ILLO SKETCHBOOK FAIR & SQUARE Extra Large, Sketch Book, (10x10), Premium, 122lb Paper, Hardcover Notebook, Lay Flat, Smooth Paper, Thick Paper, Elastic Enclosure and Ribbon Marker (10x10)

I love this book and it comes with all sorts of little features that make it an A+ purchase. My only requirements for my new sketchbook were for it to be hardcover and with quality paper that can handle multiple mediums.I use watercolor, ink, graphite, and acrylic. You’ll never want to get too hardcore with watercolor on anything but actual watercolor paper. However many sketchbooks can handle a light wash. This is one of them. The paper quality is smoooooth af and my micron pens glide across it effortlessly. Same with graphite - smooth as butter. Erasing is also effortless and doesn’t erode the paper quality. As long as you’re not using your pencil like a knife and slicing into the paper, you can erase without a trace.The little features make me so happy! This book comes with a nice opening page, where there’s an option to list your contact info and reward. I appreciate this a lot because I always do this on my sketchbooks anyway: “If found, please return to...yadda yadda.” At the end of the book is also a pocket compartment to hold papers and such. Another appreciated addition because I also always do this in my sketchbooks - tucking away hard stock paper for boundary/straight line tracing, inspiration photos, etc. now they actually have a spot to go! :)Hardcover is smooth and great for personalizing with stickers and whatnot. Overall great quality and features for the price!! I love the square shape too, because they’re right - it makes posting on Instagram/various social media much easier. Especially for someone like me, who can’t center their sketches to save a life..

I have used this sketchbook now for a few months and I love the high quality of the outer cover and the paper. I love that it's square! It holds up to pencil, ink (some paper wrinkle when diluted, watercolor (some paper wrinkle) and markers (with bleeding of course). I find that I reach for this sketchbook over others I have. I just love the smoothness of the paper. I used it for Inktober as well. It stood up to that abuse very well. I will be purchasing this again when I'm towards the end of this one.

I’ve used watercolor, alcohol markers and even used the “PH Martin inks” for inktober in this sketchbook. The watercolors and the PH Martins DID warp the paper because it’s not meant for watercolors, but it held up really well and I don’t mind since it’s only a sketchbook! The alcohol markers did bleed a tiny bit onto the next page but BARELY and only if I went over somewhere a LOT. Overall super impressed with the quality for it being a sketchbook. Will purchase again when I need it!PS: Acrylics work great to decorate the outside! I did to mine!

Love Illo sketchbooks. Glad they make such great quality product with solid value. Best thing was opening up the 10x10 and finding no perforations. Some other sketchbooks tend to go that route, much to my disappointment. If I want perforated pages, I'd likely want a spiral binding, but I digress. Great product!

I haven't used this yet, but it looks and feels very sturdy, and the pages feel nice and thick. I dont usually write reviews, but I rushed to open it as soon as it arrived and the first page of the sketchbook has some grey smudging on it. Nothing prohibitive of use as it is small and on an edge, but it surprised me. If anything, now there's much less first-page sketchbook anxiety, but it's a bit of a bummer. It was supremely satisfying to flip through blank, I can't wait to see it full of art.