Sketchbook | The Postman's Knock

7 Tips for Making Calligraphy and Art on the Go

June 5, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 23 Comments

Every year, Hernán and I go on a trip to explore somewhere new. This year’s trip was to Naples, Barcelona, and Paris — and we wanted to pack extra light. We only took “under the seat” bags so there wouldn’t be any luggage to check (and no extra fees on budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet). Of course, taking a small-ish bag meant traveling with only the bare necessities; the only “creative supply” I took was a Pilot G2 pen! When I found myself wanting to make some art and calligraphy while in Paris, the idea for this blog post was born. In it, you’ll learn seven tips for making calligraphy and art on the go with minimal supplies!
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8 Artistic Books to Jumpstart Your Creativity This Month

May 22, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 34 Comments

I recently stumbled across Days of the Year, which is a website that tells you about little-known holidays and observations. Through Days of the Year, I discovered that May is “Get Caught Reading” month. That was the excuse I needed to provide you with a list of my eight favorite artistic books and magazines! Each of these written works will inspire you to get creative and try something new.
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7 Short Art Projects to Help You Decompress

November 28, 2017 by Lindsey Bugbee 126 Comments

The holiday season is a bit of a conflicting time. On the one hand, you’ve got the sort of Hallmark version of this time of year. I feel the joy that comes with that when I smell pine boughs, see holiday decorations from my childhood, and eat tasty treats. The flip side of that is the frantic race to get everything done before you take time off! There are also stressful gift lists to contend with and, for many people, the prospect of dealing with family members who aren’t exactly our favorites. When the stress starts to get to you, hit the pause button and get out some art supplies.
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How to Make a Sketchbook Journal (and Why You Should!)

January 27, 2017 by Lindsey Bugbee 37 Comments

I believe that every person with any degree of interest in creating art or lettering should have a sketchbook journal! I have kept one since 2004, and I still derive so much enjoyment out of creating new pages. It’s an activity that allows me to relax, think, and experiment with new mediums!
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Different Types of Paper

June 9, 2015 by Lindsey Bugbee 63 Comments

Yesterday, I was scouring my imagination {and my Pinterest} for blog post ideas, when suddenly a topic fell into my lap. A gracious reader, Martha, sent an email requesting a blog post comparing different types of paper. I found this to be a brilliant suggestion because the world of paper can be scary to navigate, especially if you’re a beginning artist, designer, or calligrapher! It can be difficult to know which type of paper to use for what, and even to understand the difference between certain papers.
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Sharing My Sketchbook

May 11, 2014 by Lindsey Bugbee 5 Comments

{Don’t have time to read this blog post? Download my sketchbook for free here.}

Yesterday, I was filling out an interview for a feature in heART Journal Magazine. All was going swimmingly until I reached the last question, which read: “Do you keep an art journal? If so, do you post anywhere that the readers can go take a peek?” That was when I realized — wow, I don’t have my art journal {which I refer to as a sketchbook} posted anywhere. It’s about time that changed!
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Bookbinding Tutorial {Brought to You by Jessica of Greenleaf & Blueberry}

June 2, 2013 by Lindsey Bugbee 11 Comments

Once upon a time in Europe, I met Jessica {of Greenleaf & Blueberry}. As roommates on our study abroad program, we immediately hit it off, successfully bringing out strange quirks in each other that rendered our fellow study abroad participants squeamish and confused. Jess’s affectionate nickname for me was “Pooky Bella” — “Pooky” because it’s the sort of name you just don’t call me due to my type-A, serious personality; and “Bella” because we heard it all over the streets of Italy from amorous Italian stallions. Once, we tried to survive on just leek broth for an entire day, that should have been three days, that actually only ended up being a morning. For several wonderful weeks, we shared custody of a small, plastic-bodied cereal box toy that must people would recognize as “The Joker” from Batman, but we christened him Edgar and hauled him around Europe, taking ample photos of him. {Edgar has now passed, but his memory lives on.}
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Sketchbook Journal vs. Scrapbook

March 2, 2013 by Lindsey Bugbee 2 Comments

My sketchbook journal habit has taken a serious hit in the past five-ish years; but it was justified because I was busy with, you know, college. However, now that I am not in college, I have resolved to give my sketchbook journal the attention it deserves.

I have two complete sketchbook journals from my high school years, and I love looking through them because of the memories and feelings they evoke. All the little things that were special to me — notes from friends, pictures, quotes — went in my sketchbook journal.

So, what’s the difference between a sketchbook journal and a scrapbook? In my opinion, a sketchbook journal is more intuitive. There’s less explanation and more feeling. You still include elements like photos and old notes, but you guide your viewer through them with color and symbols more than text. For example, here’s the sketchbook journal spread I finished this morning: