Are you in search of a good quality sketchbook? The decision of choosing the right sketchbook can have a considerable impact on your work.
Artists are highly entrepreneurial. They are 3.5 times more likely than the total U.S. workforce to be self-employed. If you are going to do your work, you need the best tools to help you compete with the professional design and creative agencies.
A sketchbook is an indispensable tool in your arsenal. The vital factor that you need to consider while buying a sketchbook is the paper’s quality. A sketchbook with heavier and thicker paper is good for artists who use watercolor or markers.
In this article, let us talk about the best quality sketchbook that suits your needs.
Contents
Best Quality Sketchbooks
#1 Canson XL Marker Paper Pad – For Ink
Canson XL Marker Paper Pad is our top choice for the best quality sketchbooks. It features a semi-translucent white paper and works beautifully with pen, pencil, and alcohol-based markers. You can easily draw rough sketches to their finished form with this sketchbook.
Its best features are
- Versatile: the drawing sketchbook is a suitable choice for drawing or designing rough sketches to the finished ones. The semi-translucent white paper works beautifully with pens, pencils, and solvent markers. It is acid-free and won’t bleed through so that you can create beautiful designs on it.
- Easy to Use: the marker pads are 9*12 inches in size and contain 100 sheets in a fold-over bound format. You can easily create your favorite art pieces with the help of this quality sketchbook.
Why should you buy it?
The marker paper pad is suitable for ink, pens, and solvent markers. It features semi-translucent white paper that lets you easily draw rough sketches to their finished form. You can make your favorite art pieces conveniently with this sketchbook.
- Feature a semi translucent, white paper
- Suitable for drawing or design from rough sketch to finished form
- Works beautifully with pen, pencil, and alcohol or solvent markers (which will not bleed through )
- These 9 x 12 inch pads contain 100 sheets
- Fold over bound, acid free, and 18 pound/70 gram
#2 ARTEZA Expert Watercolor Pad – For Watercolor
This watercolor pad is our second choice for the best quality sketchbooks. The acid-free, thick, durable sheet of paper is a good choice for watercolor. Its smooth and textured sides let you create any piece of art with ease and comfort.
Its best features are
- Durable paper: The dual-sided thick and durable paper has smooth and textured sides. It is good for watercolors or other pencil creations.
- Acid-free paper: This sketchbook has acid-free paper, which won’t let the color fade. It is good for watercolor sketching as the paper can quickly absorb water and keep your paint look more vibrant.
- Versatile: The multi-purpose sketchbook is good to use for both dry and wet media. The sheet is glue-bound that creates a smooth edge. So when you remove them, they won’t cause any harm your created masterpieces in any way.
Why should you buy it?
The watercolor pad is good to use for both dry and wet media. It is ideal for watercolors or other pencil creations. Moreover, the sheets are glue-bound, creating a smooth edge so that your drawings are not harmed when you try to tear one out.
- Cold Press Watercolor Paper: Experience the perfect amount of tooth on this paper ideally suited for watercolor arts and mixed media. This paper can handle multiple layers of paint without buckling or warping.
- Acid-Free Watercolor Sketchbook: Our art paper is 100% acid-free, ensuring your colors retain their original vibrancy and richness. This water pad helps preserve the beauty of your artwork over time.
- Dual-Sided Watercolor Book: Each sheet of this glue bound water pad features a double sided texture. The compact nature of these books makes them ideal for travel, allowing artists to have a portable art kit.
- Multipurpose Watercolor Pad: Our water color paper perfectly suits professional artists as well as beginners. It is suitable for various watercolor techniques, including wet-on-wet, dry brushing, and splattering.
- Perfect Gift: Our watercolor paper pad is versatile gift for anyone who enjoys watercolor painting. This paper allows for endless creativity and personalization, making it a unique and practical gift.
#3 Canson Artist Series Pro Marker Pad – For Markers
The semi-translucent white paper is a good choice for markers or creating beautiful designs with pens, pencils, and other media. You can easily create your favorite pieces with this sketchbook.
Its best features are
- Suitable: The semi-translucent white paper is a good choice for markers because the high-quality paper does not let the marker bleed-through. You can draw efficiently with it. The high-quality paper is good to use for your daily artwork.
- Easy to Use: You can use this sketchbook for drawing or designs. The 50 sheets are acid-free and are easy and safe to use. The thickness of paper makes it easy for you to create your beautiful designs without putting off many efforts.
Why should you buy it?
The Pro Marker pad is good for those who rely mostly on markers because the paper is thick enough to stop the marker ink from bleeding through to other pages. You can use this sketchbook for creating drawings or designs with vibrant markers.
- Semi-translucent white paper
- Suitable for drawing or design
- Works beautifully with pen, pencil, and alcohol and solvent markers
- Markers will not bleed through
- 50 sheets of 18 pound/70 gram acid free 14 x 17 inch paper
#4 Strathmore Tan drawing 400 Series Paper – Best Toned Paper
This sketchbook is good to use by those who love to work on toned paper. The sketchbook is an ideal option to use for both dry and light media. The acid-free and high-quality paper is good to use for a long time without the fear of any wear and tear.
Its best features are
- Paper: the high-quality, acid-free paper is ideal for drawing your favorite drawings and sketches on this sketchbook. The textured paper lets you use your creativity to draw those beautiful designs you pictured in your head. The toned paper does not get yellow with age.
