About Deckle Notes

Deckle Notes is a small site about works on paper made at home. That means drawing in graphite, charcoal, ink and colored pencil; painting in watercolor and gouache; printing relief blocks, monotypes and drypoints without a workshop; and the paper, framing and storage questions that come with all of it.

The name comes from the deckle edge: the soft, feathered border left on a sheet of handmade paper where the pulp met the frame of the mould. It is the part of the sheet nobody trims away, and it says something about the kind of making we like to write about. Unhurried, a little irregular, done by hand.

Who writes here

Five writers share the table. Greta Moberly covers watercolor and gouache. Pieter Vos writes about printmaking. Elodie Grange handles paper, framing and care. Nils Ambrose writes about drawing, and Tamsin Rook about studio habits and looking at art. They write from ordinary practice and from published sources such as manufacturers' technical sheets, conservation guidance and museum collection notes. When we explain why something works, we try to say where that knowledge comes from.

What we will not do

We do not run product "tests" we have not done, invent ratings or quote people who never spoke to us. We do not publish sponsored posts. If a guide names a kind of paper, a pencil set or a printing kit, it is because it fits the job described on that page.

Links to shops

Some pages link to supplies on Amazon or other art retailers. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to other stores can earn a commission too. The price you pay is the same, and a commission never decides what we write. The Supply shelf gathers those picks in one place, grouped by medium.

Writing to us

Questions, corrections and tips from your own table are welcome. Use the letter form or write to easel@alstadart.com. We read everything, and good questions often turn into the next note.