REVIEW: Grey Book Hahnemuhle (ENG - PT)

Here's my biggest surprise since I'm a experienced sketcher: The absolutely fantastic Grey Book by German manufacturers Hahnemuhle.  With 40 sheets / 80 pages featuring 120gsm grey toned paper, the Grey Book is slim and an ideal companion if you are on the road, travelling or just going by on your daily life. Bound in several layers and thread stitched, all the pages seat solidly and allow the artist to work on two pages, across the centre seam, just like it should be. 

Eis a minha maior surpresa desde que sou um desenhador experiente: O fantástico Grey Book da marca alemã Hahnemhule. Com 40 folhas / 80 páginas de um papel de 120g/m² ligieiramente cinza, o Grey Book é bastante fino, tornando-se  um bom companheiro de viagens ou para o dia-a-dia. As suas folhas estão dispostas em camadas e cosidas no centro dando uma robustez extra e permitindo que facilmente se trabalhe em dupla página, como deve ser nestes casos. 

I knew this sketchbook was special just because of the fact it has grey toned paper but I fell in love with it as soon as I got my hands on it. The anthracite colour and effects resembling dark wood is the best thing I've ever seen in a sketchbook and I've seen lot's of them. Besides it's great looks,  it feels even better to the touch. Pure magic... 

Só pelo facto do papel ser cinza, percebe-se de imediato que este caderno é especial, mas eu apaixonei-me de imediato assim que o vi ao vivo. A capa de cor antracite e com efeitos que fazem lembrar madeira escura é sem dúvida o melhor dos pormenores que eu já vi num caderno e eu já vi bastantes. Para além do seu visual, tem um toque fantástico, quase mágico... 

But looks isn't everything so let's move on to what really matters, the paper quality. Besides my sketching kit that I mentioned in my previous review (here)  , for my sketches in this one I used my trusted Lamy Joy pen; a white Caran d'ache Prismalo colour pencil, a bullet shaped Posca white pen and sometimes other colours if handy.

Mas como o aspecto não é tudo, avancemos para o que realmente interessa que é a qualidade do papel e como se comporta. Para além do meu habitual conjunto para desenho que mencionei na minha última review (aqui), para os meus esquissos neste papel usei a minha habitual Lamy Joy; um lápis de cor branca Prismallo da Caran d'Ache; uma caneta Posca Branca e uma ou outra cor se as tiver por perto. 

 I use this particular sketchbook for those quick sketches that don't require much information besides the action itself and their protagonists. I find this one perfect for sketching people around me and their actions while studying lighting at the same time. The tone of the paper is just right allowing me use highlights as well as darker shades, giving my sketches that extra depth and volume using only two pens.

Eu uso este caderno maioritariamente para aqueles esquissos rápidos que não precisam de muita informação para além da acção em si e breves alusões aos seus protagonistas. É perfeito para desenhar as pessoas ao meu redor e o que elas fazem e ao mesmo tempo estudar como a luz se comporta. O tom cinza médio do papel é perfeito para usar brilhos bem como sombras mais escuras, dando aos desenhos uma profundidade e volume usando apenas duas canetas. 

I thought I was going to be a bit afraid at the beginning of every page, being a different and special sketchbook and all, but it turned out quite the opposite. I see this as an opportunity to experience a new language and materials that I usually don't use and that makes me very comfortable using it. There's a saying in Portugal that every artist think of when they stumble with fear before a clean sheet of paper: The white paper Drama... 

Ao ínicio pensei que iria ter medo de "atacar" o papel e acabar por fazer maus desenhos por ser um produto diferente e especial mas acabou por ser o contrário. Acabei por encarar este caderno como uma oportunidade de testar novos caminhos e novos materiais e isso deixou-me bastante confortável. Há uma expressão que todos os artistas portugueses se lembram cada vez que ficam estarrecidos perante uma folha, sem que lhes "saia" algo: O drama do papel branco... 

 ...well, you can cast your fears aside on this one. The Grey paper of this sketchbook invites you in so just let go and enjoy the ride. Once in a while I used craft paper for these attempts but after the Grey Book I feel there's no turning back. 

bem, podem deixar-se de medos com este papel. O tom cinza deste caderno convida a desenhar, a criar portanto deixem-se levar e apreciem a viagem. Volta e meia eu usava papel Craft para este tipo de registos mas depois do Grey Book, tenho a certeza que já não volto atrás. 

