Another little drawing from my black Moleskine sketchbook, approximately 5 x 5 inches:
- Girl with a Pearl
I ordered an 8.5 x 12 inch folio size Moleskine sketchbook which arrived in the mail last week, and it is as wonderful as I was hoping that it would be: the same plate-bristol-smooth paper, but in a larger size than the Moleskine sketchbooks that are usually stocked at the local art supply stores (the standard is the 5.25 x 8.25 inches "large" sketchbook, though large is relative, of course).
I love the smaller sketchbook because I am forced into simpler compositions and creating a depth of space on the sketches that I refine past the scribbly-idea stage, plus I have to work out very delicate details. But I am happy with this new, larger sketchbook because having more space for the composition is necessary for a few of my sketch ideas that just can't fit within the smaller-sized format.
For drawing in my sketchbook, I use .3mm and .5mm mechanical pencils with 2H and HB leads (plus the occasional 2B or F). Staedtler makes a very nice .5mm mechanical pencil that can be found in the drafting section at Staples (which has a surprisingly good selection of drawing supplies), but I have only found the .3mm pencils at art supply stores (which typically have a wide variety of pencil grades for the mechanical pencil, even the hard-to-find 'F' lead).
I do not usually use mechanical pencils for large scale drawings because my mark-making is too aggressive for the leads to hold up under the pressure, but the mechanical pencils offer the convenience of having a perpetually sharpened pencil for stealthy, on-the-go sketchbook drawing...and you don't have to carry a sharpener.
Currently listening to: New Order Power, Corruption, and Lies (a favorite record from my high school years - 26 years old - I can hardly believe it - how did that happen?)
