Pentalic Illustrators Sketchbook, 5-1/2-Inch by 3-1/2-Inch, Espresso

I'm a graphic designer and love sketching, taking notes, doodling, drawing, etc. and I absolutely LOVE this sketchbook. I happened to purchase this years ago at my college bookstore and will never go back to any sketchbooks I used before. There is a flap in the back that can be used for loose papers, and I love the elastic band as it keeps everything together nicely. The paper is great quality and doesn't bleed (except when using pilot parallel pens but that doesn't bother me). My last pentalic illustrators sketchbook lasted YEARS with heavy, daily use, getting thrown into backpacks and computer bags. The corners on the binding took the bulk of the beating but it didn't affect the rest of the structure of the book. I just colored the corners of the binding in with black pen and you could barely tell there was any damage! Seriously LOVE this sketchbook and would recommend it to everyone.

So my review is perhaps a little bit different. A teardown, as in a literal teardown. I bought this Pentalic sketchbook as an identical replacement for one that was damaged by my Shiba Inu. While the interior pages were intact, the cover was a complete loss. In order to save the sketches that I had drawn inside, I bought this identical notebook and then swapped the covers.From that experience I can say that the build quality of these notebooks is very solid yet also very clean. I had no trouble peeling the notebook from its cover, yet at no point did the binding between the notebook feel weak or fragile.Likewise, swapping the bound notebook into its new cover with some project glue, the binding of the paper still seems strong after several months.So if you're looking for a fairly sturdy sketchbook, this one seems solid all the way through.

This sketch book is great for traveling. The elastic band holds the book tight, and the pocket is fantastic for storing little tidbits and notes. The hard cover does great to keep the pages straight, and the pages lay flat when the spine is creased. The smooth tooth gives the drawing a smooth, blended feel.However... This sketchbook is only good for sketching. The paper is fairly light-weight, so the drawings on the previous and following pages will show through the paper. You'll often get graphite rub from the pressure of the pen or pencil which causes the graphite on the previous pages to "copy" onto it's opposite page. In addition, pages are fairly difficult to remove without mangling the entire book.In short: I highly recommend this sketchbook for traveling, but urge you not to draw back-to-back on the pages, nor to use this book for anything more than sketching.Tip for scanning sketches: If you did not draw on both sides of the page, you can slip an extra sheet or two of white paper to block out the "shadow" of drawings on following pages.

I'm liking it. But don't use it for wet media. It's good for handwriting, light fountain pen, or rollerball, etc. Surprisingly--since this is Pentalic, known for its calligraphy supplies--the Illustrator's Sketchbook does not seem to be good for calligraphy: the ink bleeds through. Maybe it would be better with a calligraphy marker--I'm still testing. But a Pilot Calligraphy Pen delivers too much ink for this paper. I'd test first before using any dip pen.Of course good for pencil. Paper has smooth surface--that is, you don't feel the texture, which is an important factor for pencil art. Some like texture, some not.Nice looking book. Faux leather doesn't look tacky. Sewn binding. Can be pursuaded to lie flat when opened. Pleasant to work with!

I bought this as a gift and I was pleased by what I got. I'm gifting it as a journal and I think it will work incredibly well for writing in. The journal can be held open with one hand easily, and it's a great size for writing on your lap. The book does lay flat on nearly any page.The cover is pretty plain and simple, which is good if that's your preference. The ribbon marker seems sturdy and the elastic doesn't blemish the cover.I payed between $12 and $13 for the mocha brown sketchbook. I can't say that I would spend that much for another journal, but like I said it was a gift and it fit this person's preferences pretty well. I would say that it was worth the price in quality and how long you could hold onto it.

This is the best sketchbook for artists because it opens out flat that makes it so pleasant to work on. Flat without it being cheapo spiral bound, so It will look classy on your bookshelf. It is a real classic hardback binding, sewn-in at only 4 sheets a signature. This quality product makes your sketches feel valuable.

I bought 5 of these in next bigger size and gave them as a gift last Christmas. This is a smaller version. This looks like a prayer book because of its size but I am keeping it because I cannot find a bigger size. Moreover, this is easy to carry in my bag.

Many years ago while I was in a college bookstore I noticed these notebooks being sold. Their price was quite a bit less than the leading competitor. I bought several. I use them to do drawings while I'm in church and out of various activities. I have a visual journal of activities that it happened to me and the people involved. The quality is good for Canon ink and pencil. I have not tried it with watercolors. I have used colored pencils and that's excellent also.

Excelente detalle para regalar, muy buenos acabados, hojas de papel muy bonito, de buen grosor, color hueso y con un tamaño perfecto para hacer bocetos, caligrafía, dibujos o tomar notas del día a día.

Me gusta es muy practico, puedo usar los plumones tombow en el sin ningún problema. Solo los pinceles tombow no porque sueltan demaciada tinta y si traspasa la hoja un poco sin pasar a la otra.Ideal para lápiz.

Cumple con mis expectativas, la libreta es elegante y las hojas se sienten bien al tacto.

La calidad del papel es excepcional. Me gustó el diseño. Espero poder comprar mas de este tipo. Quedé encantado. Solo que vino sin envoltura pero aun así fue excelente.

Solid sketchbook: nice paper, has pocket for storing small things like reciepts, etc