A5 Sketchbook, Lay Flat Softcover Sketch Book for Everyone, Ideal for Ink, Water Color, Pen, Pencils, 160 Tear Resistant Pages, Size: Medium, Leda Art Supply

*Review based on Leda A5 sketchbook, size medium To preface, I am *very* particular when it comes to sketchbooks and the type of paper I use for my art. I've tried various types of sketchbooks over the years (Canson, Strathmore, Illo, printer paper (lol)), but I think this sketchbook has to be one of the best I've ever invested in. I've been branching out to multimedia art lately, experimenting with watercolor, gouache, along with other dry mediums - and my latest trial was finding a sketchbook with the type of paper that can hold up to all of these as best as it can (a huge ask, I know), but I think I've found it! The paper in the A5 size medium sketchbook is a very light cream color, with a smooth texture. It isn't 'printer paper' smooth, but you can feel a small difference if you're comparing this sketchbook paper to regular paper (the sketchbook feels higher quality, as it should). If you're familiar with the Illo sketchbook made for inks (alcohol markers), Leda's paper is not that smooth, there is still a *little* bit of texture, but like I said, it's not noticeable. In my experience, the paper holds up well for alcohol markers (Ohuhu) and doesn't cause any pilling. However, I have noticed the paper pilling when using an inexpensive brand of water-based markers, and it doesn't blend as easily (although that could also be the markers). I would definitely put a sheet of paper underneath so the ink doesn't bleed through to the other side. Surprisingly, the paper handles gouache much better than normal watercolors from the few times I've done spreads in this sketchbook. I've done full page washes and paintings using gouache (with considerable amounts of water and paint) and the pages have barely buckled, even under numerous layers of paint (this is using the Himi brand of gouache). Normal watercolor on the other hand, has buckled my pages (Winsor & Newton) whenever I've used just a small amount. I haven't done a full page spread with normal watercolors, but the small portions/pages I have painted with watercolor have buckled to some degree. Personally, I like the buckled look when I close my sketchbook or flip through the pages, I think it gives my art personality, but if you solely work with watercolors and don't like buckling, I would recommend watercolor paper instead. Dry mediums like colored pencil, graphite, pens, ink liners, etc. work well on this paper, I would just lay an extra sheet of paper underneath the pages if you're worried about it bleeding through to the other side. Personally, this sketchbook hits all my needs for a multi-media sketchbook without the pages being extremely textured and thick (I prefer a smoother experience). I would 100% buy this again once I've filled out my current sketchbook. It may be on the higher end of what I would normally spend on a sketchbook, but it's exactly what I've been looking for so I think it's worth it.

