanks for sharing the different alternatives to this dilemma
Thank you! I hope you can find what works for you 😊
I dont do much traditional drawing anymore nowadays, but in the past i bring papers in a folder instead of a sketchbook, not bcs i have a problem with a sketchbook (i still use them, but for notes taking), but i just end up just bring papers in a folder for my drawing need. I do understand that sketchbook is somewhat limiting, maybe thats why i do that in the past.
Hi Julie--your work is masterful and you're the one who motivated me to go back to NMA! Please, I love the botanical plates and decorative patterns you've been working on--my favorite art is rococo decoration with acanthus and cupids, mouldings and scrolls. I was wondering if there is a class that covers how to design these decorative elements?...I looked through the course catalog but I couldn't find anything about drawing classical ornaments.
Hi Daniel, thank you and I'm so happy for you that you decided to go back to NMA!
There is no class that I'm aware of (at NMA or elsewhere) covering ornamentation design. This trimester, the 2 year program will have an Exploration of Ornamentation lecture with Joshua Jacobo. This is only available for the cohort, but that's content he is likely developing to offer to all students later 🙂
Until then, you can learn a lot with master studies, like I have been doing with my botanical plates. The book I use is called Nature Drawing and Design and it is available to download for free on Internet Archive. If you help about how to approach this, I recorded the full process of copying two plates for the NMA Discord, you can find the link of the videos in my sketchbook on the Discord - and I'm also recording more at the moment for a project I have in 2025.
@@Julie.Miette Wow, thank you so much--that really helps! So I'm going to try alternating drawing ornaments from reference and then making them up from memory/imagination. I thought this topic was something Joshua would be into. Please, if you get the chance let him know the interest is there, like you said there's there's hardly any resources, he could have the first course on this lost art form! Thank you again, and keep up the beautiful work😊
You can always ask for a little stool from the museum or gallery :)
This is a great idea, I love my bound sketchbooks but you have to look for what works for you!
Thank you for your comment! And you're right, I should 😂
This has really struck a note with me- I’m one of those people who admires the classic sketchbook thing, and I’ve done this, with sketches crossing the centre join in the page, with little notes, coffee cups… you know the vibe 😂 But then I go for a few days with a creative block, and produce something half hearted. Yes, I learn from it, but I hate carrying those pieces around with me! I end up, even when I’m trying out techniques (as a watercolour learner) trying to make the page aesthetically pleasing, even though that’s not the point of the exercise. I even end up starting another sketchbook! Finding a way to create a mentally comfortable place (if that makes sense)for creativity is a lifelong struggle I think (I’m 65!) I’ve just ordered an A5 clipboard (so it’s easier to tote round) £12 from Amazon, with various pockets on one side for papers, as you’ve suggested. I could also keep photos or whatever is inspiring me there. I’ll work out storage later, possibly a portfolio, as you’ve done.
Thank you again, I wish you huge success on your art journey- I wish I had been as analytical about my creative needs as you are, when I was your age!
These clipboards with pockets are great!
Thank you, and all the best for your art journey too 😊
i completely agree! big bulky sketchbooks are inconvinient and a bit unnecessary imo, i also find it creates a lot of pressure to be *perfect* for sketchbook tours, especially for the last few pages 😅
i started using sewing machine to sew thin and light weight sketchbooks this year, and i find it to be so freeing. i'm also experimenting with a nurse's clipboard for bring loose pages of paper outside to sketch.
so glad i found your channel!
My last few pages are usually pretty bad, as I approach the end of the sketchbook I want to be done with it 😂
How do you use your sewing machine for that? That's a super interesting option, I'd love to know more if you can explain it or redirect me to a video. Maybe sewing A4 pages to create a mini A5 sketchbook inside a separate hard cover, and then unsewing the pages would be perfect for me!
Welcome here!
@@Julie.Miette
yes i showed how i made it in 01:32
ruclips.net/video/O472KrDSNxc/видео.htmlsi=5v_ZRqjHxepYMVum
i just used the basic straight stitch to sew together 7 or 8 pieces of A3 paper, to make a small A4 sketchbook, but A5 would also work :p it's very low effort and takes only a few minutes.
I'm also planning a trip to france this year, so if you have any gallery or art shops to recommend i would love to hear/see that! cheers! 😍
Oh that sounds great! Feel free to email or DM me on IG or Discord, I will probably have recommendations 😊
Artist, crafter and stationery nerd here, inherently bound books of any kind (sketchbook, notebook, journals etc.) give me anxiety, I ALWAYS gravitate towards binders and systems that allow the swap of individual sheets such as Filofax Notebook (my personal preferred choice due to it being lightweight too) and discbound.
Something as utterly simple as sheets with 2 holes and 2 O rings is perfect for me, and I know this since out of all sketchbooks I ever received and bought, one I received in my childhood that was exactly that description is what I finished!
If you still like a bit more structure than simply loose sheets, consider the traveler or midori style, that have a cover (usually leather or vinyl), with elastics for small notebooks with fewer sheets to go within. Traveler notebooks are esentially a compact "package" of bound notebooks (if you want to DIY, you can even skip binding said notebooks and opt for simply folding the paper and nesting them like book signatures under the elastic).
I also enjoy loose papers, if only there was a way to get a narrow wooden box with loose sheets inside that has a perfect top surface for drawing, that'd be the dream! People made DIY projects like this ( like HandiDesk), but they made them with carpentry tools which I have no access to.
