Do you find yourself confused about the wide variety of sketchbook sizes available? Don’t worry. At the start of my career, I was equally confused, if not more.
Let me use this forum to share some pearls of wisdom that I have acquired in my experience with sketchbooks.
Contents
Why Moleskine?
Well, the article is about Moleskine sketchbook sizes, so you might be wondering why I am putting so much focus on one particular brand if the purpose is to discuss sketchbook sizes.
If you are an artist, you need high-quality sketchbooks and media to enhance your art quality. When it comes to the best sketchbook, Moleskine is hands down the favorite for most artists worldwide. The trademark ivory-colored, acid-free, high-gsm Moleskine paper has no equal in the world of art.
Moleskine produces sketchbooks that you can use with all kinds of dry media, including pencil and graphite. You can even use ink and markers without worrying about damaging the paper. Its high-grade paper absorbs ink without feathering or bleeding through. The paper stands up well against aggressive erasing too.
Moleskine also produces artbooks for use with wet media, including watercolors and paint. The thick paper quality is excellent for absorbing water and does not allow it to run through to the next page.
Moleskine sketchbooks are real lay-flats. You don’t have to use your hands to keep it in that position. As an artist, I am sure there is no need to tell you how vital a lay flat is when trying to make a sketch or work of art in a busy place.
Each sketchbook has a ribbon for holding the book closed. You don’t have to worry about protecting your works of art. They are safely bound and will not stain.
No matter who you are and in which profession, there is a Moleskine sketchbook for you. I love Moleskine best because they understand artists’ needs and produce sketchbooks in various sizes and shapes that help bring out creativity.
You also get the best quality products and the convenience of everything being available in one place! It just makes the job of the artist that much easier.
What Is the Need for So Many Different Sizes?
Not all sizes of sketchbooks are suitable for all types of artists. I learned from experience that you don’t want to carry something very bulky while on the move. That’s where an extra-small or pocket-size Moleskine sketchbook is a handy option.
If you draw in your studio or work desk, then a medium or large size is ideal. These sketchbooks are also suitable if you plan to store your work for further display. If you are working on a medium-sized work of art with a more detailed and intricate pattern, the XXL size is also good.
If you need to work on standard-sized sheets for your job, I suggest the A4 size. And if you are making a large portrait, the A3 size is, of course, the largest size available.
Now that we have discussed why you should consider Moleskine and what sizes are suitable, you let me write a bit about what Moleskine sketchbook sizes are available. It will make your job of searching for the right size for your need.
Moleskine Sketchbook Sizes
Pocket size sketchbook
The pocket-size sketchbook is not more than 3.5 x 5.5 inches. They are built extremely small to fit in pockets. It is suitable for artists who enjoy scribbling on the go. They come in both hardcover and softcover. There are 72 pages in both types of pocket sketchbooks.
- MOLESKINE ART COLLECTION: From sketchbooks and sketchpads to watercolor notebooks with heavy paper, to music notebooks with plain and pentagram pages, to storyboard layout notebooks, Moleskine's art collection of notebooks offer the quality you need.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in hardcover or softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
- DELUXE QUALITY PAGES: Moleskine's thick, ivory paper pages in a hardcover Moleskine notebook, softcover Moleskine notebook, cahier or volant journal, or Moleskine planner are perfectly textured for writing with a ballpoint pen, fountain pen, or pencil.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
Medium size sketchbook
The size of the large sketchbook is 4.5 x 7 inches. They are available only in hardcover. These sketchbooks are suitable for artists who want to be on the go but still need a bit of detailed drawing.
- HARDCOVER ART SKETCHBOOK: The perfect portable canvas for capturing drawings anywhere, the classic Sketchbook features quality paper that supports a variety of artistic media & stands up to eraser use!
- CLASSIC MOLESKINE DETAILS: This durable notebook features all the trademark Moleskine details: rounded corners, ivory pages, elastic closure, matching bookmark ribbon & expandable inner back pocket.
- ICONIC NOTEBOOKS FOR EVERY PURPOSE: The story of the iconic Moleskine notebook collection has expanded to include a whole variety of sizes & colors, textures & layouts, & even flexible covers.
