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CANSON 1557 Sketch Pad A2 - 180 g - 30 Sheets, Glue-Bound -
Canson XL Fluid Mix Media Pad, 250 g/m², 30 Sheets, A3, Spiral-Bound -
CANSON 1557 Sketch Pad, 180 g/m², A3, 30 Sheets, Fine-Grain -
CANSON C a grain Sketchbook, 125 g/m², A3, 30 Sheets, Spiral-Bound -
Canson Graduate Art Book Sketch & Draw Sketchbook, 140 g/m², 40 Sheets, A3, Hardbound -
Canson Graduate Acrylic Paint Pad, 300 g, 20 Sheets, A4, Glued -
Canson XL Sketch Sketch Pad, 90 g/m², 200 Sheets, A5 -
CANSON Kids Color Sketchbook A4, 120 g/m², 30 Sheets, Set of 10 Colors -
CANSON C a grain Sketchbook, 224 g/m², A4, 30 Sheets, Fine-Grain, Spiral-Bound -
CANSON Mi-Teintes Colored Paper Pad, 160 g/m², 24 x 32 cm, Earth, Set of 20 Sheets -
CANSON Graduate Bristol Drawing Pad, 180 g/m², 20 Sheets, A3, Glued -
Canson Montval Watercolor Pad, 300 g/m², 36 x 48 cm, 12 Sheets -
CANSON C a grain Sketchbook, 125 g/m², A3, 30 Sheets, Fine-Grain, Glued -
Canson XL Dessin A4 Drawing Pad, 160 g/m², 50 Sheets, Spiral Binding -
Canson XL Kraft Sketchbook, 90 g/m², 40 Sheets, A5, Spiral Bound -
ROYAL TALENS Art Creation Sketch Pad, Red, A4 / 21 x 29.7 cm, 140 g, 80 Sheets
Choose a sketchbook by technique: for pencil and charcoal, 90–160 g/m² paper is enough; for ink and light washes, go for 140–224 g/m²; and for watercolor, pick a watercolor block with 224–300 g/m². Pocket sizes and A5 are easy to carry, while A4 and A3 give you more room for studies and large drawings. A spiral binding opens flat, and a watercolor block glued on the sides keeps the paper taut while you paint.
Sketchbook – a pad or book of sheets for drawing, sketches and studies. Here you’ll find sketchbooks for drawing and for painting: from 9 × 14 cm pocket pads through A5, A4 and A3 sketchbooks to a 36 × 48 cm watercolor block, with paper from 70 to 400 g/m².
Which sketchbook to choose by paper type
| Paper type | What it can handle | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Sketching and drawing | pencil, charcoal, pastel, dry media; 90–160 g/m² | Canson XL Drawing A4, Nassau A4, Canson Art Book One |
| All-purpose sketching | dry media, ink, light washes; 140–224 g/m² | Talens Art Creation 21 × 30 cm, Canson C a grain A3, Canson 1557 A3 |
| Mixed media | dry and wet media on the same sheet; 300 g/m² | Canson XL Mix Media A5, Nassau Mixed Media A5, Nassau 20 × 20 cm |
| Watercolor block | watercolor, gouache, ink, washes; 224–300 g/m² | Canson Montval 24 × 32 cm, Canson Graduate A4, Canson XL Aquarelle A4 |
| Smooth paper | pen, fineliner, markers, manga and comics; 180–250 g/m² | Canson Graduate Bristol, Sakura Manga, Canson Art Book Manga |
| Toned and black | colored pencils, gel pens, pastel; 118–120 g/m² | Strathmore Gray, Hahnemühle Cappuccino, Canson Graduate Black |
Size: A5, A4 or A3 sketchbook
Pocket pads such as Art Creation 9 × 14 cm, Darwi 14 × 14 cm or Daler-Rowney Simply A6 slip into your bag for quick sketches. An A5 sketchbook is a good compromise between portability and space – the Clairefontaine Zap Book comes in both A5 and A6 with 160 sheets of 80 g/m² paper for pencil, pen and markers. An A4 sketchbook suits studies at home or at school: Nassau A4 has 100 sheets of 160 g/m² that can even handle watercolor techniques. An A3 sketchbook gives you room for large drawings – Nassau A3 has 32 sheets of 130 g/m², and Daler-Rowney Simply A3 has 50 sheets of 120 g/m² in a glued pad.
Paper weight: how many g/m² you need
Paper up to 100 g/m², like Canson Art Book One, is for pencil, pen and quick sketches. At 140 g/m², the Talens Art Creation pad can already handle ink, gouache and a light watercolor wash, but not very wet techniques. If you want a sketchbook for watercolor painting, choose 224–300 g/m²: Canson Montval 300 g/m² withstands repeated washes, erasing and even scratching out.
Binding: spiral, glued or sewn
A spiral binding opens flat, and Daler-Rowney Simply A6 and Canson XL Aquarelle A4 300 g/m² also have micro-perforation so you can tear out a sheet cleanly. Glued pads: the Canson Montval watercolor block is glued on the sides, so the paper stays taut while you paint, while Hahnemühle Nostalgie is glued at the top so the sheets tear off easily. A sewn binding keeps your drawings together like a book – the Strathmore Art Journal has a Smyth-sewn binding that opens fully flat, and the Rosa Studio sketch pad has stitched sheets.
You’ll find what to draw with in the pencils and charcoals, markers and felt-tip pens and soft pastels categories. For notebooks, see notebooks and diaries, and for loose sheets, the paper pads and drawing paper category. More supplies are in the drawing and paper and drawing supplies sections.
Frequently asked questions
Which sketchbook should I choose for pencil drawing?
Drawing paper of 90–180 g/m² is enough. Canson XL Drawing at 160 g/m² has a fine surface for smooth shading, and Canson 1557 at 180 g/m² is sized, so it can take repeated erasing.
Can you paint with watercolor in a sketchbook?
Talens Art Creation at 140 g/m² can handle a light watercolor wash, but not very wet techniques. For watercolor painting, choose a watercolor block of 224–300 g/m² or a mixed media pad – Canson XL Mix Media at 300 g/m² takes diluted watercolor and ink without noticeable buckling.
How is a watercolor block different from a sketchbook?
A watercolor block has heavier paper for wet techniques. The Canson watercolor block 224 g/m² A3 absorbs water and pigment, buckles only minimally when wet and is glued on the sides, so the paper stays taut.
Which sketchbook should I choose for kids?
The colorful Canson Kids A4 sketchbook at 120 g/m² is made for kids: it has 30 sheets in 10 colors and handles pencils, markers and watercolors. KREUL art paper at 160 g/m² in A4 or A3 is for finger paints and watercolors.
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