The papers in my sketchbook

Most people find a brand new sketchbook or a blank canvas intimidating. There are several techniques for overcoming this e.g. scribble all over the paper to create a background to work into, or avoid using the first page of a sketchbook.

Another way, that I have been exploring recently, is to make a junk journal. This is essentially making a sketchbook using different kinds of paper from different places. You end up with a sketchbook that isn’t perfectly created to begin with so it is less intimidating to modify it. There is also the added appeal of avoiding wastage and reusing old paper that all us artists tend to hoard just in case we can find a use for it.

Another advantage of junk journals is that they provide the chance to include several different sizes and shapes of papers within a single sketchbook to suit different types of drawing.  You can have long pieces that fold out concertina style, tiny pieces for a quick sketch or to note an idea and large pieces that fold into quarters to be the size of a normal page. You can stick on more pieces to extend a page if you need to and include pockets to add other bits and pieces. You can include lined paper to encourage annotation and stories alongside images.

Here are examples of the papers in my junk journals:

Type of paper	Description
Homemade paper	The process of making paper involves making a pulp, pouring this onto sieve, removing excess water and then leaving the paper to dry out. You can add all sorts of things into the mix, such as seeds, dried flowers and feathers. The outcome can be beautiful, or sometimes it doesn’t work so well. Either way, you will probably end up with a lot of bits and pieces of homemade paper that you don’t know what to do with. Now you do.
Children’s old paper	Anyone who has been around young children who are learning to write will know that they can go through a phenomenal amount of paper. There are some pieces that should definitely go on the fridge, some to be added to a special folder or memory box, some to be given to grandparents…and as for the other thousand, well here's a way to avoid throwing them away. To make it easier to draw on top of these papers, I used a gelli plate to lightly print on top of them with shades of brown (NB. Always make sure children are definitely finished with their work and happy for it to be recycled!).
Tissue paper and fabric adorned with rust	I collected lots of rusty objects, wrapped them in white cotton scraps or tissue paper soaked in white vinegar, secured them with twine then left them to dry out. Some of the rust will transfer off the objects leaving beautiful tones and patterns on the cloth or tissue.
Brown packaging paper	Brown paper is great to draw on as you start with mid tones, meaning you can add highlights and shadows. Unless you refrain from ever ordering anything from a certain online company well known for being able to deliver all sorts of things quickly, you will probably have a ready supply to draw upon.
Drawing paper	I always end up bits and pieces of leftover drawing paper in different sizes. If I run out, I flick through old sketchbooks and pull out any unused paper. Having a mixture of weights is helpful to allow different media to be used.
My old artwork	I have lots of sketches, experiments with colour or supplies, and old pictures or paintings that can be cut up added into a junk journal to make a background.
Junk paper	Paper menus, junk mail, brochures, tickets, packaging, magazine pages, old book pages can all be used. I look for interesting words or images that might work well in a background and a decent bit of white (or light space).
Transfers	Acrylic medium can be used to transfer photographic and images onto different surfaces