I’ve already gone into depth about paper, but I wanted to specifically draw attention to using small paper as part of the artmaking process since I find it so useful. You could cut your own small papers from larger sheets, and that’s just what I do with mixed media paper in order to make 4x6 inch and 3x4 inch mini works of art, but there are two types of manufactured paper that I find rather indispensable.
First, I love the Strathmore pocket sketch pads, and I usually get the 400 series pad with recycled paper. This 3.5x5 inch spiral bound pad is something that I carry everywhere with me. The other is a pack of ordinary unlined index cards. They come in multiple sizes, but I normally get the 3x5 inch ones. Index cards aren’t as portable as the sketchpad since they’re not bound, so I typically have a stack of index cards in the studio.
Both the sketch pad and the index cards come in super handy and are very versatile for everything from jotting down quick notes to making quick drawings. Index cards are inexpensive and come in packs of 500, and are perfect for doing a series of quick drawings or sketches or some random doodles. I love to experiment with simple lines and shapes, and I can explore a variety of layouts and composition without worrying about wasting paper. The paper tends to be thin, and it’s definitely not archival, but they’re great to have around for working out ideas.
The small Strathmore sketch pad is perfect for carrying everywhere, and I always have one in my backpack. The paper is higher quality than the index cards, and it’s acid free. I like to use the pad for small drawings especially when I’m waiting at the airport, the doctor’s office, or at a restaurant. Like the index cards, it’s perfect for quick drawings, written notes, and random doodles, and I’ve gotten in the habit of making several little drawings in them nearly everyday since it’s so easy to pull it out along with a pen. The spiral binding makes it a bit more convenient than the index cards, especially for sharing. My friends and I are in the habit of passing our little sketch pads around anytime we get together, especially when we go out to eat or hang out socially. The drawings become collaborative and communal, and there’s never telling what will emerge from an evening of hanging out and drawing together.
But these drawings, doodles, lists, writings, and collaborative sketches, whether on index cards or from the sketch pad, are ideal for adding to the pages of a much larger journal, and I often incorporate several of them into a single page or spread. When I use them to initiate a page, it’s often difficult to tell that I used them with all of the layering that I do on top.
I highly recommend carrying around some small index cards or a small sketch pad simply for their convenience and artmaking potential.