Notebooks with the same features as the present Moleskine notebooks were a popular standard in 19th and 20th century Europe, handmade by small French bookbinders who supplied the stationery shops of Paris. As documented by many art collections and museums, in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, these nameless notebooks became a prominent creative tool for avant-garde artists who enjoyed drawing and writing outdoors, putting down impressions on paper, painting from life in the streets and cafés, and capturing extemporary scenes, ideas, and emotions.

Among artists who used similar black notebooks were Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and Henri Matisse.

The present Moleskine notebook is specifically fashioned after Bruce Chatwin’s descriptions of the notebooks he used in his travels. The name itself of “Moleskine” is a nickname that Chatwin uses in one of his most celebrated writings, The Songlines (1986). In this book Chatwin tells the story of his original supplier of notebooks, a Paris stationer who in 1986 informed him that the last notebook manufacturer, a small family-run firm in Tours, had discontinued production that year, after the death of the owner.

“Le vrai Moleskine n’est plus” (The real Moleskine is no more) are the words Chatwin puts in the mouth of the owner of the stationery shop in Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie.

In 1997 a small company based in Milan named Modo & Modo Spa decided to bring this kind of notebook back to life, establishing the Moleskine trademark and starting production of Moleskine notebooks with 5000 pieces. In 1999 Modo & Modo Spa started distributing outside Italy, in US and Europe. In 2004 Moleskine notebooks arrived in Japan and from there Moleskine started distribution in the rest of Asia. Perhaps due to their link to the literary and cultural heritage of the Moleskine notebooks, bookshop retailers and design stores everywhere are the main distribution channel.

In 2006, according to an article in The Daily Telegraph, the company’s small staff was unable to keep up with demand. In August 2006, the French investment fund Société Générale Capital purchased Modo & Modo Spa and started investing in its expansion. The company name changed into “Moleskine Srl”. According to an article in the German magazine Brand Eins, Moleskine notebooks are now distributed in 53 countries, through 14,000 stores, 65% of which are bookshops.

Moleskine is a brand of notebooks, planners, diaries, sketchbooks and albuMs Manufactured by Moleskine srl, an italian coMpany based in Milan.Moleskine notebooks are typically bound in coated paper cardboard, with an elastic band to hold the notebook closed, a sewn spine that allows it to lie flat when opened, creaM colour paper, rounded corners, a ribbon bookMark, an expandable pocket inside the rear cover, all packed in a paper banderole.

I’m Oliver. I’m a designer and illustrator living the dream in glorious Cleveland, Ohio. I’m currently a senior designer at Go Media, working in brand development, interactive media, and art direction.

When I start on a project, I like to brainstorm ideas and write down whatever comes to mind. From there I from there I start sketching until I develop something that can translate well onto the computer, and of course I also have to be happy with it. I try to flesh out as much as I can on paper before moving to the computer, but sometimes I get too excited and get straight to the computer right when the sketch is starting to materialize. The sketches below are drawings that have been developed and used in recent projects.

the iMportance of sketching: oliver barrett’s Moleskine

My web site is focused on my illustration work. The majority of the work is portraiture, but I mix in some vector pieces and other styles as well. I’m available for projects and love making new buddies, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.

www.ohbarrett.com

• EssEntial skEtching matErials.It is a good idea to find a container that can accommodate all your sketching material. You may wish to sketch out of doors, and a single container is much more desirable than carrying many small articles.

• A good range of pencils is important. When you buy pencils, try different degrees of hardness and softness. Hard pencils are good for line work, while the softer pencils can be used for shading.

• A set of ink pens can be an invaluable tool in your sketching kit. These do not have to be expensive. Ordinary, waterproof-marking pens can provide the quick basis for a sketch, while water washes over this will not alter the lines.

• A rag and absorbent paper are essential for mopping up and working on your sketch. Remember that a sketch is an exploration and you should experiment as much as possible. A small sponge can also work wonders when working quickly with water.

