Leda Art Supply Perfect Premium Sketch Book
Last updated date: October 15, 2019
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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
In our analysis of 80 expert reviews, the Leda Art Supply Leda Art Supply Perfect Premium Sketch Book placed 5th when we looked at the top 10 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.
Editor's Note November 11, 2019:
Checkout The Best Sketch Book for a detailed review of all the top sketch books.
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From The Manufacturer
Leda Art Supply banner VERSATILE: dense 81 pound (130 gsm) sketchbook paper takes application of pencil, ink, pen, pastel and charcoal. SMOOTH WITH SLIGHT TOOTH: Art paper has enough tooth to show marks well. PREMIUM: 160 pages of cream-colored paper accents your colors. MORE PAGES: You get 56 more pages than Moleskine's A5 Art Collection Sketchbook (which only gives you 104 pages) BIT WIDER: LEDA is 8.25 x 5.70 inches -- .7 inch winder (5.7) than Moleskine's A5 sketchbook (5.5) Leda banner Leda customer art Leda test paper texture GET CREATIVE FALLING IN LOVE WITH LEDA SKETCHBOOKS Looking for a premium art journal? Consider Leda. You will find the soft, smooth paper enticing. 160 pages of cream colored paper will accent your every mark. Ideal for pencil, pen, ink, charcoal and pastel. The dense paper isn't too thin or thick. It won't easily rip or smear. PREVENTS BLEEDING You will find very little bleeding with the Leda -- if at all. Large tip markers will show through on the other side but customers report that pen and ink work well. Like markers? Colors blend wonderfully on Leda paper. MAKES COLORS POP EXTRA FEATURES Elastic band keeps pages together. Accordion back pocket for storing photos, lose papers or pencil. LAYS FLAT The solid binding permits the book to lay flat. Use the elastic band to hold the pages together. The dense paper and solid thread binding will hold up to aggressive art making. MORE PAGES THAN MOLESKINE You get 56 more pages than Moleskine's A5 Art Collection Sketchbook (which only gives you 104 pages). SMOOTH WITH A SLIGHT TOOTH PERFECT PAPER Dense paper is smooth but with enough tooth to grab and show your medium. WHAT ABOUT WATERCOLOR? While the Leda isn't meant for heavy wet media. Some customers experiment with a light watercolor wash. The pages will warp a bit, but our designers consider that normal for sketchbooks. We think that art doesn't have to be proper and precise all the time. It is OK to mess up your sketchbook. And the Leda will take vigorous art making. Read more side DURABLE UNIQUE COVER MATERIAL People love the look and feel of the textured flexible cover. It is water resistant and made of PU leather. It bends and lays flat. Unlike other sketchbooks with hard cardboard backing, the Leda's cover protects your art from the elements. Perfect for sketching in the field. The Leda weighs less than bulky hard covered books, making it much easier to pack around. The cover feels like a new pair of sneakers. It will hold up to use and abuse over the years. Our solid, thread bound book will last decades. Pablo MADE FOR CREATIVE PEOPLE PANTHEON OF SIZES Pocket "Baby Leda" Sketchbook 5.5 x 3.5 inches. Fits in your pocket for sketching anywhere. Medium "Mother Leda" Sketchbook 8.25 x 5.7 inches. Easy to pack in your bag or backpack. Perfect for art or writing. Large "Odyssey" Sketchbook 10 x 7 inches. Lighter weight, water resistant and ideal for traveling. Extra Large "Zeus" Sketchbook 8.25 x 11.5 inches. For professional designers or artists who prefer lots of surface. Art With Heart LEDA CARES CHARITY SUPPORT A portion of your purchase will be donated to Art with Heart, a community organization that brings the healing power of creative expression to children and teens facing trauma or adversity. That means your art habit is helping kids. Leda is a private label art supply company located in Kirkland, WA dedicated to helping artists make the world a more beautiful place. Thanks to Leda fans Debbie Riley, Vicky Wood and Pablo Borda for art above. You can express yourself with Leda too! Join our mission and get started on your next masterpiece today.
