Previously, I haven’t given too much thought to the sketchbooks I use; I have simply chosen which I prefer at the time and continued to use that size or type. Below is the loose sheet of paper on which I answered the questions set out to help me understand which sketchbook would work best for me.
I then tried making my own sketchbooks, which is something I had never attempted before. I started with the ‘Foldy’ using a sheet of A4 white paper; this proved to be fairly simple.
Then I tried creating a sketchbook using several types of paper, folding them into ‘signatures’ (sections) and then sewing them together, with a hard card front and back cover. I watched Sea Lemon’s ‘How to Make a Sketchbook | DIY Coptic Stitch Bookbinding Tutorial’ and then attempted a (similar!) process. I also looked at the instructions in ‘Sketch Your World’ by James Hobbs for inspiration (see references below).
My first attempt wasn’t quite right; the binding was too loose. But the A5 sketchbook worked really well and I can definitely see myself using this everyday. I already feel a stronger connection with the empty pages because I put them together; I think that initial feeling towards a sketchbook is important, as I am often intimidated about ‘starting’ and those first marks. This book seems personal to begin with and it is as if I have already made the first marks because I made the book. Also, my A5 sketchbook can open flat, which will be useful when working in it. I thoroughly enjoyed this process!
References
Hobbs, J. (2014). Sketch your world: essential techniques for drawing on location. Apple Press: London
Jade's OCA Learning Log 