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illo Sketchbook Vegan Friendly Sketch Book, 112-Page

Last updated: January 11, 2023

illo Sketchbook Vegan Friendly Sketch Book, 112-Page
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We looked at the top Sketch Books and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Sketch Book you should buy.

Overall Take

This sketch book features a hard cover made of leather. This not only protects the sketch pad from damage, but also provides an anti-slip coating to prevent you from accidentally dropping the book. The square design of the pad makes sharing your artwork a breeze on social media sites. As an added bonus, the pages are thick enough to use markers and watercolor washes.

In our analysis of 66 expert reviews, the illo Sketchbook Vegan Friendly Sketch Book, 112-Page placed 14th when we looked at the top 17 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

Designed by artists for artists. illo Sketchbooks are 8×8 in creating a square drawing surface perfect for any artist at any skill level. Take your drawings from paper to social media easily without the awkward cropping. Gray hard cover/ 112 pages / 122lb, 180 gsm paper / elastic enclosure/ stylish ribbon marker / back page pocket, layflat design. This sketchbook works well with all mediums. Perfect for dry mediums. Water based media should be used lightly.

Expert Reviews


What experts liked

The sketchbook comes with 112 heavyweight pages and works with pens, pencils, inks, pastels, markers, and can be used with light watercolor paint. We also like that the book measures 8 inches by 8 inches, perfect for sharing square images of your art on Instagram.
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The paper on the illo sketchbook is really, really nice. I'm not kidding when I say it's like bristol board, pretty close to a smoother plate bristol, but there is a ever so slight tooth to the page. It handles nearly every ink like a dream, and the front and back of the page of a sketchbook handle in about the same.
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The binding is sewn and it lies perfectly flat with no training or spine-bending necessary. Even the first few pages lie flat right out of the package. I've seen some very fancy notebooks fail that test, so I was quite impressed with the binding.
It lays flat and is designed with social media in mind. “Our 8″ x 8″ Perfect Square Ratio sketchbook,” they say, “allows you to go from paper to social media without the awkward cropping.”

What experts didn't like

Unlike the Strathmore and ARTEZA, the illo doesn’t have perforated pages, making it difficult to remove individual sheets. The illo paper isn’t acid free, which cuts down on cost, but also cuts down on the longevity of the artwork in the book.
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My only complaint is the size. It's not that it's square, which I originally thought. It's just that it's too small of a square for me. 8 inches tall is not what I want out of a sketchbook, I usually like a 7"x10" or, 8.5"x11" (A4-ish).
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The paper is coated, so there may be some longer dry time for wet media, and powdery pigments may smear a bit if you're not careful.

Our Expert Consultant

Amy Markham  
Artist and art educator

Artist and educator Amy Markham is the creator of Starling, a podcast dedicated to helping artists develop depth in their creative practice. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Amy has been an art educator since 2001. Today, she teaches middle school art at a school outside of Memphis, Tennessee. Her personal artwork explores myth-making and symbolic understandings. Through her brand, Starling Creative Living, she leads others to explore art production as a method for enriching their life experience.

View our Sketch Book buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

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