testing a new sketchbook

Time to begin a new sketchbook . . . I was given this beautiful handmade leather sketchbook for Christmas. The paper inside is also handmade and is slightly different than the handmade papers I have used in the past. So I've been testing different media on the first pages.

Any wet media I have tried bleeds through this fragile paper, and fountain pen lines "feather" quite a lot. I like how bright the watercolor looks, but it soaks in immediately and cannot be moved across the paper. Watercolor crayons and pencils behaved the same as soon as water was applied.

A pen that works extremely well is the Uni-ball Signo gel pen I found at Jet Pens  --- I think I will stick to pen drawings using these pens to fil this book. And maybe some pencill drawings as well.