Mabef Easel Sketchbox Backpacker M/23

I have had the Jullian and the Mabef half box French easel now and the Mabef, although more expensive is far

superior to the Jullian except for one problem, the folding palate sent with the Mabef is not of the same

quality (although usable) as the Jullian's, which is strange since the easel itself is lighter and better constructed.

I upgraded to the Mabef because the Jullian I was using completely fell apart on me after about a year and a half of use.

One of the best things is the Mabef locks down to stay shut during transportation instead of relying on a

easily bendable too small hook.

This portable easel is a wonderful product. It's lightweight, cleverly designed and beautifully crafted from Italian beech. It folds up small enough to carry on your back, but unfolds into a strong, flexible platform with a high degree of adjustability, a wide stance that handles uneven terrain quite well, and convenient storage for supplies. Highly recommended.

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Well made, classic, sturdy product. Lighter and more compact than the full size french easel. My "french companion" palette case sits on the open drawer of this model, but is a bit precariously perched, and care is needed to equally weight both sides of the case to prevent the case from toppling. I doubt that the larger french mistress palette case would work with this easel. The backpack straps make this easel easy to tote. I am a happy camper.

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I have paid for a quick shipment, but the TCP Global Corp. sent the easel two days later than expected. The wood is dry, soft and thin, it also has no finish, the wood is rough and raw with no varnish or sealer. Arrived with marks, dents and cracks. Do not waste your money buying at TCP Global Corp or MABEF products.

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Although it arrived with very dirty legs and with some smudges, (most likely not Mabef's fault) the construction and design of this easel is excellent. It is highly adjustable and stable, not to mention attractive.

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Art Alternatives Wood Box Pencil Easel

I bought one of these a few years ago from a local Art Store. At First I bought it cause I liked the way it looked, but after using it I fount it to be an excellent item. The way it folds in to a stand to hold your pencils for easy access is just awesome. I would advise this to any one who wants to add both some style and functionality to their art kit.

The only problem with this amazing case is the lack of an ability to keep it together. It opens pretty freely. My personal solution to this is just to keep a rubber band around it to keep it closed. And when I'm using the case, the rubber band helps me elevate my pencils for even quicker access.

Over all this is a pretty sweet buy.

The idea is there but it needs a lot of work still. First off it doesn't keep close when there's pencil in them, make sure you have rubber band wrapped around it otherwise expect to play pick up stick with your pencils. Because of this, I only use it for holding my pencils up so I can get easy access to what I need but then it kept falling forward until i bend it all the way back and have it lean on some books. lol... This product is useless but it has potential if they can fix these issues. lol Oh yah, it does look very professional!

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Whether you're sitting on a stump in the middle of a grove of trees or in front of some panoramic vista, having your pencils at hand and under control let's you capture the scene easily.

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Portable Presentation Easel (4 leg design) Material: White Markerboard

I do like the idea of this product and it does serve the purpose, but I thought it was a little flimsy for the price. It actually arrived a little damaged due to poor packaging, but not enough to go through the hastle of returning. It is also shakes a little when one is writing on it. The product is a good idea, but a not so good an execution.

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Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper Pad

I've been using Strathmore papers for more than 25 years. The 400 Series 150 gram paper is cold pressed and is sizing-free. This is perfect for pencil and technical inks. Strathmore indicates you can apply light washes, but they mean "really really really LIGHT" washes. The paper will deform with watercolor or too much ink.

Being sizing-free means it has great tooth for picking up graphite and technical or india ink.

The glue binding the pages to the pad used to be a rubber cement type adhesive that allowed you to pull the sheets off cleanly -meaning you don't have to trim them for a crisp edge. I believe this is still true of the 150 g Drawing Paper, but beware that Strathmore Marker Pad paper doesn't have such a great binding: you must x-acto the sheets off the binding or it will tear.

The reason for the 4 star review instead of a 5 star review is due to the fact that these pads are rarely vacuum-sealed in shrink wrap. I almost always find them exposed to ambient air. This can mean the paper has absorbed moisture from the air which can affect ink (not graphite) performance on the paper. (Remember these sheets don't have sizing to seal them.) Also, marker -like Copic or Tombow tends to warp the paper (as well as bleed through; but that isn't the performance window of Series 400.)

For the price, they're great sheet pads that handle graphite, erasing (pink pearl seems to work best), and technical ink.

To the reviewer who was disappointed at getting only a single "pad" all I can say is shop around, read the description, and you'll discover this is a good price compared to retail for Series 400.

If you need something more sturdy for heavier washes or dense ink try their Bristol Board which is available hot-pressed or cold.

The paper is not bright white, instead it is a very light cream color which is much easier on the eyes. It has a nice texture and the paper's thickness is perfect for drawing. I have tried many brands, and this one is my favorite.

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You can find more sheets of paper for less money in similar paper products, but not of this quality. Those inexpensive pads are adequate for younger children; we all know how they often enjoy scribbling one line per page and then tossing the unfinished "work" ... or pasting it to the fridge AS IS! Daddy's little budding artists ... lol ...

But this Strathmore product is definitely for the more advanced artist who wants a sketch that s/he can frame, if desired. This paper is of a higher quality in an aesthetic cream color, appropriate for highlighting details of the artist's best illustrations.

Since each pad contains twenty-four 80lb. acid-free sheets per spiral-bound pad, that's approximately six sheets per dollar. What a bargain!

Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2008

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when I bought this paper for my mom I thought it'd be cheap scratch pad to start here back into drawing, when it came it was great quality paper for multi-use artwork

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This drawing pad is the best. Perfect for sketching. I would recommend this to anyone and shipping was timely.

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