Telescope Reviews: sketch books

Scott

Black Strathmore Artagain (also called 400 Series) comes in 9" X 12" bound tablets or 'pads' of 24 sheets. This is fine for small to medium sized field sketching, however, the pages eventually come loose from the binding glue. Strathmore and Canson also make a spiral bound pad or tablet but not with smooth paper like the 400 Series Artagain and I have never understood why. Canson has a rice paper protective sheet spiral bound between each pastel sheet to protect the sketches from smearing.

As Jeff mentions, England [and Europe may have other products.]

I for one have moved up to large paper sheets because I like the large free area and larger sketching to include more image in detail. So there are many other pastel paper brands, including Strathmore and Canson that make this larger size such as 19" X 25" or Stonehenge makes a 100% black cotton fiber cold pressed in 22" X 30" sheets to as near as smooth as Artagain for about $2.65 per sheet at many art supply stores. The two sides of longer length at 30" are not clean cut but appear as a torn edge called 'Deckled' edge. Strathmore Artagain is made from 30% Post Consumer Waste Fiber and cold pressed to near butcher paper smooth (also quite inexpensive) where Stonehenge is 100% cotton fiber and pressed nearly as smooth as the Strathmore Artagain but the Stonehenge product is considered a fine artists paper for serious work yet at a reasonable price price per sheet at $2.65. Do not let this deter you. A finer paper (or 100% cotton) product can render a finer image. I discovered the Stonehenge by accident as the large local art supply store in Portland, Art Media was out of Strathmore Artagain one day; a young lady worker in the store suggested the Stonehenge. This is yet another great information source; visit the art supply stores in your area; many of the workers wll be knowledgeable artists that can help you find the products you are searching. Some may be well practiced artists and can inform you of the entire art product lines well.

I accidentally discovered an Italian paper, Fabriano brand, that is 40% cotton fiber in 19” X 25” sheets at $1.65 per sheet but it has an embossed texture to simulate a fine linen or oil painting canvas. I found it too coarse as compared to the Stonehenge or Artagain. Everyone develops a personal favorite but most astronomy sketchers seem to like Strathmore Artagain for its smoothness which allows an ease for blending and its affordable price. Here is a post that I showed the texture of the Fabriano paper in a sketch of the Moon with the crater Plato and astronauts walking on the moon and toward the bottom, the Strathmore Ridge Series paper in rich blue for a Moon with Saturn sketch that I discovered the heavily embossed texture of the indented lines which was an accident and not really desired. >
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3388612/page/2/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

I’ll post a close-up of the Stonehenge paper soon, a new photo of older dated work. The texture in some papers is favored by certain artists as that texture ‘holds’ the chalk pigment as an oil canvas holds the paint. It depends on the effects of the pastel chalk, charcoal or Conte Crayon that you are attempting to achieve in image on certain textures of paper.

http://www.strathmoreartist.com/fineArt_pastel.php
http://www.legionpaper.com/The-Mills.htm
http://cleveland-oh.yellowusa.com/Art_Supplies.html
http://www.misterart.com/g7339/Strathmore-400-Series-Artagain-Pads.htm

Hope this helps,

Mark

Edited by markseibold (10/27/09 04:27 AM)