CHASING PAINT

travel light, pay attention

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Trips
    • London 2022
    • Vienna
    • Amsterdam
    • LA
    • Lisbon
    • Madrid
    • Paris
    • Prague
    • Preparation
    • Rome
    • St. Petersburg
  • Contact Me

Sketchy

February 24, 2014 by Virginia Parker Leave a Comment

I sketch every day when I travel.  I draw on the backs of postcards I send to my family, and I draw in sketchbooks.

I have particular preferences. I want paper of sufficient weight (so pen and ink won’t bleed through), and a bit of texture, or tooth. I like spiral binding, so each page can lay flat, not bowed up. Toned paper in a warm tan works best with a variety of mediums –  graphite, ink pens, charcoal, earth toned Conté crayons, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cont%C3%A9   and white chalk for highlights.

I can fit stubs of pencils, Conté and chalk, a small sharpener and a kneaded eraser http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kneaded_eraser inside an old plastic cassette tape cover.  It slips under the heavy rubber band that keeps the sketchbook closed.Compact, handy and works like a charm. In years past the other requirement is that the dimension of the sketchbook be small enough to fit into my Longchamps mini-backpack.

The sketchbooks that get the most use are made by Cachet. http://www.bindersart.com/paper-pads/sketch-paper-pads/xl-sketch-pads.html  I’ve tried other variations, but I’m the Goldilocks of sketchbooks; they are too big/too small/too hard/too soft – or just right. See below.

IMG_6930

Clockwise from top  1. Bought in Vienna – love that red and a nice elastic closure, but the paper is so thin you can see a pencil mark through it and blindingly while. 2. Lovely gift book with heavy, handmade, deckle-edged paper, hand stitched in a leather cover, but it’s unwieldy and weighs a ton. 3. My first sketchbook, a classic moleskine, well used and well-loved, but teeny tiny.  4.Toned paper, a comfortable size, but the spine has to be cracked for it to lie flat.

IMG_6931T

My favorite sketchbooks (postcards on left for scale). Toned paper with a hint of texture, spiral binding, sturdy and lightweight. Note cassette tape box with pencils, crayons, eraser and sharpener.

This trip I wanted to try a larger sketchbook. What held me back was the transportation issue.  I considered tying cord to the ends of the wire spiral so I could sling it over my shoulder, until Robert pointed out it would bend the wire. Then I came across a lightweight, waterproof, sturdy satchel with  adjustable shoulder strap and a single pocket inside that perfectly fits a 9×12″ toned, spiral bound sketchbook.  I felt like I had struck gold. The graphic pattern works with the wardrobe I have planned for this trip (black and pewter with pops of Schiaparelli pink) . Eureka!

IMG_6927        IMG_6926

Filed Under: Madrid, Preparation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trips

Archives

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Apr    

Recent Posts

  • Street Scenes, British Museum, Frog
  • Robin Arrives
  • St. Paul’s Cathedral, Remember the Ladies.
  • Raphael and Nancy
  • Lost and Foundling, Dickens House Museum
  • British Museum, British Library
  • Around the World in 70 Minutes, Raphael Drawings
  • Soanes Museum, Parmigianino Reprise
  • Westminster Abbey
  • Courtauld Gallery + Tate Modern
  • Cupid, You Little Rascal
  • Consider Eternity

Recent Comments

  • Virginia Parker on Cupid, You Little Rascal
  • Michael Ridgway Jones on Cupid, You Little Rascal
  • JAY on Consider Eternity
  • Virginia Parker on Rome: Look Down
  • Tzippi Moss on Rome: Look Down

[easy-image-collage id=2199]

Copyright © 2023 Virginia Parker · Log in