Remember sketchbooks can be a place to learn what you like to do when you make art so trials, tests and mistakes are welcome here. If you are like me, you may be one of those illustrators who collect brushes, paint, drawing implements of all kinds and sketchbooks! Another thing that gives me great satisfaction is book binding for art books. Don’t worry! This is easier than that, no special book binding instruments needed of any kind. This is my six week course that runs two times a year. If you are looking for a way to push your work forwards and find your own style, in a non-rigid way, with room to be independent and do your own thing, then this is the course for you. They can be laid out horizontally on the floor, held on a shelf, laid out on a table, or hung horizontally. So pleased this online workshop has taken off. It’s really transformed my mindset to sketching’ Gillian

This is the fun bit. And I like to leave this until the end. This is because when I work into the sketchbook, I don’t always know how it will turn out. I also don’t know what I might find along the way to use as a cover. Artway has been producing high-quality sketchbooks for over 20 years, and as creatives ourselves, we know the importance of quality materials. Whether you're producing rough sketches on the go, finishing detailed drawings, creating technical designs or experimenting with different materials like watercolours, pastels or marker pens a sketchbook is the starting point for many artists, so finding something that is reliable and suits your needs is crucial. In addition, there is the Free Up your Sketchbook and Grow (six week) course. Access is for one year. Enrolment for the next one will open again February 2024.I decided to focus primarily on the properties of the paper, testing out a variety of mediums to see what suited best. FINALLY: make sure when you work into your sketchbook that you draw on the side without the tape! Customizing the Sketchbook Covers My courses are self paced; you can complete them in your own time. It may be a binge for a day, or spread over weeks. You log on and off when you want to. There is no weekly timetable. Next I was interested in how the sketchbook would take colour and delicate tools such as pastels and buildable crayons. Got so excited, couldn’t stop watching. Karen thank you for an inspirational workshop, time now to collect my ” toys” and supplies – and start exploring. Am a fairly experienced painter – but you have ignited my creativity to sketch and begin to explore my new home county of Rutland. A big thank you. Maggy

My struggle here is not to get too tight again. I sometimes find myself hunched over the sketchbook with a tiny brush or pencil, my nose inches away from the paper focused on a tiny area. This is not comfortable and usually happens when I’m trying to control the outcome too much. Then it’s time to take a breath, stretch and make a cup of tea. Concertina sketchbook tips Line up the long paper of four sheets taped together on a table or clean working surface with the tape facing down and the cuts facing up. Not at all! My sketchbooks are much more about mark making and exciting surfaces, with as little or as much drawing as you like. Some participants draw lots, some collage lots. I do provide some pdf photographs for you to work from for inspiration, if you need them.You can store what is effectively a large work of art in a very small compact space, and keep it well protected. This the 25 minute lesson from Sketchbook Revival 2022 with an added bonus of 20 minutes additional material, as I work on my sketchbook. There are seven online Creative Concertina Sketchbook shorter courses to choose from. All of these courses have lifetime access. The Buildings, Allotments and Abstracts courses each comprise six modules, with many mini lessons of short 5-10 minute videos. You can complete them in your own time, over a weekend or over many weeks, stopping and replaying as much as you need to. But why should I go to so much trouble? Because concertina sketchbooks are wonderful. Let me count the ways.. 10 Reasons Why I Love Concertina Sketchbooks