Sketching with Kobo Libra Colour by Barbara Lehtiniemi

Just before our summer vacation, I upgraded to a new Kobo Libra Colour e-reader.  I’ve used Kobo e-readers for 15 years, but this was the first model I had with a colour display.  No more gray-scale photos and illustrations!

The Kobo Libra, besides being an e-reader, features several types of notebooks.  I bought the optional (and expensive) stylus to use with the notebooks.  A few days of west-coast loafing in July provided me the opportunity to try it out.

The “Basic Notebook” on the Kobo Libra allows for free-form notes, diagrams, and sketches.  The drop-down menu provides access to different “tips”, including pens and brushes, as well as varying widths of the mark.  

The colour palette is limited, with only ten colours.  Colours can’t be blended in the traditional sense, but I could intersperse and overlap colours.

As far as I know, sketches can’t be printed out or uploaded to a computer file (I’m still going through the manual.)  But I found it a fun way to sketch on the go, without carrying extra materials or sketching implements.  I did also try making notes, but since I keep a lined notebook with me, I found it easier to make notes with traditional pen and paper.

I prefer paper books to e-books, but I find the Kobo convenient to pack when travelling, as it is thin and lightweight (including optional sleep cover, the Kobo Libra is 6″x6.5″x0.5″, and 0.75 lbs).  It’s also handy to take along to appointments or anywhere where I think I might have to wait for a bit.  

Having the sketch capability on the Kobo Libra gives me more options for using my time on the go.