Review on Grumbacher Watercolor Paper Hardcover Sketchbook, 9 x 12 Inches, 30 White Cold-Press Sheets, Hidden Wire & In/Out Pages, 140 lb/300 GSM, 460601063 by Sasha Hsiao

So. I was excited about this sketchbook. I wanted something to hold all of my patterns and graphics. I love my Etchr books, but I need spiral binding because pushing a big open book around while I'm drawing sucks; it just takes up too much space. It also has a beautiful cloth cover and you can rearrange the pages! And the size is good: 7x10. Not too small, not too big. Arrived deformed. It doesn't lay flat when open and doesn't lay flat when folded due to the lid getting in the way of the coil. However, it wasn't that bad. I had high hopes because the paper feels very comfortable. It ends there. The paper behaves as if it actually repels ink. It floats on the surface, forming bizarre (not very pleasant) spots. Impossible to go over a stain that has just been painted as it immediately lifts the color and looks like salt has been added. If there is a spot with too much paint, forget to soak it up with the tip of the brush. This raises the white hole. I don't mind an orange peel-like texture, but it's blotchy no matter what pigment is used. Basically, the paper behaves like it's coated and doesn't seem to absorb anything. Returning to the glaze results in an immediate lightening of the previous color. Pencil marks are not erased. I tested the same colors on two other watercolor papers (not very good quality) and there was still a difference between day and night. On top of that, I've only been using the book for an hour and the cover has already separated from the binding. I've uploaded photos of the warped cover, how the glue is in place, and a comparison of the same colors in Grumbacher's book (left) and Bee's watercolor book. I wasn't expecting anything amazing but it's more expensive than some other basic toilet sketchbooks, I thought they were at least decent for the price. In the end I got a refund on the grounds that it was complete junk and I suspect it is indeed a fake product (obviously fake art supplies are just as dangerous as the cosmetics market). That's incredible.