I recently finished my travel sketchbook. I have different sketchbooks for notes and ideation, but this one I reserve for landscape studies.

I love looking at other artists’ sketchbooks; it’s a unique opportunity to see how people think outside of their more polished and finished work.

It took me a little while to figure out what worked best for me sketchbook-wise. Since I enjoy working with ink wash and watercolor, I needed paper that could handle water, but still felt nice to draw on with pens and pencils. I also wanted something that was portable and hardy, but not so big that I needed a backpack to contain it. I finally settled on the 5.5” x 5.5” Handbooks.


While I was home visiting family, I hopped on my bike and explored my own backyard. My sketches from that day continue to inform my final illustrations.

Happy Sketching!
Ariel Silverstein
Inspiring books about keeping sketchbooks:
The Art of Urban Sketching by Gabriel Campanario
An Illustrated Life by Danny Gregory