DIY Watercolor Sketchbook with Arches Paper (100% Cotton) ... IT'S SO AFFORDABLE! ✶ Bloopers Aplenty
Vložit
- čas přidán 12. 05. 2020
- This is not a tutorial, but I show you my entire process (bloopers and all!) for making this custom Watercolor Travel Sketchbook. I used 300 gsm Arches Cold Pressed paper, as well as toned paper for sketches. I even upholstered my own cover! I used supplies I already owned, with no previous experience making books.
Guess how much I spent????
The reason I decided to do this is because I was getting very frustrated and uninspired to do watercolor plein air with my travel sketchbooks that don't have 100% cotton paper. Cellulose paper can be very frustrating to work with and most times it's just not worth it to me.
Here's a blog post about the process, materials and cost/material breakdown:
➤ bit.ly/SBSketchbookDIY
Watch my Skillshare classes ➤ bit.ly/sbskillclasses
Buy Originals, Prints, Books & Calendars ➤ bit.ly/sbbookshop
Newsletter ➤ bit.ly/sbstudionews
--------------------------------------------
➤ My Supply List: bit.ly/SBfavesupplies
➤ Tutorials & Blog: bit.ly/sbpaintingclasses
➤ Patreon: bit.ly/sburnspatreon
➤ Website: bit.ly/sburnsweb - Zábava
You saved my life. I was looking allllllll over for a simplified way to make a sketchbook without having to stitch one together which would have led to a nervous breakdown. Thank you, thank you, thank you, because I have oodles of Arches 140 paper that can make a great sketchbook.
Awesome!! I have been loving mine, especially because I can add/remove paper. I have already added different types of paper which has come in real handy!
Stitching a book will give you a breakdown?
I recently embarked on the DIY sketchbook journey! L O L had lots of glue bound paper pads lying around and was shocked at the price of sketchbook journals these days… Of course unless you get cheap paper :-) my method was not nearly as advanced as yours! Lol but it worked, and it took me maybe an hour and a half to two hours to do it :-)
Just finished my first homemade Sketchbook with Arches Cold Press and several papers for drawing. Thank you Sarah.
Rhank you so much, for the best turorial ever.
Will do it with my Senior's art and craft group. ❤
Ohh wow that’s awesome! Gorgeous results & I love the fabric color.
Well done Sarah! Have made my own sketchbooks and you're right, the feeling of triumph and delight when you see it made! TFS!!
Its the best feeling! I'm going to continue doing this from now on and hopefully keep improving
As someone who kinda got into painting/drawing simply because I really enjoyed binding books, and sketchbooks are some of the easiest things to bind (blank pages!!) this is very amusing to me! But also must be how people think about how I try to paint!
Quick tip for others who may want to try this: to cover the front cover, maybe look at using paper instead of just fabric. Pure fabric that isn't backed with anything is actually really hard to manage and glue. If you want to use fabric, try looking into the sea lemon tutorial on making your own bookcloth. You'll need some tissue paper and some heat-n-bond (an iron-on glue you can find online or at fabric stores). For glue, PVA is the gold standard for bookbinding, but some other options you could likely use would be standard white school glue, gluestick (if it's a good gluestick and if you're using paper), tacky glue, even wood glue if you water it down a bit (wood glue may seep through more surfaces). The key is to make sure you apply pressure when it's drying.
Also, when using rings for binding, try to set in the holes such that the rings can't flip over the corners as it just gets a bit annoying if the rings go over the corners when you're trying to open it.
Haha oh gosh I can't imagine a pro book binder watching this... CRINGE!
Congratulations Sarah. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 What an inspiration you are. I am going to try and make one. 🤪.
Just remove painted pages when all filled up, cut some new paper and reuse covers! ( save used paintings in a “presentation binder from the Dollar Store”. These binders have about 20 plastic sleeves and cost about $2 Canadian.)
Beautiful sketchbook!!
I love you though, for showing your mistake too! Ummm, I've definitely done the same thing when i used to make junk journals!!
What a great idea. Very cool. The first is always an adventure. Thanks for sharing.
It really is!
I made 3 practice sketchbooks so far, following multiple youtube tutorials. Used different kinds of paper. They came out pretty well. But I'm still hesitating to make one with Arches because I don't want to "waste" the paper 😂
Thank you so much for this! So authentic & useful. Love it.
You are so welcome!
Well done Sarah! Can't wait to do mine!
I'm sure yours will be SO fancy and beautiful!!
I make my own sketchbooks too, because I love the Fabriano paper but if you want a faster way to make the deckled edge by a metal ruler off of Amazon, they’re only a dollar and tear against the ruler. It makes the edge and you don’t have to fold the paper back-and-forth.
