These look like journals. They are designed to travel in a bag.

1. Moleskine Art Sketchbook

• The Vibe: It’s the "Hemingway" book. Iconic black cover, elastic band.

• The Reality: The paper is surprisingly thin (~165 gsm) and very smooth.

• Best For: Pen and ink, pencils.

• Fatal Flaw: It hates water. If you try to paint in a standard Moleskine, the paper will buckle and warp instantly.

• Verdict: Buy it for writing and doodling, not for painting.

2. Leuchtturm1917 

• The Difference: Often confused with Moleskine, but generally superior paper quality. Their "120g Edition" is famous among fountain pen users because ink doesn't bleed through.

• Verdict: A better writing notebook, but still not a true art book for wet media.

This is the sweet spot for most artists. These books can handle ink, markers, and light watercolors without falling apart.

1. Stillman & Birn 

This brand uses a Greek alphabet system that confuses everyone. Here's the cheat sheet:

• Alpha (White) / Gamma (Ivory): Medium weight (150 gsm). Good for ink and light wash.

• Beta (White) / Delta (Ivory): The best seller. Extra heavy (270 gsm). It feels like cardstock. You can paint heavily on both sides of the page.

• Zeta (White): Extra heavy but smooth. Perfect for markers and fine-liners because there is no texture to wreck your nibs.

• Verdict: Buy the Beta Series softcover. It is the best all-around sketchbook on the market today.

2. Strathmore 500 Series "Visual Journal"

• The Look: Ugly brown cover (but you can tear it off to reveal a plain cover).

• The Secret: It uses 100% cotton paper.

• Why it matters: Cotton handles water beautifully. It allows for lifting (scrubbing out mistakes) and smooth blends. Most other sketchbooks use wood pulp, which pills up when wet.

• Verdict: The ugly duckling that performs like a swan.

If you are scared to ruin a nice book, buy cheaper paper. It frees your mind.

1. Canson XL Mixed Media (The Blue Pad)

• The Deal: You get huge wire-bound pads for cheap.

• The Paper: It is heavily textured (bumpy).

• The Flaw: It is technically "mixed media," but it pills easily. If you scrub it with a wet brush, the paper dissolves into little mush-balls.

• Verdict: Great for students and dry media. Avoid for serious watercolor.

2. Illo Sketchbook

• The Vibe: A cult favorite among Instagram illustrators (the 8x8" square format).

• The Paper: Incredible smoothness.

• Best For: Alcohol markers (such as Ohuhu/Copic). The paper is sized specifically to prevent markers from bleeding through to the next sheet (though you will still see it on the back of the current page).

Etchr Lab Sketchbooks

• The Selling Point: These are made by artists, for artists.

• The Specs: 100% Cotton, 300 gsm paper.

• The Reality: This is literally a block of high-end watercolor paper bound into a book. It is expensive, but it allows you to paint professional masterpieces in a book format.

• Verdict: Only buy this if you are exclusively a painter. It is too textured for pencil drawing.

The "Just Starting" Pick:

Buy a Stillman & Birn Alpha (Softcover). It isn't too expensive, it lies flat, and the paper is friendly to almost any tool you pick up.

The "I Want to Paint" Pick:

Buy the Strathmore Visual Journal (Mixed Media / Vellum). It is the cheapest way to get 100% cotton paper.

The Marker Pick:

Buy the Illo Sketchbook or Ohuhu's own Marker Pad. Smooth paper saves your marker nibs from fraying.

Pro Tip:

Avoid hardbound books if you like to scan your art. They have a "gutter" in the middle that makes scanning impossible. Choose softcover or wire-bound if you plan to digitize your work.