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Peach: EDM 133 & A peachy new homemade sketchbook

EDM #133

Watercolor on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico hot press paper
Click for larger view

This week’s Everyday Matters’ challenge is Draw a Peach. I’ve been eating at least one juicy sweet peach a day all summer. I start the day with a peach cut up in a bowl of cereal for breakfast and have one cut up in plain yogurt for an afternoon snack. This variety is so huge that breakfast looks more like a bowl of peach than a bowl of cereal.

New sketchbook

I made myself a new sketchbook and this painting is the first page. Here’s a photo of the sketchbook:

Homemade Sketchbook

Larger view

I didn’t have the inclination or patience to learn actual bookbinding for sketchbooks like Martha and Kate nor the budget to have them beautifully custom made for me like Laura’s. So I came up with a quick, inexpensive way to do it (mostly) myself. I tore two sheets of watercolor paper–one hot press and one cold press–in half and then in half, etc. until each piece was about 7 3/4″ by 5 3/4″. Then I sorted so that every other page is hot press/cold press, and brought the stack to Kinkos (a U.S. photocopy shop). I had them punch and bind it with a spiral wire thingee and a frosted cover and black back for which they charged about $6.00. The paper is way better than the Moleskines and Aquabees I’ve been using, the dimensions are more to my liking, it’s bound on the short side so can be used more easily in landscape format and the spiral binding lets me fold pages under (which means not easily drawing across two pages, but I rarely do that anyway).

The day after I made it I read about the way Miguel makes his own sketchbooks, using a Filofax (day planner) cover and punching three holes in the paper with a special Filofax punch. I’ll try that next, since I have a similar kind of day planner with a nice leather cover that I’m not using and could convert to a sketchbook. The only problem with that method is that when you finish the pages you remove them and box them and refill with new paper. The finished pages don’t remain an intact sketchbook.

31 replies on “Peach: EDM 133 & A peachy new homemade sketchbook”

What a bright idea Jana!
And what a beautiful lush peach you have there!
Were you including the newer watercolor Moleskins?
Both sides of the paper can be used and it’s 200lbs.
Funny I was just about to write on my sketchbooks..I used to make them and it wasn’t that hard if you don’t mind noodling with a needle and thread…

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I LOVE THIS, JANA!!!! And the peach looks as juicy as it sounds!!! I’ve thought about the spiral wire binding and love the solution … the book looks so neat too! BRAVA!

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This works great, Jana! If Kinko’s weren’t so far from me, that was definitely an avenue I’d like to try! I’ve got a whole stack of pages and a hard cover and back that I want to have punched–I planned to hold them together with those snap ring thingies.

When you finish a sketchbook, if you use the dayrunner idea, couldn’t you take them out and tie the paget together, or use the rings?

Your peach looks good enough to eat!

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Small world…… (about 4 years ago) I, too, had Kinko’s spiral bind some watercolor paper for me for sketch books. I made two 7″ x 7″, then one 11″ x 14″. I used black mat board for my covers, but have to admit that I love what you hve done with the clear cover. Very nice Jana. I really like Miguels day planner idea … and I think it’s one I’ll use. I’m one of those people who get nervous with a new sheet of white paper. Maybe knowing I could throw it away -easily- would help.

I’m so envious of your peaches. I bought peaches earlier … ick, had t throw them out they had no taste. Your watercolor of the peach makes me drool…. it’s beautiful, YUM.

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Wonderful idea about the binding alternative. I was looking at materials to make my own book the other day and it would cost between $40-$50 CDN, depending on the size. Eek! I like your idea a lot better!
Great peach, too. looks nice and juicy in both senses of application: eating and painting :0

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Carol (Paris Breakfasts): Yes, I was including watercolor Moleskines. The paper is much thinner and seems to fail if you try to mess around with the painting very much (like lifting off areas or layering).

Kate: That’s a great idea to just bind with ribbons when you remove the pages from the dayrunner/planner. I considered the idea of using the snap ring thingees too, which would allow for a heavier cover, but decided to try the spiral this time.

Nancy: I’ve been really lucky with juicy flavorful peaches since I discovered a couple of small local markets that specialize in organic produce.

Lydia, Sharon, Lin, Kristin, and Meinhild: Thanks for your kind words and for stopping by for a visit! I appreciate everyone’s comments!

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Excellent.
My wife would LOVE this photo (she is in love with peaches and carries on affairs with them continuously – during the summer).

šŸ™‚

I don’t mind. They’re so sweet and can do no wrong.

The sketchbook is excellent, too. I think I need something like that. šŸ˜‰

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Fantastic sketchbook. That’s my favorite too, although it cost me more than $6. at Kinkos in the southland, unless I made it an 8.5×11.5″ one. You weren’t charged a $10. set up fee?

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Dee, No they didn’t charge a set up fee but maybe that’s because I tore the paper myself? Or they just didn’t think of it? I know the woman who did the hole punching and assembly told me she had a really hard time doing it because of the weight of the paper.

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I love the idea of making my own sketchbook. Just curious about why you did a mix of hot and cold pressed paper? (Actually, come to think of it, I don’t think I know what hot pressed paper is for.)

Thanks!
Erika

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Hi Erika,
I got the idea to try the Fabriano Artistico hot pressed paper from Laurelines . That’s the paper she uses in her custom-made sketchbooks and her work is so brilliant. Hot pressed is a very smooth surfaced watercolor paper that reacts a little differently than cold pressed paper (it almost appears as if it was hot pressed with an iron). The colors tend to pool instead of run and can appear more brilliant. It’s also commonly used for botanical illustration with lots of fine detail. I don’t much previous experience with it, other than using it for gouache (opaque watercolor), but I sure enjoyed using it for the peach. I’m more used to cold pressed, which is why I put both in the sketchbook. I little variety for fun and experimentation.

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Hi Jana,

Thanks so much for posting this. I love the peach it is luscious! I’m also thrilled to catch the sketchbook idea. That sounds just perfect with both types of pages and having the see through cover. I’m off to KINKOs….

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LEt me jump in and say what a good idea I think it is to make a watercolor sketchbook like that. I keep experimenting with different little books, but they all seem to be much better for writing and drawing than painting. I need to get a peach today; your painting made me smack my lips.

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Hi Jana, I’m glad that you like the way I make my sketchbooks. But, you’re right, there’s not a real sketch BOOK left when you take sheets away. I use to number them and keep it in file boxes. Maybe it’s not the best way but I ‘ve done this way for years with all the sketches I make for my work. (I started with sketchbooks just a couple of years ago). I still prefer changing papers. I must still find a good way of binding but good ideas are welcome.

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I live in Simi Vallley, CA and I went to the local Kinkos to make me a sketcbook like this. They looked at me funny, like I did not have money to buy a “real sketchbook”. That was the first lady, an American.

Then she gave the small job (4 sketchbooks) to an Indian clerk who was most amicable and helpful. I explained to him that these papers were watercoloe papers when he tried to sell me the type they had there and he understood my purpose. He surely enjoyed making it right for me and consulted with me every step of the way to see if it was exactly what I wanted . No wonder the aliens are taking all the service jobs. They are to menial or little to some of our proud Americans.

At the end, I felt very grateful to have been helped by the young Indhu guy with the great attitude and helpful manner. And I had 4 practcial sketchbooks with the paper I wanted. I guess not all Kinko’s are the same. — And I used the same transparent cover. Neat!

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