SQUARE HOLES
After decades of sampling many different types of sketchbook I have recently decided that this is my favorite kind. The paper is just right, not too smooth nor too rough, and has the exact degree of absorbancy I prefer: it stands up to pencil, and Sharpie ink sinks into it very very slightly, not too much. I like that it is a spiral type sketchbook because it can be opened up and laid flat or folded back. (plus those square cut holes are visually delightful!) But unlike most spirals it has a closing device, an elastic strap, to keep it bound and stable when not in use. It comes in several different sizes all of which I like. This is the smallest, 6 by 4 inches, and I keep it in my purse for sketching emergencies: you never know when you'll be gripped by the urge to draw! The big problem is that I use these books up so quickly and I cannot bear to ever throw a sketchbook away. My justification is that I might want to refer to them later (but I almost never do.) Essentially they are like "scales" for a musician I suppose. Except much less ephemeral: they are piling up!