Royal Talens Art Creation Sketchbook review.... watercolor... apparently

These Royal Talens Art creation sketchbooks are really good value.... they also claim to be a watercolor sketchbook... kind of. This 140gsm paper claims to be capable of everything..

[@rei0_o]

i have used quite a few of these skwtchbooks now, since theyre superrrr cheap in germany and i tend to go thru sketchbooks rather quickly. my main medium is watercolor and imo the paper straightens out a little over time,, even when i use super wet washes!! imo the paper holds up pretty well for the price and i enjoy these sketchbooks a lot :D

[@silkspinner7010]

I’ve used watercolour on this paper and have found over time the buckling does lessen a lot. Have to remember that though it will take watercolour it’s not a specific watercolour paper more of a general all round paper.

[@GrumpetteJV]

Yeah .. these are study sketch books, or hobby journals. It works better with light washes, and then use coloured pencil on top. Better with gouache. And Neocolour II or Derwent inktense work also great. Acrylics also work fine. They are fun for mixed media journaling. The only thing I don't like is using alcohol markers. They bleed like crazy. Oh and made in china, but Royal Talens is a Dutch company and they make lots of student grade stuff.

[@arianedanza6485]

I like this scetchbook! It is much more ceaper here, cost 11 - 12,- EU (wich is compareable to US-Dollars), because of this I allow myself to do also nonsense on the page. Originaly I baught it for InkTober (it longs for to years) but after the InkTober-month I used it also with watercolour with less water and I avoid the backround. By the way - the most sketchbookpaper are buckling Greatings from good old Germany

[@CastleMc]

To be fair, they don't claim that these sketchbooks contain "good watercolor paper" or watercolor paper of ANY kind. They aren't watercolor sketchbooks. The description emphasizes the drier media; ink is fine, but watercolor is listed last for a reason. They are "OK' for light watercolor.

[@joedge6142]

I have several of these, I think they're pretty good for the cheap price (cheaper in the UK) I don't care if the paper crinkles a bit in a sketchbook, in fact I love to see a full sketchbook with all the crinkly pages stretching the elastic.

[@ArtBrain]

It could probably take light watercolor coloring of flowers, say. No landscape! But I've seen people do some gouache work on it. I envision it more for colored pencils...maybe watercolor pencils with a light wet brushing. The best thing about these is the colors. You won't lose your sketchbook in a pile, ha. You are funny. Thanks for sharing.

[@valasafantastic1055]

I don’t mind a bit of warping! Seems like a great sketchbook for my experimental ‘uses the wrong’ paper mixed media self.

[@Reconbox1001]

I always apply the ink test to the first page in a sketchbook with brush, fountain pen or rapidograph. The sketchbook usually fail. One4all is the only sketchbook I have that is bleed proof. Even though it's bleed proof there is "shadowing" from the previous page. The bleed proof has a cost though. The paper is glossy and ink/colour applied can rub off to the opposite page. I think we have to accept the fact there's no perfect sketchbook. But we can hope 😀

[@Ashsibe]

A perfect sketchbook; nice but unnecessary.... I find that water based inks and markers don't bleed through, only when the paper is really thin. Alcohol markers are a different story, they'll go through anything.

[@greekveteran2715]

They suck with graphite penciks though! Nothing beats the Canson Universal (or Canson 180,same paper). Royal Talens works great with Sakura pigma microns fineliners and fountain pens,that's what this paper was designed for. For any pencil and suprisingly pens,Canson is the best of them all. Older Moleskines used to come with great paper,not anymore though,their paper now sucks. So, for classic sketcing with pencils,Canson is the only way. Pens fineliners Talens/Sakura is a really good option,great value! For coloured pencil,Fabriano drawing book,as also their Veneccia,are the best I've found. Actually any pencils work great on that high quality Fabriano books!! Hahnemuhle capuccino,grey and Nostalgia books are great with founrain pens! For watercolour,the best are the expensive Hahnemuhle line and the Etchr lab.

[@Amy4000]

Surprisingly sturdy taking water. Magical even.

[@kauru3844]

"I did not pay for that dot" LOL Thanks for the great review, not getting this sketchbook! Do you have a watercolor sketchbook that you can recommend?

[@Charlotte-sq8cq]

It takes a light wash nicely. Ever layering works if it dries between layers.

[@deeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

The worst part with this sketchbook is how exactly watercolor spreads on paper, it’s ugly. I really like another line of sketchbooks by Talens: ‘Art Creation 110gr sketch book spiral 80 sheets’. Come in different sizes, really great hard cover and watercolor works way better there; also they’re cheap too. P.s: Greedy me, I bought about 7 of reviewed sketchbooks on sale. And now I have to use liner only…

[@Ashsibe]

Yeah it survives the watercolor but it's not something I'd pick over real watercolor paper. It's like a Multi-tool sketchbook; do anything but few things really well.

[@lenahofm2004]

How about acrylics? Does it bleed through? And does it wave the paper less then with the watercolor?

[@greekveteran2715]

Does the Moleskin Artbook come with toned paper, or white please? I need a classic sketchbook like those, with toned paper, but with tooth on it, The Talens is designed for their illustrations with their Sakura Pigma fineliners, so it doesn't work for drawing with dry medium, it's too smooth. Does the Moleskine have more tooth and a bit of tone or it's plain white and smooth, designed for pens?

[@jillbartos8893]

The Moleskine ArtPlus Sketchbook has 165gsm smooth ivory-colored paper, and doesn't seem to come in any other colors. Have you found a toothy toned paper sketchbook? If not, you might want to try Stillman & Birn, their NOVA mixed media sketchbook comes in toned beige, grey and black. It has tooth on one side of the 150gsm paper, and smooth on the other side. Hahnemuhle makes toned hardcover watercolor sketchbooks in pale grey and beige, 200gsm and they have tooth on both sides.

[@greekveteran2715]

For some reason,those you mention are the only sketchbooks I haven't tried yet! I just got the Hahnemuhle Dessin.they cime in spiral only.I was blown away with the quality and the way the surface feels and works! It's almost like a sandpaper but in the same time pencil looks like and feels very smooth! It's like magic! Thanks a lot for the recomendations,they sound great choices!!

[@Skinnychelle48]

I see a lot of ppl loving this sketchbook for watercolor, it’s so thin, I’m not sure why?

[@flutterbutterween]

Does it smudge when you use a regular pencil on the sketchbook paper? I write pretty hard and its hard to find one that has no smudge paper. // :-3

[@Emmatyan]

Pencils are supposed to smudge. Just use a hairspray on your sketch after you've finished, and you're good😊

[@TamaraChauArt]

Its not a watercolour paper, its for light washes of watercolour, to tone sketches 👍

[@sutasuniverse]

Fun video! 😊 I'm thinking about buying some of these sketchbooks. Thanks for the review.

[@umbreon127]

The subtle sketch at 7:43 if a persons face.

[@shaunsart]

Good spot

[@RinN3-.]

70gsm paper, too thin to exist 😂😂😂

[@christinaps]

In Dutch it's pronounced Taaaaalens not Talens like talent. Greetz