- MOLESKINE VERSATILITY: Writers, students, artists, professionals & travelers love our notebooks, planners, pens, bags & accessories. From journals to backpacks, there's a Moleskine product for you.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
Large size sketchbook
Large size sketchbooks are 5 x 8.25 inches. They contain 88 pages. These books are perfect for love to work in their studio or on their work desk. They have a durable cover and elastic closure, with a band to close the notebook shut and keep your artwork safe.
- MOLESKINE ART COLLECTION: From sketchbooks and sketchpads to watercolor notebooks with heavy paper, to music notebooks with plain and pentagram pages, to storyboard layout notebooks, Moleskine's art collection of notebooks offer the quality you need.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in hardcover or softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
- DELUXE QUALITY PAGES: Moleskine's thick, ivory paper pages in a hardcover Moleskine notebook, softcover Moleskine notebook, cahier or volant journal, or Moleskine planner are perfectly textured for writing with a ballpoint pen, fountain pen, or pencil.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
Square sketchbook
Besides regular size sketchbooks, Moleskine also makes square sketchbooks. The size of a square sketchbook is 7.5 x 7.5 inches.
The book contains 88 pages, and the thick ivory pages are suitable for drawing with fountain inks. You can use this sketchbook for Zentangle art or making beautiful looking tiles with intricate designs.
- MOLESKINE ART COLLECTION: From sketchbooks and sketchpads to watercolor notebooks with heavy paper, to music notebooks with plain and pentagram pages, to storyboard layout notebooks, Moleskine's art collection of notebooks offer the quality you need.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
- DELUXE QUALITY PAGES: Moleskine's thick, ivory paper pages in a softcover Moleskine notebook, softcover Moleskine notebook, cahier or volant journal, or Moleskine planner are perfectly textured for writing with a ballpoint pen, fountain pen, or pencil.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
XXL size sketchbook
The XXL size (8.5 x 11 inches) is a non-standard size, roughly similar to an A4 but not quite. This sketchbook is laid out in a portrait style (the bound end is the smaller of the two dimensions).
Its large ivory sheets make it great for pencils, fountain pens, and ballpoint pen, and the sketchbook is great to work with for medium-sized portraits
- MOLESKINE ART COLLECTION: From sketchbooks and sketchpads to watercolor notebooks with heavy paper, to music notebooks with plain and pentagram pages, to storyboard layout notebooks, Moleskine's art collection of notebooks offer the quality you need.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in hardcover or softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
- DELUXE QUALITY PAGES: Moleskine's thick, ivory paper pages in a hardcover Moleskine notebook, softcover Moleskine notebook, cahier or volant journal, or Moleskine planner are perfectly textured for writing with a ballpoint pen, fountain pen, or pencil.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
A4 size sketchbook
A4 is a standard size (8.25 x 11.75 inches) for printer paper and most notebooks. These sketchbooks are great for people who want to make drawings for professional work, which requires standard-sized sheets.
- MOLESKINE ART COLLECTION: From sketchbooks and sketchpads to watercolor notebooks with heavy paper, to music notebooks with plain and pentagram pages, to storyboard layout notebooks, Moleskine's art collection of notebooks offer the quality you need.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in hardcover or softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
- DELUXE QUALITY PAGES: Moleskine's thick, ivory paper pages in a hardcover Moleskine notebook, softcover Moleskine notebook, cahier or volant journal, or Moleskine planner are perfectly textured for writing with a ballpoint pen, fountain pen, or pencil.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
A3 size sketchbook
The size of this sketchbook is 11.75×16.5 inches. This sketchbook is larger than its other counterparts. If you are planning to draw your next masterpiece, then this sketchbook is the best. Its large ivory sheets make it ideal for pencils, fountain pens, and ballpoint pen arts.
- MOLESKINE ART COLLECTION: From sketchbooks and sketchpads to watercolor notebooks with heavy paper, to music notebooks with plain and pentagram pages, to storyboard layout notebooks, Moleskine's art collection of notebooks offer the quality you need.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in hardcover or softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
- DELUXE QUALITY PAGES: Moleskine's thick, ivory paper pages in a hardcover Moleskine notebook, softcover Moleskine notebook, cahier or volant journal, or Moleskine planner are perfectly textured for writing with a ballpoint pen, fountain pen, or pencil.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
Other Offerings From Moleskine
As an artist, I am sure that sketchbooks are not the only thing you need. A good sketch needs great media as well. And sometimes you also have to jot down points and notes. You may even need a bag to carry all of your material.
