Accordion Journals

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for a way to cut down the weight of supplies you carry when out sketching. I usually carry a 5” x 8” Strathmore spiral-bound mixed media journal. I like the paper and the fact that the book lays flat, but sometimes the scene I want to capture lends itself to a portrait orientation and other times a landscape length. That’s OK for sketching, but when looking back through my journal, I end up flipping it one way and then another.

Recently, I’ve been noticing some urban sketchers using accordion journals. An accordion journal (also called a concertina journal) is made from one continuous piece of paper. They are lightweight, easy to make, and allow you to capture whatever size scene you happen to be sitting in front of.

To make my accordion journals, I start out with a 22” x 30” sheet of 140 lb hot press watercolor paper. I like the hot press finish better than cold press, because the smoothness of the paper lends itself well for sketching with fine tip micron pens. Plus the heavier weight of the paper gives your journal some support. I cut the paper into thirds along the long edge with each strip measuring approximately 7⅜” tall. After cutting, I fold each strip in half and burnish with a bone folder or the handle of my scissors. Next fold the paper into 5-inch sections alternating the folds like an accordion – first one forward, next one backward, then repeat. This method of folding gives me pages that are very similar in size to the 5” x 8” journals that fit inside my supply case (see the upper 2 journals below). But if you prefer wider pages, approximately 7½” wide, you can just fold each half in half again – 4 sections total (see the bottom journal below).

Some people glue the 3 strips together to make one large journal. I prefer to have 3 separate smaller journals and give each one a “theme,” such as when I want to sketch in my garden or near old buildings or in restaurants. The “fun” in using an accordion journal is to simply find an open spot on the paper and not worry about sketching across the folds. You can fill in spaces that are too small for drawing with notes about the weather, the places you’ve been, or the people you meet. I recently used an accordion journal when I went on vacation in San Diego. It was so easy to carry with me and made an excellent memento of the trip.