Do you love to sketch or doodle? Do you get creative sketch ideas while traveling? Carrying a sketchbook in your pocket for travel might help.
Artists often carry different tools for their creative needs, and the sketchbook is the most crucial tool for them. Artists use the sketchbook to pen down their thoughts or observations through writings or sketches.
Your sketchbook should be compatible with the medium of sketching you use (pencil, graphite, pen, or watercolors). In the article below, we have talked about the five best sketchbooks for travel that are good in quality and are compact to fit easily in pockets or handbags.
Contents
#1 Leda Art Supply Sketchbook
This pocket sketchbook by Leda is compact sized with dimensions 3.5-inch X 5.5-inch. It has 160 pages of cream-colored papers with stitched binding and a textured hardcover. The papers are thick, making them ideal for sketching with pen, pencil, ink, or colors.
Features and Benefits
- Size: The sketchbook is 5.5 inches X 3.5 inches big, making it compact enough to fit in your pocket or bag (it’s almost the size of a mobile phone). You can carry the sketchbook with you while traveling for all your creative needs.
- Paper quality: This sketchbook has 120GSM papers that are thick and acid-free. The paper has a soft texture and is compatible with both indoor and outdoor sketching. It is strong enough to last for a lifetime.
- Cover and binding: The sketchbook has a hardcover that protects it. It is strong enough for all-weather use. It has durable stitch binding, and it comes with an elastic band to hold papers together when you need to move quickly.
- Multipurpose use: The 160 pages and 80 sheets are ideal for sketching with pen, pencil, markers, ink, pastel, crayons, charcoal, and light watercolor. The sketchbook pages are thick enough so that colors do not bleed through, protecting other pages from stains.
Why should you buy it?
This sketchbook is perfect for artists who love to draw or write their thoughts or observations while traveling or camping. The compact size fits your pocket or backpack on field trips making it the perfect companion sketchbook for travel. Its back cover has a pocket to store extra papers or a small pencil.
- CUTE: 3.5 x 5.5 inches fits in your pocket for sketching on the go
- PREMIUM: 160 pages of smooth, cream-tone paper accents your colors
- VERSITLE: 81-pound paper density makes it perfect for pencils, ink, pen, charcoal, and light watercolor
- FEATURES: Elastic band keeps pages together. Accordion back pocket for storage
- DURABLE: Thick and smooth art paper erases well and holds up to heavy use. Stitched binding in fine vegan leather cover
#2 Speedball Travelogue Sketchbook
This sketchbook is the “Pocket Portrait” model of the Speedball Travelogue drawing book series. It has 128 thick pages for drawing and sketching. The sketchbook has a protective hardcover and comes with an elastic band to hold the papers.
Features and Benefits
- Portrait size: The 5.5 inches X 3.5 inches in this sketchbook makes it easy to carry with you when you are traveling. The portrait size drawing book comfortably fits in your pockets, handbags, or backpacks.
- Thick paper: This sketchbook has 130GSM heavy-weight papers that are 100% acid-free. The papers have good tooth making them suitable for artists writing and drawing with pens, pencils, markers, or many colors, even light watercolor wash.
- Cover and elastic band: The cover of this sketchbook is made with European book cloth, which is finely knitted and hard enough to protect the inside. This sketchbook comes with an elastic closure that tightly holds the papers while traveling.
- Design: This sketchbook has beautiful round edges and has 66 sheets sewed together with a signature binding technique that gives 128 pages to sketch. It has an envelope pocket to store small items and a bookmark to mark pages.
Why should you buy it?
If you are looking for a sketchbook or a handbook journal for traveling, this Travelogue series sketchbook is best for you. This sketchbook has thick papers ideal for outdoor sketching and has a pocket to keep small stuff like photos, papers, or a pencil.
- 128 acid-free sheets of heavyweight buff drawing paper
- Durable cover with elastic closure, clear envelope inside back cover
- Available in 5 formats and 4 colors
- 5. 5-Inch-by-3. 5-Inch, pocket portrait in cadmium Green
- Made in india
#3 Artlicious Hardcover Sketchbook
This sketchbook by Artlicious has a hardcover to protect from outside elements. It has 110 sheets and 220 pages of 120GSM ideal for sketching on the go. The sketchbook has a compact size of 6 inches X 4 inches.
Features and Benefits
- Hardcover: This sketchbook has a soft textured black colored hardcover made of plastic that protects the pages from water spills and all kinds of weather. The hardcover provides support to artists while sketching or writing when traveling.
- Acid-free paper: The papers of this sketchbook are acid-free and microperforated. The thick 120GSM papers are ideal for drawing with pen or ink, pencil, markers, and different type of colors.
