This Pacon sketchbook has been my favorite for a long time. It’s my go-to for taking notes while I’m doing fieldwork, and if I was drawing much these days, I’d probably choose it for that, too.
The paper is sturdy but not too thick, and relatively smooth. It’s perfect for writing on. And yes, I prefer to write my notes on unlined paper. I love the unstructured approach and how I can add little sketches or random spaces to fill in later, or arrows connecting different points. I often draw quick sketches of property layouts or studio layouts in my notes, to help me remember where things were when I go back through photographs from my fieldwork and interviews. Or I will sketch out something that I didn’t get a photo of, if there was something significant that I want to remember. My writing is definitely sloppier on unlined paper, but I’m always writing fast and furious anyway when I take notes during fieldwork, so I rather like feeling like I can write as large and messy as I want to or need to in the moment!
The poly cover is durable and great to prevent damage to those first few pages. I used to use these Strathmore sketchbooks a lot, and while I loved their high-quality paper for the colored pencil drawings I used to do, the paper covers were always getting damaged and falling off. The fact that this sketchbook is plain black is also great – not too ostentatious, and looks professional. I personally find the smaller size, 9″ x 6″, to be the easiest to carry around while I’m doing my research. It’s easy to hold, and fits into a small bag if I need to travel light (let’s face it, I can’t always carry my giant fieldwork bag everywhere!). But there is also a larger Pacon sketchbook that is 12″ x 9″, and I imagine it would be great, too. In fact, I might have to get one for myself just to do some drawing for fun for a change!
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