- Works for all media: This sketchbook is a good choice for both dry and light media. You can use it to draw or sketch with graphite, sketching sticks, chalk, markers, pens, charcoal, and white gel pens. It contains 50 sheets that you can use for many purposes.
Why should you buy it?
The sketchbook has thick, high-quality pages that let you draw your favorite drawings in almost any medium. Moreover, you can use its pages for a long time as it does not get yellow with age.
- Artist-Recommended Sketch Paper - Loved by artists for decades, Strathmore 400 Series Sketch paper has been the trusted friend of fashion designers, illustrators, architects & painters from the classroom through to professional careers
- Helps Make Highlights Pop – Toned paper allows for greater contrast between darks and lights so you can tackle a wider range of values and more realistic results; be sure to keep your white pencil or gel pen handy!
- General Purpose, Recycled & Heavyweight - Made with 100% recycled & 30% post-consumer fiber! Tackle sketch projects like figure drawing, illustration, and character design without worry of unsightly tears or creases
- Use with Multiple Materials - Paper is intended for practicing techniques with graphite, chalk, charcoal, markers, colored pencils, pens
- Easily Remove Sheets - Micro-perforated paper allows you to remove true-to-size sheets cleanly without accidently tearing artwork
#5 Tavolozza Fine Arts Sketchbook – For Pen and Paper
The multi-media sketchbook has a sturdy hardcover and is portable enough to take along while traveling. The light cream, acid-free paper is textured for a good sketching surface so that you can create your designs with ease.
Its best features are
- Paper: the 68 lb, 100gsm textured sketchbook offers light cream-colored paper, which is lightweight and acid-free. The pages have perforated edges so that they can easily be torn out when needed. They are good to use for dry media like pencils, pens, gel pens, and sketching.
- Hard Covers: The sturdy black cover of this sketchbook is thick and provides a supportive surface to draw your work. The textured, water-proof cover help in protecting your artwork and gives you convenience while working on it. It is wire-bound so that you can easily flip the pages and open your sketchbook without tearing off any page.
Why should you buy it?
The sketchbook is perfect for pens because it has 100gsm paper, which does not let the ink feather or bleed through. The textured sketchbook offers light cream acid-free paper, which brings out the colors in ink markings. It has a sturdy black cover that provides a supportive surface to draw your work with ease.
- HARD COVERS: The sturdy black cover of the sketch book is thick enough to provide a good supportive surface to draw on. It is hard bound textured, black, slick-smooth, and waterproof cover. It definiantly helps protect your artwork. This would make a great gift ever for all of the artists in your life,one they can treasure forever.
- PREMIUM ARTIST PAPER: 68 lb / 100gsm, the sketch book offers 100 sheets of light cream, lightweight, acid-free paper.It is slightly textured for a good sketching surface.No need to worry about repeated erasures or normal hard pressure. Each Page has a Perforated Edging for Easy Tearing; Ideal for all dry media including pencil, pen, pastels, charcoal, sketching sticks,gel pen and so on .NOT applicable to markers.
- SPIRAL BOUND DRAWING PAD: Constructed with sturdy, double wire bound for a strong book.The spiral provides better access easily flip the pages over to the backs,allow you to open your sketch book flat and sketch without removing pages.It is perfect for sketching, doodling and journaling.
- THE PERFECT SIZE: You'll enjoy having your hard cover sketchbook readily available for quick sketching on the go. It's a great size for backpacks, and can take this sketch book wherever you go and never miss a chance when inspiration strikes.
Buyers Guide
Choosing the best quality sketchbook needs a lot of focus. Below are few things that you should keep in mind.
Paper quality
You can judge paper quality on thickness, color, and texture. The thicker the paper, the better its ability to absorb wet media, making it more versatile.
However, thickness adds to the book’s weight, so thicker paper means you can carry lesser sheets if you like traveling a lot.
The textured paper brings out the elegance in your designs; the paper feels like it is old and expensive. Paper color is a personal choice; some prefer bright white, others prefer slightly yellowed.
Purpose
It would help if you considered for what purpose you are buying your sketchbook. Do you want to use it for dry media, wet media, or both? Depending on the answer to that question, you would have to choose the thickness of the pages.
If you travel a lot, you will choose a smaller size. If you love doing large paintings and sketches (like scenery or urban sketching), you need a bigger sized paper.
Hardcover vs Softcover
Hardcovers provide support when you are drawing. You can turn your pages easily and can do your work comfortably. Hardcovers will keep your drawings safe when you travel outside.
Softcovers fit easily in your bag and don’t lead to pages bending.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose a good sketchbook?
When you think of buying a sketchbook, you need to consider the paper’s quality and the purpose for which you are buying a sketchbook.
People normally consider buying sketchbooks that can work for both dry and wet media. Acid-free and eco-friendly sketchbooks are quite in demand as they are safe to use.
Which pencil is good for sketching?
The best pencil to use while drawing sketches is HB,2B, 6B and 9B. These pencils work beautifully on your sketchbook’s paper and let you create your favorite designs with these pencils.
Is 120 gsm paper good for drawing?
In most media, 70-80lb (100-130gsm) paper is considered good. The papers that are lighter than 70lbs are usually too thin. Moreover, papers heavier than 140lbs are good to use for painting rather than drawing.
Which paper is good to use for sketching?
Printer papers are cheap, and they don’t bleed. You can smoothly work on these printed papers. Bulks newsprint pads are also functional and good to use, especially when drawing large sketches.
So you can choose the paper as per your needs.
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