I was using the Arches papers for a while, it’s amazing but it frustrated me for the fact that I needed to tear the paper every time I was done. I was surprised that after I have searched for a homemade watercolor sketchbook your video was the first to appear, also you are using Arches😂! so it confirmed to me that everybody is struggling as well. I will definitely be making this for my arches papers. Can’t wait!
You had me at bloopers aplenty!
😂😜
It's good to make our own sketch book as it's too expensive to buy. Thks for showing the simple way to do it. I will try it. ❤️ 😍
So timely! You did great! I've been looking at sketchbooks on line, trying to find one with good paper that I can afford, which you are right-- you just can't find those. So, your approach of just using the rings, and paper punch with a little bit of drilling, looks so much more doable. And then to be able to make the cover just the way you want, and the hard board for the back of it! All of it just makes so much sense. And thanks for leaving the blooper/mistakes in, just something I would do as well. Can't wait to see how you fill this up!
Thank you! I felt like such a derp when I was making all these mistakes...and I almost didn't share them. But I kept thinking...there must be someone else out there could learn from my mistakes! And if I can do it, anyone can.
:) This is fantastic! I might do this for my little test papers!
Love this!! I have made a few smaller sketchbooks and know the thrill of having made them myself. I totally am with you on measure twice, cut once. We have all made this mistake!! Going to try your method, too. Thanks for sharing❤️
Great! Each time we do something it improves - next time I would use a different type of ring, because these ones have come apart a few times.
Great job! The first always leaves memories. My Hubby actually cackled at my mistakes, they were so obvious 🤪. The ring approach is a great idea. Much better than stabbing yourself with a big needle. Love your bone folder btw 😂. Thanks for sharing 🌺
Thank you!
Hi Sarah I just found this video after I watch one of your gouache live streams I kept looking and thinking about how to make wc sketch book cheaply without buying anything, as I had bought a roll of arches wcp at xmas which was my big art purchase ...I was inspired by ed cooper teaching to observe the out doors and your surroundings and I thought I could just drive to places I find pretty,when I saw you painting it really click💡 since I already had my daughter's many slighty used three ring binders from school that I'm wanting to up cycle and I had another a light bulb moment 💡when you figured out you made a mistake with your holes and I remembered I had her three hole deep binder that was 4 inchs deepbinder also had clear inserts I can use so I'm going to set up my travel / urban / car kit with her 2 school nylon bag that also has three holes so all my supplies will attach inside the nylon bag then insider binder I can than take out size I want to draw on attach paper to the angle inside edge that could flip rightside flipped over up(if that makes sense...lol)tadaaaa i now have portable lap esal....I was worried about punching holes in the bigger sheets like you that I would mess up arches paper that took me a yr to save up for...😂 i just have old fashion hand held punch you know the silver one...i guess you solved a huge riddle on how I'm going to hole punch so many pieces when i can just carry everything in a clear three holed insert sheet than tape each one as I want to use to cover of inside binder...it won't be perfect but I'm on a budget I'd like to upcycle what I have. I also had duct taped a piece of card board then added extra duct tape to edge and measured three holes( did a ugly three hole🤦♀️ punches) and thought I could even attach the ones of WCp Ive got to sore in my hand into a "small four sided tape block make it yourself form from the ugly hole duct tape cardboard...lol..then insert that to inside three ring binder..lol now I've got a cheap as a school child plien air set....even tho I didnt use your version I was truly inspired by your past walkabout videos and thinking the past few weeks how to set up one for a person with limited physical issues ( older age).....your walks and drone footage is inspiring and with the help of other teachers on ytube I'm starting to feel a small bit of joy again after these past few yrs of chaotic and challenging times....thank you again for doing these videos......wish I could send picture of travel car urban set up it's so fundamental cheap and probably will make you do a hilariously laugh and head shake....thanks again for inspiring me a few weeks ago with your painting in a car.....👩🎨🎨😁😷.
Freakin' Awesome. Well done!! Trying that tomorrow 🤗
Thanks! I hope you don't have as many bloopers as I did 🤣
Great job!! 😊
What a helpful video - thank you Sarah! My ideal sketchbook apparently doesn’t exist (yet!): Arches CP paper, portrait, approximately 10x14”, and a binding that folds back on itself (so that I don’t have the double width hanging over my lap.) I wouldn’t have thought I could make one until I saw your video. It looks like you did a great job!
yea, this worked pretty great! The only thing I find after using it for a while is the rings sometimes come off - I once lost one in a field and spent 20 minutes searching (found it). Also they are kind of cumbersome...so I am trying to find a solution - i'm thinking those bead chains with the little metal clasp might work better
omg I was so happy when you were done with it!! I've been making my own sketchbooks too lately and I was wondering why won't you just stitch them because it's so much easier. Then I get to the end and thought, wow, you can add and remove pages on this one. Really cool idea!! Thanks for sharing!
