I’m baffled why I keep buying landscape sketchbooks as I’m not a fan. I must have either needed a bit of retail therapy or like a magpie I was drawn to the bright Moleskine brand and packaging.

The extreme horizontal format is great for capturing broad sweeping vistas but that’s not my preferred drawing and painting subject. Oh I do a few, but when I do, I tend to choose one of my larger sketchbooks.

This must have been one of the older Moleskine watercolor sketchbooks with inferior paper because many of my earlier pages were plagued with watercolors which bled through to the other side. I can put up with a lot of issues including buckling but bleeds are a deal breaker for me. I need to remember this experience and commit to never buying another.

But… once I start a book, no matter how uncomfortable I feel, I also feel compelled to finish it. I want to number it, shelve it, and pick another. So began my quest.

The model’s arm position worked well with this format.

The text block balances the sketch and fills the white space.

I’m pretty pleased with myself that I managed to draw her in the near darkness.

A few more sketches and then, magically, I had reached the last page. I quickly drew a modified contour selfie, added splashy watercolor, and a new favorite quote…

Done!