This is the Coral one, 9 x 14 cm, blank pages on 140gsm acid free paper. Genuinely pocket sized. It clears a jacket pocket and the side sleeve of almost any bag, which is the whole argument for this one. The cover is a warm orange pink, closer to terracotta than to fluorescent. The one that actually leaves the house, from Royal Talens in the Netherlands.

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Acid free matters more than it sounds if these are going on a shelf. It is the difference between pages that stay readable and pages that go yellow and brittle in a decade.

Perfect for

Daily sketchingDrawing practiceJournallingTravel journalPocket carryOn the move

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 9 x 14 cm you get a few lines of notes or one quick thumbnail per page.

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 9 x 14 cm

Will fountain pen or marker bleed through?

Fountain pen and fineliner, very unlikely at 140gsm, which is roughly double ordinary notebook paper. Alcohol markers will go through almost any uncoated paper, so test on the inside back cover first.

Is it hardbound?

Yes, a rigid hard cover, which is what lets you draw with the book in one hand and no table under it. That is most of why this range suits urban sketching.

Is it too small to be useful?

For capture, no. It is built for the idea you have standing on a platform or waiting for a coffee. If you want to sit and work at length, step up to the 13 x 21 cm.

Who makes these?

Royal Talens, the Dutch manufacturer behind Amsterdam, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. Art Creation is their everyday range, built to be used rather than kept for best.

Will it lie flat?

Not on the first day. Open it flat in the middle a few times and work outwards over the first week and it will stay open on a table from then on.

Do you ship Australia wide?

Yes, Australia wide from Australian stock, which is why orders move in days rather than weeks. Art Shed is family owned and Australian run, with stores in Moorabbin in Melbourne and West End in Brisbane if you would rather handle one first.

(NU9314311M)

SKU NU9314311M
Barcode # 8712079455859
Brand Royal Talens
Shipping Weight 0.1750kg
Shipping Width 0.050m
Shipping Height 0.050m
Shipping Length 0.050m

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