I do not know why so many people get so hung up on sketchbooks alone when I spent a good while in my rabbit hole of alternatives and realize that is so easy to find the alternatives but not everyone talks about it. I guess people know only of the codex style of binding and assume that is the only option.
I have sketch books primarily for non watercolor media. Historically i started drawing on the edges of my school notes and cafe napkins and the back of envelopes. No one system covers my needs. However, the more "precious " the bound book the less I would use them. These days my watercolor experiments get 'filed' in folders by theme ( landscape, animals etc).
Your French accent is so gorgeous, SO gorgeous! Your voice carries it soo well. Anyway, I will now actually focus watching this. 👌
Thanks!
A great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Love this idea!
I write. I use a fountain pen, and a big part of writing for me is the sensory experience-when I type, I use a mechanical keyboard-and that requires a nice, textured paper. Right now I'm using cotton paper because I like the brand of the notebook, Tuk Tuk Press, and because I like the form factor and because cotton is the only type of paper I can be sure I like and I actually know what it's called so that I can search for it.
For me, having one particular type of notebook is the ticket.
Look into a coin-bound notebook. It is mostly considered for journalists, but if you get the custom hole punch you can do exactly what you wish, add a custom set of papers for each outing. The covers have a huge range of options, from very simple clear plastic to very fancy leather with pockets.
Store the results in archive boxes, so you can organize them any way you wish. I do this and put each image that I like into an acetate sheet. I think of it as card-sleeving my art.
Thank you for the suggestion! I can't find what you're talking about, googling "coin-bound notebook" gives me notebooks with bitcoin logos on the cover 😂
Does this have another name?
Thank you 😊
I love your system I will try it ❤ great video thanl you!
See to me when you go look back at coursework or something else, all the pages and notes around them or maybe the few unrelated Pages earlier can really shine a light on things that you may have forgotten. So you may not just get the information you wanted about your coursework but you may remember some other personal things you were going through at the time, or what have you
Yes that's a way to see it, and I like having an unfiltered chronological view of all my works. I prefer to do this in a journaling app (I use Day One for this now, and I add notes and tags, I have a video planned about it), and have the physical drawings organised by theme 😊
I've explored a lot of alternatives as well. I went through a period about a year ago where I used a small clipboard(roughly A5 size) and carried it in my vest pocket. I just always wear the vest and make it my uniform because the climate allows for it, so there is nothing to forget when I store art supplies there. However, the clipboard doesn't offer much protection for the paper so I would have smudged pencils after some time. And I was using large index cards as the standard paper stock which are not good drawing papers - they're made to be cheap and to be handled frequently but most supplies have an unflattering appearance on it.
I moved back over to ring sketchbooks, which I like because they lay flat, but over time I started questioning the additional weight, and also the page count: the commercial sketchbook makers tend to want it to feel like you're getting a lot of "book" for the money, which isn't actually good for portability.
Near the end of last year I started a few different things:
First, I started collecting printed illustration reference in prong portfolios. Since I'm mostly focused on characters and comics, the thing I use the most is thumbnail reference - character refs and cheat sheets and poses and moodboards with ideas to drop into a scene.
Having all the types of things I want to draw in book form is a great starting point to build off of, and from this starting point I made an "illustration binder" for the holidays - a ring binder that had some of the essential references, plus grid paper and some loose drawing sheets in pocket portfolios. I've just gotten started with it but it has a kind of self-contained lifecycle: I develop an idea on the grids first, transfer it to the loose paper if it's ready, and store things I want to keep in the plastic covers used for references. I think this will be the space I use for comics work - it's only limited by paper size(I use US letter paper) but I can target zine minicomics, which use letter size folded in half, and make final pages for those at 130% scale.
Second, I explored zinemaking, and this has some crossover with bookbinding since one of the most effective ways to manufacture a zine is to take loose sheets and staple or glue them down the middle. Staples don't preserve well, but the PVA glue used in glue sticks is actually pretty well regarded. A limitation of this approach is in not having a backing board unless you add one, which I might try.
A third thing I found is to get my sketchbooks from Daiso. Daiso is a Japanese dollar store chain that has expanded globally - what they have is representative of Japanese stationary, and good for the price, although it does not compare to the really nice drawing papers. Most importantly, they keep the page counts low, so it's very easy to just get a lot of those.
That's true, the binding and cover are probably more expensive to make than the paper content, so they need to put a lot of paper in there for it to make sense financially - and as a consumer, I do look at the price per page when buying a sketchbook.
I had never seen a prong portfolio, thank you for the discovery!
Having it all self contained is a great idea, I also find that having references ready makes it easier to draw often, which is the point of a sketchbook of any kind.
I had never heard of Daiso but I'll take a look, again thank you for the discovery!
Have you tried clipboard cases (idk what they are called)? The version which people doing surveys and operating door to door use to carry around their documents? They hold paper and small miscellaneous items in a thin case that flips open, and have a clip on the outside. Typically there will be an additional flat piece on the outside that can be flipped over the papers clipped on top of the board/case which is generally used to protect papers when you are signing documents so you only sign the top layer, but you can use that to protect your artwork while leaving it clipped outside as well. I don't think they have index card size for these though... =/ I could be wrong though since I do have a old one that works nicely with half-sheets of printer paper
I love sketchbooks because for me it's a place to play. However when I am planning or doing more intentional drawing I usually use a clipboard as well.😉