Yea, the adjustability of this was very important to me. I dont like having 10 different sketchbooks at once. This way I can add hot press or more sketch paper or even vellum and other fun stuff if I want.
Ok...this is seriously awesome, do you realize the absolute value in what you just created?
You have done the work...once...and now you can refill...over and over and over...and over. You have the ever giving sketchbook!
Fill it, remove everything and you can tie your sketches together in fancy ribbon or what ever for storing and refill your original book with all the papers of your choice. You can remove sketches as seasons end and fill with blank papers for the new season...hahaha!
You will probably never buy an actual sketchbook again.
Well done! I'm definitely going to create one now.
Oh...and you could easily make one more book cover for your "mistake" papers. Then you have 2!
That being said..off topic a little, but I have, over the years purchased various watercolor/gouache supplies as I had a little extra spending money...browsing the sites the other day..I was shocked to see how much money many of the items I bought 2 years ago are today...and what was more shocking, how many items I bought are now unavailable to me!😳
So grateful I bought and stored the supplies I wanted when I could. Because now..I finally have time to use them💖💝
Thanks for sharing...bloopers and all. LOVED it!
Yes, that was the goal!! I always find myself wanting sketch paper as well as watercolor paper when I'm out painting, so I always knew if I made my own I would do it this way. I could easily make more if I fill this one and am happy with the whole collection to live together forever. Or like you said, swap for fresh paper and store or display them somewhere.
Hi S, I just made my own blocks with sealed sides. There is a liquid electrical tape that is similar in texture to the sides of the Arches blocks. I used the back of old failed and seminar paper that I’ve had for years. I did wash the painted side first. I used paint stir sticks and dollar store c-clamps to squeeze the paper together on each side while painting the liquid tape. I used thick cardboard stock for the back and Bogus Brown paper for the front cover. They came out really well. BTW - I used the back cardboard to trace the watercolor paper size.
This is excellent! I have heard of people using glue sticks to fix their paper blocks but 1. I don't own that stuff, and 2. I also heard it's very difficult and messy and doesn't always work. I like your idea with the liquid electrical tape...I may have to look into this! I have more paper blocks that are kind of coming apart and it always annoys me.
I watched quite a lot of Sea Lemon's videos. And I now I have my own small sketchbook for drawing when I'm out somewhere.
But... I had to come up with a creative way because I dont have book binding tools. Thankfully my wood glue was flexible enough to hold everything together and it worked quite well with the drawing paper that I had. But I want to make another one that have more pages. It was just a small experiment to see if it works.
I didn't made any watercolor sketchbooks yet..
Very nice homemade sketchbook. I think $16 is pretty great for a watercolor sketchbook that has fabric cover and great paper.
I was definitely really pleased!
Beautiful 🥰, for many DIY SKETCHBOOK TO COME ,,,If you want,,, hehehe
I think You did well, very well
Aha I'm only at 20 seconds and I love it already, nice intro
Thanks 😅 haha
Omg ❤is there anything you don't do and I totally agree with you i have tried others and ya i get frustrated if i don't use it i had to say this lol
You could also drill your arches paper. Stack it up, clamp it, and drill.
Nice!!!
I like the rings idea so you can reuse the cover over and over, and simply take out completed work. Cut across your fabric angled to your board corner. It'll lay better. I was about to make my own because both of my favorite sketchbooks come from China--one actually made there and one assembled there. And like you, I don't have an unlimited budget to get whatever else.
What do you mean?
@@SarahBurnsStudio So cutting an angle--if you imagine the corner, a line running at the 45 degrees north and south of that point. Arghhhh--hard to explain. Just literally cutting off that triangle such that when you fold it in the two meet.
I made my own sketchbook a while ago with my T H I C C bristol paper and it was not fun bc I sewed them together had no proper bookbinding tools. You method looks much nicet and easier and safer 😂 I might have to try that!
Oh god yea I suck at sewing so I wouldn't even attempt that. Plus I don't see how that could be adjustable
Well done, I do my own sketchbook too..
I was wondering if I could do this. I have a 100 pack of rings in my Amazon cart. I was honestly thinking of just using 300 lb for the cover and painting on it. Or making no cover, just a sketchbook where any page can be the cover. I could even put sketchbooks together afterwards of the loose sheets I like. Your cover does look awesome though, and makes it durable enough to take somewhere. I would just leave my homemades at home.
Same concept as watercolors and watercolor paper for your cover boards and glue acid free. Elmers glue or pva glue.
