#503 Utility Mixed Media

🍂 Fall Special: Buy any of our handmade notebooks, and we'll include a FREE Holbein Artists' Watercolor sample card! It comes with dots of six beautiful Holbein colors. Wet them with a brush and you'll have enough paint for a couple of smaller sketches. No promo code needed.

Designed and manufactured at our shop in St. Louis, the #503 Utility Mixed Media notebook does what other notebooks can't. Use it with pens of all kinds (including fountain pens), watercolors, inks, even acrylics. It won't break, bleed, or buckle, and the smooth surface won't clog up pens or pill up under your brush.

Many mixed media notebooks use thin, cheap paper, but not this one. We use Italian-made hot press watercolor paper with a 300 gsm (140#) weight and 25% cotton content. That extra weight and strong composition is what allows our Utility Mixed Media book to accept so many different media without skipping a beat. (Want an even thicker mixed media sheet with a bit more texture? Try our Model 502, Pro Mixed Media, which uses 100% cotton paper from the same Italian mill.)

The binding of our notebooks is inspired by a type of sketchpad that's popular with art students in Japan. These pads, sometimes called croquis books, have wraparound covers bound into the spiral that can be folded back for a mobile drawing surface. Several companies in Japan make their own versions. We love the style and we think we've given them a distinctly American twist. We chose an extra-large spiral with thicker wire, so our notebooks aren't delicate and the pages have plenty of room to move. The oversized, wedge-shaped profile of our notebooks make them more comfortable to hold and carry. And we use much thicker, more opaque paper than is typically found in croquis books.

Our cover stock, made in Michigan, is soft to the touch but heavy enough to wear well. It has a matte finish and can be written on, labeled, and customized. The label is bound into the outside of the spiral; tear it out and the notebook has almost nothing printed on it. The model number is hand-stamped on the back cover so you can reorder when you run out.

Includes 25 sheets of Fabriano Studio Hot Press watercolor paper, made in Italy, measuring 130 x 180 mm (5.1" x 7.1"), with a 300 gsm weight, smooth surface, bright white color, and a 25% cotton composition. Chlorine and acid free.

Please note that these notebooks are made by hand, so minor variations are to be expected. They're a reminder that a real person bound your book with care.

SHIPPING

We ship all orders from our store in St. Louis, Missouri. 95% of orders are processed in 1-2 business days (Wednesday through Sunday). Shipping to the United States is always free for orders over $59. For orders under $59, domestic shipping rates start at $3.50. You can calculate your shipping cost in the cart or at checkout. For St. Louis residents, we also offer free curbside pickup. Just select "Pick Up" on the first page of checkout.

RETURNS

If there's a problem with your order, please contact our customer service team at hello@stlartsupply.com. If your order is damaged or defective, we will send you a prepaid return label and replace the item immediately. If you change your mind about an order, you can ship it back to us in new condition for a refund or exchange. However, if there is no error on our part, we cannot refund shipping charges or pay for return shipping. The deadline for all returns is 30 days from the delivery date. All clearance items, including our famous Mystery Box, are final sale.

We are an independent retailer trusted by artists since 2015, and our expert staff are happy to help you with any questions you might have about our products and services. We love helping our customers choose colors, build gift packages for friends, and get started with new tools and materials. We can also take special orders for items not listed on this site.

EMAIL US
hello@stlartsupply.com

CALL US
(314) 884-8345
9 AM to 5 PM Central Time,
Wednesday through Sunday