Betye Saar is a 93 year old artist I hadn’t heard of until reading about her in the New York Times Fall Preview. She is getting a lot of attention right now, with two major solo exhibitions this fall at MoMA and LACMA. Betye Saar’s sketchbooks play an important role in her work: Everywhere she … Continue reading Betye Saar’s Sketchbooks
I was looking through Moleskine’s Fall 2019 catalog and noticed something I found quite shocking: it seems that Moleskine is discontinuing the pocket sketchbook. “While stocks last“?? Meaning there won’t be any more stock of the classic black pocket size Moleskine Sketchbook? (Or any other color in pocket size.) They have a bazillion products and … Continue reading Is Moleskine Discontinuing the Pocket Sketchbook???
Isn’t this flower stunning? I love sketchbooks that surprise you with big spreads of saturated color! The painting is by artist Dasha Egudkina, who says: I carry about three sketchbooks with me at all times. For the rare occasion I am not, I have a pocket sized Moleskine. Besides a few exceptions, often made for … Continue reading Dasha Egudkina’s Sketchbooks
Some of my favorite images from artists’ sketchbooks are from Eugene Delacroix’s travel notebooks. A new book now translates his notes into English for the first time. In 1832 the 34-year-old Eugène Delacroix, already well known for his Orientalist works, accompanied a French diplomatic mission to Morocco and travelled through Algeria and Andalusia. His exposure … Continue reading Delacroix’s Notebooks, Now in English
Here is a Moleskine sketchbook spread that really grabbed me with its vibrant colors and interesting layout: It is from the website of illustrator Samantha DiProspero, where you can see additional images of her art.
Fun with notebooks and Photoshop! Have you seen the leaning tower of Marge Simpson’s hair? Italian artist Pietro Cataudella takes his sketchbook everywhere he goes, but his drawings don’t just depict of the places he visits—they become part of the landscape. His ongoing project, titled CityLiveSketch, features architectural 3D drawings that seem to jump from the artist’s journals, depicting famous … Continue reading Pietro Cataudella’s Sketchbooks
As a follow up to last week’s review of the Arteza Sketchbook and Watercolor Book, Arteza has kindly agreed to offer a giveaway! 2 lucky winners will be selected from all eligible entries: On Twitter, tweet something containing “Arteza Sketchbooks @NotebookStories @ArtezaOfficialâ€, and follow @NotebookStories and @artezaofficial On Facebook, “like†the Notebook Stories page and the Arteza page, and post something … Continue reading Giveaway! Arteza Pocket Sketchbooks
I’ve been seeing Arteza art supplies popping up on social media for quite a while and was curious about the brand. When I noticed that they offered a nice chunky looking 3.5 x 5.5″ sketchbook, I was even more intrigued! The company kindly provided me some samples to review, so let’s take a look. Arteza … Continue reading Review: Arteza Sketchbook and Watercolor Book
Whenever I see stories like this, I cringe! As far as I can remember, I’ve only lost one notebook in my life, a rather cool one I was using in 7th grade that was probably stolen rather than lost. I never did find another one like it, and it’s haunted me ever since! So I … Continue reading Artist Loses Sketchbook
I love the luscious colors and texture of these sketchbook pages! New York-based print designer and illustrator Sara Boccaccini Meadows has made it a habit to take her sketchbook everywhere she goes, taking inspiration from her everyday surroundings…. This artist also has a 35-minute online class to help you paint beautiful botanicals. Read more: Artist Shares … Continue reading Sara Boccaccini Meadows’ Sketchbooks