The one for people who think in shapes rather than lines. The square is the interesting one. There is no implied top and bottom the way there is on a portrait page, so a spread reads as one wide field rather than two tall columns. This one comes with blank pages on 140gsm acid free paper, 80 sheets of it, behind a hardbound in a warm orange pink, closer to terracotta than to fluorescent. Made by Royal Talens, who have been making artists materials in the Netherlands since 1899.

★ ART SHED STAFF TIP

Run the elastic under the back cover while you are working rather than around the whole book. It stops the band pressing a dent across the pages you have not used yet.

Perfect for

Daily sketchingDrawing practiceJournallingTravel journalSquare formatComposition

The colour: Coral

Coral is the warmest cover in the Art Creation range, a soft orange pink that sits somewhere between terracotta and salmon. It is the one people pick when black feels too severe and white feels too precious to start. It also has the practical advantage of being impossible to lose at the bottom of a bag.

What the paper will and will not do

One hundred and forty grams is the number that decides what you can do in here. It is roughly double ordinary notebook paper, which means pencil, charcoal, pastel, ink, gouache and acrylic all sit on it without the page giving up, and a fountain pen will not print through to the other side. Light washes of watercolour are fine. Flood it and it will cockle, because this is a drawing paper, not a watercolour block.

The stock is a warm cream white rather than a bright white, which cuts glare under artificial light and gives coloured pencil somewhere softer to sit. At 12 x 12 cm you get a composition with room left around it.

What you are actually getting

Paper

80 sheets, 160 sides, 140gsm acid free, in a warm cream white

Pages

Blank, no ruling at all

Cover

Rigid hardbound cover, a warm orange pink, closer to terracotta than to fluorescent

Fittings

Elastic closure band and a bound-in ribbon bookmark. No back pocket on this range

Questions about the Coral sketchbook in 12 x 12 cm

Is the paper white or cream?

A warm cream white rather than a bright white. It cuts glare under artificial light and gives coloured pencil and ink a slightly softer ground to sit on.

What media does the 140gsm paper take?

Pencil, graphite, charcoal, pastel, crayon, ink, gouache and acrylic, plus light washes of watercolour. At 140gsm it will cockle if you flood it, so treat wet work as a light touch rather than a proper wash. For real watercolour you want 300gsm.

Why a square book?

Because a square has no built in orientation. Nothing about the page tells you which way up the work goes, which suits composition studies, thumbnails and anything headed for a square crop.

Is the paper acid free?

Yes. Royal Talens specifies acid free paper across the Art Creation range, which means the sheets will not yellow and go brittle with age. If you are keeping finished books on a shelf, that matters more than it sounds.

Does it have an elastic closure?

Yes, an elastic band to hold it shut in a bag, plus a bound-in ribbon bookmark. There is no back pocket on the Art Creation range, so if you need somewhere to stash loose receipts and cards, look at a book that has one.

Can I see one before I buy it?

Yes, if you can get to a store. Art Shed has a Melbourne store in Moorabbin and a Brisbane store in West End. Otherwise we ship Australia wide from local stock and orders move quickly.

(NU9314314M)

SKU NU9314314M
Barcode # 8712079455828
Brand Royal Talens
Shipping Weight 0.2000kg
Shipping Width 0.050m
Shipping Height 0.050m
Shipping Length 0.050m

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