The Journal Diaries- Jono's Travel and Moleskine Sketches

The Journal Diaries is a blog segment where we get a sneak peek into the journals, notebooks, organizers, and diaries from people all over the world. (Click here for past posts.) My special guest today is Jono based in London.

- Tell us a little more about yourself. When did you start drawing/sketching and how long have you been doing it for?

I've pretty much always been drawing or sketching. I remember doing elaborate sketch postcards in holidays in my teens. In college I took art somewhat on the side with a bunch of science and maths, but found that any spare time I had was always in the art studio. I later studied engineering and product design largely as a great way to combine drawing with my other skills.

- When do you find yourself journaling, and what inspires your artwork?

I sketch and journal when there's time- usually when traveling or on holiday. The only way it happens daily is if I deliberately make time. In my case that tends to be to go have lunch or a coffee with myself and my sketchbook. I find it a relaxing and enriching time, and generally come back with more energy than I left with. I love many styles of drawing, but I've always loved in particular landscape sketches and architectural style drawings. With a little formal training in drawing for product design you can see a little of these three coming out in the drawings I do. I also love rapid visualisation and sketchplanations was really borne out of the desire to be able to communicate faster through sketches on the spot.

- Do you carry your journals around or do you store them someplace?

I carry my journals around with me. But as they fill up I get quite protective of them as it would not be nice to lose them. I've always offered a reward if found that scales per completed page, but fortunately no one has had to take me up on it. For thinking work I prefer the larger soft cover moleskines, but for having it with me all the time the small format is most handy. I have quite a stack of past journals on the shelves taking up space. It's nice to liberate them via neat tools like issuu. 

- What are you favorite stationery tools at the moment?

I pretty much have four pens in my pocket any time you see me. Three Uniball Vision Elite Micro- black, plus two colours. Plus a Copic grey marker for shading. I vary a little around that and have carried some coloured Copic markers and am currently enjoying a white pencil for practising highlights. I actually have quite a box of backup pens because I hate running out of a critical colour.

- Other than your journals, what are some of your other hobbies?

I love photography, writing music and with two small sons, spending time with family.

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Thank you so much, Jono, for sharing your sketches with us! And for all you wonderful readers looking to connect, you can keep up with Jono through his Twitter, @jonohey, or through Sketchplanations. If you enjoyed his travel drawings, you can click here for more pages within his travel journal through Central America, South-East Asia and South Africa.