🧾 **1. What's a Sketchbook For?**
A sketchbook is just a bunch of blank pages held together, and you can use it to:
* Draw stuff (with pencils, pens, whatever)
* Do some painting
* Write down your thoughts with drawings
* Get your ideas in order
* Work on getting better at art
📄 **2. All About Paper**
The paper really matters. It mostly comes down to how it feels (the texture), how thick it is (the weight), and what it's made of..
* **Texture**
* Smooth: Nice for detailed lines, and good with ink or colored pencils.
* Medium: Works for most things, like pencil, pen, and even a bit of paint.
* Rough: Great for watercolors and stuff like that.
* **Weight (Thickness)**
* Thin (like 60–90 gsm): For dry stuff like pencil.
* Medium (100–150 gsm): Good all-around paper.
* Thick (160–220 gsm): For mixed media or light watercolors.
* Real Thick (250–400+ gsm): For heavy watercolor or acrylic.
* **Material**
* Wood pulp: Cheap, but might turn yellow over time.
* Cotton: Lasts a long time and is acid-free.
* Recycled: Good for the planet, but can be different textures.
📚 **3. How It's Held Together**
How the pages are stuck together matters for how flat it sits and how easy it is to carry around.
| Binding Type | What It Is | Good Stuff | Not-So-Good Stuff |
| :------------------ | :-------------------------------- | :------------------------------------ | :------------------------------------ |
| Spiral / Wire | Metal rings hold it together | Lays flat. | Pages can rip. |
| Stitched / Sewn | Thread holds the pages | Lasts long, lays kinda flat. | Not as bendy. |
| Glued | Pages are glued | Looks neat. | Doesn't lay flat very well... |
| Hardcover | Sewn pages with a strong cover | Lasts forever, keeps pages safe. | Heavier to lug around |
| Tear-off Pad | Single sheets | Easy to take pages out. | Not really a book. |
✏️ **4. What Paper for What Art?**
Pick the paper that works best with what you like to use:
| Art Stuff | Paper Recs |
| :----------------- | :--------------------------------- |
| Pencil | Medium to rough, 90–160 gsm |
| Pen | Smooth, 100+ gsm |
| Colored Pencil | Smooth, 120–200 gsm |
| Watercolor | Rough, 200–400 gsm |
| Markers | Smooth, 150+ gsm |
| Mixed Media | Thick, 180–250 gsm (at least) |
📐 **5. Size Matters**
* Small (Pocket-sized): Good for carrying around.
* Medium: Works for most things.
* Big: For bigger drawings.
*Tip:* Small books are good for practicing every day, bigger ones for finished art.
🧴 **6. Paper Color**
* White: Shows colors as they really are.
* Cream: Softer look.
* Toned (gray, tan): Lets you make highlights.
♻️ **7. Will It Last?**
Look for:
* Acid-free: Won't turn yellow.
* Lignin-free: Won't get brittle.
💡 **8. Extras**
Some sketchbooks have:
* Pages that tear out easily
* A band to keep it closed
* A ribbon to mark your spot
* A pocket
* Hard or soft covers
🖼️ **9. Tips**
* Use spray to keep charcoal from smudging.
* Test your pens/paint to see if they bleed through the page.
* Write dates on your art.
* Put heavy books on wet pages to flatten them.
* Put a blank sheet behind the page when you use markers.
🧠 **10. Finding the Right One**
Ask yourself:
* What art stuff do I use most?
* Do I want to carry it around, or keep it at home?
* Do I need it to last a super long time?
* Do I want to rip pages out?
A sketchbook is just a bunch of blank pages held together, and you can use it to:
* Draw stuff (with pencils, pens, whatever)
* Do some painting
* Write down your thoughts with drawings
* Get your ideas in order
* Work on getting better at art
📄 **2. All About Paper**
The paper really matters. It mostly comes down to how it feels (the texture), how thick it is (the weight), and what it's made of..
* **Texture**
* Smooth: Nice for detailed lines, and good with ink or colored pencils.
* Medium: Works for most things, like pencil, pen, and even a bit of paint.
* Rough: Great for watercolors and stuff like that.
* **Weight (Thickness)**
* Thin (like 60–90 gsm): For dry stuff like pencil.
* Medium (100–150 gsm): Good all-around paper.
* Thick (160–220 gsm): For mixed media or light watercolors.
* Real Thick (250–400+ gsm): For heavy watercolor or acrylic.
* **Material**
* Wood pulp: Cheap, but might turn yellow over time.
* Cotton: Lasts a long time and is acid-free.
* Recycled: Good for the planet, but can be different textures.
📚 **3. How It's Held Together**
How the pages are stuck together matters for how flat it sits and how easy it is to carry around.
| Binding Type | What It Is | Good Stuff | Not-So-Good Stuff |
| :------------------ | :-------------------------------- | :------------------------------------ | :------------------------------------ |
| Spiral / Wire | Metal rings hold it together | Lays flat. | Pages can rip. |
| Stitched / Sewn | Thread holds the pages | Lasts long, lays kinda flat. | Not as bendy. |
| Glued | Pages are glued | Looks neat. | Doesn't lay flat very well... |
| Hardcover | Sewn pages with a strong cover | Lasts forever, keeps pages safe. | Heavier to lug around |
| Tear-off Pad | Single sheets | Easy to take pages out. | Not really a book. |
✏️ **4. What Paper for What Art?**
Pick the paper that works best with what you like to use:
| Art Stuff | Paper Recs |
| :----------------- | :--------------------------------- |
| Pencil | Medium to rough, 90–160 gsm |
| Pen | Smooth, 100+ gsm |
| Colored Pencil | Smooth, 120–200 gsm |
| Watercolor | Rough, 200–400 gsm |
| Markers | Smooth, 150+ gsm |
| Mixed Media | Thick, 180–250 gsm (at least) |
📐 **5. Size Matters**
* Small (Pocket-sized): Good for carrying around.
* Medium: Works for most things.
* Big: For bigger drawings.
*Tip:* Small books are good for practicing every day, bigger ones for finished art.
🧴 **6. Paper Color**
* White: Shows colors as they really are.
* Cream: Softer look.
* Toned (gray, tan): Lets you make highlights.
♻️ **7. Will It Last?**
Look for:
* Acid-free: Won't turn yellow.
* Lignin-free: Won't get brittle.
💡 **8. Extras**
Some sketchbooks have:
* Pages that tear out easily
* A band to keep it closed
* A ribbon to mark your spot
* A pocket
* Hard or soft covers
🖼️ **9. Tips**
* Use spray to keep charcoal from smudging.
* Test your pens/paint to see if they bleed through the page.
* Write dates on your art.
* Put heavy books on wet pages to flatten them.
* Put a blank sheet behind the page when you use markers.
🧠 **10. Finding the Right One**
Ask yourself:
* What art stuff do I use most?
* Do I want to carry it around, or keep it at home?
* Do I need it to last a super long time?
* Do I want to rip pages out?