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Numbers like dimensions and paper type are from (when possible) the cover or packaging of the sketchbook itself or I retroactively hunted down the info based on product listings online. When I've pulled out the ruler and measured myself, I've rounded to the nearest half inch (or centimeter if that was more convenient). If there's a weirdly-specific measurement like "11.4" that's definitely not one of my measurements.
| #0: Strathmore (Sketch) | spiral (top), 100 sheets | 9x12 in | 50 lb (74 gsm) | 2007, 2017-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | I forgot I even had this sketchbook when I started sketchbook #1. It was incomplete, and half-filled with crap, but I ended up wanting to post a few drawings from it, so for organizational purposes, I retroactively numbered it "zero". I did finally fill it up. (Although this doesn't 100% count as a filled-up sketchbook as, in keeping with my old habits, I knew I had torn some pages out and thrown them away.) 😐 It was fine. Wouldn't buy again though. Big enough to be awkward and I don't like spiral-bound books. | |||
| #1: Strathmore (Toned Gray) | spiral (side), 50 sheets | 5.5x8.5 in | 80 lb (118 gsm) | 2017 April to 2018 July |
 | This was the first sketchbook that I ever finished. I was so proud of it. Some of it is actually pretty decent even. (Is that bad? I feel like I haven't progressed the way I should have if I still like some of these.) I didn't like the paper at the time because I didn't realize smooth paper was the wrong choice for colored pencils which is what I was into then. 😐It was fine. Might try it again at some point in the future now that I have a better handle on how different types of paper work. | |||
| #2: Strathmore (Colored Pencil) | spiral (top), 30 sheets | 6x8 in | 100 lb (163 gsm) | 2018 June to 2019 December |
 | This sketchbook was specifically designed for colored pencils and yet I ended up using up so many pages experimenting with completely different media (with varying results). I have no idea why I couldn't just focus on colored pencils. (Sketchbook #13 is identical and I swear I'm going to try and do more pages with the intended medium.) 😐It was fine. I didn't use it properly though. I'll have a better verdict after I finish sketchbook #13. | |||
| #3: Blick | hardbound, 110 pages | 8.5x11 in | 65 lb (98 gsm) | 2018 July to 2019 November |
 | This was one of my favorite sketchbooks. Not great for colored pencil or watercolor or marker (which did not stop me from abusing it with all of these media) but it was great for ink or pencil. This was also my first ever hardbound sketchbook, which helped take away that temptation to tear out "bad" pages and figure out how to make them work. This book had "I'm a real artist now!" vibes, a sketchbook that was an actual book. (I'm shallow.) 😊 Very happy with this. I still want to experiment with other types of sketchbooks, but I could see myself buying this again. | |||
| #4: Brigid Ashwood | hardbound | 5.5x8 in | unknown (thin) | 2018 September to 2019 July |
 | I found this in a gift shop that had stationery but no art supplies, so it was probably meant to be a journal and not a sketchbook. But it was so pretty (the cover has ravens on it!) that I had to buy it. Brigid Ashwood is the artist credited with the cover art but searching online for that name has only turned up the same artwork on a different style of journal. The paper was thin enough that I could only do one-sided pages, but it worked well enough for that. I used it for the one-and-only Inktober that I've finished. (I've tried Inktober and other challenges since, but I just can't stay focused or inspired by other people's prompts.) 😊This was so fun. The cover was gorgeous and I'm shallow about things like that. I can't buy it "again" since I don't even know what brand it was, but I can see myself buying a similar item in the future just because it's pretty. | |||
| #5 Picadilly | softbound, 120 sheets | 8.3x11.4 in | paper type?? | 2019 December to 2020 December |
 | I tracked down the manufacturer's website, and even that doesn't list any information on the type of paper this is. It felt almost like a thick newsprint. I thought this was the worst sketchbook ever until I started the next one that was even worse. I ended up with some decent art, but I just hated working in it. I didn't like the paper and the floppy backing made it hard to work with. (I hate having to have a flat surface handy to put my sketchbook on.) Ironically, the binding itself was great. The book could open up completely flat, which was very nice. More sketchbooks should be made with this binding. 🙁I didn't like the paper or the soft-cover, but I do give a thumbs-up for a nice open-flat binding and it's a lot of pages pretty cheap. Wouldn't buy it again myself though. | |||
