Sketchbooks are fantastic for travel and plein air, and these days I think 90% of my work lives in my sketchbooks.
I’m not sponsored by these companies. All of my thoughts are my own.
Painting Sketchbook Spreadsheet
(prices may vary from what is listed below based on date and location of purchase, this price list was updated from March 2026). The prices correspond to the sizes I use most often.
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| Brand/Item | Price | Paper Type (size in inches) | Page Count | Cost Per Page | Video Demo |
| Hahnemühle Watercolour Book 100% Cotton | £33.00 | 19.5×19.5 cm, Hardcover, 250gsm, Fine Grain (cold pressed), 100% Cotton | 60 | £0.55 | Painting, Sketchbook Tour #20 |
| Hahnemühle Toned Watercolour Book | £21.46 | 14×14 cm, Hardcover, Grey, 250gsm, Fine Grain (cold pressed), 100% Cotton | 60 | £0.35 | Sketchbook Tour #13 |
| Stillman & Birn Nova Beige | £23.00 | 8×10 inches Softcover, Beige, 150gsm, Fine Grain (somewhat smooth), cellulose | 92 | £0.25 | Painting and Painting and Painting and Tours #17 and #18 |
| Stillman & Birn Beta | £11.40 | 3.5×5.5 inches Softcover, Bright White, 270gsm, Cold Pressed, cellulose | 56 | £0.20 | Mini Sketch Kit |
| Stillman & Birn Alpha | £13.10 | 6 x 8 inches, Wirebound, 150gsm, Natural White Vellum | 100 | £0.13 | Painting demo timestamp 30:00 |
| Etchr Perfect Sketchbook (grey cover) | £51.00 | A4 size, Hardcover, 300gsm, Cold Pressed, 100% Cotton | 44 | £1.15 | Sketchbook Tour #11 |
| Etchr Everyday Sketchbook (white cover) | £36.00 | A5 size, Hardcover, 230gsm, Hot Pressed, 100% Cotton | 52 | £0.69 | Sketchbook Tour #10, Painting, |
| Etchr Signature Sketchbook | £70.00 | B5 size, Hardcover, 300gsm, Cold Pressed, 100% Cotton | 44 | £1.59 | Sketchbook Tour #19 |
How I Describe my Ideal Painting Sketchbook
I use watercolor, gouache, ink, marker, and sometimes acrylic gouache in my sketchbooks. I often work in many layers, so I have two main criteria for my ideal sketchbook:
- 100% cotton paper
- Thick paper (150gsm or more)
My ideal sketchbook is both, but I have some that are only one of those things that work great. I prefer 100% cotton paper because it handles watercolor the best and allows me to use my favorite techniques. Cellulose paper can be OK but often limits how much water I can use.
Hahnemühle Sketchbooks – Current Favorites
Hahnemühle 100% Cotton Watercolour Sketchbook
When I first found these there were only a couple of sizes but they’ve now expanded the size range quite a bit! These have quickly become one of my favorites. The paper is…unique. It’s hard to describe but I’ll do my best.
The paper is slightly thinner (250 gsm) than my typical 100% cotton papers (300 gsm), but it still holds plenty of water and doesn’t buckle too bad. The bonus to slightly thinner paper is that my layers dry faster (something you have to get used to, it took me a while but now I LOVE it).
The paper holds up to almost everything I throw at it. I really enjoy how lightweight this sketchbook is, even though it has a hardcover, and unlike many hardcover sketchbooks, these pages can easily lay flat.
One thing to note is that you can layer watercolor on this paper, but if you are not careful you can get “edges” like shown in the bottom of the painting:
However I’ve learned to embrace that look, and I love how it lends to an illustrative quality.
I’ve tested some very heavy washes on this paper, and it’s surprising how much it can handle. The paper is cold press, but not overly textured, so fountain pens also glide smoothly over the surface.
This video shows VERY wet washes (with diluted gouache)
It has become one of my favorites, especially for plein air!
Hahnemühle Toned Watercolour Book – Grey
Another new favorite, and it’s not even 100% cotton. This sketchbook (especially the small square) is excellent for quick plein air studies. It’s a hardcover but most of the pages easily lay flat.
The paper is tinted grey (slightly warm), which is sometimes not even noticeable until you compare it to something white.
I’ve added a piece of white paper under one of the pages to show the grey tint. As you can see it’s a very subtle, warm grey. In some lighting it looks cooler but either way it’s very minor. Although the paper is cellulose, I’ve been able to use wet washes just fine. The paper doesn’t absorb a ton of water and dries pretty quickly which I like for plein air.
I tend to use watercolor and gouache with ink, and I think it looks really good on this paper. Gouache kinda pops off the page against the grey tint. Watercolor still looks vibrant on this paper, despite the grey undertone.
Lastly, I love this little square format. I often paint across both pages to get a wide spread.
