Stillman & Birn Zeta Series Softcover Sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5", 270 gsm (Extra Heavyweight), White Paper, Smooth Surface

I’ve only had this sketchbook for a sort time but I love it so much! The white smooth paper is perfect for mixed media! I’ve had so much fun experimenting with different pens, colored pencils, light washes of watercolor and gouache !!! The way colors look on this paper is just beautiful and vibrantly! I also love the Beta as well for when I paint with more water and more layers ! I tried adding a lot of watercolor layers and gouache with lots of water on the zeta, but it doesn’t like too much water and it starts to warp slightly...not a problem for me, but the Beta is way better for wetter paintings! The paper bound on the zeta is so amazing and lays flat easily! This is a heavenly experience for me after only using spiral bound sketch books before this one!! It’s fun to paint across both pages now! I definitely love this zeta sketchbook!! I have only one problem with the soft covers and that it has a wonderful soft feel to it but I wish they included a plastic cover since it tends to get dirty and I have had to wipe it down fairly often. I’m going to find something to protect it better. It is worth it to have quality paper and binding like the zeta and beta!!!! These are my favorite sketchbooks ever now!

Is the one of the best sketchbook I have,the paper is thick and it dosent fell cheap the only thing I should have got the bigger one.

This sketchbook exceeded all my expectations. It is a thick 270 gsm smooth textured bright white cellulose paper that accepts ink and watercolors beautifully and warps only slightly with light washes. My tray and on-paper mixes are vibrant and the edges don't bleed out into the fibers. The leaves are stitched and gutter free, so drawing or painting across two pages is not a problem. The book, while not pocket sized, is completely portable and will easily fit into a satchel or backpack. My only cons are that this paper is not available in a hardcover version. I like hardcover because with it I can draw with the book flat on my knee or in my hand. I contacted Stillman & Birn to see if there was a hardcover available (overseas maybe?), but I was told that no, there was no hardcover version and that no one has asked for it and that sales of the softcover were good. That's odd, because the cover slip calls this the 'Softcover Edition', doesn't that imply there is a 'Hardcover Edition'? My other, minor, con is that the softcover is a dust and smudge magnet and wiping it clean can be annoying at times. So in closing, I'm very pleased with the paper but less pleased with the cover but I would still readily recommend this sketchbook to anyone.

Update 10/8/2024 I contacted the company Stillman and Birn and they were awesome! I sent them the photos of my sketchbook with the defect and they immediately sent me a perfect replacement. I’m very impressed and will purchase from them again. Original review: I have had this watercolor book for 2 weeks and have been using it for both watercolor and colored pencil sketches. the pages are thick and have tooth. It is truly a joy to use! It has worked beautifully for both; however, I never flipped through the pages when I received it. Well today I started flipping through it to look at my paintings and found a damaged page about halfway through it. You can see that it’s ripped in half and part of the page folds out past the bottom of the book, so it appears to be a manufacturing issue that slipped through quality control. Very disappointing since I’ve already been using it and now it has a damaged page. I like to use these small art books to eventually pass down to my kids. I’m not sure what a resolution would be, because I am not going to return something that has my artwork in it.

the pages do lay flat! I've never had the issue of needing to break in the binder beforehand or rummaging through my desk for a paperweight to do a quick practice session. as soon as you choose a page - boom, the sides lay flat. perfect. the notebook has an excellent smooth surface for dry media and even the lightest touch with colored pencil brings forth a great amount of pigment. love the fact that its archival. the only issue that I have with this sketchbook is the quality of some of the pages. I could do watercolor on one page and experience no issues except for minor warping, but on the next sheet I'll come across major warping and piling, and my sketchbook will do this thing where the pigments will come together in raised welts. the paper will rip even after using my gentler washi tapes and putting the adhesive side on my shirt before laying it on. it's a great product for pencil, dry media, and light washes with ink, but if you have a heavier hand with watercolors, try to look for something with more weight! UPDATE: After using the sketchbook through to half the pages I discovered that I was in the wrong. This is a great sketchbook! After doing more research I realized my issue. I was treating the paper like 300gsm cold-pressed paper when this is a book meant for light washes. The pages will lay flat if you place it under heavy textbooks, thus correcting the warp problem. I recommend using this book for pencil, light washes of watercolor, and ink.

Great sketchbook. It handles several layers of POSCA marker well with no/minimal bleed through, same with gouache (slight warping). However, my Ohuhu Alcohol Markers bled through significantly. Completely through the back with small patches on the next page over.

These are hands down my favourite sketchbooks for using pen and ink with a bit of a wash, and, well, most mixed media techniques. The paper is super smooth, and as long as I let a wash dry between applications and use clips, it doesn't really wrinkle at all. I own several sizes, shapes, and orientations, and they're all perfect for my use case. I use watercolour washes as well as ink, and again, as long as you let the layers dry and use clips, you'll be okay. Colours of markers are vivid, as are my Daniel Smith watercolours (just wait until you see the variation of Undersea Green or any of the Primatek line). I can fill one of these bad boys pretty quick, they're that much fun to use.

Been using this one for a couple of weeks to learn water color. Showcases my paint very well and pages do not buckle. It’s also the perfect size for my travel kit

These tights are smooth and comfortable, they don't fall down as much as other tights do, which is something I really look out for. They're perfect for autumn as they as they aren't super thin, and keep me just warm enough. The colours are also beautiful and bright, just like in the photos!

You really can’t go wrong with this sketchbook. The paper is very smooth and feels great to work on. I mostly use coloured pencils and it handles layering and blending beautifully. I also plan to use it for gouache and will report back later on how it handles wet media. The softcover is flexible but still feels well made and the sketchbook opens completely flat which is a big plus. I also love the square format. The 7.5" x 7.5" size is perfect for sketching and easy to work with. The paper is pH neutral, lignin and chloride-free which is reassuring if you care about longevity. It’s not cotton paper but that hasn’t been an issue for my use. It is a bit pricey but that’s expected for Stillman & Birn and the quality matches the price. Overall, you really can’t go wrong with it and I’d happily buy it again.

Mi cuaderno de sketching favorito. Si te gusta dibujar en satinado y con acuarelas este es tu cuaderno.

ottimo

Exactly what I ordered, safely packaged and shipped, great quality paper :)