New Stillman and Birn Sketchbook

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Stillman & Birn have developed a new line of hardcover sketchbooks, so naturally I had to get one! This is their Beta series book, with extra heavy 180 lb. natural white paper and a rough surface. This is the 7 x 10 in. 25 page book. Sketch done with Bic Mark-It Markers and a Uni-ball Vision pen.

 I really, really like working on heavy paper, the heavier the better. Stillman & Birn says that this paper has enhanced wet strength and is suitable for mixed media. I like it because it takes markers and while the marker does show through the other side of the paper it does not bleed through to the next page. Sketch done with Bic Mark-It Markers and a Uni-ball Vision pen.

 This sketch was done with a Uni-ball Vision pen and Daniel Smith watercolors. I wanted to see how the watercolors did on this paper. It's certainly a good paper for watercolors, strong, little to no buckling as the paper gets wet, but I did find the paper slightly less absorbent than the 130 lb. paper in my Pentallic Nature Sketch sketchbook. So that answered my question of which sketchbook to use for watercolor and which for markers. But I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one for watercolors, it's very good for that, it's just that I'm used to the way the Nature Sketch paper performs and I'll stay with that for convenience.