New Sketchbook review by new member

Sketchbooks, pencils, pens, slabs of rock ... what's your latest discovery?

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JamieWG
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New Sketchbook review by new member

Post by JamieWG »

Greetings everybody, from New York's Hudson Valley, where the weather has finally turned cold! I think this is my first post here, so I thought I'd share a little review of the new sketchbook I test-drove this past weekend while on vacation with my hubby. I'm not sure how to make links, upload images, etc....so please bear with me while I learn the ropes.

Last week I got one of the Hand Book Journals from Dick Blick. I am so very impressed with this journal. It's got a nice cover like a Moleskine----actually a little nicer than a Moleskine, IMO. It's got more pages at a lower price. The weight of the paper is a little lighter than 140# watercolor paper, but still a significant weight. It's got slightly more texture than the Moleskine sketchbook, takes watercolor far better, and doesn't curl like the Moleskine watercolor book. To say I'm pleased would be an understatement. It's more like I'm......hooked!

I used the 8.25x5.5" portrait orientation and sketched across the two-page spreads. The color is a very light beige----not quite white, but not as dark as the paper in the Moleskine sketchbook or the Fabriano Artist Journal. Although you don't get the brilliant whites for watercolor, it's light enough to be sufficient, while giving the benefits of non-white paper in other mediums.

Here are two of the two-page spreads I did over the long weekend.

Image

Image

Thanks so much for looking! I hope some of you get a chance to try these journals. They make a cool square format one also. I have a couple of hundred pages to fill here, but maybe for the next one.....

Jamie
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Nanush
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Post by Nanush »

my older palette looks like that
a friend borrowed my watercolor new box, and now i use my older pallete...
but i didnt mix the colors well yet
Zoe
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Post by Zoe »

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Jamie--looks good and worth trying, although, I am max'd out on sketchbooks and had to actually take an inventory. :shock:

Perhaps if I sketch more, I'll fill these up and start another round with these.

:)
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Post by ethangeorgi »

oo- square format. If I ever see one of those, yoink, it's mine.
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Post by gustavo »

Thank you for the taking the time to share. Very informative post.
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timillustrator
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Re: New Sketchbook review by new member

Post by timillustrator »

An old post, but these books are the best, far superior to the Moleskine and cheaper. I have found nothing else that comes close.
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Re: New Sketchbook review by new member

Post by sketchdiary »

Very helpful Jamie. Thank you!
Last edited by sketchdiary on Sat Jan 03, 2015 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New Sketchbook review by new member

Post by sketchdiary »

timillustrator wrote:An old post, but these books are the best, far superior to the Moleskine and cheaper. I have found nothing else that comes close.
Just out of curiosity, why do you like them better than the Moleskine books?
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Re: New Sketchbook review by new member

Post by timillustrator »

I like the paper better and the binding seems to stand up more and be more robust. They are also slightly cheaper.
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Re: New Sketchbook review by new member

Post by Alfred77 »

JamieWG wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:00 am Greetings everybody, from New York's Hudson Valley, where the weather has finally turned cold! I think this is my first post here, so I thought I'd share a little review of the new sketchbook I test-drove this past weekend while on vacation with my hubby. I'm not sure how to make links, upload images, etc....so please bear with me while I learn the ropes.

Last week I got one of the Hand Book Journals from Dick Blick. I am so very impressed with this journal. It's got a nice cover like a Moleskine----actually a little nicer than a Moleskine, IMO. It's got more pages at a lower price. The weight of the paper is a little lighter than 140# watercolor paper, but still a significant weight. It's got slightly more texture than the Moleskine sketchbook, takes watercolor far better, and doesn't curl like the Moleskine watercolor book. To say I'm pleased would be an understatement. It's more like I'm......hooked!

I used the 8.25x5.5" portrait orientation and sketched across the two-page spreads. The color is a very light beige----not quite white, but not as dark as the paper in the Moleskine sketchbook or the Fabriano Artist Journal. Although you don't get the brilliant whites for watercolor, it's light enough to be sufficient, while giving the benefits of non-white paper in other mediums.

Here are two of the two-page spreads I did over the long weekend.

Image

Image

Thanks so much for looking! I hope some of you get a chance to try these journals. They make a cool square format one also. I have a couple of hundred pages to fill here, but maybe for the next one.....
paris airports transfers
Jamie
Thank youb fopr sharing experience

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