Check Out NMA    Learn More About our Partnership
Close and Enjoy Drawabox Ad-free
View Full Submission View Parent Comment
2:25 AM, Sunday March 28th 2021

Thank you for your response!

The sketch book that I'm referring to is specifically designed to be used with fineliners/ink and has a wonderfully smooth surface. https://www.cottonwoodarts.com/collections/all/c-series

My concern is whether or not they'll insist that I use printer paper for the official critiques. You're right, it's probably a waste of a good sketchbook in some ways (it's not cheap, that's for sure)...but I really love the idea of being able to go back and see how far I've come in one easy place rather than having a bunch of loose printer paper that I'm bound to lose. Also, if it's in a book like this then I'll be less inclined to want to discard my work and start over.

2:45 AM, Sunday March 28th 2021

I don't think it will matter for that purpose if that's what you want to do. I think many people may start out with this idea of the work being precious but it really isn't. It's the process and brain changes that are the reward.

Good luck whatever you choose. It is hard work but the benefit is huge.

2:53 AM, Sunday March 28th 2021

I really appreciate you giving feedback so quickly! I'm looking forward to getting into the lessons and seeing my improvements over time. I'm a software developer by trade but the idea of signing off of computers and drawing for hours sounds so relaxing. Of course I'm really new and can't draw much of anything well yet, but I hope to develop my skills over time.

12:10 AM, Tuesday March 30th 2021

You aren't forced to use copy paper, just keep in mind that you're going to do hundreds of pages throughout drawabox, so you're gonna need a ton of these sketchbooks. Most of the work you're gonna be doing is also the warmups you'll have to do before every session, which normally use 1 page or so.

If you also take sketchbooks make sure it's at least A4 size, don't go for anything smaller

View more comments in this thread
The recommendation below is an advertisement. Most of the links here are part of Amazon's affiliate program (unless otherwise stated), which helps support this website. It's also more than that - it's a hand-picked recommendation of something I've used myself. If you're interested, here is a full list.
Color and Light by James Gurney

Color and Light by James Gurney

Some of you may remember James Gurney's breathtaking work in the Dinotopia series. This is easily my favourite book on the topic of colour and light, and comes highly recommended by any artist worth their salt. While it speaks from the perspective of a traditional painter, the information in this book is invaluable for work in any medium.

This website uses cookies. You can read more about what we do with them, read our privacy policy.