Starting a New Sketchbook and Not Loving it.

[@MikeFoerster]

"It's not me, it's you" moment.

[@jasonelambeth]

😂😂😂 yep, exactly.

[@kvwart]

I love your use of line! These sketches are great!

[@jasonelambeth]

Thank you so much!!

[@lindseystrode]

I am so superstitious about the first page that I would almost blame your entire dissatisfaction on it! 🤣Amazing thumbnail btw!

[@jasonelambeth]

🔥📖🔥 lol. I usually say no way a first page is gonna get me down! But then this one totally wrecked me. 😆

[@kvwart]

This was my first sketchbook for college and I loved the soft cover and how thick the paper was but it was almost too textured and absorbent for my taste.

[@jasonelambeth]

Omg. Yes to all of this. Loved the way it felt, but the texture just wasn’t going to work for my pens and pencils. I think it’s becoming a gouache/collage sketchbook. Don’t want to waste it!

[@hdubsart1462]

The paper should be good for gouache--I believe it is 100% cotton paper. Despite you reporting difficulty, your pen contour drawing still looks appealing --makes me want to try a contour drawing

[@jasonelambeth]

Thanks Holly! Yes, you’re totally right on the gouache front. I started doing little collages with gouache in the background and it’s working great. Just gonna stick with my other sketchbook for drawing!

[@ilahjarvis]

I have a personal vendetta against Strathmore as a watercolorist. I used it all the time when I was just starting out decades ago until a teacher told me to buy Arches no excuses. It was the best painting advice I have ever gotten. I've tried the #400 and the #500 series, which is 100% cotton, but working on these papers still feels like a bummer. I would hope ink in a sketchbooks would be a bit more forgiving, but I guess not.

[@jasonelambeth]

It was such a bummer! Thanks for helping me feel like I’m not alone. 😆 It just stinks because I’ve seen so many people praise these sketchbooks and I thought I would be finding my new all time favorite. Oh well. I’ve managed to save it by doing collages in it.