How to Make a Watercolour Sketchbook - A Bookbinding Tutorial

Learn bookbinding - make a professional-quality sketchbook with Fabriano Artistico hot-press watercolour paper. Or buy one from my online shop! https://www.willjbaileyshop.com. I also make a smaller book with Saunders Waterford.

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*UPDATE*

22 x 30" watercolour paper sheets come in both long and short grain. Fabriano Artistico is short grain but Saunders Waterford and Arches Aquarelle (also excellent) are both long. Long grain sheets can make 19.12(h) x 28(w)cm landscape or 19.12(h) x 14(w)cm portrait books without wastage. Fabriano Artistico can also make a small landscape book (half the size of my portrait one) of 14(h) x 19.12(w)cm.

My materials costs for these books are actually over £25, when you factor in paper, buckram, boards, end papers, mull, tape, glue and delivery (and I buy in bulk) - not including tools.

You should wear nitrile or latex gloves when handling the paper, particularly in the tearing and sewing stages, to prevent oils from your hands being absorbed into the paper. I also wear gloves when using PVA, as a safety precaution (though not when attaching the cover to the text block as it's so fiddly).

For the end papers I now don't use cartridge paper as I say in the video, but 300gsm, pulp-based, mould-made, hot press watercolour paper, cut to size, not torn. Specifically I use St Cuthbert's Mill Bockingford: https://www.jacksonsart.com/bockingford-watercolour-papers-white-sheets

Also I don't use EVA anymore. It's brilliant, but really expensive, so instead I use conservation grade PVA, which has similar qualities (neutral ph, delaminates with water), but is much cheaper, particularly in larger volumes: https://www.hewitonline.com/PVA_Adhesive_M289_p/ad-011.htm. If you're on a budget you could use normal PVA.

I don't buy A3 bookboards from Shepherds anymore, but rather full-size 760x1020cm sheets of 2.5mm Dutch Greyboard from Hewit, and cut them down: https://www.hewitonline.com/Greyboard_p/pp-300-000.htm. It's much more economical and less wasteful. However I do make lots of these books for my online shop - if you only want one book, getting A3 boards may still be the best option.

One small step I miss out in the video - once I've folded the signatures, I then briefly press them (for an hour or so whilst I cut the cover materials to size). This helps shape the text block and makes the sewing stage easier.

You can use sandpaper (I use 80 grit) on the edges of the book board to get them precisely square / flat. You can clamp the two together and sand them as a pair. Be sure to wear a mask.

In the video I roller the glue onto the cover, then press the boards onto it. However, it's much easier doing it the other way round - roller the glue onto the boards, then press them onto the cover. You can use a sheet of tracing paper to rub the cover to help adhesion.

To get the fabric to wrap round the corners of the board neatly after gluing - when you cut the corners out with your scalpel, inset the start of the cut from a mm or so away from the corner of the board, to allow enough fabric to wrap around the edge. Also don't make the angle of the cut too steep - a shallower angle will make a gap less likely.

Finally I now buy all my bookbinding materials (apart from paper which I get from Jacksons) from J Hewit and Sons: https://www.hewit.com. Their materials are really good quality and cheaper than Shepherds (though if you live in London, Shepherds is a great if you need to go to a physical store, and their hand-printed paper is gorgeous). Hewit's delivery is pricey but fast.

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Materials:

Awl:
https://store.bookbinding.co.uk/store/product/3271/English-Bookbinding-Awl/

Bone Folder:
https://store.bookbinding.co.uk/store/product/244/Bone-Folder-Small-Pointed/

Thread:
https://store.bookbinding.co.uk/store/product/3576/Linen-Sewing-Thread-25-3-wh/

Needles:
https://store.bookbinding.co.uk/store/product/7071/Bookbinding-Needles-Standard/

EVA Glue:
https://store.bookbinding.co.uk/store/product/5130/Eva-con-R-Adhesive-500ml/

Sewing Tape:
https://store.bookbinding.co.uk/store/product/3256/Pliester-Sewing-Tape-12mm/

Mull:
https://store.bookbinding.co.uk/store/product/12287/Mull-No.4/

Buckram:
https://store.bookbinding.co.uk/store/product/12718/Aberlave-Buckram-Black/

Fabriano Artistico, Hot Press, Extra White x5
https://www.jacksonsart.com/fabriano-artistico-extra-white-hot-press-140lb-300gsm-22x30in-56x76cm-x5/

Scalpel:
https://www.jacksonsart.com/swann-morton-scalpel-handle-no-3-for-blades-10-10a-11-12-15-15a
https://www.jacksonsart.com/swann-morton-scalpel-blade-no-10a-for-no-3-handle-pack-of-5-blister-pk

Cutting Mat:
https://www.jacksonsart.com/handover-cutting-mat-a3

Видео How to Make a Watercolour Sketchbook - A Bookbinding Tutorial канала Will J Bailey