| #6: Peter Pauper Press | hardbound (perforated), 96 sheets (192 pages) | 8.25x11 in | 128 gsm | 2021 January |
 | I hated this sketchbook. I had been looking forward to it after disliking the paper in the last one. And I had loved my previous hard bound sketchbook. Then on day one, a page started to tear out because I discovered that the pages were perforated! (I'm sure it said this somewhere on the label, but I hadn't noticed. It never occured to me that a hard-bound sketchbook would have perforated pages.) So I just loathed this. But I also ended up kind of loving the result because I vowed to fill this up as quickly as possible so that I could move on to something better. And it was this cathartic breakthrough where I stopped worrying about whether anything was good and only focused on filling up the pages. Look at that completion date. Not a typo. One month. Over a hundred pages. (I drew double-sided where I could, but there was bleed-through to the otherside in many places, so I didn't get to use up all 192 of the advertised pages.) 😡Would not buy again. This just made me cranky all around. | |||
| #6½: Canson | spiral (side) | 5.5x8.5 in | 65 lb (96 gsm) | 2004-2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016 & 2020-2021 |
| Yeah, there's a reason the numbering system kind of broke at this point. I found an old half-filled sketchbook that I couldn't let go to waste. 😐It was fine. Unlikely to buy again though. | ||||
| #7: UCreate | spiral (side), perforated, 75 sheets | 6x9 | 70-lb | 2021 March to 2021 November |
| These pages were perforated but I had no trouble with anything accidentally tearing. I bought this at Target and it didn't occur to me to save the wrapper with the name and product info because I wasn't expecting much. However, I think I've found it on their website for the brand name and weight information. "Each book contains 75 sheets of heavyweight, medium tooth, acid-free drawing paper." I'm not sure if "medium" tooth has a specific definition; I would describe the pages as smooth. This is the only spiral sketchbook in my entire collection that didn't annoy me. The pages turn without catching or tearing. Not great for watercolor, but a solid little sketchbook. 😊Suprisinging myself to say that I might well buy this again despite usually complaining about spiral sketchbooks. | ||||
| #8: Crescent Rendr | hardbound | 5.5x8.5 in | 110 lb (180 gsm) | 2021 November to 2021 December |
| This was my first Crescent Rendr sketchbook and I was super impressed with the paper. It lived up to the "no show thru" description on the label. You really could take markers to it, even Sharpies, and the art didn't bleed through. It was super prone to smudging though. Because it was so slow to soak up ink, ink stayed wet much longer than you expected. Every Crescent Rendr sketchbook that I've had (three different sizes) has had a tight binding where it's difficult to open the book wide enough to actually draw anything. (The softcover ones advertised as "lay flat" are actually worse.) And because the paper is so thick, you get very few pages per sketchbook. 😐Conflicted on a final opinion on this, but it's been discontinued so I guess the decision has been made for me: won't buy this again. | ||||
| #9: Copic | spiral (side), 30 sheets | 14.8x18.5 cm | 157gsm, marker paper | time frame |
| This was specifically designed for markers and yet I did not like how it handled markers. Very weird. 😡Did not like. Would not buy this again. | ||||
| #10: Blick | spiral (side), 80 sheets | 9x12 in | 65 lb (98 gsm) | 2021 November to 2023 June |
| (Appears to be identical paper to the hardbound #3.) Hated the spiral binding (the pages snag when you're trying to flip through it) but otherwise this was a solid sketchbook that was not designed for wet media but held up well under being abused with watercolors anyway. This was also the only spiral sketchbook I've had which had a hard front and back cover so I could draw in my lap without having to put something hard underneath it. 😐It was fine. Probably wouldn't buy again though. | ||||
| #11: Crescent Rendr | soft cover | 3x5.5 in. | 110 lb (180 gsm) | 2022 April to 2022 September |
