- 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

Very good size, still decently portable. The paper is textured in a very subtle way, not totally smooth but not extremely rough either, makes it great for multiple materials. The cover is textured so it won't slide around when drawing on a smooth surface and it has a little pocket inside attached to the back end that is good for holding loose papers. Overall very good sketchbook, this is my second buy from the brand and I think the longevity is great and I couldn't switch to another book without missing drawing on these ones!

*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.

This sketchbook has good paper for drawing. I have this book in 3 sizes and use all of them regularly. The smallest fits in my fanny pack that I take hiking. I can take a break and sketch the beautiful things in nature.

I bought this sketchbook specifically because I was looking for a budget Moleskine. I've used Moleskine sketchbooks for years, but I feel that their brand quality has been slipping on their sketchbooks and that they're generally overpriced. The Leda sketchbook was a bit more than I was planning to spend, but the reviews and the idea of supporting a small business were enough for me to give it a shot. I primarily use my sketchbook for small drawings, doodles, planning other drawings, taking notes. I carry it around and I don't typically plan on doing any polished work in it. I use mostly pen in my sketchbook; I like pencil too but find that it tends to get smeared and ruined in sketchbooks that get carried around. Some of these things make the Leda perfect for me; others not so much. The pens and markers I typically use hold well in the Leda. They don't bleed more than they would on decent paper, and they rarely bleed through. In this matter, the Leda actually outperforms Moleskine paper, which I find frequently lets marker/pen bleed through to the other side. I did find that for some reason, Leda paper disagrees with ballpoint pens. It seems to cause them to skip and blot more frequently; I thought it was the pens but after testing several on Leda paper and printer paper, it seems to be the sketchbook. Weird, but not a big deal to me. If you frequently draw in ballpoint, though, you may want to keep it in mind. I haven't really tried water media (ink wash, watercolor) on the Leda but I am fairly sure it would warp the paper significantly just from the results of my couple test strokes. This isn't a problem for me, but if your sketchbook is mostly water media, this may not be the book for you. The paper is actually the kind of paper I really like for pencil sketching--it's very very smooth and takes pencil readily. However it also smears extremely easily, whether from touch or just getting bounced around in travel. Unless you use fixative in your sketchbook, I would give graphite a pass. (The colored-lead mechanical pencils I sometimes use don't have this problem as their lead is much waxier; they're a good choice if you're just sketching and not creating finished pieces.) The pocket in the back seems sturdy enough and is sized well for scraps and bits you want to hold on to. The cover is, to my mind, the biggest drawback to the Leda for several reasons, some admittedly petty. It's softcovered, so you can't rely on your sketchbook itself as a hard surface. And the cover material itself is not my favorite. The texture doesn't bother me to touch, but it won't hold stickers. Told you it was a petty complaint--but decorating a new sketchbook with stickers is one of my favorite things, and not being able to do that is kind of a bummer. The cover is also already curling up (I've been using my Leda for about a month now). The elastic band also does make a dent in the cover, as other reviewers noted. I would prefer to have a bookmark to the elastic, but that's just me. My sketchbook has the updated, smaller logo on the front. I think the size is fine, but in combination with the placement (towards the bottom, centered, on the front cover) instinctively makes me think the front cover is the back sometimes. Overall, I think the Leda's a good sketchbook. It has some drawbacks (the most significant of which to me are the soft cover and inability to decorate it) and isn't quite as sturdy as a Moleskine, but the paper quality is great and I feel better buying from a smaller company, especially since that company seems to be really responsive to customer feedback. If I hadn't gotten another sketchbook for my birthday, I'd probably plan on buying another Leda when I'm finished this one. As it stands, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this company. :)

Perfect for my needs. I use this as an illlustrated/written daybook. Colored pencils, watercolor colored pencils, fine point markers, pencil, all work well and do not bleed through. I am extremely pleased with this sketch book. Great value for the money, lots of pages, sheets are properly secured, and the book is just the right thickness. Even the cover is just right and looks classy.

J'ai utilisé cet article pour faire un carnet de voyage et j'ai collé, peint, écrit avec toutes sortes de techniques. Il est absolument parfait. Le papier résiste bien et ne traverse pas. Il est épais, solide, pas très cher, le format est idéal, bref, je n'ai que des compliments à faire sur cet article et je le recommande vivement pour tous vos travaux de collage, écriture, aquarelle etc...

I have used a lot of sketchbooks for work over the years, and some were better than others. Moleskine is often the sketchbook of choice, if you don’t mind the price. This sketchbook is comparable to Moleskine and is very well made. At this price, it’s a simple and easy decision to make. It feels nice to hold, is durable, has good paper weight, and is well bound with a durable elastic and a good quantity of pages. I plan on buying more as my go-to sketchbook.

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

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