Speedball Travelogue Pocket Portrait Sketchbook - 5.5" x 3.5" Artist Journal, 128 Sheets Buff Drawing Paper, Cadmium Green Cover

I am a repeat customer for these sketchbooks. I have bought all the sizes probably, and the pocket portrait is one of my favorite. It has a slightly off-white color paper, which I LOVE I think it makes it easier to start a drawing or painting and it also looks better as a finished product. The paper is thick, but I do put a lot on it sometimes so use gesso unless I am writing or using watercolors. The blue is stunning by the way.Great value for the money as this holds up to being toted around in bags and handled all the time, cover wise and how well it is bound.

The media could not be loaded. I am not surprised that this product has such high rating from so many people that my reviews will probably get buried. But I still want to put it out there as I rely on reviews to make purchases.I have bought multiples of these sketchbooks in past 3 years.This review is for the pocket portrait with red hardcover. I started sketching in this one at the beginning of 2022 and finished it at the beginning of 2024.-It is a well thought out product. Especially for visual journaling while traveling.- Pages are thick enough to handle any media. I used micron pen, alcohol markers pencil colors, watercolors and gouache.- I enjoyed using all media in this and liked the results too.- There is no bleed through for any media I used except if you use alcohol markers, you probably wont be able to use both sides of the page.- I primarily used water based media and the pages take it very well. Please note that these are not watercolor paper so would be unfair to compare.- Colors look vibrant on this paper.- Binding is sturdy. I don't see much wear and tear after 2 years of use on multiple trips across different parts of the world.- The pocket journal is perfect size to sneak in anywhere. I have painted in it during shows, dinners, happy hours, theme park visits , zoo visits , on the flights , airports etc.Attached are some urban sketches from my pocket sketchbook.One thing that bothered me in the beginning was the ivory pages which I was not used to working in. I prefer white pages. But it has grown on me and doesn't bother me.But I wish they had a white page option in this range.

This has become my favorite book to tuck in my pocket and take with me on nature rambles. The paper is high quality, and the square format works well for me. I like the envelope at the back of the book for safely storing leaves and flowers. The olive color is lovely, and I also have one in black that I like.

I got the 5X5. It's small and cute and perfect for smaller sketching or travel. It doesn't have a paper weight listed, but it feels like 90lb paper. The paper itself isn't pure white (more cream) and has good tooth/texture. I tried it on the following mediums:1. Alcohol Markers: blends beautifully, bleeds bad so can only use on one side and you should have a protective insert like spare watercolor square behind the page you are working on.2. Prismacolor: blends well and allows for many layers without losing tooth.3. Water based markers: avoid. paper tears, doesn't hold well with harsh brushwork and synthetic brush tips4. Micron brush and ink: works well. Fluid, no tearing, no bleeding.5. Gel pen: okay for line work, paper tears if too much applied / used to fill in area6. Raffine or KohINor oil pencils: okay, not much layering.7. Pastel pencil, charcoal pencil and soft pastels: flakes a bit, but stays on page well. blends well.8. Watercolor (pan and tube): okay for dry or light water application with natural fiber brush and gentle brush work. Doesn't hold well to heavy water or heavy brush work. Minimal buckle if water used sparingly / patently.Overall, I'm pleased with the number of mediums this paper works with. Basically, avoid water-based inks, heavy water use in watercolor, and heavy brushwork that irritates the paper, and you're good. The only bleeding I had was from the alcohol markers. I'll be buying this brand again in other sizes.

This sketchbook is a great size for portability and is my go-to for on-the-go sketching. It has a nice texture which gives just enough tooth to grab the graphite, but not so much that it has a personality of its own. So far I've used this with graphite (both in standard, drawing pencils and mechanical, drafting pencils) and colored pencils. Water-soluble colored pencils work well, but care should be taken when applying water as excessive dampness does seem to cause the pigment to bleed through to become visible on the reverse. While I've not tested the sketchbook with watercolors, I speculate that it would not be a good choice for that medium, at least not if you wish to use both sides of the pages.One aspect that really stands out to me about this sketchbook is its format. Being square it does not influence your creative decisions of expression (in terms of shape). My experience has been that I feel I have to "fill" the longer dimension of rectangular paper (to maximize use of the available, visual area). For example, if sketching an iris I would feel compelled to compose the image in portrait orientation so I would have the most vertical room, allowing for a larger completed size of the subject. However, sometimes you start sketching and don't know what will come out until you "get in there". The square format seems to relieve some of that subtle influence, as no orientation is implied -- you never get into the image and then realize it would have been better expressed in the opposite orientation.Overall this is one of my favorite sketchbooks to date.

The photo is from my portrait version but the paper is the same. A lot of pages, durable paper, works well with ball point pen sketch and even ink from a brush. (Indian ink).The power to create in your back pocket.

I love a square sketchbook and this one is small with nice, textured paper. I mostly use graphite and it erases nicely.