Finishing my Big Spiral Alpha book [Video]

January 31, 2022 | 6 Comments


As I mentioned last week, I’ve finished my big Alpha – an 11×14 spiral-bound book. (Sadly this size is discontinued.) It was the biggest sketchbook I have used to date and I absolutely loved using it.

It has confirmed an idea I’ve had lately, that I’m happier when I work larger as it gives me more freedom with my mark-making.

The spiral didn’t bother me at all as a single page was large enough to fit the majority of sketches on it – with the option of extending the edges of the sketch across the spiral to the other side of the spread.

The book was heavy, too heavy for carrying around everywhere in daily life, but as I was half on holiday (vacation) during January it was okay. I found that it was much easier to handle than the large Goldline square book I used last September as I was able to fold the pages back and work on a single page – as seen in this photo.


Below you will find photos of most of the spreads I haven’t already shared but I also filmed a YouTube video walking through the entire book.

I hope that you enjoy this more detailed look at my pages. Click on the image or here to watch.


And here are the pages – click on each image to view at a larger size.

 


I enjoyed using this sketchbook so much that I’ve started a smaller spiral book (7×10) but sadly it’s not working as well. But that’s a story for another day!

6 Comments

  • Joanne lichtenstein says:

    Thank you for sharing your sketchbook and thoughts about each page. Your video gives such insight on how to evaluate and learn from ones work. I don’t really look at my pages in that way, but now I see it’s important to do just that.

  • David Campbell says:

    I don’t know if you can get these in Australia, but you might like the Strathmore Visual Journal – Mixed Media. It comes in a large spiral bound 12×9 portrait size and takes ink and light washes nicely. I have one that I’ve dedicated to my Foundations coursework (which I should be doing now instead of reading blogs).
    P.S. it was fun to see what you were sketching on my birthday!

  • Beth Robley says:

    It’s wonderful to see your sketchbook and hear your description of your daily sketching in the video, so inspiring. I’m jumping into the Foundations run-through, although late, and am excited to get started again with sketching, especially the every day practice. Thank you for the opportunity to play with the group.

  • Kate Yetter says:

    This is fabulous! I have watched all your Youtube videos and get so much inspiration from you! I love the orange and green saucers the best. The detail is amazing! I would love to see more on sketchbook page composition. It is SO hard to know how to balance elements so that they don’t look awkward. Love your blog and style.

  • Jamie C says:

    These are always my favorite entries, seeing the whole come together in the sketchbook pages, as a full series! It’s what I want most for my own sketchbooks, too, love the capturing of the details. You’ve certainly nailed your intention to do more objects that tell more stories!

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