What can I do with a black paper sketchbook?

                          We indulge in art because it gives us pleasure. To get the maximum pleasure out of art and to really enjoy what you are doing, it is necessary to use the right medium and materials required. Picture this Rapunzel and Flynn in Tangled are in the middle of a deserted river on a boat at night. There is nothing but darkness, the sky is dark, the water looks dark and all they can see is a dark silhouette of the caste far away. Suddenly, the lantern festival begins and they are surrounded by hundreds of sky lanterns. They sky turns into a beautiful golden hue, the water is shimmering with the reflection of the flames from the lanterns, Rapunzel and Flynn are staring in awe as everything around them is alight by what looks like hundreds of splendid fireflies. Won’t it be better to recapture this scene in a Black sketchbook rather than painting a white paper black, waiting for it to dry (which won’t turn out perfect) and then re painting on it?

                                 It is true that you cannot use ordinary water colors on Black Paper Sketchbook because black absorbs all these colours. You can use gouache, acrylic and opaque pens like jelly rolls. You can also use white pens, pencils, white charcoal, pastel colors, neon, metallic and fluorescent colours so that they are visible and make a beautiful contrast against the black background. It might sound like a lot of effort, but you will be very pleased with the end result.

                           Black paper is not limited to just painting the night sky. You can make many colorful portraits using this, say for instance a jungle with lush green trees, wild flowers and many animals and birds with striking colour patterns. You can paint monuments like the Eiffel tower, the Taj Mahal, the Mysore Palace and make the lights gleam in your sketchbook. You can also do mandala, dot mandala, food illustrations, animal sketching, floral art, portraits of your loved ones, cartoons, Anime, Ghibli, Manga etc. The possibilities are endless.

                      I have tried several Black Paper Sketchbook India from different brands over the years and Menorah’s True Black Sketchbook has become my personal favorite. The sketchbooks from other brands were just shades of grey and not really black as you expect it to be. Menorah’s Black sketchbook would say, is aptly named. Its papers, though textured had a smooth finish that let my pencil and paint brush glide over the paper. It absorbs colors very well and works for both wet and dry medium. It is available in A4, A5 and Square sizes. The Black paper sketchbook price is also reasonable for the quality. You can buy their black bookmark, like I did and try painting on it to know the paper quality before buying their sketchbook.

                            Black paper sketchbooks are really worth the hype. They enhance all the colors, bring out all the nuances of your work and make your art pop.