Monologue Is Coming To America

Monologue1Monologue is a sketchbook/journal company based in Singapore but they’ve just established a beachhead in North America in the form of a website.  They sent me examples of their sketchbooks for review and I’ve been using them for a couple weeks.  I thought it time to talk about them here.

They produce several sketchbooks and a many journals but for purposes of sketching, the choices come down to these three “sketchbooks.”  If you use lined journals, however, I encourage you to peruse their website.

All three sketchbooks contain 140gsm (~90lb) Italian paper.  The paper surface is similar to Stillman & Birn Alpha paper if you’re familiar with those sketchbooks.  I’ve found that it handles watercolors fairly well and that it handles my fountain pen inks just fine.  Ballpoints, gel pens and pencils work well also.  In general, I give the paper high marks, though it’s not for those wanting to work wet-in-wet with big sloppy washes.  You can’t scrub this paper, though, so expect limited ability to lift pigments as it generates pills quickly.

Hardcover and softcover sketchbooks

I’m going to talk about the hardcover and softcover A5 and A6 sketchbooks separate from the larger one as their design is so different.  These smaller books can be purchased with either a hardcover, similar to a Stillman & Birn or Canson sketchbook, or as a softcover, more like a Moleskine.

Both books in either A5 or A6 size come with 64 sheets (128 if you use both sides for the math-challenged among us).  The hardcover books have a small cover overhang while the softcovers have no overhang and the corners are rounded.  Both can be made to lay flat – a big plus.

Personally, in small sizes I very much prefer the softcover, no overhang format, as it makes the overall footprint smaller and easier to shove into my pocket or art bag.  I noticed that the website indicates that the hardcover sketchbooks are available in a variety of colors (big plus) while the softcover is only available in black.  Both covers are high quality and the A6 softcover that I’ve been using is holding up nicely to the abuse I’ve foisted upon it.

In my opinion, both sketchbooks suffer from a fatal flaw, at least for me.  The pages are perforated.  Monologue believes we sketchers want to remove pages from our sketchbooks and while that may be the case on occasion, a more general concern is that our pages don’t fall out.  The odd thing is that Monologue doesn’t feel this same ‘feature’ should exist in their lined journals.

To date I haven’t had any pages fall out but there are other issues associated with perforations.  The perforations make it very difficult to do two-page spreads as many like to do.  Also, I found that a decision must be made whether to use the whole page or to exclude the portion that would remain in the book if you did remove the page.  There are esthetic dilemmas in either case (click on photo to see a larger view):

Using the entire page, drawing over the perforations

Using the entire page, drawing over the perforations

Limiting the sketch to the non-perf portion of the page

Limiting the sketch to the non-perf portion of the page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most annoying part of the perforations, however, comes when you want to turn the pages of the book.  The pages bend at the perforations rather than turn as an entire page, which means you’ve got to be very careful when doing the simple operation of flipping through your sketchbook.  In short, if you like perforations (is there anyone?) then you’ll like this ‘feature.’  For me it’s a deal-breaker.

In conclusion, these sketchbooks have a lot going for them if the perforations aren’t a problem for you.  The price is certainly right (A6 soft-cover sells for $6.99).

Large, gorgeous A4 sketchbook

Monologue 9x12, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Monologue 9×12, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

This book is a a stunner.  It features a fabric cover that feels almost like velvet and there’s a nice design embossed on the front cover.  The inside features a blue lining. The cover can be folded back entirely to reveal a large pad of 9×12, 140gsm paper that’s glued into the cover.  I did this sketch in it and it performed well for me.  I would absolutely love this sketchbook if the paper were spiral bound so I could flip it back along with the cover.

But therein lies the rub.  Once again the Monologue people believe that sketchers want to tear the pages out of their sketchbook as they work and this book is designed with that in mind.  The website suggests that this book has perforated pages, though mine does not.  You can just separate the pages from the fabric binding they are glued to (not sewn).  The paper is bound with a cloth binding along the top and the idea seems to be that you’ll use it like you would a legal pad, tearing out the ‘used’ sheets, leaving the beautiful binder for the recycle bin I suppose.  I confess I’m not smart enough to understand this.

Monologue7Possibly, if you were to use this sketchbook in a studio, you could flop the binder open on a desk, draw on the pad side and keep the sketches you create in the book.  But if you’re on the street, you face the problem of pages either hanging in the breeze or bent back as in the photo.  In either case, the weight of these pages cause the drawing surface to bend and curve upward.  Yes, you can pull it down but this places considerable strain on the glued edges of the paper.  A rubber band might hold it flat enough but the problem will get worse and worse as you progress through the book as more and more of the weight of the book will reside in those bent-over pages – unless the used pages are either removed or fall out on their own.

Each of uses our sketchbooks in a different way but regular (mandatory?) page removal doesn’t seem to be one of them.  But if that’s the way you use your sketchbooks, by all means check out these new offerings from Monologue as in all other ways these sketchbooks are good value.

 

 

A Summer’s Day At Berthier, Quebec

It’s been three days since I went out sketching with the gang.  It didn’t make it to 60F that day so, of course, as we headed out for a road trip to Berthier, Quebec the prediction was for temps in the mid-80s with a humidex pushed to over 90F.  Mr. Jetstream is oscillating like crazy these days.

This trip was timed perfectly as we would be sketching next to the St. Lawrence River, where there’s always a breeze to cool things down.  Claudette, Fernande, Yvan and I headed over the bridge with Fernande at the helm.  Once on the south shore we turned east along the river on our way to pick up Louise in St. Vallier, half an hour away.

Monologue 9x12, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Monologue 9×12, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Berthier is just down the road from St. Vallier and I’d never been there before.  I’ll be going back ‘real soon’, though.  It’s a sketcher paradise.  There is a small marina with lots of sailboats to sketch.  There is a quay with benches so you can sit and sketch either passing boats or the other side of the St. Lawrence, which features Mount Tremblant.  There is a large park area with lots of picnic-partaking folks to draw.  There are rocks along the coastline and farm buildings if you look in the other direction.  And if that ain’t enough, there’s a place to get coffee and restrooms to cycle it.

The five of us headed for the marina to sketch boats.  I wanted to capture the height of the masts and  chose a scene and vertical format to emphasize their extraordinary height.  I probably worked too fast but that’s always the case when I’m with a group.

Moleskine watercolor 3x5, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Moleskine watercolor 3×5, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Monologue 9x12, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Monologue 9×12, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Once finished there we sketched a bit more, up in the park area and then set up at a table overlooking the marina for lunch.  We’d collaborated and brought cheeses, baguettes, grapes, and wine for lunch.  Claudette made some fantastic roasted peppers that were great along side cucumber slices.  We were living high.  I ate too much.

To be honest, by the time lunch was over I needed a siesta.  I sketched some but decided that a coffee might perk me up.  I think it did and I sketched some more but the sun and food had slowed me to a crawl.

Monologue A6 sketchbook, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Monologue A6 sketchbook, Pilot Falcon, Platinum Carbon Black

Evidence of that is here.  I’d sat down on a bench looking out at the river.  It was thoroughly enjoyable but there wasn’t much to sketch except for a large ‘other side of the St. Lawrence’ sort of sketch and I didn’t have the energy for that.  But, in front of me, on the storm wall was a light, part of a series of them along the wall.  Behind, and well below them were rocks and the river.  So, I drew one light, drinking coffee and breathing in the fresh air.  I was thoroughly content with the day and this sketch was the final drip from my pen.