Review: Sennelier USKbook GREEN Cover (300gsm 100% cotton paper)

The Sennelier USKbook with the green cover is the larger version of the black cover Sennelier USKbook that I reviewed a few years ago.

The small black cover is around A6 size and opens up to slightly less than 100cm wide. The green cover is around A5 size and opens up to 120cm. The green cover is significantly larger and takes a much longer time to fill up.

There are 8 pages on this side and 6 on the other. Filling up one spread is like drawing on several pieces of A4 paper. You will need the time and patience to draw on such a large format.

Drawing on such a large sketchbook makes the sketch feels really immersive because of the size. This sort of sketchbook is best for extra wide panorama scenes when the usual landscape sketchbook is not enough. It's also good for collage art where you can mix several illustrations together.

The highlight of the green cover USKbook is it uses 100% cotton watercolour paper. The paper is coldpress, off white and has fantastic sizing. Watercolour techniques work so much better on this paper vs the one on the black cover USKbook.

Wet on wet techniques are easy to use on this paper because the water stays on the surface longer. You can charge in another colour and have the colours blend softly together. This is great for creating colour transitions and gradations.

This is how the 100% cotton paper compares with the smoother white paper from the black cover USKbook.

You can get beautiful granulation textures on the coldpress paper too.

This paper is quite dry and thirsty so be prepared to use more water for your mixes. You also have to factor in working on such a large surface area too so it's best to prepare more water and paint rather than having to run out halfway while painting.

The downside of this sketchbook is since it's so long, it can get a bit unwieldy to use. When I draw outdoors with the sketchbook on my lap, the sides would always roll down onto the floor. Sometimes I use a clip to make the pages smaller so that they don't dirty themselves on the floor. When there is strong wind, the paper is going to be picked up and rocked by the wind, and this is may affect your work.

The other downside is the green cover USKbook is not easy to find online for purchase. I've included some Amazon links below where you can click on to see if they are available.

Accordion or concertina sketchbooks with 100% cotton watercolour paper are rare. This green cover Sennelier USKbook is the only one that I know that has 100% cotton watercolour paper. Other brands just use the usual cellulose or wood pulp paper. If you know of other accordion sketchbooks with cotton paper, let me know because I would love to test them out.

Overall, this is a sketchbook that's fun to use and the paper quality is excellent. It's worth the money and I can certainly see myself buying more in the future, well, after I finish using up all my current sketchbooks of course.

5 out of 5 stars.

Availability

You can check out more reviews of the Sennelier USKbook on Amazon via these direct links
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de | Amazon.fr | Amazon.it | Amazon.es | Amazon.com.au | Amazon.co.jp

Search Jackson's Art Supplies (UK) and Dick Blick Art Materials (US) too.