The Case for Paper Blocks: Why I Always Have One in My Bag

A Minimalist Solution for Maximum Art-Making

For years, my travel setup was a compromise. I relied on my camera and sketchbook for anything I might want to paint later. Or, worse yet, I wouldn’t even think about drawing or painting when traveling.

If I did want to do any serious drawing or painting while traveling I’d carry loose sheets of paper, a board to tape them to, and a roll of masking tape—or, in a pinch, bulldog clips to hold everything down. It worked, but it always felt like too much. Too many steps between me and just getting to work.

And if I’m being honest, most of the time, I simply would not pack anything to draw and paint with because of the hassle. I mean, I’d maybe take a sketchbook but that’s for another reason — I’ll clarify that later in the post.

But then, I found the simplest, most elegant solution: the paper block.   

At first glance, it’s easy to mistake a paper block for just a thick sketchpad, but there’s more to it than that. This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about having a studio-quality surface in a portable, no fuss format, ready to use at a moment’s notice. No prep, no wasted time. Just paint or draw, and when you’re finished, you peel away the sheet and move on to the next.

For me, one of the best reasons to use a block of paper is that I can work on a drawing or painting wherever I am and pack it away to work on the same drawing or painting somewhere else until I finish it. I find this useful even at home—I can easily move from the studio, to the backyard,  or even to the sofa and work on a pen and ink drawing while watching a movie.

I have several blocks with work in progress so I can simply grab one of the blocks, and use it to draw when I have time and I have become a lot more productive just having work ready to work.

A Tradition of Portable Paper

Artists have always needed ways to work on the go. John Singer Sargent, for example, traveled extensively and relied on sketchbooks and loose sheets of high-quality paper. J.M.W. Turner carried sketchbooks filled with atmospheric studies, sometimes working in them as if they were stacks of individual sheets. These artists sought the best balance between portability and quality—enough structure to keep their materials manageable but enough flexibility to accommodate serious work.

Paper blocks, as we know them today, solve an old problem. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, watercolorists would often stretch their paper—soaking it, then taping or gluing it to a rigid board to prevent warping. This was essential because water causes paper fibers to expand unevenly, leading to buckling. While stretching works, it’s a commitment. You can’t just toss a prepared sheet in your bag and go.

The paper block changed that. With all four edges glued down, the paper stays flat as you work—no stretching, no taping, no board. When you're done, you peel away the top sheet and reveal a fresh, pristine surface underneath.

Why a Paper Block Instead of a Sketchbook?

If portability is the goal, why not just use a sketchbook?

The answer lies in how the work is meant to exist. A sketchbook is inherently a bound collection—a place for studies, experiments, and sequences of ideas. That can be great, but it also means the format dictates the final work. If you want to frame a piece or work on a standalone painting, tearing a sheet from a sketchbook is rarely ideal.

A paper block gives you the best of both worlds:

• The portability of a sketchbook

• The freedom of individual sheets

• The ability to work at a high level without extra preparation

For me, this means I can carry a stack of studio-quality paper in a format that’s as easy to travel with as a sketchbook. It’s ready when I am—whether that’s at a café, in the field, or at my desk. No extra materials, no unnecessary steps.

And let me explain, the paper block is really for drawing and painting works I intend to frame, sell, etc. These aren’t technically studies, though they can be. If I wanted to do a study, or simply sketch a something I don’t intend to sell, or something I might only have a short time to work on, I’ll use a sketchbook. The paper block is just the right choice when I’m working more deliberately.

Choosing the Right Paper Block

I use Arches because it checks all the boxes:

• Paper quality – 100% cotton, archival, and time-tested by generations of artists

• Form factor – Blocks come in a range of sizes and paper types (hot press, cold press, rough)

• Reputation – When you buy an Arches block, you know exactly what you’re getting

But this isn’t about one brand—it’s about the concept. Whether you use Arches, Saunders Waterford, Fabriano, or another high-quality block, the principle is the same: a refined, minimalist approach to working on paper.

Final Thoughts

Artists talk a lot about tools, but sometimes the biggest impact comes from simplifying rather than adding. A paper block eliminates the excess—the tape, the board, the prep—and leaves you with exactly what you need.

For a long time, I overlooked them, assuming they were just another format of sketchpad or another unnecessary bit of kit. Now, they’re an essential part of my everyday carry. If you haven’t worked with one before, I highly recommend giving it a try. You might find, like I did, that the simplest solutions are often the best.

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A Few Studio Updates I Want To Share…

THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL

I’m currently working on new videos for the Warth Studios YouTube channel. Though, I don’t currently have a publishing schedule nor do I have a good system for the process down yet, I can say I’m happy to be filming again. The first video is sort of a welcome back and where have I been video but it was/is more to get the momentum going so I can remember how to make a video after all this time.

In fact, I will probably make a video based on the post above. I sincerely love the Arches paper blocks that much. I’m waiting for the weather to warm up so I can show just how I use them while away from the studio. I think it will be a fun video.

THE OHIO LEGACY PROJECT

The Ohio Legacy Project is getting a slower start than what I had hoped but I’m still working on some research, finding the right people to start talking to, emailing people I’d like to talk to, and even thinking of some compositions for various paintings. Nonetheless, I am thrilled to be launching this new personal project and I can’t tell you how excited I am to start making paintings for the project. The plan is to paint one or two paintings a year for The Ohio Legacy Project. If You would like to get involved, or know someone who might be interested, please let me know.

THE BLOG: “The Artist’s Ledger”

I’m still getting used to blogging weekly—it is harder than I anticipated. For years I have written blog posts and it was not only rewarding, but also just a habit where I could simply sit down at my desk and hammer out some thoughts. Apparently, taking a long break was not a good idea. In fact, you may have looked at all the random dates for posts prior to my return to blogging regularly to see just how infrequently I sat down to write over the past several years.

I want to get better at blogging, and including a lot of high quality photographs to go along with the posts. For now, I am simply working on the habit of writing. Once I start adding the photos, it will add a bit more time and effort to a lot of these posts, but I also know it will add some value and it will help break up the reading a little. For now, I’ll continue to write these posts one weekday per week around 2:30am in my garage attic with a drink and a cigar while watching German movies with German subtitles to help me understand what someone said (I find it easier to read German than hear and interpret it).

THE ARTWORK

Not going to sugar-coat this, I have artwork I have not touched in a long time, I have artwork completed that has never been shared, and several new pieces in various stages of completion. The commissions have slowed, though that’s not a bad thing. I need to build my inventory back up since I’ve not been sharing new work like I should be. At the heart of Warth Studios is the artwork. So, I need to paint.

The last few months I have taken a bit of a scientific approach to understand my energy levels, and available time. Some of you reading this are artists and understand what it is to have a full time job and the passion to make art. To call it a balancing act would be scratching the surface. I want to be available to friends and family, but I also want to paint freely and not run into a time crunch where I waste paint and have to clean up, pack up, and stop. So I ave found that oil painting from about 10pm to 3am on Saturday and Sunday to work best. I draw and complete works on paper during other hours.

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So, at the risk of making this post too long (too late, Mike), and creating two posts, I’m going to stop here. If you read all of this—thank-you. I have so much I want to get to and I am energized to finally be back on track. I do miss the podcast (you may have noticed I don’t share anything here on the website about it). The podcast was great fun and I hope to get back to it or something like it again one day. But for now, I am busy enough and choosing priorities a bit.

Until next week…