What physical form does
your journal take? Spiral-bound, cahier, oilcloth sketchbook, Moleskin, etc.?
What materials do you use to fill it? Pen, pencil, charcoal, paint, collage, etc.?
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My
preference is a hard-bound notebook with a black cover. This is what I was
first introduced to in 1980. I like to be able to use both sides of the page.
I am not concerned about the manufacturer of the book (e.g. “moleskin”) but I
like to be able to use both sides of the page, prefer unlined pages, acid
free paper with a paper weight of at least 60 lbs. My favorite sized book is
5-1/2 x 8-1/2 (14x21 cm) though I have used soft cover sketchbooks and one or
two spiral bound books of various sizes. The size noted, however, is easy to
carry with me almost all the time without drawing a lot of attention to it.
With rare exception, I have written in the
journals with a Pilot Precise “V” Series pen. It is close to a mechanical pen
in construction, and over time I have found the ink is of a low acid content
and doesn’t bleed through the pages.
I
have also sketched in the journals pasted in items as keepsakes and made an
occasional collage.
Watercolor
(using a “dry brush technique) and pen/ink sketches. I don’t use pastel, soft
pencil or charcoal because I am concerned about it smearing on the pages.
I’ve made collage pages, and inserted
photographs.
Many times (not always) I have affixed
things on to the covers of the notebooks. Once I did a collage that
encompassed both covers. Often, with the smaller books, the intent is to make
distinct one volume from others, or to easily discern front from back.
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