29
Aug2010
[Reviews] Rhodia Webbie 3.0 + Giveaway [Closed!]
While researching various blog and sites for great stationary recommendations, I had come across a small discovery: Pen enthusiasts, especially the fountain pen variety, are big fans of Rhodia brand notebooks.
Curious, I sought them out locally and found they seem to be in short supply here in Hawaii. I've only seen them at two shops and they seem to carry a very limited supply... and as much as I love grid-type and ruled books, I (personally) have a greater need for blank books. (I draw, afterall~ :D)
But then I came across a giveaway at Rhodia Drive for the brand new Rhodia "Webbie" and entered.
Lookie what arrived in the mail!
My thoughts?
[Update 2010.09.06] Giveaway closed for entries!
This is the 5.5 x 8.5" -blank- webnotebook. I believe this marks the beginning of the blank-booked webbie!
First of all, why is it called a "webbie"?
There is a short story behind it at Rhodia Drive, but to sum things up, it refers to the "interconnectedness of ideas that can be found from surfing the Web". This is a "notebook", just like how a laptop computer is also "notebook". Pretty neat, yes?
From what I understand, Rhodia notebooks are made in France with Clairefontaine brushed "vellum" paper. If the Clairefontaine name sounds familiar, it should -- they're the same company that makes the paper for the Quo Vadis journals of which I also wrote a review last year.
So, in short -- the same great paper is in this book. 96 sheets in total with a soft, leatherette hard-cover. Similar rounded edges and elastic band to the popular Moleskine. I opted for orange, but they also come in black. (I like how the orange stands out~! Perhaps I'm just odd that way.)
The book also opens and lays flat, which is nice if you work across both pages as I sometimes do. Not to mention, there's a large paper pocket attached inside the back cover for any miscellaneous paperwork.
Only difference? The paper is an "antique" cream color instead of bright white, as seen below, against a bright-white index card.
You can also see the thickness of the 90g paper by the faint appearance of the grid-markings from the card beneath the page.
(I should note that this book is not necessarily categorized as a sketchbook, although I am using it for sketch purposes.)
So, how does the paper rate? Let's start off with a quick drawing test.
I often start with a really light under-sketch to draw the basic positioning and general details. Then, to test out the paper, I pulled out my Pentel Pocket Brush pen. It's a "wetter" pen than my other felt-nibbed type brush pens and sometimes bleeds thru the back-side of the paper, especially if the paper is more absorbent.
The paper held up nicely to the brush strokes with almost no feathering or bleeding. Then I added the finishing touches with my Pilot Prera. I chose the fountain pen instead of microliners to test how the nib reacted to the paper and if the ink would bleed thru.
In both cases, the paper held up really well~!
No seepage thru to the other side, although the image is visible. The fountain pen lines are smooth and clean - no feathering or bleeding. The nib just glides over the paper with minimal friction.
As for markers and any other wet-media, I would suggest nothing more than very light application. Strokes may seep thru to the next page, although there may be no feathering or bleeding on the surface.
All in all, I'm quite impressed! I've recently started doing more and more ink drawings from life when we go out (and posted to my personal tumblr). My current book, a Fabriano Classic Artist's Journal, is great and all, but heavy and bulky. I think this is my new on-the-go doodle book~ :D
If you'd like to grab one of your own, the Rhodia Webnotebook
However, if you'd like to try your luck at getting one from me, I have an extra Webbie 3.0 courtesy of Karen from Exaclair! (Exact same color, size, and type (blank) -- and completely sealed in its original plastic wrap!)
Tell me how you plan to use your new Webbie 3.0 and I will do a drawing on Monday, September 6th!
Just comment below!
Tallied 21 individual entries and ran them thru the randomizer!
And the winning entry is:
Congratulations, Mimo!
I'm commenting annonymously, but I just found this and I don't have time to get an account [have to work on my art project that's due today... yes procrastinating is the general way to get my rear in gear]; but I have to say that the prospect of a notebook not bleeding when pens are used in it (and when the paper is that thin) is temping on levels that I can't explain.
So of course, I thought I'd enter and say, that if I were to get one of these wonderful notebooks, I'd have it attached to my hip with pens and markers this semester while I'm in Sicily [I'm leaving in two days!!]. I'm going abroad, and notebooks weight a lot, so I had to pick and choose what kinds of things I was going to bring with me. Unfortunately, with the weight limit on my bags, I might have to leave my artbook behind... however! I'm the kinda girl who can draw on anything; so I'm not completely hindered, just disappointed.
SO! In short. I would use this notebook to draw any awesome old fantastic wonderful sites that I see while in Italy doing my studyin' thing. Probably people, too. And definitely characters that pop into my head (as they do quite frequently)...
That is all. :]
Sadly I can neither drawn, nor am I the big novelist so I will probably not benefit from a notebook like that.
But I will say this: That notebook looks stunning, It kinda gives me the same feeling as when we were given small notebooks in school which we could draw in. Having a multitude of high quality paper must feel really good, like a canvas (or a piece of blank paper) sparking your creativity.
I LOVE drawing/writing materials which is why I also loved buying tools for school just before it started. I also love opening up a new block of note paper and then, by the end of the week, having transferred all the pieces to a folder, filled with notes about anything.
Now remember, this came from someone who is not skilled in either poetry, drawing or creative writing, I just love the tools of the trade.
I always love getting my hands on new sketchbooks. Just can't resist them and I'd love to try this particular one out.
