As of today I've filled three Moleskines. The first was a standard model, thin paper, mostly good for notetaking and doodling, which was all I did with it.
The next two were "Sketchbook" types which I bought as I started to get serious about drawing. The paper is thicker, but sometimes problematic when attempting a watercolor wash and it has a sort of buff color to it. Still they are the best pocket notebooks I've yet to find.
The fourth, the big one on the top in this photo, is my newest - I'll start drawing in it tomorrow. It's also a point of pride for me because it has my mark on it already - it was a Moleskine daily planner before I removed the book block and replaced it with a hand-sewn block made of Arches 90lb hot-press watercolor paper. It is unique.
Would it sound silly to say that now I know why it's so special for Jedi to build their own lightsabers? Sure I can, it's my blog! Anyway, it's a really special feeling to know that the book I'm working in is one I made myself. (At least mostly. I owe the Chinese guys in their Moleskine factory credit for making the cover for me I guess ;)
The book block is a tiny bit crooked, and the pages had to be trimmed somewhat, but all in all I'm pretty happy with it as a first effort.
The block is a bit thinner than the original Moleskine block, but this is intentional. Collages and buckling from watercolor work should cause the block to fill out the cover nicely by the time I'm done using this book.
Bookbinding is great fun, and I think it opens a lot of creative doors. Just knowing the Coptic stitch is enough to create all manner of books, out of any sort of paper you desire. I sense a bookbinding class in my future.
If you'd like to try this yourself, I did it following an incredibly good set of instructions here.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
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