Well, you are in luck! I wasn’t kidding about Moleskine having everything in one place.
You may have only heard about Moleskine sketchbooks, but Moleskine is famous for a wide variety of writing products.
Their most famous offering is, of course, their classic series of notebooks, but they also make albums, diaries, journal books, planners, and much more.
- CLASSIC MOLESKINE NOTEBOOK: Moleskine classic notebooks are perfect notebooks for writing journals, a daily diary, or note taking in college classes or meetings. Moleskine notebooks are beloved by travelers & bullet journalists for their slim design.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in hardcover or softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
- DELUXE QUALITY PAGES: Moleskine's thick, ivory paper pages in a hardcover Moleskine notebook, softcover Moleskine notebook, cahier or volant journal, or Moleskine planner are perfectly textured for writing with a ballpoint pen, fountain pen, or pencil.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
Whether you want the layout to be plain or with Pentagram, or maybe storyboard frames, you get it all. These books are available in many sizes to suit their purpose. Some are available in hardcover, others in sot.
Apart from books, Moleskine also has pens and pencils, bags/accessories, and innovative offerings, including digital sketchbooks.
- MOLESKINE ROLLER GEL PENS: From the smooth flowing gel ink, to the springy point & rectangular design, Moleskine roller pens are designed for the pleasure of handwriting. Choose from a variety of colors and discover the pen that will be your favorite.
- MOLESKINE PENS: Do you love the smooth glide of a pen on paper? Moleskine pens are designed for writers, students, and artists who know the love of handwriting, whether writing in their journal, planner, or classic Moleskine notebook.
- MADE WITH HANDWRITING IN MIND: The Moleskine Writing Collection is made with handwriting in mind. All of our pens and pencils clip onto the side of your favorite Moleskine notebook, so they won't go missing.
- PENS & PENCILS FOR MOLESKINE NOTEBOOKS: Whatever you're writing, Moleskine has a pen or pencil for you. From roller & ballpoint pens, to click pencils & wooden pencils, Moleskine pens & pencils are the perfect companion to your Moleskine notebooks.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pages are there in a Moleskine sketchbook?
The number of pages varies with the sketchbook’s type and size, but most sketchbooks have 88 pages in them. However, I suggest you do your research before buying.
Why are Moleskine sketchbooks not cheap?
Moleskine sketchbooks are quite expensive, but there is a good reason for this.
Compared with other notebooks, sketchbooks, or sketch pads, Moleskine paper is more robust and easier to work with.
Their standard paper is acid-free, which prevents your work from yellowing with age. The paper is made from pigmented pulp, which has high absorption capacity.
Moleskine paper is quick-drying. The sketchbook cover uses leather-like material, which protects the artwork inside and keeps it safe from water and other elements.
What are A3, A4, A5 in sketchbook sizes?
Standard paper sizes are available for professional work, including A3, A4, A5, and A6.
A3 is 11.75 x 16.5 inches big. As you go up, the dimension decreases. So A6 is the smallest paper size.
A5 size notebooks are 5 and 3 /4 inches in width and 8 and 1/4 inches in height. A5 size notebooks are good for journaling.
A4 sheets are 8.25 x 11.75 inches big. That’s about twice the size of A5. A4 is the standard sized sheet used in printers, office stationery and is widely available as a notebook size.
What is the best brand of sketchbooks?
Moleskine is hands down the best brand of sketchbooks, and we have hopefully covered the reason we say so in this article by now.
However, buying and using Moleskine exclusively can be an expensive deal, especially for someone who is just starting with their career.
Some other great brands are available, such as Leda Art, Strathmore, Canson, and Pentalic, which produce high-quality sketchbooks but at a lower cost.
As long as you are getting the right size you need at a reasonable price, you can opt for any of these brands to start your work.
Many artists love sketchbooks with spiral bound as well. Canson or Strathmore sketchbooks are great for robust sketching with a spiral binding.
Final Words
I hope some of the information I shared in this article is useful for budding artists confused about the plethora of sizes, shapes, quality, and sketchbook brands.
I recall my early days and remember how challenging the process of exploring and choosing a suitable media and size was for me, and I hope that this article reduces some of that work for those who read it.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Just what is the Best Watercolor Sketchbook for you Watercolor Sketch (I think you might agree:)