| I loved that the marker didn't bleed through the pages (worked much, much better than the Copic marker sketchbook), but I hated the tight binding that made it nearly impossible to open the pages up all the way (more infuriating because it was advertised as a "lay flat" design and it didn't even open flat under pressure). 😡Would not recommend. Would not buy again. | ||||
---sketchbooks in progress--- | ||||
| #12: Talens Art Creations | hard bound, 80 sheets | 12x12 cm (4.7x4.7 in) | 90 lb (140 gsm) | 2021 May to ...? |
| This opens up nice and flat so if you want to draw across the fold, you can do a 4-1/2 in x 9 in drawing. I love this sketchbook. The only reason it isn't completely full is that because of the size, I consider this my "travel" sketchbook and I try to save it for when I'm away from home. 😊My favorite sketchbook so far. I've already bought another one in a slightly larger size, but I would definitely get another small one like this to always have a travel sketchbook on hand. | ||||
| #13: Strathmore (Colored Pencil) | spiral (top), 30 sheets | 6x8 in | 100 lb (163 gsm) | 2022 September to ...? |
| (Identical to sketchbook #2) I'm not sure why I haven't done more with this (only a few pages filled in so far despite starting it in September of 2022). 😐I haven't decided what I think of this and keep putting off giving it a proper chance. | ||||
| #14: Crescent Rendr | soft cover | 8x11 in. | 110 lb (180 gsm) | 2022 September to ...? |
| Has the nifty paper that works so well with markers (no bleed through at all), but I hate the floppy soft cover. Bummed the hardcover appears to be off the market. 🙁Would not buy again. | ||||
| #15: Mondo Llama | hardbound, 108 sheets | 8.5x11 in | unknown paper type | 2023 June to ...? |
 | I don't see the weight listed anywhere, but it feels similar to the 65-lb one from Blick though overall it's slightly thicker for the same page count so maybe it's a slightly higher weight or perhaps it's just a difference in the binding. Anyway, 108 pages. This is gonna take a while to fill up. UPDATE: less than halfway through this book, the binding started to tear apart and the cover is warping. 🙁Would not buy again. | |||
---sketchbooks that I haven't started yet --- | ||||
| #?: Insight | hardbound, 66 sheets | 6x8 in | unknown paper type | not started |
 | No paper-type info on the label and even the company website doesn't list anything. Not that weight is honestly that helpful.I'd rather have an indicator of how rough or smooth the paper is. (And, yes, I bought this for no other reason than it's cute. | |||
| #?: Talens Art Creations | hardbound, 80 sheets | 5.1x8.3 in | 90 lb (140 gsm) | not started |
 | Really looking forward to this one (same brand as my favorite little travel sketchbook), but I've promised myself I need to finish up a few more "in process" books before I start this one. | |||
| #?: Crescent Rendr | hardbound, 48 sheets | 8.5x11 in | 110 lb (180 gsm) | not started |
 | This looks promising (and is also the style that has been discontinued so if I like it, I'll be annoyed). | |||
| #?: Hahnemühle | hardbound, 80 sheets | 14x21 cm (5.5x8 in) | 55 lb (120 gsm) | not started |
 | "The Cappuccino Book", I've been meaning to try another sketchbook with toned paper and the name of this one struck my fancy as well. | |||
| #?: artPOP | hardbound, 108 sheets | 8.5x11 in | 65 lb (100 gsm) | not started |
 | I bought a two-pack of these, so I hope I don't hate them. Got them because they were really cheap. (I need to see if I can find a lb-to-gsm convertor because some of these numbers don't make sense and I have no idea which are correct. Any time I've listed both lb and gsm, I'm just taking info from the label/manufacturer, but the last two that I've entered, one said 55-lb = 120-gsm and this one says 65-lb = 100-gsm. | |||
| #?: Ranger Dylusions | hardbound, 48 sheets | 5x8 in | cardstock | not started |
 | This is supposed to work well with wet media so I might dig out my bottles of ink when I get around to this one. | |||
| #?: Zhai Zhai | hardbound, 20 sheets | 5x5 in | watercolor | not started |
 | This was a bit of a mystery purchase. Advertised as a "watercolor" sketchbook with no specific paper-type listed. | |||
| #?: Etched | hardbound, 96 sheets | A5 | stone paper | not started |
 | The Zoe Hong one is pre-filled with fashion figures for you to draw outfits/characters on top of. The other is blank. I'll separate these out into their own entries eventually. | |||
| #?: Canson | hardbound, 72 pages | 5.5x8.5 in | 200 g/m^2, 123 lb | not started |
 | Listed as "Mixed Media" but what made my buy it (despite already owning so many blank sketchbooks) is that the pages open flat. Looking forward to trying this one out. | |||
