Crafty Arts Essentials Hardback Sketchbook A4

Good sketch book

There’s a smart if slightly office-like feel to this sketchbook. The binding is on a par with officeware and doesn’t feel especially sturdy or ‘artsy’. However the thick black covers and the paper inside are a different story, clearly a thick, quality art material, and not likely to get confused for a book you’d take meeting notes in.The paper is a fairly bright white, with a fairly modest texture and generally clear and blank. A little more of the grain is revealed on wide sketching but it generally doesn’t impose too much character onto what you draw. There’s a lovely, smooth-but-not-too-smooth feel as you draw a pencil across it. Some sketchbooks feel so posh and expensive that I feel almost embarrassed to draw in them in case my work isn’t worthy, but this sketchbook doesn’t have that problem- it strikes a nice balance of posh and practical.On the cover of the sketchbook I received, it states “30 pages (60 leaves)”, but in the product photo on the site, that has been corrected to “60 pages (30 leaves)”. Just to confirm, it is 30 pieces of paper inside, where you can sketch on two sides of each, hence 60 pages- not the other way round. Happily, the paper thickness really does support being able to sketch on both sides of each leaf, so you really could do sixty sketches in this, and it’s not just a cheeky inflation of a 30-sketch book.For the page count, you will find cheaper sketchbooks, but for the quality of the paper and the general satisfaction to be had from sketching in it, I’m very pleased with this.

Nice plain sketch book

This sketchbook is a bit disappointing for two reasons:1. The misleadingtitle says it's 60 pages but in fact it's 30 pages and therefore 60 leaves i.e. use each side of the 30 pages and you get 60.2. The spiral binding is thin wire and not very robust. I found it was distorted on arrival and easily moved out of place when placed in a school bag.Those two issues aside, the paper is reasonable quality for sketching and the hard cover provides some protection for your work.

This is a perfect sketch pad for my ink drawings. The paper is thick and durable, with no bleed-through or feathering.The medium-rough paper texture adds to the aesthetic effects when I use charcoal.I always use both sides of each sheet in my sketchbooks. This sketchbook has 30 sheets of paper.Since each sheet of paper has two sides and each side is considered as one page, that is why the manufacturer describes this pad as a 60 pages sketchbook.This sketchbook is spiral bound with a lightweight metal spine. I love that the book is not hardbound because it opens and lays flat creating a comfortable setup for drawing.Sturdy and thick cardboard back and front covers act as a working surface to draw anywhere without the need for a desk. Also, they protect the paper and artwork inside from wrinkling and other damage.Comfortable size and weight to carry around in a tote bag.Good value for money.

This is a spiral-bound sketch pad with 30 A4 sheets in it of very good quality paper.As it is spiral bound it can be opened flat or turned back on itself to make an easy-access sketching surface.If you are using it for light pencil or charcoal sketches then you could utilise both sides of the sheets and have 60 pages, but if you are using heavier techniques then that might not be so practical.This works well with most media from crayons, pencils, ink and even chalk.It is a tad pricier than other pads but the quality really is very good.

I'm very happy with this sketchbook. Very nice quality thick paper that's suitable for various types of medium. It has a wonderful texture and is a pleasure to work on. Ink doesn't blotch or bleed. And due to its thickness both sides are perfectly serviceable.It's a well protected sketch book, ideal for college or school and travelling between locations due to its hardy and durable cover.

Lovely quality A4 size sketch pad with thick and good quality 160gsm paper, suitable for most colouring and painting materials.£11.35 (at the time of review) which seems like fair value for the size and quality. There are 30 sheets all in all because of the paper weight, can be used on both sides (60 pages) and is spiral bound for convenience.