Sketchbooks
Papers built to handle wet media
As your pens move beyond writing into sketching and painting, the paper starts to matter just as much as the tool itself. Wet media needs a surface that can handle more liquid without feathering, warping or breaking down.
Strength comes from paper weight, surface sizing and fibre type. For fountain pens and ink, we generally recommend 150–200gsm paper. For watercolour, 250gsm+ gives better durability and control.
Choose cold press paper to emphasise texture and pigment movement, or smooth hot press paper for detailed work and fine line pens. Spiral bindings are practical for travel and quick studies, while stitched bindings are better for double page spreads.
Popular choices for fountain pen sketching include Stillman & Birn Alpha softcovers and Global Hand-Book. Watercolour sketchbooks with cotton paper take longer to dry, providing more time to adjust your work.
For a deeper comparison of surfaces, sizing and texture, explore our blog guide to sketchbooks and wet media papers.
Filters
- FABRIANO Accademia (1)
- FABRIANO Studio (1)
- HAND-BOOK Travelogue (14)
- STILLMAN Alpha (12)
- STILLMAN Beta (12)
- STILLMAN Epsilon (8)
- STILLMAN Gamma (2)
- STILLMAN Zeta (9)
- CLAIREFONTAINE Fontaine (0)
- DALER Ebony (0)
- FABRIANO Venezia (0)
- HAHNE Akademie (0)
- HAHNE Nostalgie (0)
- HAHNE Sketch & Note (0)
- HAHNE Watercolour Book (0)
- HAHNE ZigZag (0)
- LEUCHTTURM1917 Sketchbook (0)
- MIDORI MD Sketchbook (0)
- MOLESKINE Art (0)
- RHODIA Touch (0)
- SEAWHITE All-Media (0)
- SEAWHITE Concertina (0)
- SEAWHITE Eco (0)
- SEAWHITE Super Brit (0)
- SEAWHITE Travel Sketchbook (0)
- SEAWHITE Watercolour (0)
- SEAWHITE WC Travel (0)
- STILLMAN Delta (0)
- STILLMAN Nova (0)
- STRATHMORE Series 500 (0)
- TRAVELERS Regular (0)
- TRAVELERS Spiral Ring Notebook (0)
STILLMAN & BIRN Beta Sketchbook - Softcover - A6 Portrait (3.5 x 5.5" /14 x 8.9 cm) - 270gsm
This is the same BETA paper as in the Stillman & Birn BETA hard cover sketchbooks. Stillman and Birn listened to urban sketchers and made this ...
View full detailsSTILLMAN & BIRN Zeta Sketchbook - Softcover - A6 Landscape (5.5 x 3.5" / 14 x 8.9 cm) - 270gsm
This is the same ZETA paper as in the Stillman & Birn Zeta hard cover sketchbooks. Stillman and Birn listened to urban sketchers and made this ...
View full detailsSTILLMAN & BIRN Zeta Sketchbook - Softcover - A6 Portrait (3.5 x 5.5" / 8.9 x 14 cm) - 270gsm
This is the same ZETA paper as in the Stillman & Birn Zeta hard cover sketchbooks. Stillman and Birn listened to urban sketchers and made this ...
View full detailsSTILLMAN & BIRN Epsilon Sketchbook - Softcover - A6 Landscape (5.5 x 3.5" / 14 x 8.9 cm) - 150gsm
This is the same Epsilon paper as in the Stillman & Birn Epsilon hard cover sketchbooks. Stillman and Birn listened to urban sketchers and made...
View full detailsFABRIANO Music Book - 6 Staves Per Page - 80gsm - A5 (17 x 24cm) - 32 Pages
Music journal notebooks for students containing 32 pages printed on 80gsm paper printed with manuscript staves to assist students in learning to wr...
View full detailsHAND-BOOK JOURNAL CO - Travelogue Series - Watercolour Journal (300gsm) - Grand Portrait (10.5 x 8.25" / 27 x 21cm) - Grey Linen
Bound in natural linen, these three new journals offer watercolorists an attractive and practical option for travel painting. Inside are 60 pages o...
View full detailsSTILLMAN & BIRN Epsilon Hard Cover Sketchbook - A4 (8.25 x 11.75") - 150gsm
Only Stillman & Birn offers a sketchbook system that gives artists the choice of paper weight, shade, and surface type best suited to their spe...
View full detailsSTILLMAN & BIRN Beta Sketchbook - Softcover - Square (7.5 x 7.5" / 19 x 19 cm) - 270gsm - 26 Sheets
This is the same Beta paper as in the Stillman & Birn Beta hard cover sketchbooks. Stillman and Birn listened to urban sketchers and made this ...
View full detailsHAND-BOOK JOURNAL CO - Travelogue Series - Watercolour Journal (300gsm) - A5 Portrait (5.5 x 8.25" / 14 x 21cm) - Grey Linen
Bound in natural linen, these three new journals offer watercolorists an attractive and practical option for travel painting. Inside are 60 pages o...
View full detailsSTILLMAN & BIRN Delta Hard Cover Sketchbook - A5 (5.5 x 8.5") - 270gsm
Only Stillman & Birn offers a sketchbook system that gives artists the choice of paper weight, shade, and surface type best suited to their spe...
View full detailsSTILLMAN & BIRN Alpha Hard Cover Sketchbook - Spiral - (6 x 8"/15.2 x 20.3cm) - 150gsm
Only Stillman & Birn offers a sketchbook system that gives artists the choice of paper weight, shade, and surface type best suited to their spe...
View full detailsSTILLMAN & BIRN Zeta Sketchbook - Spiral - Square (7 x 7") - 270gsm
Only Stillman & Birn offers a sketchbook system that gives artists the choice of paper weight, shade, and surface type best suited to their spe...
View full detailsFABRIANO Thread Sewn Watercolour Notebook - Cold Press - 200gsm - 25% Cotton - AA - Landscape - 30 Sheets
This thread sewn landscape, hardcover watercolour book contain 30 sheets of 200gsm, acid-free, 25% cotton, cold press (CP) paper. The paper is FSC ...
View full detailsHAND-BOOK JOURNAL CO - Travelogue Series - Watercolour Journal (300gsm) - Pocket Panorama (9 x 21cm) - Grey Linen
Bound in natural linen, these three new journals offer watercolorists an attractive and practical option for travel painting. Inside are 60 pages o...
View full detailsFABRIANO Classic Artists's Journal - Ingres Paper - 90gsm - A6+ (12 x 16cm) - 192 Sheets
The FABRIANO artist's journal is an elegant travel diary, ideal for capturing emotions or simply for taking notes. The "Classic" version is disting...
View full details