- Small in size: This sketchbook is compact, making it suitable for carrying outside with you. It measures only 6 inches X 4 inches, short enough to fit in your pockets or backpack while you travel.
- Pages and binding: The stitched binding is strong and holds the paper together in any condition. The sketchbook has 110 sheets and 220 pages sufficient for recording all of your creative thoughts and observations.
Why should you buy it?
The acid-free white paper of this sketchbook is thick so that you can use any colors to sketch. The colors do not bleed through to other pages, even on using watercolors.
- Hardcover sketchbooks
- 110 sheets per book
- 220 pages per book
- Acid free white pages
- Just the thing for those quick sketches and drawings, in the studio or in the field.
#4 Premiere Pro Art Sketchbook
Premiere Pro Art sketchbook is a small sketchbook with dimensions 6 inches X 4 inches. It has 110 sheets and 220 pages made of white, acid-free paper. This sketchbook is suitable for pen, pencil, ink, marker, and color, including watercolor sketches.
Features and Benefits
- 160GSM paper: This sketchbook has 160GSM papers that are 100% acid-free. The white papers are thick enough to sketch your ideas without smudges or color bleeding through. The papers are durable enough so that your sketches can last for decades.
- Leather-like textured cover: This sketchbook’s hardcover is made of leatherette, which gives a leather-like texture. The hardcover protects your sketches from accidental liquid spills and other outdoor elements while traveling.
- Compact size: This sketchbook measures 6 inches X 4 inches, a compact size to easily carry in your pockets when traveling.
- Pages: It has 110 sheets and 220 pages held together using stitched binding. The pages are suitable with pens, pencils, inks, markers, and other colors without bleeding through them.
Why should you buy it?
Premiere’s Pro Art sketchbook is perfect for sketch artists, whether professional or beginners, who like to travel. This sketchbook has 220 pages, which provide plenty of space for your artistic creation on field trips.
#5 Field Artist Soft Series Sketchbook
This sketchbook is very compact and has very thick pages suitable for travel sketches. It has a flexible softcover with an accordion paper folded out in the back cover.
Features and Benefits
- Truly compact size: This sketchbook measures 3.75 inches x 2.5 inches, which is very compact. It can easily fit in small pockets, making it a perfect travel sketchbook.
- 260GSM paper: It has 80 pages made of acid-free, recycled paper of 260GSM. The white bristol paper is ideal for pen, pencil, ink, watercolor, and other sketching items.
- Softcover: The cover is made of thermo-PU leather and is flexible. This sketchbook has an accordion paper fold out attached with the back cover.
- Bookmark and elastic band: This sketchbook comes with an elastic band that holds the pages. It also has a ribbon bookmark made of silk to mark pages.
Why should you buy it?
Field Artist soft series sketchbook has a tiny size making it a perfect sketch companion when you travel. The 260GSM paper is very thick and durable for outdoor creative sketches. The acid-free bristol paper is ideal for preserving your artistic creations for a lifetime.
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Buyer’s Guide
Size
The size is the essential thing that matters in a sketchbook while you travel. The standard size sketchbooks will need a lot of space in your luggage.
The sketchbook should be small enough to fit your pocket or backpack easily. Compact sketchbooks are much easier to use outside for sketching. Buy a sketchbook that measures not more than 4 X 6 inches.
Hardcover
While buying a sketchbook for travel, you should consider one with a protective hardcover. The hardcover made up of water-resistant materials protects the inside of the sketchbook from liquid spills and different weather conditions. A sketchbook with a hardcover also provides support while drawing on the go.
Paper
The thickness and weight of the paper used in a sketchbook must be according to your drawing needs. Artists use pen, pencil, ink, marker, or colors to sketch their observations or thoughts while traveling.
Choose a sketchbook with 120GSM or above paper that is ideal for watercolor sketches. An acid-free paper provides durability to your sketchbook and helps preserve your sketches for an extended period.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How to choose the best sketchbook for travel?
A sketchbook for traveling must be compact that consumes less space in your bag. Look for a sketchbook small enough to fit in your pockets. The sketchbooks must have a hardcover to protect the inside from liquid spills while roaming outside. The hardcover also gives support while sketching.
The paper used in the sketchbook should be thick enough to withstand any color, especially watercolors. Buy a sketchbook with the stitched binding, which is suitable for sketching landscapes.
Which sketchbook is ideal for watercolors?
To draw sketches using watercolors, you should have a sketchbook with thick paper. The thick paper helps absorb water making it ideal for watercolor sketches.
It also prevents colors from bleeding through the paper and protects other pages from color stains. A sketchbook with paper more than 120GSM is suitable for watercolor.
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