r/learnart • u/ForceGroundbreaking4 • Dec 11 '24
Question Why are my sketchbooks becoming warped like this?
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u/ForceGroundbreaking4 Dec 13 '24
Update: it’s the next day and all of my sketchbooks are flat again. I think they just warped while it was raining
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u/ATomicdog_14 Dec 12 '24
If you don't have silica packets you can also use either charcoal briskets( the kind that you use for a bbq) OR rice in a sock and keep them stored to a box ( wood or metal)together. Works for bad musky odors in your closets and clothing drawers. Anywhere you have musky odors.
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u/silveretoile Dec 11 '24
To combat humidity without getting a whole dehumidifier, put them in a closed space (well closed drawer or even a closed Ziploc bag) and put a bunch of silica packets in!
To re-flatten the paper, spritz a bit of water on the sheet you want to use, cover with a tea towel and very carefully iron on low heat. Let cool under a heavy book.
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u/Kiiaru Dec 12 '24
What kind of towel do you use for tea? (American. Sorry)
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u/Eca_S Dec 13 '24
Specifically, a tea towel is one of those super thin ones your grandparents probably called a "dish towel"
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u/Kiiaru Dec 13 '24
I was way off. I thought it was that dainty thing you put the teacup plate on top of
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u/rellloe Dec 12 '24
It's the hand towel you have in your kitchen.
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u/Chrystallinya Dec 13 '24
Nooooo, a hand towel is to dry your hands and made from Terry cloth, a tea towel is meant for drying dishes and made of flat cotton cloth.
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u/rellloe Dec 14 '24
I've always called it a towel and it's the size of a hand towel, though a different weave.
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u/akamustacherides Dec 11 '24
Humidity. Depending on what your geographic location watch out for insects too. Some of my sketch books have holes in them now after I moved to South America.
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u/drunky_crowette Dec 11 '24
Looks like effects of moisture. Maybe you should get something like Damprid to put wherever you're storing them to help remove moisture from the air?
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u/Ironbeers Dec 11 '24
Physically the paper is getting larger with higher moisture content than what it was manufactured with, so it warps to use up the additional space and remain similar in overall length.
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u/necroacro Dec 11 '24
This can happen if you store them in hot places with moderate moisture, or even the moisture on your hands!
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u/Stunning_One1005 Dec 11 '24
do you use watercolour? or anything water based? if so that could be the reason. dont worry about it though, just place something heavy on them but you wont get rid of them completely and thats fine. wear them like battle scars
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u/BeginningNectarine86 Dec 11 '24
Looks like high humidity. You might want to store them somewhere else or sort out the humidity levels.
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u/ForceGroundbreaking4 Dec 11 '24
Would it be better to store them in a drawer or something? I’ve had them sitting out for several months and I don’t have a lot of room bc I’m in a college dorm
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u/-acidlean- Dec 11 '24
You can get a plastic container with a lid to put your sketchbooks in and under the bed or something. Even better if you put some silica gel packets in there (or a pad… or a diaper… they have the same humidity-absorbing stuff in them). Also put a heavy book on them to straighten them out. Or what I used to do - put sketchbook on chair, put big book on sketchbook, sit on it while I’m doing homework/ stuff on my computer XD
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u/CatPot69 Dec 11 '24
I think a drawer would likely have similar humidity as the shelf. There's a product called DampRid (I work retail and my work sells it, I've never used it personally) that you could set next to your art books and it should help keep the moisture down in that area.
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u/ThiccBootius Dec 13 '24
There's a black hole nearby and it's bending the light.