Seawhite of Brighton have been making sketchbooks in the UK for decades, and the Black Cloth Hardback range is their flagship — the one that ends up in the bags of art students, working artists, and art educators year after year. The A5 Landscape format is one of the most practical sizes in the range, sitting comfortably in a bag, opening wide in the hand, and offering a working area that is genuinely useful for sketching, drawing, and mixed media work on location or in the studio.
The cover is a traditional black textured cloth, case-bound with a strong sewn binding that holds the book flat when open and stands up to the kind of daily use that paperback sketchbooks simply cannot survive. This is a book built to last — to be filled, kept, and returned to rather than discarded when empty.
The paper inside is Seawhite's own all-media 140gsm cartridge, made in the UK, acid-free, and sized for extra wet strength. The sizing is important — it means the paper handles light watercolour washes, ink, and wet media without immediately buckling or disintegrating, making this a genuinely versatile all-media sketchbook rather than one suited only to pencil and dry media. It works well with pencil, graphite, charcoal, pen and ink, fine liner, light watercolour, gouache, and markers. The book contains 92 pages — 46 sheets — of natural white cartridge paper. Bound on the shortest side in landscape orientation.
Made in the UK.
Paper weight: 140gsm Pages: 92 pages / 46 sheets Size: 21.5 x 15.5cm Orientation: Landscape — bound on the shortest side Cover: Traditional black textured cloth, case-bound Binding: Sewn Paper: All-media cartridge, acid-free, sized for extra wet strength Made in: UK
What media can I use in this sketchbook? The 140gsm all-media cartridge paper is suitable for pencil, graphite, charcoal, pen and ink, fine liner, ballpoint, markers, light watercolour washes, and gouache. The acid-free paper is sized for extra wet strength, giving it more resistance to wet media than standard cartridge paper. For heavy watercolour work with multiple wet washes, a dedicated watercolour paper would be more appropriate.
What is the difference between the landscape and portrait versions? Both books contain identical paper and are made to the same standard. The landscape version (SBBA5L) is bound on the shortest side, giving a wide working area suited to panoramic composition, urban sketching, and landscape work. The portrait version is bound on the longest side, giving a taller working area. The choice is simply a matter of preference and working style.
Is the binding durable? Yes. The sewn case binding is significantly more durable than glued or spiral-bound sketchbooks. Pages lie flat when open and the binding holds firmly with regular daily use.
Is this sketchbook acid-free? Yes. The paper is acid-free, meaning it will not yellow or deteriorate over time — important for sketchbooks intended to be kept as a lasting record of work.
Who is this sketchbook suited to? It is used widely by art students, professional artists, illustrators, and educators. The combination of quality British-made paper, durable sewn binding, and all-media capability makes it one of the most versatile and reliable sketchbooks available at its price point.
