There are a lot of sketchbooks in the market, so deciding for which one to use can be overwhelming. Which size, format, paper, price? It eventually comes down to personal preference. These are my favorites, the sketchbooks that fit my style.
I just love the Alpha series. Although the paper is a tad thinner than what I’d prefer (100lb), it has a lot of pages (124) and it holds pretty well to watercolor washes. Bright white, nice tooth. They come hardcover, wirebound and softcover. Haven’t tried the softcover yet, but the hardcover hardbound is my favorite sketchbook.
Stillman and Birn offers 6 series of sketchbooks with different formats. They do have sketchbooks with heavyweight watercolor paper, but as today, I still prefer having a lot of pages. #stillmanandbirn
These sketchbooks are surprisingly good. These have 68 pages, 90 lb paper. They are very cheap, under $8, a good enough paper and strong enough to withhold traveling in a backpack. These are wirebound, which you may like or not. #strathmorevisualjournal
Very similar to the Mixed Media Visual Journal above, except this one has 44 pages of 140 lb watercolor paper. I prefer a smoother paper to sketch with ink, but this one is acceptable. Do not expect premium watercolor paper quality, as it is not. But for quick, loose watercolor sketches it is pretty good. There is something weird, maybe the sizing on the front is not the same as in the back of the sheets, but again, great for the price. Last time I purchased 12 of these.
4. Custom sketchbook, Arches hot pressed paper 140lb, 9″x 6″
I’m lucky that my wife loves to DIY, so she has made me a few custom sketchbooks with my favorite paper, Arches hot pressed 140 lb. she took them to a local print shop to spiral bind. I use these when we go on vacation as travel sketchbooks rather than for everyday. If you are handy enough to pull this off, it’s definitely worth it.
When I sketch with markers, the Crescent RendR is my favorite. The marker won’t bleed through to the next page, no matter how heavy you apply it. And with 48 sheets, both sides usable, you have a lot of pages to experiment. It is not watercolor paper, although I’ve painted lightly with not terrible results. It does have an awful smell and may have damaged some of my marker tips, probably with the chemical used to make the paper No Show Thru. I use Copic markers though, so I can easily change the nib for a new one. #crescentrendr
*p.s. Notice that I didn’t include Moleskine, even though they are very popular and have a lot of good things. I really like the band and the pockets. I’m not a fan though, guess it’s because of the rounded corners.
Let me know which are your favorites!
Comments