An Overview On Sketch Books
You never know when your next creative idea will strike, so it’s a good idea to have a sketch pad and drawing utensils handy. Not all sketch pads are created equal, however. So before you purchase one, you’ll want to take into consideration a few important features.
First, determine whether the company producing the sketch pad takes measures to protect the environment. For example, the makers of the Pentalic Sketch Book only use paper created from certified sustainable forests. They prominently display a sticker with this information right on the front cover of the pad.
Next, decide whether you’d like the sketch pad to have a soft or hard cover. Soft covers tend to come with a spiral binding, which allows you to quickly flip through the pages. But, they can also be susceptible to damage and tearing when placed in a bookbag. Hard covers protect the pages better, and if you opt for a leather cover, you’ll also enjoy the anti-slip surface.
Consider the shape of the sketch book pages. Traditional pads are rectangular in shape, but now artists have the option of buying square-shaped sketch pads, like the illo Sketchbook Premium 122lb Hardcover Notebook. The benefit to this shape is that it’s better for sharing pictures of the sketches on social media.
The size of your sketchbook is also important. “Is it something you plan to carry with you and use on the go? If so, think about where it needs to fit,” says art educator Amy Markham. Her podcast “Starling” helps artists develop their creative process. “Will you carry it in a backpack, a purse or a pocket? Some people prefer to have a smaller sketchbook to carry around and a larger one for planning out ideas when they are at home.”
Finally, you’ll need to think about what sort of paper is best suited to your needs. “If you are mainly using your book for pencil sketches and the occasional pen, then standard sketchbook paper will work. If you are using markers, inks or some light watercolors, opt for a mixed media paper,” says Markham. “Sketch paper will not absorb wet media. If you know you are going to be painting often in your sketchbook, go for a watercolor paper sketchbook.”
Don’t forget to check the thickness, weight and absorbency of the pages as well. Thinner pages will leave press-through impressions on the pages behind them.
DWYM Fun Fact
The Oxford dictionary refers to a sketch as “a rough or unfinished drawing.” Sketches were originally designed to give an artist a way to put their ideas down on paper. People sometimes refer to this as doodling. Later, the sketches would be used as a starting point to create the final masterpiece that the artist had in mind.
Today, however, creative minds often use sketch pads to create work of arts and not just rough drafts. The most commonly used medium for drawing in a sketch pad is the pencil. Did you know that just one lead pencil can create a straight line that is an astounding 35 miles long?
The Sketch Book Buying Guide
- Check to see if the company has a money-back guarantee policy. This isn’t necessary, but it does add a layer of protection in case the sketch pad doesn’t live up to your expectations.
- You can frame your favorite sketches and give them away as gifts or use them to decorate your home. If the sketch pad page is not the same size as a traditional frame, you can take it to a craft store and have a custom frame made.
- Sketching just a few minutes every day is a great way to improve your speed and accuracy.
- You don’t have to confine yourself to using the sketch pad for drawings only. You can also write to-do lists in them, create calendars or documents your observations when bird watching. Another option is to use the pad as a visual journal, combining your written thoughts with important images that remind you about the day. If you travel, for example, you may wish to draw the Eiffel Tower and then write about the sites and sounds you experienced from the observation deck.
- Keep your sketchbook away from any liquids. Accidental spills can ruin the pad’s pages.
- When it comes time to compare sketch pad prices, you need to consider whether the book has a hard or soft cover. Sketch pads with a hard cover, like the illo Sketchbook Premium 122lb Hardcover Notebook and the Pentalic Sketch Book, command a higher price than those with soft covers, like the Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad. The Arteza Sketch Book, Pack of 3 contains multiple pads, so you’ll need to divide the number of pads by the total cost to determine the price per sketchbook.