Choosing a Sketchbook

So you want to try to choose and fill up a sketchbook? Good for you! The guide below is based on my personal experiences when choosing a sketchbook. The first step is to decide what type of sketchbook you want!

Size

• They can come in small (approx. 3”x5”), medium (approx. 5”x8”), or large (approx. 9”x12” or larger). I would pick it up from your local art/craft store like Utrecht, Dick Blick, Michael’s, or Jo-Anns with a 40% or 50% coupon. 
• It’s probably best to stick to one sketchbook at a time but I tend to have two or three sketchbooks at a time. That’s because I have a large 9x12 one I carry in a backpack and smaller ones that I carry in a purse/bag or pocket for whenever I feel inspired.

Paper Weight

• You might want a heavier weight of paper that contains some cotton fibers if you have a heavy hand or use quick washes to prevent the paper from buckling or warping. Normally you’d want 75 gsm or higher depending how heavy of a hand you have or if you want to quick watercolor washes. 
• I find that 100 gsm seems to work for me since I usually use dry materials and handles light washes but does buckle the paper, but that doesn't bother me. If it bothers you, you'd might want to use 150 gsm or more.
• I like measuring by the “grammage (aka gsm) because it’s easier to tell if it’s thicker or not. You might also want to consider eco-friendly paper or paper made from sustainable sources.

Color Design

• I usually prefer either a solid color or one with a really neat design that appeals to me. Normally I default to the standard black color or company design. If you you feel adventurous you can choose whatever colors you want. 
• I like to put stickers and doodles on my covers to personalize my sketchbooks.
• The most important thing is that the sketchbook appeals, interests, and inspires you.

Soft/Hard Cover

• Next you’ll want to think about whether you’d like a soft cover or hard cover design. 
• I personally like hard covers because they get tossed around in my bag/backpack without a problem. Unfortunately, I found that out when I had softcover sketchbooks. After awhile the edges started curling and became dog-eared from the abuse. Furthermore, I accidentally spilled food and liquids on my soft cover sketchbooks and now they don’t look so pretty. 
• Take my advice and consider whether you’re klutzy enough like me to make my mistakes and choose your books accordingly. 
• Hard covers tend to be a little heavier than the soft covers but they make pretty sturdy backboards when drawing out in the field.

Binding

• Now we’re getting a little more nit-picky on the types of sketchbooks such as the binding and enclosures. You normally want a sketchbook that is typically like a normal book. That way it allows you to utilize the entire page and there isn’t a “hump” that will distort your drawing. Another thing, you may not want to use this type of binding for gluing images or sticking a lot of loose pages in it because it might break the binding. If you do, you might want to remove some pages first. Don't throw it away though! You can still reuse it for other projects.
• Then there are spiraled notebooks which always lie flat but the spirals may get in your way when drawing or be uncomfortable to rest your hands upon. An easy remedy is to turn the sketchbook so that the spirals are on top or bottom so they don't get in your way. I would recommend using this type of binding if you like to draw on flat surfaces or plan to stick a lot of paper in your book. It also makes it easier to scan in pages in a flatbed scanner if you keep a sketchblog.

Enclosures

• There are many types of enclosures but the more you want the more expensive it can be. Most sketchbooks don't have any enclosures at all although you can create your own with a binder clip or a large rubber band. Again, it depends on if you want your pages protected or not. You can be as creative as you like for closing your book. I personally don't really use an enclosure in my sketchbook but I do use the ones that come with my notebooks.

Paper Type

• Strathmore provides recycled sketchbooks and Strathmore Wind Power sketch paper made completely from wind power if you are willing to pay a little extra. 
• Stillman and Birn is a brand of sketchbooks that have been really popular with artists lately online. 
• Eco-System also has a 100% post-consumer recycled sketchbook that is worth considering. 
• Canson has a nice line of sketchbooks that you may want to take a look at as well that support sustainable sources.
• Moleskine has a loyal following of creatives including artists. I heard the paper quality has suffered and that earlier versions have better paper than the current versions.
• Ecopaper has sketchbooks made from alternative sources such as bananas, coffee, and hemp. 
• If you don’t mind textured paper you might want to check out paper made from poop! Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell and they clean it. They come from animals such as Elephants, Pandas, and Horses from PooPooPaper.

Summary: Things to consider when buying a sketchbook

• Size (small (approx. 3”x5”), medium (approx. 5”x8”), or large (approx. 9”x12” or larger))
• Weight of the paper
• Color/Design
• Soft cover/Hard cover 
• Recycled or Alternatively-made Paper 

To me, this is one of my favorite parts about keeping a sketchbook. Starting something new with a fresh start. Finding and experimenting on the different types of paper. Some artists are easy to please but there are others who are still looking for the one sketchbook for them. Some hands-on creatives even go as far as making their own sketchbooks. I wish I had the patience to do that but I find pre-made sketchbooks much more easier and fun to play around with. Maybe some day in the future I will book bind my own sketchbooks when I find paper I can't live without.

