In a hurry? Here are the best products at a glance.
Today, we’re on the hunt for the best sketchbooks for the artist, traveler, writer, and student in your life! We found 10 beautiful sketchbooks that you can use with a variety of mediums to help fuel your creativity, like pencils, ink, watercolor, charcoal, and even acrylic paint! Before we get into the reviews, there are a few features we think you should know about first. That way, you can choose the best sketchbook for whatever style or medium you prefer!
Pages: The number of pages in each notebook is important, especially if you’re sticking to a budget! If you need a few lightweight sketchbooks for classes or one giant one for everything, we have a variety for you to choose from!
Cover Material: Most sketchbooks come with either leather or cardboard covers. Leather covers are typically weather-resistant and look luxurious in your studio or home library. Cardboard covers are more flexible, lightweight, and inexpensive, making them perfect for classroom use or practice sketchpads!
Binding: Hardbound sketchbooks sometimes lie flat, and they hold up well to aggressive sketching or being tossed around in your bag. Spiral bound sketchbooks always lie flat or can be folded over flat to draw on the backside of each sheet.
Size: If you need a sketchbook for a class, make sure you’re getting the size your teacher requires! For personal sketching, make sure it’s the right size to fit in your bag or the size of drawings you like to do!
Paper Weight: The paper’s weight determines the overall thickness of the paper, and which mediums work best with it. Lightweight paper is best for pencils and detailed work. Heavyweight paper can handle inks, charcoal, and watercolors without bleeding through the other side.
Lays Flat: This is totally a personal preference! If you need a sketchbook that won’t close on itself, grab one that lies flat for easier painting and drawing. If you want a sketchbook for journaling, a flat-lay book may not be necessary.
Now that you know what kind of sketchbook you’re looking for, here are 10 of the best sketchbooks for sale we found online! Each sketchbook is made to work with different mediums, and many of them can easily double as writing journals or class notebooks as well! If you’re pressed for time, we totally understand. Start off today by reading our Top Pick and Budget Pick. Later, when you have more free time, come back and read about the rest!
Jennifer Trimbee
Expert Researcher and Writer
Jennifer Trimbee, a lead researcher and writer at GeekWrapped, is an expert writer with many years of experience. Jennifer writes about technology, sports, outdoor, and gear products.
Article last updated on:
September 30, 2019
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