We have recently expanded our range of concertina-style sketchbooks and felt it would be a good time to look at some of their features. Concertina sketchbooks invert the normal format of a sketchbook by giving artists one continuous working surface. Illustrator Peony Gent did some tests with one of our new Moleskine concertina sketchbooks to see how it handled. In this next step, you’ll need to measure your paper to cut three strips (in this case) at 18.5cm high. The strip takes the whole length of the paper. You will be left with a wee bit at the top that you won’t need. TIP: You know the old adage, measure twice, cut once? Not a bad rule to follow. You can store what is effectively a large work of art in a very small compact space, and keep it well protected. Line up the long paper of four sheets taped together on a table or clean working surface with the tape facing down and the cuts facing up.

Remember sketchbooks can be a place to learn what you like to do when you make art so trials, tests and mistakes are welcome here. Choosing a theme for the sketchbook is not necessary before you start or at all. The beach theme comes up a lot in my sketchbooks because I spend time by the sea in Brighton. I have other concertina books that are just full of colour and marks. You can see an example of this here. A chance to browse through 26 travel sketchbooks. Lots of fresh watercolour, ink and pencil location pictures.

Versatile, unconventional sketch books and paper with multiple options for displaying and working suitable a variety of media.

Chose a material or materials for the cover that you feel is appropriate for the content of the sketchbook, that lends itself to being collaged. Fabric, tissue paper, old letters, maps, photographs, dead leaves, anything goes! Exceptionally comprehensive information on watercolour paints and equipment. Exhaustive details on pigments, translucency, comparing brands etc. Essential viewing for the true obsessive. Cardboard cover set inside of folded and cut cover paper with double sided tape on cardboard for attaching the paper.

Fold them each in half lengthwise, EXACTLY. Line up the longer edges so your fold is perfect. (I find this a much better solution that measuring and drawing a line. The fold irons out over time, and there is no pencil mark to try to erase, which inevitably smears grey all over.) Did I miss any reasons? – let me know in the comments below! What is the Best Paper Weight and Size for a Concertina Sketchbook I’ve been looking at Karen’s work for quite a while and wondering how she achieved the effects in her concertina sketchbooks, so when the opportunity to find out came up, I jumped at the chance.

Loved every moment. Karen is such a generous tutor – so informative and helpful. One very happy student – thank you. xx” Jude B

You can trim any tape that hangs over the edges by folding it in half along the cut and trimming from the edge side with scissors. They can be laid out horizontally on the floor, held on a shelf, laid out on a table, or hung horizontally. I recommend that you start with Buildings or How Wild is my Garden so you can see the way I work. I continue to build on the techniques learnt in Allotments and Abstracts. Thank you! I have finally had a moment to go through the course. I teach sketching as well and LOVE your approach. I have told all my students about your work and could see having you come to Texas to teach at some point 🙂 Meanwhile, I am going to play with all the techniques that you showed us in this marvelous, user-friendly course. Can’t wait to sketch with you sometime–in the UK or here in the USA. Thanks again,This is my six week course that runs two times a year. If you are looking for a way to push your work forwards and find your own style, in a non-rigid way, with room to be independent and do your own thing, then this is the course for you. Not at all! My sketchbooks are much more about mark making and exciting surfaces, with as little or as much drawing as you like. Some participants draw lots, some collage lots. I do provide some pdf photographs for you to work from for inspiration, if you need them. I scan the drawings on the scanner giving overlaps at the edges and then stitch the images together using an app on my smartphone, as I haven’t got a fancy editing programme like photoshop on the computer. Laborious but it works.

There are so many different reasons to love a concertina sketchbook. Here are all the reasons I can think of, but if I have missed any, please let me know in the comments below: When you measure the paper to fit around your cover cardboard, leave a good 3cm beyond the shape of your board. TIP: Fold the paper over first to get the shape of the cover into the paper. At the corners, cut a slight V shape away from the corner for ease in folding over. You can use either double sided tape to attach the cover paper or glue. I chose double sided tape. The sketchbook suited the wax crayon function of the Woodys the most, bringing out their strong pigment with only a slight amount of wax buildup. When diluted into watercolours the paper again showed a slight predetermination to warp, if only in a minor way.His book ‘The Creative License’ got me sketching, and his other books have helped to keep me going. He has a wonderfully loose style, using dip-pens, saturated colour inks etc. FINALLY: make sure when you work into your sketchbook that you draw on the side without the tape! Customizing the Sketchbook Covers I was eagerly trying to soak up all the great techniques and info that you are willing to share with us.” Bernadette This is the fun bit. And I like to leave this until the end. This is because when I work into the sketchbook, I don’t always know how it will turn out. I also don’t know what I might find along the way to use as a cover. So pleased this online workshop has taken off. It’s really transformed my mindset to sketching’ Gillian