Technically you can use whatever you want, even a notebook if you don’t mind the lines. Personally I could do both but I like not having the lines on my artwork when I scan them in. It might be cheaper but I like the archival purposes of sketchbooks rather than cheap notebooks. I've also known and have done something where I just drew on loose leaf paper and put them in a binder but I prefer keeping a somewhat chronological order to my sketch progress now.

Once you decide on your sketchbook now is the real fun! An upcoming article will talk about how to keep a sketchbook.

Meanwhile, check out some of these great articles also about choosing a sketchbook if you're still on the fence.

http://www.stutler.cc/other/sketchbook/sketchbook_c_01.html - Highly recommend reading this article
http://www.stutler.cc/sketching/articles/moleskine.html
http://joymk.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Choose-a-Sketchbook-for-Beginning-Artists
http://www.larrydmarshall.com/how-do-you-choose-a-new-sketchbook/
http://suite101.com/article/how-to-choose-a-sketchbook-a159425
http://cwtam.inobscuro.com/my-sketchbooks-comparison-131/
http://museartanddesign.com/2011/03/sketchbooks-surfaces-and-weights/
http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/tools-of-the-trade-sketchbook/

Google more about it if these don't cut it out for you. :D Have fun! As always, feel free to leave a comment or question!

Progress: Eilam's Side Story

Here are some illegible thumbnails I drew for Eilam's side story. If you know where to look you can find the script to read it. I'll let you find it since I still have to finish the comic and don't want to totally spoil you guys. LAME HINT: It's on one of my accounts. ;D

If you can figure what I drew here, congrats! You get a gluten-free cookie! lol J/k Really it's pretty illegible and I don't know how many of you can decipher it. Let me know if you can! I'd really like to know what you think of it. XD This is the bare minimum for me to understand how I want the pages to look. Sometimes I have to think a little more at how I wanted the composition before I actually do it. XD

Have some older guys drawings at the bottom. XD I was trying to determine their designs. lol You can see the final designs when I finish the comic. :3

24 Hour Comic Brainstorm 2011

Heyo! Sorry for missing a post last week but I was able to get something up on Saturday which I hope you'll check out. Apparently this CampNanoWriMo is really throwing me off. I've been trying to get this novel idea written down and trying to keep up with it so I've been slacking on everything else. lol It's harder than I thought it would be to write this. Next time I think I'll need a tighter outline. The outline I wrote for this story is really loose and then I keep adding more new complex elements which I'm not sure where I'm taking it. XD I guess that's what revisions will be for. haha

Ok the image below is basically how I structured out my 24 Hour Comic for 2011. I'm actually still in the process of cleaning and toning all the pages. I'm about half way done but still, need to get that done before the end of the year at least. I was hoping by the end of the month but we'll see how that goes.

If you can decipher it. XD Don't read it if you don't want to be spoiled about my comic!

Haha, looking back on the page I was trying to figure out what some of the notes meant. XD I hope you can read my handwriting, it was scribbled really quick and didn't plan to really show this to anyone but thought it would be fun and hopefully inspiring to share.

The sketches at the top are the first/best-at-the-moment designs for the characters Ethan and Aurora. Next to their names I think were alias names I was going to give them for their show business or something. lol The notes next to them are some personality traits I was giving them so I could have a more concrete idea of their personalities.

LOL My abbreviations are horrible, I sat staring at what OM meant for awhile before I realized it stood for "Old Man" who I named Arthur. XD He's not in the sketches here unfortunately but you'll see him in the finished comic or the progress shots if you can find him.

The numbered bullets are basically the story line and I kind of took the story wherever which explains the empty bullet points. I just knew the beginning and end, for the middle I just tried to connect them as best as I could.

This was a fun and off-the-top-of-my-head kind of story so it's not well drawn or well written but it's teaching me how to finish a story. Comic making is a lot harder than I thought it would be people! Seriously, as a person who still haven't finished a comic, this one is the closest I've come to finishing it but I'm not giving up! You shouldn't either!

Lion Drawing

Sorry guys, for not having the post done on time. Got distracted and things came up. >_<;;  Today you're just getting a lion drawing I did for my mom for her retiring boss. She works for a school and the lion is their mascot. She asked me to draw it, I was hesitant at first since I haven't really drawn animals in awhile but it surprisingly turned out better than I thought. I referenced some images online. 

Forgot to erase the pencil marks before I took the pictures but you get the idea. It was drawn with a shimmery silver marker but you can't really see it clearly. It's funny, I ran out of ink in the middle of drawing it because my mom used the same pen for people to sign a book. This was the cover of the book. I was going to use a Silver Sharpie but it was duller in color than the other marker so my mom went out to buy a new marker so it matched. :)

Here you can sort of see the shimmer of the marker but it still just looks white. You'll just have to trust me about the color. :D My mom was pleased and so were her co-workers so I'm glad they liked it. :D

 

Monthly Sketch Giveaway - #4 Aug 2012

It's August's Monthly Sketch Giveaway! The giveaways will start the first Friday of the month and will end the last Friday of the month.

