Official Sketch Awesome Sketching Journals have finally arrived
As you probably know, I’ve signed myself up to a Sketch Awesome course and during the sing-up process I had an option to purchase a Sketch Awesome sketching journals. Journals were sold as a twin pack. I am a sketchbook hoarder and paper lover, so I was very keen to get my hands on them.
First impressions:
- the size is bigger than I usually work with, but still not too big
- fabric looks like a polyester and scratches are visible on it
- sturdy sewn up, so it has the potential to last long
- paper has a nice feel and does not have too much texture
- I love the orange ribbon, it compliments the mid-gray nicely
- the cover of one of the sketchbooks was glued on a little crooked, but does not affect usability
- there are 6 signatures with 2 folios and 1 signature with only 1 (not sure why there are not 7 signatures each having 2 folios)
- once the book’s spine is broken, it lays somewhat flat
Specs from the website:
“The Sketch Awesome Sketching Journal is designed for both wet and dry media. The paper is heavy enough to take light washes of watercolour with the other side still being usable. The surface texture is also not so rough that working in pencil and pen becomes unpleasant!”
Details
- 19 x 19cm (7.5 x 7.5 inches) square format
- 26 sheets (52 pages)
- High-quality, 270gsm, acid-free mixed media paper
- Thread-sewn and hard-backed for maximum durability
- Page marker ribbon
- Additional end-papers for protection made from 150gsm drawing paper
Update:
I’ve been using the journals for 7 weeks now. Paper has no cotton content, and it behaved exactly like that with wet media. Wet on Wet with watercolours was not easy. I could not lift the paint, the paper crumbled, and then it seeped through the other page, affecting other sketches. Ink washes did end up looking very streaky, and it was almost impossible to get smooth blends. Wet on dry was much better, but paper still crumbled if/when I used more water.
I had no problems with gouache, stabilo aquarelle pencil, carbon pencil or coloured pencil. Dip pens, fountain pens or technical pens did glide very smoothly and ink dried nicely and fast.
