notebookism

Silver Ink!

This custom silver ink, developed by materials researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, allows you to draw working circuits out on paper.

There's even a how-to. (via BB)

Look! A T-Shirt Sketchbook

Pukka/Dank out of Istanbul sent this interesting item:

"Are you a t-shirt designer?

Everyone has a great idea for a t-shirt, and sketching is an excellent way to quickly explore concepts.

T-Shirt Shape Sketchbook invites you to start with sketching by hand.
Putting ideas quickly on Tee Shape paper!
Helping designers visualize the final product..."

LINK: T-Shirt Sketchbook

INSPIRATIONS: Mattias Adolfsson

Our friend Mattias Adolfsson just finished his latest notebook of illustrations.

 Mattias is a freelance Illustrator living in Sigtuna just outside of Stockholm Sweden. He has worked with everything from computer games to children's books. 

LINK: Mattias' website

From Blank Page # 141

"Why is moleskinerie.com so boring now? Moleskinerie.com is all sponsored or featured artists or boring marketing crap. The artists they feature aren't very interesting (sorry). There's no critique, no community, no interaction, no replies, nothing unique. Featured artists are amusing once in a while, but lame when that's the only unique content. I don't care about design shows or design awards or asking some unknown author poll questions. I know Moleskine Inc owns that blog now, but why did they take the "community" out of it entirely? The Flickr and Google Groups seem equally silent and unused. Where did the community go? What happened to the excitement and interaction?"

By gatorade. 

N.B. I left the blog last year. Hopefully this and other observations will get the company's attention. Notebookism, on the other hand have been published on and off for the past year. Between real life and self-supported blogging, it's been challenging, to say the least. But we'll manage.  - Armand

 Join the discussion by clicking HERE.

Interview with Asahi Shimbun

I gave an interview last Monday to Mr. Nao Aoyama of the Asahi Shimbun for a feature article about stationery in a forthcoming Sunday edition of the Japanese newspaper.

I was quite flattered to have Mr. Aoyama make a side trip to Chicago just to see me. He was on his way to South Carolina later that day for another visit, still related to the article. Then he flies on to Europe to finish the assignment.

Nao cited the resurgence of interest on stationery, journals and notebooks in Japan, especially "hacks" which there are magazines dedicated entirely to modifications. Our conversation, which lasted well into the afternoon, dealt mostly with Moleskinerie, the blog I started, and why notebooks are so popular despite the digital options available.  We concluded with a discussion on the future of paper, writing and creativity in general.

The article, unfortunately will only be in Japanese but I hope somebody can translate it for us when it comes out next month. 

I left that interview with a renewed sense of mission, that maybe, Notebookism is still worth reviving after all. 

どうもありがとうございます Thanks again, Nao for dropping by and for everyone who left messages of support or simply to say hi through my absence. Things have been pretty rough but we shall overcome.

- Armand 

Farewell Steve. 1955-2011

Image: Moleskine

Better than the iPad?

(Boston Globe) Alex Beam heralds the revival of an analog data entry device, the classic Blackwing 602 pencil beloved by artists and writers. A California company is reissuing a Blackwing clone to fill the void left when the pencil was discontinued in 1998. (Video by Michael Saunders)

You gotta love that trippy background music. :)

LINK: The Blackwing Pages