10 Best Sketchbooks UK 2024 | Moleskine, Strathmore and more

Frequent practice is the name of the game, and if you're a beginner, this sketchbook may be the one for you. It's slightly smaller than A4 size, meaning it'll fit in most bags and satchels, and can lie perfectly flat on any hard surface.

When you're working on your portfolio, it helps to always have a sketchbook on hand. This one even features micro-perforations, making the pages incredibly easy to remove. Although it's not designed for use with wet media, it's still an excellent choice for pencils and graphite.

Any artist worth their salt knows the 400 series, and that's because Strathmore makes its pages with care. They pay attention to colour, weight and texture, resulting in one of the best sketchbooks currently available.

Its smooth surface and fine tooth are great for pencils, pastels and graphite, and you can lay this pad completely flat as you use it due to the spiral binding. If you're willing to invest, this is a top recommendation!

Do you find yourself frequently torn between painting and sketching? If so, this mixed media pad may be for you. Its thick paper is robust enough to carry wet media like acrylic paint or ink, whilst being smooth enough for dry media like charcoal and pencil.

It's also spiral-bound, meaning it can lay completely flat as you sketch. We like that it includes 100 double-sided pages - give it a few months, and you'll have an exciting portfolio of paintings and sketches.

You're likely already familiar with the Moleskine brand if you're a writer. As well as notepads, they also make great sketchbooks for artists, and this one features a total of 100 smooth, ivory-coloured pages perfect for dry media.

That's 200 sides - enough to keep you going for quite a while, whether you sketch at home or on the go, and Moleskine even offers a variety of sizes to suit all needs. All of that comes for a reasonable price, making this an essential purchase.

Strathmore's Toned Tan sketchbook provides artists with a smooth, tan-coloured sketching canvas. Not only does this gives your pieces a warm background, but it's also perfect for learning to use values - especially different shades of light and dark.

It's also sturdy enough to withstand any dry media, including coloured pencils and graphite. You'll pay a little bit more compared to standard white or ivory paper, but this pad is ideal for perfecting your craft.

If you frequently find yourself running out of room while sketching, this is the pad for you! Each page measures 18 x 24 inches - that's three square feet of drawing space!

The hardcover provides excellent support as you draw, particularly in combination with the wire binding, which allows you to lay the pad completely flat. It also makes it easy to remove your finished masterpiece. We highly recommend this one for sketching landscapes  and large pieces.

Canson's XL Marker pad stands out in a world dominated by sketchbooks designed for use with pencils and graphite. It's filled with coated pages perfect for use with alcohol-based markers, brush pens and all types of felt tips.

The pages won't allow ink to bleed through, but they are translucent, meaning you won't be able to use both sides. They are, however, suitable for tracing. Better still, the paper is extra smooth, so your markers won't snag.

Everything about this sketchbook makes it perfect for art students. It features 80 pages (that's 160 sides) of A4-sized paper and a hardcover that will withstand the knocks and scrapes of an academic year.

It's wire-bound, which means you can lay it flat as you sketch and each page is perforated. So once you've finished your piece, you can easily remove it and add it to your portfolio. You may also like to know that Pentalic has sourced its paper from certified sustainable forests.

This 'very big' sketchbook more than lives up to its name. Three hundred pages means six hundred sides for sketching. That's plenty of space for trying new techniques and tracking your progression, making this an excellent sketchbook for beginners and intermediate artists alike. 

The pages themselves are reasonably sized at 12.5 x 10.75 inches, which is somewhere between A3 and A4. It's sturdy enough to support various media, including fountain pens and graphite. Just bear in mind that it won't be suitable for watercolour paints.

It's the design of Sennelier's USKbook that sets it apart from its competitors. It may look like an ordinary sketchbook, but inside are concertina pages that unfold, like an accordion, to reveal eight small panels.

All in all, that provides a drawing space of 48 x 32 inches, making this an excellent option for those who want a more portable option for sketching landscapes. Just make sure you're okay with having fold lines on your finished product!