Excellent for creating simple sketches or basic person art
582519
I've used this to create art for t-shirts and sketches for concept art.  This is a great entry level product that is affordable to those who can not spring for the full featured higher end package.
2734643
Great sketchbook for the price. Paper has a slight off-white tint, but that's not a problem for me. I usually draw with a non-photo pencil, mechanical pencil, Sakura Micron, then copic. Paper holds up to both pencils and the fine tip marker well. Erasing is usually not a problem, though you should be careful not to crinkle the paper.

Copic bleeds. If you are using a copic marker, you will only be able to draw on one side of the sheet, and I put in a piece of paper under the sheet to prevent bleeding on to other pages (which will happen).

Sakura micron shows up very faintly on the back side of page, but not enough to not be able to draw on.

Wire binding is sturdy and has held up well. I've used the entire sketchbook and will likely purchase a new one.
4818333
This is an awesome Sketchbox for any medium you use. I recevied the Grand Cayman Extra Large Wooden Sketchbox Easel to review and I am highly impressed with the quality. The beechwood is not only gorgeous, but of nice quality as well. It's a clever design that allows for a lot of storage as well as an easel top so you can create almost anywhere.
There is minor assemly required, but it's really simple. There are two sets of bolt/screws with wing nuts. One set is shorter and is for the support arms of the easel. The longer set is to attach the canvas rest across the bottom front of the easel. It's easy peasy and nothing to worry about.
I love painting with different kinds of paints, drawing and more. The box's outside measurements are about: 14 inches high x 10 3/16 inches Wide x 5 3/4 inches thick. This has lots of space for paints, markers, pencils, brushes and almost all the material you need. The top canvas holder at the top, slides out with a slight twist of the bolt on the underside of the lid. You flip it around and slide it back it to the height of your canvas and tighten the bolt again. It holds the canvas in place nice and sturdy. There is deep storage under the lid. I'm finicky about my brushes and I advise having them in something that will prevent them from just rolling around loose or having the bristles jammed into the bottom of the box when it's being carried. I have a really nice set that came in a zippered case and it is just a smidge to long to fit into the sketchbox, so I'll have to carry them separately. The drawers are deep enough to hold bottles of paint! Yea! You can really load this down with lots of color and equipment! The leather handle is comfortable for carrying the box.
Now as much as I really love this sketchbox, there are a few things that could use improvement. The bolts that attach the canvas rest to the easel don't screw in fluch with the wood. I'm not sure if there is a reason for them not to, but I would prefer if they were all the way in so things wouldn't get snagged on them. Like my sleeves.  There could be a stronger divider between the two drawers or they could be on rails so the space between them is maintained when they are loaded full. If you only put pencils, erasers and sharpeners in there, it's not going to be a problem, but with paint it is a little bit of one. It is awkard that the drawers open on the opposite side of the box than the one you are sitting in front of when working. Since the box is on the larger side you can't easily spin it around to get something new.

PROS:
Large capacity
Very functional
Beautiful wood
Compact to be portable
Holds up to a 24 inch canvas
Great for any level of artist

CONS:
Bolts aren't surface level with the canvas rest
Divider between the upper and lower drawers not strong enough for heavier supplies
Drawers open on the opposite side from where you are working.