UPDATE: 18 March 2016. After purchasing both the 3x5 and 5x8 versions of this sketchbook, I am completely, utterly, and resolutely sold on this sketchbook. These are easily the finest sketchbooks I have ever had the good fortune to use - far beyond anything Moleskine, Leuchtturm, or Rhodia has to offer. The quality is impeccable, the price unbeatable, the craftsmanship superb. Once my next paycheck comes in, I'm ordering 10 more of these. I absolutely cannot lavish Leda with enough praise. After spending almost a decade trying to find the perfect sketchbook, I have, at last, succeeded. Thank you, Leda. On to more empirical pastures: The sizes of the small and medium sketchbooks are in-line with the norm; nothing funky or abnormal to give you that constant feeling of being somehow "off" (I'm looking at you, Leuchtturm). The paper is a superior 80lb weight - far beyond the typical tissue-strength paper of the cheaper Moleskines, but without the hard cardboard feel of the thicker Moleskine paper. Writing on both sides will incur no bleed-through with anything short of heavy markers. The cover has a rich texture that makes you want to caress it as you hold it. The embossed logo gives excellent definition and grace to the appearance of the cover. The notebook lays flat (with a little help). Lastly, all three sizes feature the same page count; no more switching between 192 page larger notebooks and 80 page smaller ones like with Moleskine. There is a consistency that is pervasive across Leda's entire line, and it shows quite gracefully here. [Original Review Below] The closest I've come to finding the perfect sketchbook. There are no cons to this book: only pros, and mildly less pros. PROs: - Excellent cover material. Sturdy, resilient, flexible but not floppy. I absolutely detest companies that stamp markings or logos on the front cover of their sketchbooks (because a book of *my* work shouldn't be advertising anything else...), but it's done with such care and grace that it actually compliments the cover. - Fantastic price. Less than $20 for such quality? Easily competitive with Moleskine, but with a far superior product. - Size is fantastic. Not too small as to be uncomfortable or to limit your drawings, but not too large to make it feel difficult to fill or awkward to carry. - Excellent quantity of pages. You can put a lot of work into this one book and still have plenty of space left over. - The paper is smooth and crisp to write on. Fountain pens will find a wonderful home here, as will drafting pens, pencils, and markers. That being said, there's a mild downside: LESS PROs: - I have a hard time believing the paper truly is 80lb. It feels in-between Moleskine's stock light and heavy paper (the former always being too thin, the latter always too hard). It's an interesting middle ground that makes for still excellent paper, but unless you're drawing in pencil you probably won't be able to draw on both sides without some bleed-through. Fortunately for me, I despise drawing on the backs of pages, so for me it's not a loss. That said, I do have to use a sheet of cardstock behind the page I'm working to prevent bleed through onto other pages. I expect this sort of thing when I'm using markers (which is perfectly reasonable to expect), but I was surprised to see some splotches from my microns. - The strap that keeps the book closed leaves depressions on the top and bottom of the cover. This is because the cover is, as you would expect, just a tad larger than the paper within. Because it's a flexible material, the strap causes the cover to buckle slightly, which takes away from the crispness of the cover. A mild complaint, but when you're detail-oriented (as we all are), you can't help but notice. VERDICT I have spent many years searching for the "perfect" sketchbook. This is the closest I've come to achieving that. In fact, I'm quite content to end my search here and continue on with Leda for the foreseeable future. I'm thinking about buying a half-dozen more of these just to ensure I don't run out anytime soon. (And Leda, do please contact me if you plan to discontinue these. I want a chance to buy what's left of your stock!) That said, with what seems to be their first entry in the sketchbook market, I can only hope that they release new designs for us to consume. (A pocket-sized notebook would be glorious! And if they made it landscape oriented - oh, one can dream!) Leda has earned a loyal customer with this notebook. I look forward to seeing what else they come up with. N.B. I was *not* paid for this review. This is my real opinion, so take it for what it is.

Sketchbook for artists, large softbound cover (7x10), Leda Odyssey's 160 pages of beige-colored, high quality paper is designed for pencil, ink, pen, pastel, charcoal and light water color wash. Ideal sketch pad, travel journal or notebook to express your creative inspirations. I’ve been testing this product out for a while now and I adore its simplicity and functionality. While at first surprised by it’s soft-bound pages, I hadn’t been expecting this type of material, I found this to be a real asset while sketching. The material definitely seems to hold up just as well as, or even better, than soft leather bound books I have had in the past. I tend to like folding back the front cover so the book can be positioned on my knee while I work. It’s been a couple weeks now and it has held up amazingly. The supple cover also aids in the book looking new despite extensive use or wear. It’s been thrown around in my book bag, car, and gone on a cross-country debate trip. Right off the bat I noticed the quality of the pages. I use a variety of black ink pens to sketch most of my work and have had issues with bleeding through the pages in the past. With this product, not only is there no threat of bleeding, the back of my sketches look almost like a clean page. I also really appreciated the inclusion of the pocket on the back page. Super useful for storing finished pieces I intend to hang on the wall or give away. Though I just draw for fun, this book makes me feel like a professional. The size is also perfect for my lifestyle. While smaller than some of the other sketchbooks I have tended to go for, Leda Art Supply’s debut product has proven to be not only easier to manage (I can more easily position it while drawing out and about), but also easy to travel with. This coming December I am traveling to Greece and this book will definitely be going with me (The myth travels home!)! I’m thrilled to have it and will definitely be purchasing another when this one is full. The quality is top notch, as is the vision for the company. I can’t wait to see what else they come up with!

This sketchbook is a great size for both practice and finished pieces. I especially love the flexible softbound cover, it bends easily when needed but still feels durable enough to protect the pages. The paper is on the thinner side, which initially concerned me, but it performed better than expected. I was able to use gouache without the pages buckling, and the paper held up well during the painting process. Overall, it's a versatile sketchbook that offers good quality and value for artists looking for a lightweight, portable option.

