Thursday, September 29, 2011

Too Many Sketchbooks

I lost a sketchbook this week. Fortunately, I found it again (it was in the backseat of the car). Previously, in July 2009, I had written here about sketchbooks and how I probably have too many. Below is the post once again (yes, this is a crummy rerun), and I invite your comments about the number of sketchbooks you deal with.



I had a great time traveling to NY last week. I think I packed pretty well for a week away. Except for sketchbooks. I put it to my friend Juana Medina when I asked, Do I have too many sketchbooks?

I have four. Each one has its special purpose.
  • A new 8 1/2 x 11 spiralbound book for new commercial projects (a comic strip idea and a graphic novel idea),
  • another sketchbook for doodling gag ideas (I draw on both sides of the page, dividing each page into 8 squares. I really get my money's worth out of this small book),
  • a third teeny, eentsy pocket sketchbook for doodling ideas for cartoon classes,
  • and a nice clothbound landscape book for drawing travel diaries; the black sketchbook, looking like a rectangular black hole, is in the lower right of the above photo.

And so Juana told me how organized I was, which was very nice and very flattering. I told her that, although that's a nice thought, I think I am toting around just too much mass. Why not just have one, big, general sketchbook?

I am curious to hear if other people have more than one sketchbook and, if so, are the sketchbooks divided by project? Do you have a "nice" sketchbook for your best work and one "not so nice" sketchbook, for not so important drawings? Do your sketchbooks vary by the medium you use?

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3 comments:

  1. David Reddick10:38 AM

    Mike, I LOVE this post.
    I myself have about 3 running sketchbooks, sort of a mixture of what you are asking. I have a 9 x 12 spiral Recycled Strathmore Sketchbook(my typical larger-ish sketchbook) that I use for generally everything, my catch-all if you will. I used to also have varied sketchbooks for varied projects but found I needed to condense it all so I use the larger one and carry it everywhere.

    I also, however, keep a smaller 5.5 x 8.5 and keep it in the trunk of my car for portability. SOmetimes it's just nice to draw smaller, and have a book that is a little less conspicuous, however, I still fall on my 9 x 12 book for most everything.

    I then also always have a pocket pad with me, whether a fancy moleskine blank book, or, more recently, small pocket sized cheap sketcpads I can get 3 of for about $2 at Hobby Lobby. The Strathmore pocket pads, such as seen in your pic here, also serve well. But I find I write more to-do lists in them than sketch, lol.

    Keep the Sketchbook stuff comin'!

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  2. Dan Reynolds11:06 PM

    I have no sketch books. I've never used them. This may be unusual. I just draw directly from my head.

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  3. Linette Moore2:39 PM

    I'm just getting back on the sketchbook train, after a long break from them. I got a little (4"x6" spiral-bound) one for doing paintings in, and a bigger (9"x12" squarebound, Canson) for everything else. Turns out I like painting in the big one, so the little one has ended up being a paperweight. I'd like to try doing some one-page strips in the big one.

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