Over the years, we've amassed a vast collection of reader-submitted tricks of the trade, many of which we've published in our popular Swipe File column or on our website. We thought now would be the perfect time to re-introduce this department and invite readers to share their best timesaving, budget-friendly tips and techniques. Here's one of our favorites from Bonnie Rodgers, who saved herself a nice chunk of change with a bit of grit and ingenuity:

Recently, while preparing for a plein air journey, I searched for a journal of the right size for my art travel bag. I wanted one that had 140-lb., cold-pressed paper. Local stores only allowed me a 90-lb. version. So, I looked on the internet and found a journal maker, but she was having trouble finding the right glue to adhere to the heavier paper. I tried to make my own from leather, watercolor paper and binding thread, but due to my limited time and knowledge, I gave up on that idea.

Then I came up with the solution: different-sized photo albumns that I could populate with watercolor paper, cut to the size of the albumns' sleeves or smaller. I found I could also extend the book size by adding larger spine pins to accommodate more sleeves. It worked wonderfully! I could paint on any size (as long as it was smaller than the paper I had brought with me). I could also collect tickets and memorabilia for future use and memory ticklers in the photo sleeves. On days when I needed to reduce the weight I was carrying, I could undo the spine screw pins and take pages out.
 
The best thing of all was that I saved myself about $125. Journals with enough pages, the proper paper weight, and the right-sized paper for sketching and journaling, with a sturdy binding that would hold up to rigorous use cost about $150 to $200, when available. Photo albums cost $7.50 to $15 and one sheet of 140-lb. watercolor paper costs $7.99. Each sheet of watercolor paper allowed me to cut several pages of 3x5-inch, 4x6-inch, and 6x8-inch journal pages for three different-sized journals. This idea will serve me well for all my plein air journeys.


Thanks Bonnie!

Send a description of your method and a photo or JPEG (with a resolution of 300 dpi) illustrating a tip or technique to wcamag@fwmedia.com for your chance to see your bright ideas in print, on our site or in our e-newsletter. Who knows? Your idea might be just the thing that a fellow artist needs to find his or her way back to the easel.

You've probably heard the hub-bub about new, digital frontiers in the publishing industry, but if you're an artist who likes to spread her magazines out near her easel and paint from the step-by-steps, you're probably wondering what all of this has to do with you.

One advantage of purchasing magazines in a digital format is that they're extremely portable (you can pop a copy on a zip drive and take it anywhere you want to go without worrying about damage or loss). They're also easily searchable (you can use bookmarks and hyperlinks to navigate within the issue and online). And they're easily printable if need be (you can print high quality copies of your favorite articles right from your desktop printer). Some call digital issues "green alternatives" and some call them "space savers" and some call them "tech candy." We just want to give artists every possible means of enjoying our fabulous watercolor content.

To that end, we've made a committment to digitizing our archives. If you're interested, but still a little skittish, think about downloading a free sample of our April 2009 issue in its digital format. You'll get watercolorist Scott Zupanc's gorgeous cover image, our table of contents and the opening spread of our cover artist's full-length feature, in an easy-to-search PDF format that works on almost all computers equipped with a free Acrobat Reader program. If you like what you see, click here to order the full issue from our handy online store.