Great journals and sketchbooks.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger      4 comments      link this post     


I've added two new sites to the blogroll, Moleskinerie and Notebookism. All I can say is that you should really visit these sites, but only when you have a large open block of time on your schedule. Because, if you're like me and are an obsessive hoarder and collector of journals, notebooks, paper, and pens/pencils, you'll find yourself completely drawn in.

And, speaking of journals and notebooks...

Moleskines
I have to admit that though I love Moleskine notebooks and sketchbooks, there are two things that I have a mild problem with:

1. The price tag is a little prohibitive. I only have a few of the books, and I mostly lean towards the soft cover versions (brown or black) because they are more affordable.
2. The paper. Moleskines have wonderful paper for ink, but for some other methods of sketching, such as watercolors or something that requires a little tooth to the paper, the pages are too smooth. My watercolor sketches tend to pool and not be absorbed well.
   

Finding a good journal or sketchbook
There are few things worse than a cheap journal or sketchbook that you have to fight to keep open. One of my policies (if there is such a thing in this case) when I buy a journal or sketchbook is to be sure I can open it in the store to see if it has a binding that literally falls open, as well as feel the paper to see what kind of tooth it has. So, the things I look for when shopping for a journal or sketchbook are:

1. That it opens easily to all pages (front, middle, back) and that it lays open on its own without a fight.
2. That the paper isn't too thin so that ink bleeds through to the pages behind it. Also, I like a stronger page that can take a little abuse in the form of scribbling, erasing, or water-based media.
3. That the paper has a surface quality that feels good against my hand. This is highly subjective, and that's why I won't buy a journal that I can't open and touch in the store.
   
4. That the journal isn't bound in such a way that it is tightly filled with pages. I often glue things like tickets or post cards or other items that are visually interesting, and journals that are so packed with pages end up not closing well or, worse, with a broken spine or binding. They don't close without me tearing out pages every so often to free up space for the addition of glued items.
5. I don't like journals that have pre-printed writing prompts, quotes, or images on the pages, generally. There are a few journals in my collection that have interesting art printed on the pages that I find fun to work with, but in general, I don't like a lot of canned "prompts" from some publisher.
   

Other great brands
A few of my other favorite journal brands are Rhodia (with its bright, orange cover) and Claire Fontaine (often seen in plaid or block-color covers). Both are French brands, oddly. They have the most amazingly smooth, plate finish paper that makes your pen seem to fly over the paper. Really, writing in them is a lovely experience. The feel of the paper against your hand is one that paper lovers like myself can really appreciate.

Videos
I have a few videos (somewhat grainy videos, so I apologize) over at YouTube of me flipping through a few of my journal/sketchbooks. You can get an idea of what I use them for if you are so inclined.

You
What are your favorite journal or sketchbook brands? Why? What do you look for in a journal or sketchbook?

Links:

• Kikkerland: The American distributor of Moleskine, and other extremely cool stuff. Period.
  
• Moleskine
• Exaclair, Inc.: This site offers both Rhodia and Clair Fontaine, as well as a number of other favorite stationery/pen brands of mine.
• Basic French Online: This site offers a variety of "French" products, and in the stationery section, you can find a decent selection of notebooks and stationery.
• Paper Blanks: Decent journals that kind of mimic Moleskine. The plus is that they fall open easily and are a pleasure to write in. I'm not always keen on the printed covers, but they are a nice journal.
• Chronicle Books: This publisher puts out a large variety of books and products. They have a number of great stationery and journals that are fun and unusual.
• Exaclair, Inc.'s "where to purchase" list is a fabulous collection of great web sites offering pens, paper, journals, stationery and all things wonderful.
• Papyrus has a lot of nice stuff. My favorites are the simple Marcel Schurman notebooks on this page, which look like something from many decades ago. I have a few in tan, though they only show red and blue now. The look like the notebooks from the movie "The Interpreter" (notebooks that I wish I could find and have been trying to figure out the brand -- anyone out there know?)
  

Labels: art, journals, links, stationery, supplies, writing

Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger      6/12/2007 11:31:00 AM      (4) comments      Links to this post    

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