Comments on Making my own Sketchbooks:

For some time I have been making my own hard cover, book-bound sketchbooks with the make and quality of papers I require, since none of these are available on the market.
I use 300 gsm, (140 lb), Arches ‘Rough’ and ‘HP’ surfaces and, because I have a particular liking for working on tinted paper, I have also used a selection of 300 and 400 gsm, ( 140 and 265 lb), toned papers manufactured by The Two Rivers Paper Company in the UK.

The number and sizes of the pages vary in each book but are usually between 29 x 20 cm to 30 x 23 cm, (11 x 8 inches to 12 x 9 inches ), which open out to 29 x 40 cm to 30 x 46 cm, (11 x 15.5 inches to 12 x 18 inches), across adjacent pages.

Bound sketchbooks facilitate working across adjacent pages without the disadvantage of the central gap created with spiral binding.

Selection of recent sketchbooks

Arches paper sketchbooks

Sketchbooks incorporating Two Rivers toned papers