This paper is Excellent (5 Stars) for use with all Pencil, graphite, leads, etc. The surface is crisp, smooth and responsive with a bright and warm (light cream) color. It's not thin, and probably 60lb+ (100+gsm) medium drawing paper. It can take heavy use, heavy lines, erasures, resists maring, etc. with NO or minimal transfer to adjacent page(s)! 👍The minimalist soft cover and binding are both strong -comparable to Strathmoore 400/500 soft covers, but this is 35% larger (9x12 vs 8x10) with more pages. Importantly the cover and pages lay flat but also fold back well with NO damage to individual pages or to the binding. That's a big deal, to me. And the corners are rounded, -also smart design. And the elastic page marker seems useful for once, but does not interfere at the same time, so no need to remove it. It's all-around a smart design. Objectively, a surprisingly quality and useful and well designed drawing book (esp for pencil) and worth writing a review and leaving 5 stars -which is and should be a rare rating, imho, for tools that we expect/demand a lot from. Other notes, it's pretty good for Ink. But pen only. Fountain/dip pens, meh. It's not heavy enough for any wet wash, watercolor, or glue, if buckling is a concern. BUT, notably, if one page buckles under wet media, it does NOT seem to affect the adjoining pages, which is . So, use it wet! Only complaint, don't say it's 160 pages. It's 80 sheets. I'm barely ~20 pages in but, if everything stays the same, I'd probably buy a few more in the future to use one as all/multi-purpose anywhere sketch/drawing/note book. And others for pencil only. If there's a particular page that's a "keeper", cut it out. Or leave it alone. This book performs as well if not better than *most of the top brand sketch books we've all tried in all the dif specs. *Specialty papers and select books are obviously better but also more subjective and a matter of individual preference/specific use, not to mention (much) more expensive AND more 'precious'. It may not replace your favorite surface(s) but If you need utilitarian and affordable drawing books (especially for pencil drawing!) you will definitely not be disappointed. You'll actually enjoy using it!

I'm always hesitant to try a new sketchbook, even more so when ordering online. You don't always know what you're getting until you put pen to paper. Despite my hesitation, I decided to order this sketchbook based mostly on the reviews I found elsewhere. I'm so glad I did. If you're in the market for a 7 x 10-ish sized book, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Pros: -Cover feels and looks high quality. Looks great on your shelf or on your table. -Paper is great quality. It has a slight tooth and a very light off-white cream color, making precise line work or loose brush strokes look great. I've tried pencil, ballpoint pen, ink brush, and light gouache- It handled all of it with no color bleed and almost no paper warping under light wet media. I probably would not use heavy watercolor on this- I'm sure the paper would hold up, but the warping would detract from the clean look of it (and personally I like my sketchbooks to be neat and clean when closed). -Binding is sewn, not glued, the book can be held laid flat without worrying about pages tearing out. -Elastic band and ribbon to hold your spot are nice touches that have held up well so far. I'll have to update to see how they look after a few months. Cons: - VERY minor, but you have to take more care of a softcover than a hardcover. I threw this book into my laptop bag (foolishly with the binding side up) the first week I had it, and a few of the front pages were bent back after catching a divider in my bag. My last two books before this were Small hardcover Moleskines, and I have become accustomed to just tossing my books into bags, onto car seats, onto tables... I feel I have to take a bit more care of this book. -Softcover might allow pages to rub pencil drawings. THIS IS JUST A GUESS. The paper really is amazing, so I don't know that this will be an issue, and I mostly work in pen so it might not even affect me. I just feel that the tiny movement of the pages rubbing every so slightly against each other when you lay it flat may over time affect drawings that have no been set with fixative. I'll have to update this after a few months of use to see if this is at all a problem. Overall I am really happy with this sketchbook. The paper quality is head and shoulders above the bristol-like paper of Moleskines. I really laid into the paper with marker and ink and didn't see any bleed through, allowing me to use both sides, which is great for a book this size. My only cons are mostly derived from my tendency to abuse hardcover books, so I'll have to treat this book a little nicer than I'm used to. When I have had it for about a year I'll post an update.

