Stillman & Birn Zeta Series Wirebound Sketchbook, 9" x 12", 270 gsm (Extra Heavyweight), White Paper, Smooth Surface

For many years I've kept a watercolor journal in my pocketbook. The heavyweight zeta is my favorite. I like the hotpress texture of the paper, the weight is perfect for a medium wash, doesn't leak through. It's just a great little book both for writing and watercolor. I've used many but for several years, this has been my favorite. I use between five and ten of them a year.

This sketchbook came wrapped in plastic as if it was new but was damaged on one page. One of the corners was lifted and peeling on the last sheet. The back cover also has black markings on it. The front page had a small black mark on her top corner. I’m going to keep it because I waited so long for its arrival. I probably just got a bad sketchbook that slipped through QC.The sketchbook in general is made of very heavy and thick paper. The paper is smooth as advertised for the Zeta series. I don’t think it’s 100% cotton paper but it is archival quality. I tried doing a little research on their website but there was no mentioning of the paper being cotton or any information about the paper’s actual composition. Regardless, I purchased the book anyways know that it’s probably not cotton. I’m still very excited to try this out. The 6x8 is perfect for traveling. I’ll update after a few uses to see if it’ll hold up to watercolor.

Paper is thick enough for water coloring and does not warp while drying. Once the picture is dry, I just close the book and put something slightly heavy on it and any edge curling gets flat. The paper is not porous so although it hold water colors nicely, there is not much absorption and not the same texture as water color paper. Great for any similar kind of medium, pen and ink, pencils, marker, etc. Very happy with the size. If I am trying a technique out or just want a smaller picture. The spiral binding is great, every page lays flat. Excellent value.

I haven't had a chance to use this sketchbook yet so I'll have to update this review later. For now this review will be aesthetic and cosmetic. I purchased the 9 x 12 inch size sketchbook. Lots of page real estate to work with and if I decide to do a two page spread then there's a lot more space! :-D If I scan or take a picture of a two page spread I'll have connect them with the image software, but it's worth the trouble to be able to fit so much detail into a very large space. The covers are very nice and are a pleasure to look at and feel. They're very sturdy. They're like having a built in clipboard. The wire binding is sturdy as well. Lets the book lay completely flat. The surface of the paper is very smooth. There is however a very small amount of tooth on the back side of each sheet. The back side is still very smooth as well. Just something to be aware of.

Let me start off with the pros and cons:Pros:●Smooth paper. Makes it perfect for color pencil and marker work.●Bright white pages.●Works fine with pens.●Decent for wet mediumCons●If your markers are filled with ink, they will bleed through.●Pages slightly buckle up if you use watercolors.So far, I enjoy using this sketchbook.I just wished that this type of sketchbook could handle markers without bleeding through.Beware that this sketchbook has a couple of sheets. I highly recommend getting a Stillman and Born sketchbook in a small size just so that you won't get intimidated. :)I'll definitely get another Zeta sketchbook in the near future.

The paper is nice and thick and can take several washes of watercolor and even lifting paint off the paper quite well. The Zeta of course as hot press is very smooth, while the Beta is more rough. This 7x10 size is very nice, where it's still not too large, but leaves plenty of room for a nice large double-page spread. I wanted the flexibility of the wire binding, and it is nice and sturdy, but they rings do protrude quite a bit, making it somewhat awkward to draw on the left page. Also, this sketchbook is on the heavy side. It can fit into a medium size purse, but it does weigh it down a bit.

This is a wonderful sketch pad for most any media except watercolor. I’m just not happy how it accepts and absorbs the watercolor.The hard cover is a great support for when you are traveling. It is a well made book.

The paper is really, really great for all kinds of media. I use brush pens for line illustration work pretty frequently and there is not much friction at all. It's a great feeling.My only complaint is that the build quality is a bit coarse overall. I compared it to a notebook by a popular Japanese stationery manufacturer and it really comes up short in the look & feel and fit & finish departments. For example, the front and back covers are extremely thick, but they don't extend far enough to protect the edges of the paper. That was really weird to me. The edges of my pages are getting a bit beat up after a few months in a laptop bag, so why does the cover have to be so thick and pointy? And how much did I pay for this notebook, only to have the paper slowly marred? I also think it could use something like flyleaf pages with the brand name or a nice pattern on it. Right now my front page artwork is slowly being transferred to the inside of the cover as the two rub together, so it looks pretty ugly when you open it up.So if all you care about is paper and a place for your artwork, this is really great. If you want to feel a bit more like you have a high-quality notebook in hand, keep looking.

Stillman and Birn sketchbooks are awesome. Huge fan of their beta and zeta series. Bought from seller Creative Hands Artist Material, Kolkata India. The sketchbook came in its original package, only drawback was the top cover had mould under the jacket.Edited: after wiping it down with a wet rag and leaving it in sun to dry thoroughly the cover looks good as new.

Bon papiers mais l'envoi est long,et un peut excessif.

Really like the Zeta series sketchbooks. Great for art journaling.