🎨 SKETCHBOOKS
​1. Paper Types

• Drawing Paper
  • Medium weight (usually ~70–100 lb or 110–150 gsm)
  • Slight tooth (texture)
  • Good for dry media: graphite, charcoal, colored pencil
• Sketch Paper
  • Lightweight (~50–70 lb or 74–104 gsm)
  • Smoother, less durable
  • Best for quick studies, ideas, dry media only
• Mixed Media Paper
  • Heavier (~90–120 lb or 160–250 gsm)
  • Designed for both dry and light wet media (ink, watercolor, markers)
• Watercolor Paper
  • Heavyweight (140 lb / 300 gsm or more)
  • Cold press: textured; Hot press: smooth
  • Absorbs water-based media without warping
• Bristol Board
  • Very smooth and thick (~100–400 lb / 270–520 gsm)
  • Great for ink, markers, and clean illustrations

Binding Types

• Spiral Bound
  • Lays flat
  • Easy page removal
  • Great for fieldwork or portability
• Hardcover / Case Bound
  • Durable
  • Professional look
  • Pages may not lay completely flat
• Saddle-Stitched / Stapled
  • Lightweight
  • Good for short-term use
  • Not as durable
• Glue Bound / Pad
  • Easy to tear out pages
  • Often used for watercolor or marker pads

​Sizes

• Pocket (A6 or 4”x6”) – Good for quick sketches
  
• A5 / 5”x8” – Portable and common for everyday sketching
  
• A4 / 8.5”x11” – Standard and versatile
  
• A3 / 11”x17” and up – Large format for expressive work or detailed drawings
  

Surfaces / Finishes

• Tooth – Roughness of the paper; more tooth grips dry media better
  
• Smooth – Good for ink, markers, and fine detail work
  
• Grain – Some sketchbooks have visible grain direction that affects how media sits on paper
  

🎨 COLORING KITSThese include tools for adding color to your sketches or finished pieces. Here's a breakdown of the types and what to expect.

Colored Pencils

• Wax-Based
  • Smooth and blendable
  • May bloom over time (white film)
• Oil-Based
  • Harder core
  • Sharper lines, better for detailed work
• Watercolor Pencils
  • Use dry, then add water for watercolor effect

Use for: Sketching, layering, shading, coloring books, and fine details


​Markers

• Alcohol-Based
  
  • Blend well, vibrant
    
  • Bleeds through most papers
    
  • Needs marker-specific or bleed-proof paper
    
• Water-Based
  
  • More affordable and less bleed
    
  • Can pill or warp paper if overused
    

Use for: Graphic design, illustration, rendering

Crayons / Wax Pastels

• Soft and creamy, great for expressive work
• Not suitable for fine detail
• May need fixative spray to prevent smudging

​Oil Pastels

• Bold colors, creamy texture
• Smudge easily
• Can be layered and blended, often with fingers or blending stumps

​Chalk Pastels / Soft Pastels

• Powdery and rich in pigment
• Need textured paper (like pastel paper)
• Require fixative spray

​Watercolors (Pans or Tubes)

• Pans: Dry and portable
  
• Tubes: Creamy, rich pigments
  
• Use with watercolor paper only
  

Extras needed: Brush, water container, palette

Gouache

• Opaque watercolor
• Matte finish
• Good for flat illustrations or layered painting

Ink & Brush Pens

• India ink, pigment ink, or dye-based
• Brush pens give a flexible, painterly effect
• Good for calligraphy, comic art, and expressive line work

✏️ Accessories to Consider

• Erasers: Kneaded (for soft lifting), vinyl/plastic (for precision)
• Sharpeners: Manual or electric
• Fixatives: Prevent smudging for pastels, charcoal, pencil
• Blending Stumps/Tortillons: For smooth shading
• Masking Tape: To secure paper or create clean edges

📚 Tips for Choosing

• Beginners: Start with a mixed media sketchbook and basic colored pencils or water-based markers
• Travel Artists: Choose small, hardcover or spiral-bound sketchbooks and portable coloring tools (watercolor pans, brush pens)
• Digital Artists (crossover): Scan or digitize sketches for digital coloring; some sketchbooks have scanning-friendly paper tones
• Young Kids: Thick paper, chunky crayons or washable markers, non-toxic materials
• Serious Practice: Get the right paper for the medium — for example, watercolor paper for painting, bristol for markers