Square Sketch Book Hardback (20 x 20 cm) with 200GSM Thick Paper – 60 Sheets / 120 Pages

The essentials

This Square Sketch Book is a 20 x 20 cm hardback drawing pad built around thick 200gsm smooth paper. On paper (no pun intended), that combination is made for people who want fewer paper problems when they’re using charcoal, coloured pencils, or pastels, rather than feeling like they have to baby every page.

The square format is also doing a bit of the work here. It’s compact enough to live in a school bag or travel kit, while still offering a more “framed” space for urban sketching, small studies, or self-contained compositions. And with 60 sheets (120 pages), you get a decent chunk of practice space without it turning into a huge notebook that’s awkward to carry.

Is it perfect for every medium? Not necessarily. If you’re expecting heavy, wet oil-style painting results, you may find thick paper helps, but it still isn’t the same as a dedicated high-watercolour paper. Still, for mixed-media experiments and everyday sketching, it reads as a practical, ready-to-use option.

What matters most in daily use

The big practical win is the 200gsm smooth surface. Thick paper generally feels more forgiving: it can handle repeated drawing pressure better, and it’s the kind of paper weight that tends to reduce the “see-through” feeling people dislike on thinner pads. The description also points to an acid-free surface designed to prevent bleed-through and feathering, while keeping durability for partial wet media.

Then there’s the lay-flat binding. If you sketch for longer sessions, a book that resists lying flat can get annoying fast—especially when you’re trying to shade, blend, or work close to the spine. This one is PU-bound with reinforced covering, which should suit outdoor sketching attempts and frequent opening.

One more detail that’s easy to overlook until you need it: the pages are micro-perforated for easier removal. If you ever want to frame a finished sketch, this can save time and reduce the usual “torn edge” disappointment.

Key takeaways

Where this square sketch book makes sense is if you want a carry-friendly notebook that’s aimed at serious sketching without becoming bulky, and whose paper is thick enough for layered pencil work.

Worth considering if you: - use charcoal, coloured pencils, or pastels and want paper that stays steady under those tools - like the idea of doing partial wet media (the sort of light ink wash / light colour work that happens alongside drawing) - want a sketchbook that can double as something you might later remove pages from for display

It might not be the best match if you: - plan to fully soak pages with heavy watercolour techniques and expect “watercolour paper” behaviour - prefer a very large sketchbook for big, spread-out compositions (this is square and compact by design) - hate any perforation lines, even when removal is optional

Tech specs

• Type: Sketchbook / drawing pad
• Sheets: 60 sheets (120 pages)
• Paper weight: 200gsm
• Paper finish: Smooth
• Size: 20 x 20 cm
• Pages removal: Micro-perforated sheets
• Cover: Hardback PU-bound (reinforced)
• Colour: Black
• Paper treatment: Acid-free surface (designed to help reduce bleed-through and feathering)

Getting the most from it

A good way to test whether this is “your” sketchbook is to match your everyday workflow. For example, if you’re the kind of person who does a quick pencil or charcoal layout, then adds colour with pencils and maybe a light wash to lift contrast, the 200gsm smooth paper is exactly the sort of backing that should keep your layers more controlled.

If you’re into nature journaling, the compact 20 x 20 cm size can be a real convenience: it’s easier to hold near the page and sketch directly from what you see, rather than constantly fighting with a larger, heavier pad. The hardback and reinforced corners are also there for real-world handling—bag travel, outdoor sessions, and the usual knocks.

Care & maintenance

For the most consistent results, treat it like a sketchbook rather than a bound canvas. Use light-to-moderate applications if you’re introducing wet media, and let pages dry properly before stacking or closing it tightly. With any sketchbook, you’ll get fewer surprises by avoiding extreme soaking right to the edges.

Final verdict

If you’re after a compact square hardback sketchbook with thick 200gsm paper for charcoal, coloured pencils, and pastels—and you also want the option of light wet media—this is a solid, practical buy for day-to-day drawing and urban sketching.

You may want to skip it if your main goal is heavy watercolour output or fully saturated, high-water techniques where paper choice becomes the whole point. In that case, you’d likely be better off with a notebook that’s specifically tuned for that style.

It suits people who sketch often, carry their kit around, and care about paper behaviour (including reduced bleed-through/feathering claims) rather than just the look of the cover.