An essential element to include is a set of cheap watercolors. These can be bought at any art shop. You will also need a few cheap brushes in different sixes. DO not forget to include a clean cup or palette for mixing and a container of water that can be closed.

• Written by Gary Smith •

• Page nr 53 •

SketcheS are explorationS into the poSSibilitieS that the final work might contain. in thiS SenSe, Sketching Should be a free and relaxed Search for new expreSSive poSSibilitieS. the importance of Sketching iS extremely Significant aS a Study for the next Stage of the development of the artwork. thiS iS particularly true in the caSe of Sculpture, and particularly realiStic Sculpture. i know of a Sculptor who Spent more than a month lying in a field Studying the movementS of cattle before even attempting a Sculpture of a cow. he would Sketch for hourS, repeatedly drawing the Same elementS, over and over. what iS the purpoSe of thiS Seemingly inSane and boring activity? by Sketching, he waS Studying the form of the cow. we tend to accept that a cow iS a common object that doeS not need Study; but the artiSt would diSagree. every Shape and form iS unique and mySteriouS. part of the reaSon for Studying theSe formS iS

to become aware of thiS myStery and, eventually, to tranSlate it to the canvaS or into Steel or marble.

• What you need to sketch.Very basically, you need a pencil and paper but there are many other materials that will help you in sketching.The paper you work on should be of a quality that can accept watercolor. The reason for this is that sketching, especially in preparation for a large painting, needs experimentation in tone and color and not only form. Therefore, if you decide to purchase a sketchpad, make sure that the paper is thick enough to accept water without buckling too much. The paper should be 230 gsm.

You may decide to make your own sketchpad. This option may also be the more economical. Buy good quality paper in bulk. It is fairly easy to make a sketchpad. Put about 50 sheets of paper firmly together. Use any heavy object to weigh it down and paint the vertical or horizontal spines thickly with contact glue. Leave this for about three minutes until it becomes tacky. A piece of cotton fabric can be placed on the glued areas. The cotton fabric should also be slightly overlapping. Press down firmly and leave to dry. You can attach an attractive piece of fabric over the first layer of cotton fabric with glue.Alternatively, you may attach your loose sheets of paper to a clipboard and use them as singly. This is also useful if you want to remove them later.

• Page nr 54 •

• Some tipS on Sketching.In order to demonstrate the importance of sketching, we will pretend that we are going to sketch a sea scene. We would pack our sketching kit and, hoping that the sun stays shining, go to the beach. Before us is a typical beach scene with only a few people on the beach.

The fist step is to sketch, very roughly, the basic dimensions and forms that we decided on. You do this using a soft pencil that leaves a light line. At this stage you shouldn’t worry about achieving and exact image, but rather experiment with the shapes and forms in front of you. Draw those elements that attract you. There is no need to draw everything that you see. For example, you may concentrate on a certain rock, or formation of the beach. This is the importance of sketching. You are selecting and isolating elements that are to be incorporated in later painting, or even sculpture. Many famous artists used this method and would do many sketches of a single scene; emphasizing and drawing elements form different angles, and even in different lights or times of day. They would later take all these different sketches back to the studio and work them into a single image in oil or another medium.Once you have chosen your subject or subjects, and have sketched their rough outlines, it is often a good idea to begin with watercolor washes.

The purpose of this is to start developing a feel for the color and tone of the subject. In order to work with watercolor, mix some color in your mixing cup and add water from the water container in your sketching kit. The purpose is, once again, to experiment and explore color relationships. Apply slight washes to the sketch and play with different color combinations. The aim is to capture the mood and tone of the beach and not to “ copy” it exactly.

Always remember that sketching is meant to be an experimental process. I have only mentioned a few elements that you may include in your sketching kit. You may also add a set of pastels, and even a set of cheap oil and acrylic paints. If you are an oil painter, you can begin your sketch in oil on specially prepared paper, using turpentine as a thinning medium.

Once you have exhausted the possibilities of your subject matter, then the time has come to return to the studio and assemble your sketches for the start of the final painting or sculpture.