Etchr Sketchbooks
Etchr makes three types of 100% cotton sketchbooks, and I think all of them are wonderful to work in. Each one comes in cold pressed or hot pressed texture, but I only use cold pressed (I like texture). I found out they sell sample packs of their paper in case you want to try them to help you decide.
The Signature series (my favorite) uses white 300 gsm 100% cotton paper, which is a dream to paint on, plus I love the deckled edges. They are released as limited editions and I usually get one or two per year. They often make them with special papers (my current one is Arches). I like the B5 portrait size, because it’s big enough to spread out in, but still easy to hold with one hand. I often paint across both pages to get a landscape spread. But these sketchbooks are expensive. To me it’s worth it, I consider it an investment in my joy.
The Everyday Sketchbook (white cover) is slightly thinner at 230 gsm and has quite a bit of texture. I think this paper is great for showcasing granulating pigments, because they tend to settle into the grooves. It’s not as easy to draw on with fine point pens. I don’t use these ones as often anymore, because I like the other ones better.
The Perfect Sketchbook (grey cover) uses heavier 300 gsm paper, and has slightly shallower texture. Granulating pigments still look good on it. I like this sketchbook better than the Everyday sketchbook as it handles heavier washes and my fine fountain pen works a little better on this texture.
Stillman & Birn Sketchbook Review – Great for every day use
These sketchbooks are not 100% cotton, but the paper is thick enough for water. I consider these my mixed-media sketchbooks. I use pencil, ink, watercolor, marker, gouache and acrylic gouache in these.
Types of Stillman & Birn Sketchbooks
This chart from their website shows the differences:
In addition, you can choose from hardcover, softcover, and spiral bound. I love the softcovers or spiral because they can be easily folded in half to make them more portable when I’m outside.
My Favorite Stillman & Birn Sketchbooks (and why)
I’ve tried them all, and have settled on a few favorites:
- Nova (beige)
- Alpha
- Beta
The Nova (beige) sketchbook is so much fun for gouache. Gouache looks GOOD on this paper. The lighter values pop off the page. Colors look good against the warm tone. Depending on if the paper is in direct sunlight, it can look orange, or in shadow it can look almost gray.
The paper is smooth with only a slight tooth, just enough. Fountain pens glide across the surface. I don’t really use watercolor on this paper, because it’s too warm. But gouache is especially nice on this paper. If I use a lot of water, the paper will buckle slightly but it’s easy to flatten.
The Alpha sketchbook is my go-to for doodling, and I call it my ‘idea’ sketchbook. I love it for mixed media. The paper is slightly thinner but still fine for light watercolor washes and gouache. I wouldn’t expect top quality results for watercolor, but for color swatches and scribbling ideas it’s great. Something to keep in mind: If you look closely at this image, you can see a bit of ‘ghosting’ where the color swatches on the other side of the page show through.
The Beta sketchbook has very thick, bright white paper.
I use the small 3.5 x 5 inch sketchbook in my ultra-lightweight travel kit. The paper handles wet washes just fine. To me it seems to behave a little more like hot pressed paper, even though it has a tiny bit of tooth. In this image you can see how smoothly the paint spreads over the surface:
I have a tiny .2mm pen that glides smoothly over this paper which is a fun combination. Laslty, I really like how the pages are heavy-weight and easily lay flat when opened.
Cheap Sketchbooks I like to Draw in
These are my “junk sketchbooks” – the ones I take with me to scribble, doodle, write ideas, or just play and warm up before painting.
| Brand/Item | Price | Paper Type (size in inches) | Page Count | Cost Per Page |
| Jackson’s Art | £3.26 | 21×20 cm, 120 gsm, soft cover | 31 | £0.10 |
| Jackson’s Art | £0.95 | 5.8 x 8.3 inches (A5), 140 gsm, soft cover | 40 | £0.02 |
| Cass Art | £2.31 | 5.8 x 8.3 inches (A5), 140 gsm, soft cover | 40 | £0.05 |
| Seawhite of Brighton | £1.50 | 5.8 x 8.3 inches (A5), 140 gsm, soft cover | 40 | £0.03 |
I’ve been trying different versions of these cheap drawing sketchbooks for a while now and have settled on a few that I like.
Jackson’s Art 120 gsm Drawing Sketchbook is warm-white, smooth paper with a tiny bit of tooth. Graphite glides smoothly and you can easily get lovely soft blends. Handles ink fine too. Love this one for graphite sketches.
Jackson’s Art 140 gsm Drawing Sketchbook is bright white and has some tooth. It’s enjoyable to draw on and handles ink well.
Cass Art 140 gsm drawing sketchbook is ever-so-slightly warm white. It’s smooth paper with a tiny bit of tooth, enjoyable with ink. But layering ink makes the paper pill. They offer colorful covers which I like.
Seawhite of Brighton 140 gsm drawing sketchbook is bright white and has a bit of texture. I love how pen, marker, and graphite feels on this paper. It is probably my favorite of the bunch.
I guess that wraps up this year’s favorites. If you have any questions, let me know!
Watch my video about all my favorite plein air gear:
