You should get a Moleskine. I wouldn't say they are the cheapest but they are the best!

Just buy cheap sketchbooks in bulk from Jerrys-art-a-rama.

first off are there no Notebook / sketchbook / journal sites you can ask this question on? :o)

buy a Fabriano Artists Classic Journal
(i.e., expensive pads with good paper)

The good paper, solid binding and soft cover make them versatile handy and portable.

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How about an iPhone or iPod Touch?

I'm not sure if you're serious, but actually that would be a great idea for an iPhone app - a vector-illustration sketchpad.

Semi-serious (as always) although a small form-factor pen-input Tablet PC might be better.

i'm waiting for the iPhone glyph editor app from FontLab

Then we can start discussing thin fingers versus fat fingers and the variability they introduce to font creation!

Here are some finger paintings done on my iphone using the Brushes app.
Great fun

Matter makes Matterials amongst which you will find some great sketchbooks. All from salvaged paper.

hmm can't seem to find any of the moleskin large sketchbooks... they are all out of stock.

Miss Tiffany,

cool site! I love the half formed thoughts journals, only I am looking for sketch paper more than note paper.

iPhone? iPod Touch? Gosh now I feel positivley frugal with my $30 sketch books.

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* Shameless self promotion. *

Schizzo, of course. ;)

Graham, those are cool.

get Bored!

www.boredsketchbooks.com

=)
jarrod

what about pens? I've been using microns for a while, but I'm not really satisfied. I dont really like rapidographs either.

I think Graham just convinced me to get an iPhone.

Any book with blank paper is good. If you think about it this is where your rough work would end up right? Grid paper books are also useful and can be cheap.

@ Gershon: Good question... I use uniball vision elite pens myself but I would also be interested in learning what other people use.

I just got some elegant writer pens to play with as well.

Bind your own.

Faber Castell PITT Brush pens.

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Ok, a couple more just for fun. I still use a Moleskine sketch book, but the iPhone is cool.

Moleskines are great because they are so well made and the paper is different. I have painted in mine using oils, acrylics, gouache, pastels and inks. The standard sketch books don't take water colour washes too well, but you can get interesting effects with it. If you use water colour than I would recommend the Moleskine water colour sketch books, these are very good and each page can be torn out with clean edges if need to.
For pens I use pencil, uniball vision elite, and Inoxcrom ball point.
Have fun.

As for 'writing/scribbling tools' or pens, I currently prefer Stabilo pointVisco / edding 67 roller.

edding looks like they make a lot of good pens. Unfortunately they seem hard to find. Amazon.co.uk seems about the only place i can get them. Same with the Stabilo pointVisco. But both can only be delivered in the uk...

Try to get hold of some of the WHITELINES® notebooks. Pure genious!

I am also fond of the FIELD NOTES® notebooks as well as the (by others) before mentioned MOLESKINE®.

Those Whiteline notebooks look interesting. I have just one perfect bound A4 sqaured notebook and am now looking forward to receive it.

It will be interesting to compare the white lines with the ideas of minimal differences from Edward Tufte.

Go for the Moleskine!

My lil' problem with the standard Moleskin's paper is that it is too smoothe not tough enough. I end up with fibers stuck in the nib of my fountain pen. I'm an exuberant drawer. The Moleskin water colour pads are great.

Here some of the Fabriano books I have filled.

kind of actual size, eh... sorry 'bout that :o)

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I just found a cool new moleskin journal set:

http://charlesandmarie.com/lifestyle-gems/quintessentials/tragically-hip...

"Think Moleskine in appearance and quality, but you get a stack of 12, beautifully tied up in a small little package, each one with an oh so smart hole punched into it, so you can differentiate the months and keep track of your doodles, thoughts, or track your lists and see whether you've acheived what you proclaimed slightly intoxicated on New Years eve..."

Another interesting unique notebook set by Joshua Davis:

http://www.shopmiquelrius.com/servlet/the-*View-by-Designer-cln-NEW%21-J...