Best Sketchbooks 2024 – My Top 5 Picks
Looking for the best sketchbooks? Find out the pros and cons of my favorite sketchbooks! For example, I will discuss the paper quality of five different sketchbooks. As well, I will discuss which media are suitable for each sketchbook. Also of note, I own and have filled all the sketchbooks listed in this article. Thus, I have been able to personally test them all out. So continue reading to find out some insider information on what makes these the best sketchbooks!
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. This article contains affiliate links. I may earn an affiliate commission from purchases.
The Five Best Sketchbooks
Without further ado, below are the five best sketchbooks, ranked in no particular order.
1. Illo Sketchbook
Firstly, let us take a look at the Illo sketchbook. The Illo features a nice sturdy cover, elastic closure, ribbon bookmark, and back pocket. I discovered this sketchbook through the popular YouTuber, DrawingWiffWaffles. She has a ton of videos featuring this sketchbook, and she shows a ton of fun ways to use it!
As shown below, the Illo is my current sketchbook. And I am loving the 10 x 10 inch version. The reason being, I enjoy having plenty of room to draw avoid wrist strain. Nonetheless, there are actually two smaller sizes if you need something a little more portable. Either way, this sketchbook’s shape provides ample space for square, portrait and landscape compositions. This makes the Illo great for photographing and sharing on social media.
Additionally, the Illo has a nice big page count of 112 pages. The paper in the Illo is a good heavy weight at 122 lbs. This sketchbooks works great for pencils and markers. As well, the paper can handle some wet media. For instance, I enjoy using some gouache and watercolor in it. Of course, as long as you do not mind some warping, the Illo can handle those media.
2. Very Big Sketchbook
Secondly, let us do a deep dive into the Very Big Sketchbook by Art Alternatives. When they call this thing big, they mean it. As shown below, this sketchbook has 600 pages that are 12.5 x 10.75 inches. You would think with all those pages, the company would have to skimp on the paper thickness. But no sir. The paper is a nice medium weight of 75 lbs. Although that does not sound too thick, the paper is thicker than copy paper. Plus, you cannot see through it. Not to mention, the paper has a slight tooth to it that makes it feel really nice for drawing.
To me, the Very Big Sketchbook is one of the best out there. Because this sketchbook is so big, you can really get a lot of use out of it. For me, it took about a year to fill. Additionally, because this sketchbook is big, it is great for improving your art. By the time you finish it, you will likely improve a lot. Furthermore, to get a better feel for the Very Big Sketchbook, you can watch my sketchbook tour of it.
As for the quality of this sketchbook, the spine admittedly did tare from the sheer weight of this thing. However, it is an easy fix with a bit of duct tape. Additionally, this sketchbook take pencils, pens, and a little marker very well. It is not really meant for wet media. Nonetheless, it actually can withstand a bit of watered down gouache, as shown below.
Want some ideas for how to fill such a big sketchbook? Here are some drawing prompts and projects to try out. As well, here are some art challenges to help you fill it up.
3. Moleskine Art Sketchbook
Another one of the best sketchbooks is the Moleskine Art Sketchbook. Moleskine is one of the most well known sketchbook brands in the art community. Buying Moleskine is buying brand name. Moleskine offers a great quality binding, hard cover, elastic closure, ribbon bookmark, and back pocket. Additionally, the Moleskine Art Sketchbook comes in multiple sizes. Below is the standard size large, which is 8.25 x 5 inches and 104 pages. I love how portable this size is. I even added a makeshift pencil holder along the side of mine to make it perfect for sketching on the go. As well, this size is great for making full spread paintings and drawings.
Another feature of the Moleskine Art Sketchbook is the 111 lb paper. Contrastingly, the classic versions of Moleskines come with thinner paper. Nonetheless, the paper in the Moleskine Art Sketchbook is a good heavy weight at 111 lbs. Therefore, the paper in this sketchbook can take wet media pretty decently. Mine is full of lots gouache and watercolor as shown below. The warping is not too bad from wet media. Despite this, the pages are a little slippery and plasticky. So, if you want to use watercolors, I recommend trying a Moleskine Watercolor album instead.
4. Canson XL Sketchbook Mixed Media
Another amazing sketchbook is the Canson XL Mixed Media Sketchbook. This sketchbook is known for being great because it can handle all kinds of media. I have actually bought several of these over the years. Shown below, the Canson XL has 60 sheets or 120 pages. The paper weight is a nice thick 98 lbs. And the sketchbook is actually available in multiple sizes for you to choose from. Additionally, the pages have different tooth on front and back. So you can use both sides or the side you prefer.
With this sketchbook, the coil can get in the way of your hand a bit when drawing. However, the coil is actually really nice because you can easily take sheets out. Also, the coil allows you to take the whole sketchbook apart to work on each page, and then put it back together. I actually used that method to make it easier to work on my comic pages, one of which is shown below. Furthermore, check out how I filled one of these sketchbooks, by watching The Plant Witch Comic Sketchbook Tour.
5. The Best Sketchbook? Artist Loft Hardbound
Next, let us explore the Artist Loft Hardbound sketchbook. This might actually rank as my favorite sketchbook! It is a nice large size at 8.5 x 11 inches and 110 sheets. The pages are a good medium weight at 75lbs. Although not too thick, the pages are not see through, erase really well, and feel a lot thicker than copy paper. Additionally, a fun thing about this sketchbook is that there are now multiple cover colors to choose from.
Even though I do not need a new sketchbook yet, I literally bought a second Artist Loft Hardbound to have ready to go. I simply love the paper in it so much. So I bought an extra one already in case they ever discontinue it.
Another reason this sketchbook is so great is that you get a lot of bang for your buck. The large number and size of the pages means you can get a lot of use out of it. Additionally, since it is not overly expensive, you can feel at ease when you draw in it. Because of this, I literally filled this sketchbook so fast.
Another thing nice about this sketchbook is that the pages are not super thick. Because of this, I did not feel so afraid to make a mistake. Nor did I feel pressure to make a masterpiece on every page. For these reasons, this sketchbook is great for doing lots of studies and explorations with your art. And if you do that, this sketchbook can help you improve your drawing skills fast, as it did for me.
How to Make the Best Sketchbooks
Store bought sketchbooks sketchbooks are great, and I have lots of them. But making homemade sketchbooks is a passion of mine. In fact, as shown below, several of my sketchbooks are handmade. By making sketchbooks yourself, you can customize them to your heart’s content. For instance, you can make them with whatever size or type of paper you desire. Plus, since they are homemade, they are so much fun to draw in.
So, if you cannot find the perfect sketchbook in a store, try making one yourself. I actually have two popular YouTube tutorials on bookbinding. They are how to make a Moleskine Sketchbook and how to make a Coptic Stitch Sketchbook. So check those out if you are interested in creating your own sketchbook.
Those Are the Best Sketchbooks!
I hope this article helps you find the best sketchbook for you. Of course, every sketchbook has its pros and cons. But this article shares many great sketchbooks that I have found. Which sketchbook do you want to buy next? Let me know in the comments below.
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