Sketchbook Advice - 2023 Edition 0

[alxjhnsn]

I thought I'd start a new thread on Sketchbook Advice. Just things that I've learned are important when attending a con with the intent of getting sketches.

As usual, I've put my advice in spoiler text and will keep it in this post. I hope that others will offer comments and suggest as comments on the thread. I will update it in the spoiler text here.

Spoiler

Rule #1 - Label your book with your contact information and theme, if any.

For example, tape a business card on it with your mobile number and name. Do something to make it clear that it's yours and how to find you. Most people are honest and will try to get in touch if you give them a chance. I put a label on the front cover and on the inside. I’ve used business cards, but now I use our labeler and put a layer of packing tape on top of my name, my phone number, and the book theme.

Rule #2 - Paper matters 
Each type of drawing medium does better on certain types of paper.  At a con, you normally encounter pencil, pen&ink, and marker so look at the sketchbooks and choose one that matches your anticipated drawing medium. Remember, paper weight matters and heavier paper has less bleed through if the artist uses markers or watercolor.

Canson has a nice summary sheet in some of their sketch books. Here are two of them:

Here’s another from a different Canson sketchbook.

Based on this chart, I probably should have bought a book with Illustration Bristol or Mi-Teintest Pastel paper in it.
 
Here’s one from a Strathmore sketchbook. Sadly, they don’t give a comparison like Canson does across their selection of sketchbooks. Each sketchbook has a summary like this one.

Rule 3 - Binding matters
I've been happy with my Canson Mix Media wirebound books. Why? Because they lie flat for the artist. The square bound ones do not. My gripe though is most of the Canson sketchbooks have thin covers and I prefer a thick one.

I found found a Strathmore spiral bound one, their Visual Journal series, for Mixed Media that has a nice hard cover.

These points are covered above, but just to repeat.

• Label your sketchbook with your name, your contact information, and your theme, if any.
• Heavier paper is generally better (less bleed through)
• Carry a sheet of thick paper to use as a backer for the sheet that they draw on.
• Use a wirebound book because the pages lie flat
• There's a lot to be said for hard covers

Rule 4 - Separation matters
Bring a smooth piece of thick paper to separate the page being drawn from those around it. Ink and color can bleed. At the minimum, it ruins a page in your book at the worst several.

Rule 5 - Reference matters
Artists don’t necessarily know the character you want or the costume or the pose or the setting. Bring reference - even if the artist once drew the character the way you want it. Printed reference is best. Though a list of links or images that you can email works, too.

Remember, reference for the pose does not have to be for the character you want. If you like a particular “Batman on Gargoyle” pose, but you want it to feature Nightwing, don’t waste time searching for that, bring the Batman one. The artist can adapt once (s)he knows what you want.

 

Rule 6 - Starting Strong matters
Pick the best artist and idea that you can afford and start with that. Artists are competitive so a strong start is a challenge to the subsequent artists.

 

Rule 7 - Provenance matters
Record the artist, the art and the commissioner in the sketchbook.

1. When you pickup the art, record the artist's name, location and date on the bottom of the page that was drawn on and take a picture of the art, the artist, and, optionally, the commissioner.
2. When you get home, do this:

• Go to an art supply store and buy archival see-thru Mounting Corners (see below)
• Print the photos as 4x6 at Walgreen's or wherever (it's really cheap)
• When you have your picture, mount the corners on the back of the previous page and insert the photo (see example below)
• If you should ever want to sell the page, remove the picture from its back and replace it with the picture from the back of the previous page and you have provenance. If you never sell, you have a great memory book. Try it, you'll like it.

Rule 8 - Size matters
At a con, an artist usually has very little space. Sketchbooks over 9x12 can be very difficult to handle.

Rule 9 - Time matters
Use more than one sketchbook in parallel. Doing so lets you work with multiple artists at the same time. One book can limit you to one sketch per day or even per show.

I use three. Two are theme specific and the third is not. It’s worked well for me. I seldom have all three in play at once, but there have been times where it’s been very useful.

Finally, and this is really important, remember to label your book with your name and phone number! (I may have mentioned this before)

 

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by alxjhnsn

[alxjhnsn]

For some reason, my illustrations did not "stick." I've fixed that.