The final veredict is quite simple: This is by far the best sketchbook I've tried. No other gave me more joy and surprises than this one.  And I'm just scratching the surface, it will take me a while to explore all it's possibilities. If you're an artist who uses a sketchbook on a daily basis, think no more and go get one of these. Well, get a whole box of these, you won't regret it I'm sure. This masterpiece sets the bar way up high and deserves it's place as one of the best sketchbooks ever made.

Final score: 5 / 5 

O veredicto final é bastante simples: Este é sem dúvida o melhor caderno que já usei. Nenhum outro me deu tantas surpresas como este e eu ainda estou longe de utilizar todo o seu potencial. Se és um artista que usa um caderno para rabiscar diariamente, não penses mais e vai buscar um destes que não te arrependes. Esta obra de arte estabelece novos limites no que toca à execução de um caderno e merece sem dúvida o seu lugar bem alto como um dos melhores cadernos alguma vez feitos. 

Classificação : 5 / 5 

Aside from the review, this particular sketchbook is now one of my most treasured possessions as it contains the last sketches I did of my uncle before he passed away. All this is dedicated to him... 

Um pouco aparte desta review, devo acrescentar que este caderno em particular é agora um dos meus bens mais preciosos porque contém os meus últimos desenhos do meu tio que faleceu recentemente. Tudo isto é dedicado a ele... 

Site Oficial / Official Website   (here/aqui)

Review: Watercolor Book Hahnemuhle (ENG)

Here's the sketchbook that's been my daily companion for a while now, the fantastic Watercolour Book by German paper manufacturers Hahnemuhle. It features natural white Akademie Hahnemuhle 200gsm, acid-free paper slightly grained on both sides. I'm reviewing the A5 landscape format, perfect for my passion for panoramic sketches. It contains 60 pages / 30 sheets, a fantastic well-crafted cover with the traditional rubber band to hold it together. 

This is my sketching kit I carry all the time: The Watercolour Book; Lamy-Joy EF nib; Lamy ALstar F nib; 0,7mm White Posca; Rembrandt Watercolours by Royal Talens + 4 brushes. I use Platinum Carbon Black Ink in both of my Lamy's (The ALstar is deluded with water) because of it's waterproof capabilities and fast drying time, perfect for 15-30 minute sketches. I'm an experienced sketcher but an amateur when it comes to watercoloring, so I tend to use lots (AND LOTS) of water throughout the coloring process and the sketchbook handles it quite well. I can easily use up to 4 layers of watercolour in one sketch and repeat the process on the next page with a new sketch. 

   One less positive aspect of this sketchbook: the paper buckles a bit when I use heavy washes on it but that's easily solved with a couple of paper clips on each side or, by stretching the paper by washing it first and then let it dry closed. 

Aside from that, it's a joyous experience to sketch on one of these. Colours blend in perfectly and the way the watercolour lays on the paper is wonderful with some nice granulation effects due to it's texture. With the natural white paper I can get fresh and saturated colours that I wont get with a cream coloured one. Since the paper can take the punch, I tend to mix more paint than normal, and in time, this sketchbook became my laboratory, slowly evolving from a typical urban sketcher book to an artist's book where I study different ways to mix and apply colours.

  As I mentioned before,  I prefer to use pen and ink and I've tried a wide range of pens on it and honestly, it's all the same for me. I choose the pen that I feel more comfortable with, regarding of the paper type I'm using. The textured surface of this sketchbook might affect your lines and make them look rough like pencil but I kinda like expressive linework instead of dull, accurate lines with the same width from point A to point B, so for me this is a huge plus.


Last but not least, the key feature that make me fell in love with it: It's a proper A5 landscape sketchbook instead of the Moleskine that feels much more wider. The extra 2cm on width can make a huge difference in your sketches, believe me. The Hahnemuhle book doesn't feature that expandable inner pocket like the Moleskine one but, who cares?

All in all, it's a fantastic and affordable sketchbook that I'll keep using for the time being, or until my skills require a more exquisite paper. But even so, I think I'll always have one of these on my shelf, just in case...

Final score: 4,5 / 5

Check product page here