I started this sketchbook because a pile of paper scraps was taking over the corner of my desk. Some sheets were too small for a proper drawing pad; others had a clean side left over from an old print. Instead of sorting them again, I folded them into a book.
Use What Is Already Here
The pages don’t line up perfectly, and the cover is a piece of brown paper that had been wrapped around a parcel. I stitched the fold with a needle and ordinary thread, then pressed the book under a stack of larger ones overnight. It’s a simple binding, but it holds up to pencil, quick notes, and the occasional bit of paint.
A Place for Quick Marks
I’ve been keeping it near the window and drawing whatever happens to sit still: a mug with a chipped rim, the tangle of a houseplant, the afternoon shadow of the lamp. The pages are too varied to make the book feel precious, which is useful. I’m more likely to draw when there’s no sense that I need to make something finished.
Let the Edges Show
The best part is how the paper changes the way I work. A rough, toothy scrap catches the pencil differently from a smooth one, and a narrow page makes me look for a narrower subject. If you have a drawer of paper you’ve been meaning to organize, try binding a few pieces first; the odd sizes may be the point.