New sketchbooks are wonderful. I just started a color theory class and I'd fill this sketchbook with designs for that, along with other little doodles.
ooh pretty!
i'd love to put down quotes and thoughts and inspirations and bits of life between the pages.
I was hoping someone would do a good review on this- most of my peers in my art classes have at least two of these notebooks, so I'm sort of looking into getting one. Plus, I need a new sketchbook anyway!
I'd fill it with small comics and sketches of monsters, as I usually do, haha. :D Not autobio comics, just silly things.
This notebook looks lovely! I'm not a big artist, but I'm really into writing and poetry. Also, I love bleedy pens. However, when I try to edit my work with the aforementioned pens, the ink tends to either bleed through or smudge. Most of the time I use writing/journal notebooks that hold up reasonably well, but I would love to have an unlined notebook because it is much easier to add notes and edit when there is completely open space around the draft, instead of space defined by lines (no matter how much I try to ignore them, I still end up bending to their will, especially the dreaded margin line). Also, I adore fancy paper :]
This looks like a wonderful book to sketch in! I'd use it as a traveling sketchbook, since all the sketchbooks I have are too big and heavy to fit in my bag. I'd fill it with small, dinky comics about anything that happened during the day, life, etc.
I usually use a ball point pen and cary a sketchbook to wherever i will be bored or know there is something I want to draw- concerts, dances, zoos, sight seeing of any sort, train rides, waiting in line, waiting for movies, taking notes at lectures, writing ideas for stories.
When I'm not looking, my son will sneak a few drawings in.
I'd use it to sketch my ideas or practice sketching for the sake of drawing. Been playing with a moleskin and some fountain pens lately so I'm curious how the Rhodia would differ. It looks pretty gorgeous and I agree about the orange. It just stands out more. Too bad they don't make them in more colors. The name is a cute concept.
Woo, vellum. I miss that kind of paper. The things I could do with vellum back when I did a little drafting. Pencil marks could be erased without ghosting. You could stack a few layers on top of each other and see through them with a light table. I loved that stuff. I think the brand name was Clearprint...
I am in the process of starting a cake decorating business. I have done a few cakes for weddings and other events this year, and as people see them, I receive more and more requests. Currently, I sketch out my cake ideas on whatever scrap paper I have available, or in old composition notebooks. I would use the Webbie to carry with me to appointments and show some of my previous designs as well as sketch out what my clients want in their cakes. This would be a really great tool since it looks clean and professional with the fancy paper. Also, it would help me stay organized since I wouldn't have to search around for my sketches.
I colour with anything that makes marks and comes in various shades of bright orange. This includes, but is not limited to: crayons, pencil crayons, markers and paint. I have a very heavy pen pressure when I colour, and layer my colours thickly, so I prefer to have a paper that won't easily tear.
I also dig the colour of the notebook.
As an avid doodler, I am in need of a new sketchbook. I run through them faster than Donovan Bailey on a racetrack. I was looking for a new one for school, but most of the ones I've come across and used in the past are huge, and always get me caught. This one looks cool because it's a great colour,has heavy paper (I have a lead hand when drawing) and it's small so my teachers won't notice it.
colour, has*
a notebook/sketchbook...in orange...:O! my favorite color!
I'm constantly doodling in every notebook and on every scrap of paper i can find. Sometimes fun stuffs, sometimes new ideas for plating and decorating cute food (it's what i go to school for, haha)
Vellum is also, by far, my favorite paper medium. I haven't had a chance to work with it since i left the printshop a long time ago. ;-;
I'm still hunting for the best sketch/notebook that can take a lot of damage but works comfortably to my needs, i.e. opening flat, medium-sized drawing space. Having this would be great!
Ooooh sketchbooks.
Whenever there's any sort of vacation or something I tend to go through a bulk of pages just like that, so usually that's when I use the lesser quality bulk types which just have all the paper for your doodling intent. It usually ends up being the fate of most sketchbooks I buy due to incredibly impulsive doodling, so I usually don't get anything too nice.
Having one I can reserve for actual works only would be kind of nice.
...I still have the ominous feeling I'll just pounce it though. So uh...
I'll keep it on a shelf out of hand's reach. And then when something solidifies after pages burned through of the less spiffy sketchbookI can break out this spiffylicious little doodad. ;w;
I would probably use the sketchbook for the bus. I get really inspired by the people around me and usually have a sketchbook with me for the ride to school. I had been experimenting with other sketchbooks, but I am not very lucky to the quality I want. Your thoughts about the Webbie are getting me very interested in it. I am really excited for the no bleeding in the paper!
I need something to inspire me to doodle again~.
I will use it for drawing in as my old sketchbook is almost full =D
I used to like to draw abstract pen and ink "mood" drawings whenever I was under stress. I stopped doing that a few years ago, and my overall creativity has suffered as a result. So I've been thinking of starting to do it again. And rather than doing it on the usual sheets of paper that I then lose, I'd love to have a notebook like this to make those drawings in.
Thanks to everyone for participating! A winner has been selected~!
Stay tuned for a new review + giveaway coming up shortly!
*has a heart attack and dies of squee*
omg, for a chance randomizers go in my favor @_@ i'm so excited to see the webbie in person~! thank you~!
Make sure to send kitsy some pics of your cute food sketches... ^_-
Of course I will! and actually, my first sketch will be a little bit of that, and a little bit of nemu fan art~