My current writing tools in use. Updated.

I’m always trying to simplify things. Reducing weight and volume is mandatory for light packing when traveling. Everything should fit in a portable case. You can see my optimized luggage here.

From left to right: TWSBI 580 orange EF, TWSBI 580 EF, Lamy Safari EF, Lamy Al Star EF, Kaweco Sport EF, Micron brown 003, Micron black 005, Pilot G-3, Zebra brush F, Zebra brush M, Kuretake marker orange, Kuretake marker turquoise, pencil 2H, tiny brush, Rotring mechanical pencil HB, oil pencil, glue, sienna pencil, eraser, sharpener, watercolor set and ruler.

I swap metal mechanical pencil Rotring and metal ruler for plastic versions in a trip. 

First page uses to be the last one to be filled

These days I’m finishing the former notebook beginning 2017 to end of 2018. How fat it became! Two full years. This is the first page which includes my fingerprint, 3 hairs and a sample of blood (to be cloned in a future). Its name is MS Chang. Chang means elephant and by coincidence I set a Ganesh in this page long before choosing the name.

I try to have fun with all the points about notebooking as far as it's the only way to keep passion and perseverance. However I found out finishing some pages and filling gaps is a task I don't enjoy. It's a necessary step before scanning the notebooks and store them.

Each label in the next photo shows something to be done in that page. I guess the solution is trying to minimize those gaps and incomplete pages while writing in the new journal.

Notebooks collection

Each notebook is a little universe. All together are a family. And they have a proper home (click here to see it)

I can see the evolution along the years. Fortunately my favorite notebook is always the last one.

Traveling here and there

August 6th is something like my second birthday. It's the day I started my round the world trip, a collection of experiences which changed my mindset.

To celebrate it, I created a folder with photos from different trips during the years. Just a short sample! I will add more files from time to time.

It's easy to know the chronological order since the hair in my head is decreasing with time.

Here is the link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Zg4sUHJy6Cg4zvSM4IvW0EFJVMjCpEw7?usp=share_link

And some photos in advance here to decorate this post:

Huge elephant looking at me in Nepal, 2007

Beijing 2007

Aitutaki, Cook Islands, 2008

Writing in Sarajevo, 2013

With my Orange friends in Laos, 2016

Some lost place in my dear Asia

Mumbai 2017

USA 2018

Slovenia 2013

Testing new papers

I'm still trying to find the perfect paper even when I know it doesn't exist. However  I feel lucky to try these AMAZING Hahnemühle papers. They were so kind to send me some samples of my favorite one: Verge paper (also known as laid paper) in cream color.

All of them are excellent. See the amazing texture! Watercolors look better than ever. No see through, feathering, bleeding, ghosting, etc. The only finding I detected is the surface could peel easily when using an eraser (see photo bellow). Maybe I found the way to transform this weakness into a positive power.

Serious candidate for my next notebook.

Laid paper texture.

The Surface peels after using an eraser.

Little new project

I found a deck of cards as a great support to create a new universe. It allows the representation of a fantasy world with just a pieces of cardboard. For example, the creatures come to life from nothing and they have their own ID which is the card. Think about it, magical.

After discarding the possibility of a board game I'm developing a kind of "collection of aesthetic cards". The area for an illustration or photo is huge. On top of that the combination with a little text adds a new dimension.

I'm enjoying a lot designing a big number of cards. It's fun and relaxing activity. I don't want to set any barrier. Creativity should flow with freedom. No commission, no deadlines, no limitations. After that I will (hopefully) find the way to organice everything.

Taking care of the colors, frame, typography (I use my dear Olympia typewriter font), composition and every detail part of the enjoyable process. Now I can have this first test in my hands. The cards are REAL. Still a lot to do. This is just a draft. I even made the box. I will create many more cards and improve everything.

And what is this about? Well, at the moment I will say it's a story-prediction based in a near future, year 2050. And those are the years, months or maybe just hours before the singularity. The last days of mankind.