Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Softcover Sketchbook, 3.5" x 5.5", 150 gsm (Heavyweight), White Paper, Medium Grain Surface

Great quality durable useful lightweight sketchbook that takes a lot of beating and can deal with scrubbing wet washes etc... it does buckle a little but hey it's a sketchbook! I don't want it to be too precious or I won't use it:) I'm almost done filling it up, yay. I just wish it had a pocket in the back or front, but love it anyway.

Using A5 softcover - Paper is thin and plentiful enough to not be "precious" and you don't worry about wasting space.. But thick and sturdy enough to not bleed through the pages. This sketchbook can take a lot of abuse without issue.Receives pen, pencil, permanent marker, and watercolor/gouache paint well. Takes multiple wet and dry layers like a champ.Multiple wet paint layers will cause the page to wrinkle a little on the backside of the page but never bleeds through or causes a problem. (Though the book may appear a little bulkier by completion due to this)Paper is bound in six signatures, very well glued into place. Spine does not fall apart despite months and months of abuse.Primary use - watercolor paint (with lots of wet layers) - in travel paint kit, used anywhere outside the studio (indoors or out).Amazing value for the price - the high page count is great at preventing the "precious" mentality that bars artists from experimenting. And the sturdiness allows you to keep it forever, so you can get real work done with it too.Great for professional artists who just want some play space, or beginner artists just starting out. The book is slim, flexible, and sturdy. It's unbeatable in price and in durability. Cannot recommend it enough.

I think Stillman & Birn journals are one of the best brands for sketchbook journaling. Moleskine are also nice. I have tried lots of brands and the Stillman & Birn Alpha series is one of the best I have used, but everyone has their favorites. The paper is bright white, and heavy enough to take a light wash and cover is light weight making it perfect for quick sketches on the go. The paper is smooth, but not as smooth as a hot press paper. Having used the softcover, I think I like the hardcover style better; again just a personal preference.

I really like this sketchbook. I’ve been using watercolor, ink and acrylic paints in it and it is holding up quite well. The pages curl a bit when you use wet media, but that doesn’t bother me. I wouldn’t saturate the page, but light washes are okay. I didn’t realize the cover was as thin as it is and if I would have known, I might have bought the hard cover. Overall, it’s a great sketchbook and the price is good.

My last sketchbook was the 500 series hardbound mixed media in the same format size. I decided to try this sketchbook because I wanted something lighter, but still heavy enough weight paper for watercolors and mixed media. Getting used the softcover was a little tricky - especially the first few left-handed pages as the sketchbook cover doesn’t provide any real support or stability. The trade off of soft vs hardcover. But once I got used to it, it hasn’t been bad at all.I’m now about three-quarters of the way through the book, I’ve used a variety of pencils, pens and ink, watercolors, watercolor pencils and watercolor crayons, done some collage and mixed media with acrylic gel mediums. The paper is thinner than true watercolor paper, but handles wet media nicely. I’ve been able to scrub and blot my watercolors without the paper pilling, too. There’s often a little buckling, but no bleed through and the pages dry relatively flat. Flat enough that it’s easy to draw on the opposite side of each page. It’s also fairly easy to hold the book open and flat while sketching. I use binder clips to hold the pages completely flat when I’m trying to photograph pages, but don’t bother with them when I’m sketching.I’ve included photos showing a sideview of my sketchbook so you can see how the pages are holding up under two months of being carted around in a backpack, and lots of sketching. Then I included a series of photos of the interior - I started with the pencil sketches and simply flipped through the book taking photos of several successive spreads. So the watercolor of the little boy is on the backside of the pencil sketch of the screaming girl, and so on and so forth. That way you can see how the paper handles work on both sides.The only oddity I’ve had is every once in a while my watercolors will bead up on the surface of the page in spots. I’m guessing this has to do with the papers’ sizing? Sometimes it almost acts as a resist. But if I scrub a little, that issue goes away. I’ve also noticed that I have to wait a little longer for some inks to dry - including my de Atramentis black document ink. It stays wet and can smear longer than I’m used to with other papers (like the Strathmore 500 series).If you found my review useful, please click the ‘helpful’ button below. Seeing your likes really helps encourage me to keep taking crazy pictures and putting together these reviews.

Received this a couple of days ago. Just started pen and ink/watercolor. Was using my old sketchbook from college from years ago and was getting frustrated with WC application. I wanted something I could sketch and use WC on without having to change sketchbooks. The paper is crisp white with some tooth. Lay's flat and is more malleable than a hardcover. Tried a couple of sketches with WC and quite pleased with how it handled thus far. Also purchased the Beta and Zeta to try and will review once received and tried.

I use the A6 or small portrait size alpha sketchbook it has lots of pages and the paper is heavy enough to handle ink and watercolor, I really like the white paper- colors are true on it. The small size is easy to carry and with a bulldog clip and ponytail band to either hold it open while painting or closed while in my purse it is incredibly convenient.

Stillman and Birn sketchbooks is a staple in my art arsenal and a true workhorse.These sketchbooks work well with mix media ( gouache and acrylic paint too) very durable paper and it lays flat while you create! Will be repurchasing again.

juste un peu cher à mon avis mais très bon sketchbook

For the whopping price, this is a rather tacky little sketchbook from the much touted Stillman and Birn. The book doesn’t even open out decently or evenly. The paper is average with some grain. So much for the brand yapping about their array of varieties which simply cause confusion. All that business of researching through their Alpha Beta Zeta stuff for this piddling average thing I got. Canson sketchbooks have far superior paper and an elegance to them so that you don’t mind the expense. Some local brands are far cheaper, open out flat, look good and have really decent paper for the price.

This sketchbook takes quite a few layers of coloured pencils. Fabulous value.

Really like the texture of the book, although it's bit pricey.

Great sketch book highly recommended.