July's Winner: 

Azizah Asgarali
(Dang guys, you need to step it up! Azizah's kicking your butts. XD Don't forget you can tweet daily!)

Winner have already been notified. If you didn't receive an email please let me know.

(Note to previous winners: I had planned on getting sketches done monthly but July and August turned out to be busy months for me. Don't worry I haven't forgotten you. I'm just going to be a bit slow. I will get them done, so please don't worry!)

I figure this will help keep me practicing and you guys will get free art! :D Mind you, these will be sketches and depending on my time and how I feel will determine the level of detail in your sketch. It can range from simple to more complex depending on how I feel. Sorry about the inconsistency but this should be fun for me and you. :D



You only get one character. The minimum you will get is a black and white shaded bust sketch with little to no background. It can be traditional or digital. I will try to state it, if you want a traditional and want the original sent to you please let me know. (You'll have to pay for shipping and handling.) If I'm feeling inspired I could sketch up to a full body with a background and flat color, again it depends on how I feel. 


Example: (I'll try to come up with more examples but for now it'll be something like this)

The giveaway will end 12:01am on Saturday, September 1 and the winner announced the upcoming Friday day!

This month there will only be one winner!

However, the amount of winners per month will vary depending on how I feel and if I'm busy!

A few rules (I know. Rules suck but we need them.)
1. No re-adjustments after the sketch is done. (If I mess up something then I will make adjustments, otherwise I'm not fixing it)
2. I have the right to add/omit items to a character's design but will most likely leave it as is.
3. This is original art for personal purposes only. Not for commercial use.
4. I have the right to display the art but credit for the character will go to the creator.
5. I will not draw:

• hentai
• yaoi/yuri
• extreme gore/violence
• lots of buildings/architecture
• extreme mechanical things/mecha
• anything I feel uncomfortable with
• fully realistic people

I have the right to refuse to do a request for reasons that are not listed above!

If the winner does not respond a week after being notified a new winner will be selected.

If you're interested in more than a sketch and am willing to pay feel free to check out my Commission Information on my Deviantart!

Enter the Giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Iwako Elephant Eraser

Today's review is the adorable Iwako Elephant Eraser that the gracious JetPens randomly selected me to review. When I first opened the package I was surprised because I didn't expect this! I haven't really used an eraser in awhile (if you follow my blog you'd know I usually sketch with pens) let alone an animal shaped eraser. It's so unexpectedly funny. XD This Elephant appears to be part of a Iwako Zoo Novelty Eraser Set. At first glance I thought it was a koala because of the big nose. XD The actual Elephant nose was hidden behind the body. lol Then I read the tag on the back that was in English that said it was an Elephant.

The little guy disassembled. :D It's quite easy to take him apart and put him back together. He's made of the rubber eraser material you can find from regular erasers. He's also nice and firm when you press on him. He's also not really squishy or remold-able like a Kneaded Eraser that some artists are familiar with.

Ta-da! He's whole once more! Sorry for my poor lighting. You can rotate his head and his trunk as well. I didn't take any photos of that but I should have. Isn't he adorable?! X3

Ok, when it came to actually reviewing this little guy, it was kind of hard to figure out what part I should use to erase. Should I take him apart and use him piece by piece? Or should I use the whole body to erase? I settled for using his hind leg.

Here's the full eraser review. I used a regular BIC Mechanical Pencil with .7 lead on Canson Sketch Paper. I wrote and did some shading then tried to erase the shading. As you can see it erases fairly well with just one swipe but did better with multiple swipes as does most erasers. I write pretty hard with a pencil too so some erasers don't cut it for me or leave messy smudges or eraser residue/shavings. This eraser didn't leave a lot of eraser shavings so it left it quite clean. I actually really liked that.

The little guy with the pencil bruise. XD That's where I used to erase for the review.

Some close ups of the swipes. Something to note, because of it's abnormal shape it makes it harder to erase accurately. I was trying to erase in a straight line and it kind of slanted. It could be because I erased it at a slant but you can't deny that the shape makes it a little harder to erase as accurately as a regular eraser.

Overall, I enjoyed playing with this useful eraser and you can't deny it's adorable! It erases cleanly and easily. While this is functional as an eraser I can't help feel that this is more of a piece of art or sculpture that should be played with rather than used as an ordinary eraser. Nevertheless, I'd recommend it for any creative or artsy little ones who like to play pretend like I do did. I would have had a kick with this as a kid as I played make-believe with my stuffed animals all the time. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take this little guy and recreate a circus (aka: set him up on my shelf to look at).

As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this product! :)