This is not really a notebook that would be comfortable to carry around (it’s about 1.5 inches thick) but it’s great for individual sheets or to be divided up into multiple pads. Made in Italy, it has a paper cover designed to fold back, a stiff cardboard back, and glued pages at the top that can be peeled off individually or in chunks. It is a 150-sheet pad of 108lb acid-free paper. The Fabriano Mixed Media Fat Pad truly delivers on its name. These pads do come at a premium price but I believe that Bee Paper delivers a lot of value for that price in a handsome-looking sketchbook. The 9”x12” 60 sheet pad typically retails around $16.50 or $0.28 per sheet. Bee Paper offers these pads in a variety of shapes and you also can buy the paper as loose sheets. The extra-thick cover protects the pad and makes it resilient for carrying around. They’re one of my favorite pads to carry around and to give as gifts, but I do wish the paper handled watercolor a bit better. These pads are available in a variety of sizes and they do feel like a real upgrade pick. In testing, the paper did buckle a bit with watercolor, but it stayed flat with ink. The paper has an even tooth, which really brings out pencils, charcoal, and other dry media. It features a stiff, maroon-colored, “leatherette” water-resistant cover and cardboard back, wire binding with perforated paper, and 93lb acid-free paper. The Bee Paper Aquabee Super Deluxe Mixed Media Sketchbook is a high-quality pad made in the USA in Beaverton, Oregon. TOP PICK: Strathmore 300 Series Mixed Media Ultimately, what I was looking for was the best all around pad that could be carried around, thrown in a bag, and would produce great results. The good news is that all the pads were fine and I’d definitely recommend choosing any of these over a drawing pad with thinner paper. The pads were compared on how they handled different media including watercolor, overall construction and feel, and price, which ranged from $0.11 per sheet to around $0.50 per sheet. Testing included a variety of media during a two-month period and my top picks are posted below followed by an overview of each pad. To find the best option, nine mixed media sketchbooks and pads were evaluated. They will also work ok for the occasional watercolor, but none of these is a true watercolor pad. They are ideal for drawings, sketches, note-taking, prepatory paintings, student work, and might just be thick enough to use for final drawings. They have thicker and more versatile paper that can handle wet media such as ink and watercolor, and the thicker paper is just more pleasurable to use. Callihan has also written numerous shopping, gift, and activity guides for sites like AAA Northeast magazine, CNET, Oh My Veggies and more.Mixed media pads are a real upgrade from a regular drawing pad, and they don’t cost too much more. This roundup was created by KJ Callihan, a writer for The Spruce. While hardbound sketchbooks are sturdier and more protective, soft sketchbook covers are lightweight and travel more easily.

'Choosing standard frame-sized paper allows the artwork to be displayed in a more economic and accessible frame,' she says.Ĭhoose from spiral-bound sketchbooks that allow the artist to lay them perfectly flat while working, and perfect bound options where your sketchbook resembles a typical reading book. Ita-Diaz advises to keep in mind the standard framing sizes when choosing the paper, plus where the artwork will be placed on the paper.

'My favorite is the cold press finish because it shows off the natural texture of the fibers and creates a page that feels like velvet.”įor oil painting, the paper must be properly prepared, meaning it needs to either be coated with gesso, or primed (aka sealed) to prevent oil from being absorbed into the paper. 'A cold press is a rougher, textured type finish while a hot press is a smoother finish,' Rawan Ita-Diaz, fine artist and co-founder of The Art Spread, explains. What to Look for in Sketchbooks for Painting Paper Finishįor mediums like watercolor and acrylic, there are two major options of press finish.

If you’re seeking a more economical option, the Strathmore 300 Series Media Pad is remarkably affordable and accessible, comes available in three sizes, and offers paper suitable for a mixture of both wet and dry media. Our top overall pick is the Canson XL Mixed Media Paper Pad, a true mixed media paper that works with both acrylics and watercolor as well as a range of other media, both dry and wet.

Mixed media sketchbook