The cons are really minor considerations for me and were just things that have occured to me as I used it. Overall I love the Sketchbox and it is recommendable.
4809601
A great tool for illustrators and artists who want to amp up their characters!
1871290
I have enjoyed reading Steve Miller's how to draw series and this is one of my favorite. The guide is pretty much simple and easy to follow. Suitable for young artists from around 12 years old and up. It has great quick steps which artist can draw in an hour with good result. It is worth to keep for a long time where you can always go back and draw new creatures. I have been using this book for references for my artwork and I still look at it every once in a while.
2731193
This is a fine 5.8 x 8.3-inch AIRSHIP brand sketchbook (no ruling) for the artistically inclined.  Its moderate size (A5 in most of the world) enables it to go along for urban sketching or impromptu journaling here or abroad.  Much of the higher price it commands has to do with the leather cover.  Also, I think the manufacturer did a very wise thing by including with it a gift box (black, like the cover, but with a fine vertical groove) which makes it much easier to wrap or otherwise give as a present.  These "premium" features are worth taking into account, especially as a gift.  I was sent this item gratis in return for this review.
1659412
This is a very high quality sketchbook. The pages have texture and are excellent for charcoal drawing and basic pencil sketching. The spiral binding is very nice to keep the book flat. The pages come out with fine perforations.
2146447
I own this book. It is excellent for getting the basics of sketching and shadowing. Jon Nagy was like a Bob Ross for kids back in the 60's on Saturday mornings. Even if you can't draw a stick figure, this book can teach you some pretty impressive tricks. He goes step by step through a picture , from circles and lines to the finished project. Great book for kids (and adults, too).
2013867
Excellent tool for those people that have trouble trying to get proportions right when doing sketches.  I am using it for watercolor painting.  Basic sketch first then paint over that works great..
3107712
As an artist, I can't predict when inspiration is going to strike and so I have learned to carry a small sketchbook with me everywhere. This one is almost perfect. The paper is heavy duty, the sketchbook is lightweight, and the quality is excellent. The only thing that I could possibly wish for would be that the cover be a bit more flexible. However, I would not want to sacrifice the quality for the flexibility. Every artist should make it a habit to carry one of these around!
2351509
I love Coreldraw! I have been a faithful Corel product user since before forever. I first
learned to "walk" aka draw on a freebie version of micrografx that came with our first scanner. Micrografx was very early on in the whole photo editing era. Corel acquired them and since I knew only that early program, all Corel drawing programs were easy for me to load and go!
I'm not a CGI wizard or anything. But I am an old school freelance artist that crossed over to the computer side to supplement my freehand painting and photography. I actually have used Corel paint to pre plan my murals by taking a picture of the blank wall and then computer drawing a visual aid for my clients to see the "big picture"( HA, pun totally intended). Corel draw home and student is perfect for this mom/artist!
1348287
Very nice sketch book, of the perfect size for when away from home.  Large enough for a sketch, but small enough to easily carry.  The unlined paper is a bright white color, 70 lb stock, and there are 220 pages (110 sheets of paper) in each book.  The book has a slightly textured, hardbound leather-like cover (but is not real leather), and will lay flat when open, which makes it easy to use.  From this non-artist's point of view, it's a quality sketchbook, and makes a nice gift.
1867010
I am not an artist, but have spent years just casually drawing.  I use acid-free white drawing paper meant for pencil, pastel, charcoal, watercolor, paint, and ink.  In the past I've used the Prismacolor brand which is a good brand but after using the Mead Academie Blendable Colored Pencils I found the Mead preferable.

Immediately I noticed the pencil felt less scratchy on the paper and was softer against the paper.  The color application result was more blendable with no noticeable lines.  Pencils in the past had to be angled just right to avoid hard lines and it wasn't until a good deal of rounding of the pencil tip had occurred that I could expect a blendable even application of color versus scratchy lines.  So, for a novice like me, that was a welcome plus to the Mead product.

I do not use mineral oil or alcohol to further blend pencil work, but rather like to stay a bit more informal about the whole process and just have fun instead of over focusing on a more professional outcome.  However, if you are interested in learning that technique there are videos online with artists demonstrating how to even further blend colors using those techniques.  Because I don't use oil or alcohol I have to depend on the pencils being blendable for a nice effect.  These pencils blend beautifully!

Twelve pencils gives me just the right amount of color diversity for most small projects.  I also like that they come in a metal container which doesn't break down over time like paper box containers do.  I like to take them in my purse (using a rubber band to keep the tin closed) with a small sketch pad to use while waiting rather than playing games on my smartphone. Coloring on the go is so relaxing, and for me, is more relaxing than using a drawing app on my phone.  There's something special about the tactile feel of pencil on paper.

