Amazon Basics Art Sketch Book for Drawing and Painting, Thick Paper, 5.25" x 8.25", 72 Sheets, Black

I actually gave away the 2nd one I bought when these were on sale because initially I felt like it was just a tad too small. But I've recently been using this sketchbook to do pen (liners) and watercolor and it's great for those types of sketches. It is ok with pencil, but it's not smooth, so I wouldn't buy it for just pencil. It erases just fine- get a quality eraser or even a new white eraser pencil tip and it's fine -works great. If you are having issues you probably are using an H instead of an HB or B pencil (and that is true for all paper). And it does not bleed through with the .3 Japanese marker type pens. Obviously at this price point the paper weight is not the heaviest that is possible, but it works fine. It does bend under water, but then let it dry and it will lay flat again with a slight bend possible if you used a lot of water and haven't placed a heavy weight on the book. I don't know why some reviews say it can't handle washes or multiple watercolor layering - yes it can. I'm a professional artist. I use this for my personal sketches, because it' so small. Could I sell them using this paper? Yes. Would I? No. I use a thinker weight for things I am selling to a client so that they lay completely flat without me having to spend a lot of time putting weight on the paper to get it to lay flat again. I think this price point and this decent quality lends itself to people doing more watercolor based art, for themselves and their practice, because they aren't worried so much about the cost of the paper. I had come back to this page hoping Amazon had come out with maybe a standard 9 x 6. But so far this is the only size I see.

I have bought this sketch book several times for my 15 yo and 19 yo. The size is perfect to carry with you (my daughter almost always has one in her purse). And they both like the paper quality.

I love this sketchbook! It lays flat, it tolerates light washes and it feels good to sketch on.

The perfect sketch pad for both left handed and right handed people. They are the prefect size to slide into a small bag. My kids bring them every where.

I purchased this sketchbook for my 3-year-old so I could preserve his early drawings, and overall, I’m happy with it for that purpose. While the textured black cover feels a bit flimsy and cheap, the affordability of this sketchbook makes it hard to complain. The paper quality is decent—not too thick, but it holds up well for crayons, colored pencils, and even light markers without much bleed-through. The compact size is perfect for little hands, and my child loves flipping through the pages to create new masterpieces. In a year's time, this will become a treasured keepsake of his early creativity, which is exactly what I was hoping for. If you’re looking for a premium-feeling sketchbook, this might not be it, but for casual use—especially for kids—it’s a fantastic, budget-friendly choice.

Nice thick pages. Good for drawing or painting. The cover and elastic that that holds the sketch book closed make it look fancy. I bought it as a gift so I can't tell you how it performs when used but it looks nice.

Amazon Basics are da shizzle!! This sketch book is sturdy with some great features. The paper is thick so ink doesn’t show through, the elastic allows me to store my pen and pencil and keep things together while on the go, and there is a pocket in the back that I can keep random doodles in. I recommend this without reservation.

Good sketch book. I bought it as a gift.

Thick papers, good for watercolor or pencil and even acrylic. Amazing quality for a bargain price!

Great book for the price

Il blocco per schizzi Amazon Basics è un ottimo strumento per chi ama disegnare o fare schizzi, sia per principianti che per artisti esperti. La qualità della carta è buona, abbastanza spessa per sopportare diversi tipi di penne, matite e inchiostro, senza troppi segni di sbavature. La dimensione di 21 x 13 cm è perfetta per schizzi rapidi o appunti di design. La copertura nera lo rende elegante e resistente. Con 72 fogli, offre un buon rapporto qualità-prezzo. Consigliato per chi cerca un blocco da utilizzare quotidianamente senza spendere troppo.

Much better than expected, thick paper, bigger than expected, overall quite happy

Excellent value at this price. unfussy, but with good paper, a sufficiently sturdy cover and elastic, and a back pocket. binding construction means it's easy to fold the book open and to keep it open without the cover or prior pages interfering and the cover is strong enough to support working on the initial pages as you begin the book. I have not noticed any bleed through issues and generally find the paper to be great for this pricepoint. I would happily recommend this to anyone simply on a budget, beginners, children and students, and serious or fulltime artists looking for a nicely priced artbook for less precious work.