Man Made DIY

In the era of smart phones, tablet pcs, and very useful, well-designed computer-based to-do apps, there's still something quite organic and almost human about scraping a pencil across the fibers of a piece of paper. So, even the most wired-up creative set still keep a notebook around - for speed, accuracy, and sometimes, inspiration.

The Moleskine has become the standard, due in large part to a clever marketing approach at the Barnes and Noble superchain, who entice would-be highbrow superstars to use the same notebook used by Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway. But despite their beauty, Moleskines are ludicrously overpriced. And...we never buy what we can… read more

Julia Rothman's "Book By Its Cover" blog regularly features some incredible things bound in book form. But these from German Illustrator Lars Henkel simply leap off the page (screen?) in their pushing the boundaries of what "sketchbook" usually conjurs up.

"Lars Henkel wrote me wondering if I’d be interested in sharing his sketchbook. I am more than thrilled when an incredible artist such as Lars even has heard about the site, let alone wants to contribute to it. Lars work is interesting and impressive in… read more