The pencils are easy to hold as they are not totally round but have six sides.  This is also a nice feature since they don't easily roll off surfaces but rather stay put.

The pencil tip maintained a nice edge and didn't round out too quickly, and after one small project, I didn't even have to sharpen them.

I highly recommend these pencils.
320119
Chris Hart's drawing books are bestsellers for a reason. They are very accessible, and they encourage beginners to start as well as established artists to try new things and improve. This little sketchbook (and it's important buyers know this) isn't so much an instruction book, though it does have a few examples, as it is a good inspiration book and just a pretty looking sketchbook to carry.

Pros:
Hardcover, protects pages
Cute color how tos inside
Paper is archival quality, very durable and doesn't smudge much (depending on your drawing medium)
It's excellent for the price
Beautiful illustration on cover

Cons:
A couple of the example how tos were incredibly stereotypical, doesn't inspire much originality (see Magical Girl)
It might have been nicer if the book were spiral bound so pages more easily lay flat

All in all, for ten bucks you get a nice product, some really nice Chris Hart illustrations, and a high quality sketchbook. It's well worth the money.
1541284
This 156 page book by German artist Felix Scheinberger is a "permission slip" for those who want to draw and paint the world they see without needing to go to Art School or spend years in tedious training exercises. Besides being filled with Sheinberger's lovely, whimsical watercolor illustrations, he provides gentle guidance to the reader for how to create certain effects with the medium of choice. Scheinberger encourages the reader to see the whole world as a studio, and to eschew the perfectionism that typically limits the progress many beginners will make.

Thankfully, the paperback format is lightweight enough to be able to tuck the book into a bag and keep it close for reference, and the reproduction of Scheinberger's sketches is superb -- readers get a good feel for how he achieves certain techniques with his brushes, pens and pencils. Thanks to this book, I now average three sketches in my travels every day, and several people have told me in admiring terms that many of them are "frameworthy."

Scheinberger does a great job of opening new avenues of expression for budding (and experienced) artists of all ages.
1142551
I have a smaller version of this sketchbook that I use for art journaling and this would make a great art journal as well if you were looking for something bigger, but I will be using this one strictly for drawing. As with the smaller one, the quality of the paper is really good. It holds up to marker, pencil, crayon, oil pastel, and gel pens without bleeding through to the next page. I love that it's spiral bound so it lays flat and stays open. You can fold it over and work on it that way as well. I have a hardbound sewn sketchbook with a spine and it's nearly impossible to sketch in after a few pages because you have to hold the book open either with one hand while you draw or weigh it down with something. While those types are nicer looking, the spiral bound sketchbooks are more practical in my opinion. I did receive this set at no cost in order to thoroughly test and provide an honest opinion. All thoughts are strictly my own and have not been influenced in any manner. Your experience with this item may vary from that of my own, of course.
64868
I bought this recently, August 2013, and I've been using it weekly. My Cricut hasn't been used in nearly 2 years and I am seriously thinking of selling it and all the cartridges. I have created a lot of things on the Silhouette in the past month or so. Cards, dividers for planners, wall hangings, I've cut out things for stickers, made bookmarks.

I should mention that I'm using it with a MacBook Pro. I've had no issues at all installing or using any of the software and I like how it seems to be made for a Mac user.

The Silhouette studio is simple compared to the one that Cricut has. I've used that one before and never could get the hang of it, and I'm extremely computer literate. The Silhouette studio is laid out better and easier to use as you can see exactly where you are cutting and I like being able to create my own things.

I haven't used the stamp feature yet, but, I do have the stamp material and I can see myself creating stamps in the near future for both personal use and for gifts. I also have purchased the pens and I can see myself doing things with those for the holidays. I can see myself using vinyl to create things over the next few months as gifts and for personal use.

All in all it's a great machine. My family is impressed with all the features and things that I've created already. I've actually put it right on my desk, it takes up hardly any space and it's so light.

I do have to say that I purchased the upgraded version of the studio to the designer edition so I can see and create SVG's inside the studio. It was worth it to me since I plan on using it for years.