Landscape-Shaped Sketchbook, 8.25 x 11.25 inches, Lays Flat Flexible Sketch Book for Artists, Ideal for Ink, Water Color, Pen, Pencils, 160 Tear Resistant Pages, Size: Landscape Large, Leda Art Supply

UPDATE: 18 March 2016.After purchasing both the 3x5 and 5x8 versions of this sketchbook, I am completely, utterly, and resolutely sold on this sketchbook. These are easily the finest sketchbooks I have ever had the good fortune to use - far beyond anything Moleskine, Leuchtturm, or Rhodia has to offer. The quality is impeccable, the price unbeatable, the craftsmanship superb. Once my next paycheck comes in, I'm ordering 10 more of these. I absolutely cannot lavish Leda with enough praise. After spending almost a decade trying to find the perfect sketchbook, I have, at last, succeeded. Thank you, Leda.On to more empirical pastures:The sizes of the small and medium sketchbooks are in-line with the norm; nothing funky or abnormal to give you that constant feeling of being somehow "off" (I'm looking at you, Leuchtturm). The paper is a superior 80lb weight - far beyond the typical tissue-strength paper of the cheaper Moleskines, but without the hard cardboard feel of the thicker Moleskine paper. Writing on both sides will incur no bleed-through with anything short of heavy markers. The cover has a rich texture that makes you want to caress it as you hold it. The embossed logo gives excellent definition and grace to the appearance of the cover. The notebook lays flat (with a little help). Lastly, all three sizes feature the same page count; no more switching between 192 page larger notebooks and 80 page smaller ones like with Moleskine. There is a consistency that is pervasive across Leda's entire line, and it shows quite gracefully here.[Original Review Below]The closest I've come to finding the perfect sketchbook. There are no cons to this book: only pros, and mildly less pros.PROs:- Excellent cover material. Sturdy, resilient, flexible but not floppy. I absolutely detest companies that stamp markings or logos on the front cover of their sketchbooks (because a book of *my* work shouldn't be advertising anything else...), but it's done with such care and grace that it actually compliments the cover.- Fantastic price. Less than $20 for such quality? Easily competitive with Moleskine, but with a far superior product.- Size is fantastic. Not too small as to be uncomfortable or to limit your drawings, but not too large to make it feel difficult to fill or awkward to carry.- Excellent quantity of pages. You can put a lot of work into this one book and still have plenty of space left over.- The paper is smooth and crisp to write on. Fountain pens will find a wonderful home here, as will drafting pens, pencils, and markers. That being said, there's a mild downside:LESS PROs:- I have a hard time believing the paper truly is 80lb. It feels in-between Moleskine's stock light and heavy paper (the former always being too thin, the latter always too hard). It's an interesting middle ground that makes for still excellent paper, but unless you're drawing in pencil you probably won't be able to draw on both sides without some bleed-through. Fortunately for me, I despise drawing on the backs of pages, so for me it's not a loss. That said, I do have to use a sheet of cardstock behind the page I'm working to prevent bleed through onto other pages. I expect this sort of thing when I'm using markers (which is perfectly reasonable to expect), but I was surprised to see some splotches from my microns.- The strap that keeps the book closed leaves depressions on the top and bottom of the cover. This is because the cover is, as you would expect, just a tad larger than the paper within. Because it's a flexible material, the strap causes the cover to buckle slightly, which takes away from the crispness of the cover. A mild complaint, but when you're detail-oriented (as we all are), you can't help but notice.VERDICTI have spent many years searching for the "perfect" sketchbook. This is the closest I've come to achieving that. In fact, I'm quite content to end my search here and continue on with Leda for the foreseeable future. I'm thinking about buying a half-dozen more of these just to ensure I don't run out anytime soon. (And Leda, do please contact me if you plan to discontinue these. I want a chance to buy what's left of your stock!)That said, with what seems to be their first entry in the sketchbook market, I can only hope that they release new designs for us to consume. (A pocket-sized notebook would be glorious! And if they made it landscape oriented - oh, one can dream!)Leda has earned a loyal customer with this notebook. I look forward to seeing what else they come up with.N.B. I was *not* paid for this review. This is my real opinion, so take it for what it is.

*Review based on Leda A5 sketchbook, size mediumTo 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.

Working with Leda Sketchbook pleasantly surprised that the paper is smooth and durable - takes color pencil and ink and water color washes beautifully. No bleeding through the paper however I am prudent with watercolor washes which will bubble the paper slightly if you are conservative with the water color washes. The off white tone of the paper and smoothness is outstanding. Glad I purchased on impulse and will definitely purchase again. Well worth the price and the pseudo leather binding is excellent.

Gorgeous texture on the front and back, takes ink or graphite smoothly. Great quality but a tad expensive

Top Papierqualität. Tolle Haptik.

Es muy buena libreta con muy buen papel pero se pueden encontrar opciones de la misma calidad por menor precio.

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!