Stillman & BirnZeta Series Hardbound Sketchbook, A4 (8.25" x 11.75"), 270 GSM (Extra Heavyweight), White Paper, Smooth Surface

This is a top notch item. Cheaper on Blick.com.Surface is smooth. Paper is thick. Binding is tight and good. Lays flat. Stitched binding. Excellent review for this and a zillion other sketchbooks at parkablogs.com. I went through lots of books and I like the durability and quality of this one for mixed media. It might not be toothy enout for wet media unless you like a hot pressed surface. Lovely for pen and Ink.Addendum 9/15/19:Alcohol markers CAN bleed through. Super fine point Sharpies don't seem to, but chisel tip markers do.Also, with wet wet washes,there seems to be little flecks of sizing that create little freckles. Sometimes they affect the artwork, some times not. But although the paper is super stuff and heavy, I've noticed it on several occasions where there has been a wet wash or prolonged wetness where it is not allowed to dry completely.

Where do I begin? This sketchbook accomplishes and exceeds what my idea of a sketchbook should be. The versatility allows me to use every damn tool in my bag. In turn, it frees me and confines me. I can use multi liners and brush pens with confidence. Watercolors are clean and sharp because of the hot pressed paper. It can even handle some light acrylics! (Although you have to prop it open with a book opener to dry for obvious reasons.) The quality also affects how casually I work in this sketchbook, it allows me to make sure that every page is used to its limit. The hard back completes it, the texture is almost skin-like and is comfortable to hold. And like almost any sketchbook, allows stickers to stick on tight.I’m just ecstatic to have this sketchbook. It might be the most expensive sketchbook I’ve bought for the relatively small amount of pages it has. But because of the thick paper, I can use both sides of the paper. If you like squishing many sketches down on a single page like I do, I will happily suggest this sketchbook to you. Although if you don’t like the stress of using each page wisely, I would go for another alternative.

Bought it a while ago, just started using it. I have the one that is bound like a regular book. I love the heavy weight of the paper since I love to do collage journaling. The shape, the size, and the quality are all great. I love that it looks like a book rather than a spiral bound thing. I hope to fill this one up and buy another one. Tempted to buy another one right now before it's no longer available, even though I've only filled the first few pages of mine.

I have tried a few brands looking for a good sketchbook that could take several washes and not blooom inmediately or buckle. I like the Pentalic sketchbooks as they are also very sturdy and come in a Landscape 5x8 format (hardcover) but the paper can be a bit waxy. This sketchbook is just amazing, the paper is sooooo strong! I have done no less than 7 washes (shown in pic) on a single page and have still been able to use the back of it. It wont buckle or even break when you're lifting some pigment. The Zeta is a smooth paper, which I like but i know that's a very personal thing, it gets a bit sandy feeling once the paint is dry if you've used several washes but nothing i truly mind, I think the colors look great and don't become dull. I will try the cold press to see if the texture is nice but honestly, judging by this one, i can say my quest for sketchbooks is over. I just wish they'd make the Zeta landscape 5x8 in hardcover too!

The paper quality for this sketchbook is outstanding! The cover is very protective and strong. One thing to note is that the book doesn't stay open easily - at least when it is new. In addition, the book is heavy for traveling. However, if you are taking it out for local travel and a day of sketching - it will be great.

I love the hard cover and the paper quality. The book opens flat so you can sketch across the two sides if you choose.

I needed a sketchbook that could stand up to a lot of media exploration and the abuse of my studio. The heavy paper is brilliant and can withstand ink, paint, collage, etc. The stitched binding lies flat so I can work across both pages easily. I love the hard cover in black as I like to title and date the sketchbook! I will be purchasing this again.

Stillman and birns areNice pad , as cost go up And stores not having these pads in stock , Amazon has them and some what cheaper , this brand paper has nice surface ms , beta is good for mix medium, zeta is good for marker and pen , with faber castell 9000 pencils it won’t smudge allot ,

Great sketchbook. The paper holds watercolour really well. Will buy it again.

This is a lovely size for carrying with you when you’re out and about, and I like the fact that it’s hardback. The paper is thick and bright white and can take quite a lot of wet colour. I also found it easy to lift colour back off. I’m more used to a textured paper, but sometimes that’s not what you want, and I can use this book for any media and always get good results.

I can only comment on speedy delivery since I have not yet used the sketchbook, but it came strongly recommended by artists who use the brand and like it very much

The pages are very smooth unlike coldpress or hotpress grained paper. I tested ink on this paper. The paper is thick enough, doesn't bleed. The edges of pages are squared not rounded like many other sketchbooks which is perfect for me. Paper is white in color. If anyone wants mor coldpress or hotpress grained texture go for the Beta series as this one is ver smooth. Beta was unavailable so I ordered this one but I actually loved this one too.

Per quanto sia un prodotto più costoso rispetto ad altri journal, è sicuramente il mio preferito perché la carta è davvero ottima e riesce veramente a gestire l'acquerello. Sia chiaro: è una carta per mixed media, non per acquerello, però mi sembra un ottimo compromesso.Pro: carta ottima; regge l'acqua; non si sfalda; i colori non si intravedono da dietro; è possibile utilizzare diverse tecniche di disegno (il che è perfetto se lo usi come me per il bullet journal)Contro: come ho detto, non è una carta da acquerello quindi non puoi certo dipingerci su in maniera perfetta il paesaggio dei tuoi sogni; se vuoi usarlo per il bujo sappi che non è puntinato (il che per me è ancora meglio ma magari tu ritieni questa una caratteristica imprescindibile)Non metto il prezzo tra i contro perché è un prodotto di altissima qualità e trovo che siano 25 euro ben spese.