I love Stillman & Birn sketchbooks but there are a lot of options available and sometimes it\u2019s tricky to figure out the differences between each of them and which will be best for your medium or style of drawing. Each series of sketchbooks are suitable for urban sketching, they just have slightly different nuances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are 7 different series of Stillman & Birn sketchbooks. They are named: Alpha, Beta, Delta, Epsilon, Gamma, Nova and Zeta. There are 3 different binding types to choose from: wirebound, softcover and hardcover.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The sketchbooks are available in a number of sizes and orientations (e.g portrait, landscape or square). The chart below illustrates the key differences in the paper: weight, colour, surface and which media they are designed for.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Insider Fact: If you email Stillman & Birn they will send you a sampler pack of their paper for free and you can figure out which is best for you.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Urban Sketcher Liz Steel<\/strong> is a fan of the softcover 8 x 10 Alpha sketchbook<\/a>. She uses it as her daily sketchbook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This book is not for heavy washes of watercolour but is perfectly adequate for lighter washes and is a good all-round sketchbook. The paper is not so heavy that it feels intimidating to use. It has a medium grain so provides a nice bit of texture for the watercolour paint but is still smooth enough to draw fluidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/td> ALPHA<\/td> BETA<\/td> GAMMA<\/td> DELTA<\/td> EPSILON<\/td> ZETA<\/td> NOVA<\/td><\/tr> Paper Weight<\/em><\/td> Heavy weight<\/td> Extra Heavy weight<\/td> Heavy weight<\/td> Extra Heavy weight<\/td> Heavy weight<\/td> Extra Heavy weight<\/td> Heavy weight<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> 100lb\/ 150gsm<\/td> 180lb\/ 270gsm<\/td> 100lb\/ 150gsm<\/td> 180lb\/ 270gsm<\/td> 100lb\/ 150gsm<\/td> 180lb\/ 270gsm<\/td> 100lb\/ 150gsm<\/td><\/tr> Colour<\/em><\/td> White<\/td> White<\/td> Ivory<\/td> Ivory<\/td> White<\/td> White<\/td> Beige, Grey & Black<\/td><\/tr> Surface<\/em><\/td> Medium Grain<\/td> Cold Press<\/td> Medium Grain<\/td> Cold Press<\/td> Smooth<\/td> Smooth<\/td> Medium Grain<\/td><\/tr> Medium<\/em><\/td> Dry Media,<\/td> Dry & Wet Media,<\/td> Dry Media,<\/td> Dry & Wet Media,<\/td> Pen & Ink,<\/td> Dry & Wet Media,<\/td> Dry Media,<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> Light Wash, Ink<\/td> Watercolour, Ink<\/td> Light Wash, Ink<\/td> Watercolour, Ink<\/td> Dry Media, Light Wash<\/td> Watercolour, Ink<\/td> Light Wash, Ink<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ALPHA & GAMMA SERIES<\/h2>\n\n\n\n