Value : 5/5 Paper quality: 5/5 Durability/Sturdiness:4/5 It has a soft cover, almost leatherette styled polyethene material- which feels like it can take a fair bit of abuse, a light drizzle shouldn’t do anything to it- although I would always try to avoid that., unlike earlier versions- mine didn’t have the fabric bookmark in there - I would have really liked having that in to be honest. Around the back-cover panel there is an Accordion style pocket, which you can use to store some documents, maybe some cards, or some idea sketches that didn’t make it into the book. I wouldn’t put anything obtrusive in there, as its made out of paper and will probably split open with enough stress. There is also an elastic strap to keep the book securely closed, over time it may leave an indentation on the cover, but I don’t think its gonna look bad, and it won’t affect the pages inside.On the inside is where this really takes a step above, the paper is excellent... he binding is tight, sewn not glued, and the book lays flat when opened. It’s not white paper, it’s a light beige colour, very classic to the eye -and really brings out vibrance in coloured mediums. There’s 160pages in there so you'll take some time to fill it up. The paper is very smooth, so there isn’t much grain to help with graphite blending, but the fine tooth of the paper keeps your lines sharp and well weighted, you anything you put on this paper is going to feel good, it feels really good. It’s a well-made product I wish I had it a long time ago. I really hope this helps some of you when you’re search of a new sketchbook, I’m personally very happy with it and its now my daily driver. 1 month in and I’ve already ordered my 2nd one, this time the Xtra-Large “Zeus” and I love it even more as its closer to the size I’m comfortable doing finished pieces on. Leda Art Supply 160 Pages Softbound Cover Sketchbook for Artists

This paper is super solid! I have a couple other sketchbooks I paid similar for, and the quality of this one is the nicest. I do wish they had a White paper option cause it looks yellow next to my whiteout

Comes as described, cover clearly of good quality and paper is also nice though slightly on the thinner side compared to other sketchbooks I’ve had. Lots of pages, takes all sorts of media- goache (which I was pleasantly surprised at), watercolour doesn’t go too crinkly (though some crinkle is inevitable), paper isn’t see-through with inks and takes pencil fine as well! Overall good value for money.

紙は柔らかめで枚数も多く鉛筆による描画がし易いので重宝しています またコンパクトで持ち運びもしやすいのが良いです が！しかしコレは私がアナログで下絵を描いてデジタルで着彩からブラッシュアップして完成させる様な作品作りをしているのでこういう評価ですが、水彩絵具とかを使った場合どうなるかはわかりません

Ich kaufe dieses Skizzenbuch seit einigen Jahren immer mal wieder und bin sehr zufrieden! Ich habe schon viel getestet und bis auf die Skizzenbücher von TALENS Art Creation noch keine Besseren für mich gefunden. Das Papier ist angenehm glatt und hält einiges aus. Es ist nicht zu dick, nicht zu dünn, und auch Mixed Media (in meinem Fall Buntstifte, Aquarell (begrenzt), Acrylfarben und Ink) sind gut darin zu verwenden. Feder ist nach meiner Erfahrung etwas schwierig, da es die Oberfläche des Papiers ankratzt und so die Linien ausfedern, aber u. B. Kugelschreiber, Brushpens oder Gelstifte funktionieren sehr gut für Lineart und Co. Das Soft cover mag ich persönlich gerne, wenn ich an meinem Schreibtisch arbeite. Ich habe die Erfahrung gemacht, dass das Zeichnen im Zug oder unterwegs damit etwas problematisch ist, da es doch sehr elastisch ist, aber das ist Absichtssache. An sich gehört es zu den teureren Skizzenbüchern, aber ich gönne es mir ab und zu mal ganz gerne, einfach weil es Spaß macht darin zu explodieren. Kann es empfehlen und ist bestimmt kein schlechter Kauf!

Estupendo el papel y estupendo el aspecto externo. Tiene el tamaño adecuado para desplazarse con el y lo que mas me gusta es que es flexible y no rígido como la mayoría de los cuadernos de dibujo.La tapa es duradera con aspecto similar a piel no lisa, sino rugosa y además resistente al agua. El papel es de tono marfil- beige y las hojas son de buena calidad. Uno de mis cuadernos preferidos de dibujo en este momento que lo podría ser también de escritura

Je fais des croquis "sur le vif" plusieurs fois par semaine. J'ai déjà testé pas mal de carnets. Ce carnet est d'une taille idéale pour emmener partout tous les jours, la couverture le protège efficacement. Le papier supporte une aquarelle légère (voir photo), le papier gondole bien un peu mais pas tant que ça, mais il ne supporte pas trop d'eau par contre (aucun des carnets testés ne le supporte) Le papier n'absorbe pas, du coup la couleur reste pas mal lumineuse. J'en reprendrais un autre sans hésitation.