Next time you want to glue fabric to a board use a spray adhesive. It is much easier. Just spray the whole side of board with adhesive and press it down onto the fabric.
Good idea!
Don't worry, I have made those kind of mistakes so many times before, and ended up with a bunch of extra cut pieces of paper, luckily it was cardstock and mixed media paper and not arches ahh. But I would have over thought it and would have changed the sizes of the covers to match the size of the wrongly cut paper.
Wish arches would make sketchbooks.
Nice work. Are you hooked on bookmaking now? I have made many sketchbooks but never one like this with removable/replaceable pages. Might have to try it! Thanks for sharing your process.
Thanks! Hmm...No I wouldn't say I'm hooked - this was more out of necessity. I'd much rather be painting than doing this! lol
Sarah - I love this idea. I was about to purchase an expensive Arches Watercolor Journal. The price was not bad for the number of sheets included. My problem was the largest size was not as large as I wanted. I also like the flexibility to remove or add sheets, especially because I am somewhat of a beginner & many if my paintings are disastrous. Also, as someone mentioned, one can easily remove a page if one wants to frame a particular painting. I also like that one can add cheaper sketching paper so one doesn’t waste Arches watercolor paper on sketching. I regularly buy pads of 9 in. by 12 in. Arches. I am thinking that I can save cutting time & just keep the Journal pages that size. The front could be the hard back of the Arches pad. Can you tell me where you purchase the hard boards for the back & what they are called? I’ll check out your description in case it was mentioned there. Thank You!
Linda
I just got some 3mm mdf board from the hardware store and cut it with a sharp razor. It works great as a sturdy sketching surface!
Loved this. Have a look at Sealemon's coptic binding. I've done a few Arches sketchbooks with drawing paper interleaved for scribbling. Binding is tricky to do at first so had to slow video down but you get into a rhythm and its so satisfying. And they look gorgeous. Thank you Sarah.
Thank you! I considered coptic binding, but I wanted something that would be adjustable because I like to add/remove specialty papers on a whim,
i am doing this as well because i don't have tons of money to buy a 100% cotton awesome watercolor sketch books made a meandering one transformed a few travelers notwbooks and bout disc binding rings and did that too
I hope it works well for you!
I love this, but I'm not big on rings, so I'm thinking I might make the front and back covers, cut the paper to size and then hop over to the nearest Kinkos, which I guess is now FedEx print and ship, where they punch the holes in one swipe and roll them onto those plastic strip binders. Boom. Done.
Yea that is a good system! I like the rings because it's very easy to change out the papers, or add new ones.
@@SarahBurnsStudio What size/diameter rings did you use? 1inch or 1.5 inch?
@@biancas3497 These are 1 inch
Question. All these years later so you still use and like this homemade sketchbook?
Nice job. Regard from Jakarta
Thanks and welcome!
Not going to lie: I laughed just as much as Wolfy did.
But I know the hassle of making sketchbooks. The arches sketchbook I made last year is so loosely bound that its not nice to paint in at all. I recently turned it into a pocket doodler, with randomly colored pages that I can then doodle on with ink pen. I might try again sometime with this kind of binding or a similar approach instead of stitching it.
Of course you laughed... zladyCreep LOL I really like my ring binding but especially the hard board on the back, it makes it so sturdy. You could also do "disc binding" (Sealemon has great tutorials about it) but I was a bit nervous of my pages falling out because of how much I abuse it on the go
Sarah Burns Studio I’ve seen disc binding sketchbooks and loved it. Because it looks so convenient, but i definitely wouldn’t be possible to add a sturdy back like that. And you need a special punch. The ring binding seems to be a great alternative!
There’s always discbound!
True! But I kind of abuse my sketchbooks and I was nervous about it falling apart
Good job- save some more ££/$$ people always have old clip boards they don’t use/want. They make great sturdy covers. A few pence for those sticker circles so you don’t tug out the paper from jostling.
Or just use an old trapper keeper
Before I moved to Scotland I had boxes of stationery supplies and ended up donating it all to a school. Although my supplies are minimal I am now seeing how much I can do with so little and it makes me happy! 😄
I do my sketchbooks all the time. I buy Cezanne or Watercolour or even Expression (this one is not mold made but it’s 100% cotton). I learned Coptic stitch and after about 10 sketchbooks I’m much better 😂. Give a look at my page @bylilianoliveira
Loved that your version you can take the paper out. But when I want that way I just use a Happy Planner cover or hardcover more likely and cut the paper to the size of the sketchbook I want. I have so many covers and rings. It’s super easy that way as well!
Ohh I’ll have to check out this “happy planner”
Measure twice, cut once.... 😅😂🤣 And who hasn't done the measure once cut twice at least once in their life?
Haha yep!