Are you the type of artist who enjoys experimenting?

Have you ever dreamed of trying out new materials and techniques? Or do you just love jumping from one material to another depending on your mood?

I know I do. 

At some point, I even dedicated one sketchbook to one media. The result was a bunch of unfinished sketchbooks that just lay around for a while.

Until…

I learned about mixed media sketchbook – an ultimate journal that can handle most of the materials! Those are indeed awesome. And, most importantly, you can finish them!

What is a mixed media paper?

Mixed media paper is made in a specific way to be toothy enough for dry media, yet thick and durable enough to survive wet media as well. It wouldn’t inconveniently crinkle after you use watercolors or glue on it, and it can endure erasing and blending.

Sounds great, right? All materials, sketches, and drawings in one sketchbook. Maybe even collages. Which can be especially cool if you love art journaling.

Now, what sketchbooks are good for you and will do you a good job? We have a few in mind to recommend for you.

10 Best Mixed Media Sketchbooks For Artists

Canson XL Series Mix Media Paper Pad

This amazing high-quality sketchbook has very convenient spiral binding and micro-perforated true size sheets. It means that the binding didn’t take away any paper size, and you’ll have your complete drawings on the exactly necessary size.

Its acid-free heavyweight 160 gsm paper is unbelievably sturdy and will survive literally every material, from inks and soft pencils to acrylic paints, and they can be used simultaneously in different techniques. It also allows easy erasing and blending, without crinkling and deforming.

The sketchbook contains 60 sheets, which should be enough for quite a while even if you use just one side of the sheet.

Strathmore 566-8 500 Series Hardbound Mixed Media Art Journal

Professional quality paper in this sketchbook is perfectly suitable for every kind of media you like. No matter if it’s ink, watercolor, pastel, markers or collage making –  everything would look good and professional inside this art journal.

The paper is heavy, 190 gsm, sturdy, acid-free and lignin free. The binding is very durable and smyth-sewn, but it still allows pages to lay flat for the comfort of your drawing or writing process.

The dark matte hardcover of the journal adds a lot of style to the way it looks, and also protects the pages from being bent, torn or wrinkled if you like to carry this sketchbook with you.

Leda Art Supply The Perfect Premium Medium Sketch Book

Leda Art Supply provides a wonderful premium-quality sketchbook for every artistic need. It’s versatile enough for application of pencils, inks, pastels, and charcoals. 130 gsm paper is sturdy enough to let you erase and blend whatever you want.

The sketchbook contains 160 smooth, cream-colored paper to give extra accent to all your colors. And it just basically looks good. And not only on the inside!

The cover is well-designed, minimalistic, yet very beautiful. It’s flexible, but sturdy, for your convenience, gives extra support in case of the outdoor work and protects your art from wearing off and fading.

Global Art Materials Hand Trav-e-Logue Drawing Book Artist Journal

64 sheets (or 128 pages, however you prefer to use it) of this sketchbook are there to do a very good job for you.

The paper is buff and heavyweight, suitable for every possible media you can imagine. The pages lay flat enough for you to draw on them easily.

Its durable hard cover is designed to protect the paper and your drawings inside of it, to make it very easy and safe to carry around in your bag. It also features an elastic closure for extra convenience and safety. The simple design of the sketchbook looks very stylish.

Canson Artist Series Mix Media Paper Pad

Mixed media paper inside this sketchbook allows you to use basically every media on it, simultaneously, blending and experimenting. Wet or dry – doesn’t matter, go for everything your heart feels like. 30 sheets of 224 gsm paper would endure a lot, if not everything.

This sketchbook has the paper with two different surfaces for different needs: fine and medium texture. This gives you more space and possibilities for expressing yourself without buying different types of paper and storing the drawings separately. Everything erases from this paper cleanly, and it also is smudge resistant.

The sheets are also true-sized and perforated for easy removing. So you’ll end up with beautiful full-size drawings.

Strathmore 462-109 400 Series Mixed Media Pad

Some sketchbooks just aren’t meant for finished art, no matter what mediums they are for, because the paper isn’t sturdy enough. But not this one!

This Strathmore sketch pad features heavyweight acid-free paper that is rugged enough to endure multiple applications of wet and dry media, even if wet and dry is applied at the same time. You may go with any technique you like, and the paper would take it and make it look good.

It has the perfect surface for markers, paints (including watercolors), pencils, pastels, pens and inks, glue – anything. The pad is glue bound so the paper can be easily flipped over. Plus, it tears out cleanly without any issues.

Stillman & Birn Beta Softcover Sketchbook

This 52-page premium sketchbook is elegantly designed, its soft cover making it easy to carry around. It’s rugged enough to protect the insides of the sketchbook and has sewn bindings to keep the sheets together very well.

The paper is 270 gsm, absolutely lignin- and chlorine-free, and also pH neutral. It’s white and has a cold-press surface to give you incredible comfort of working in the sketchbook.

You can use any kind of dry media in it, as well as light ink washes, watercolors and some other types of wet media. It would be perfect for anything you want.

Global Art Materials Travelogue Watercolor Book

This compact, yet very capacious sketchbook has an incredibly stylish hard cover bound in natural linen. It also features an elastic closure to keep it all safe while carrying around anywhere.

It contains 60 sheets of acid-free 200 gsm sheets, that have a soft white color and are specifically made to endure watercolors. Which means, they can be used for lots of other media, including inks.

Despite the strong binding, the sketchbook will have no issues with lying flat. And it has a clear envelope inside the back cover to keep some important pieces, notes, stickers or collage materials at easy access.

Strathmore 500 Series Visual Mixed Media Journal

An amazingly convenient sketchbook with spiral binding and hard cover will let you draw with any material anywhere you are. The cover provides hardness under the pages when you are working, and also protects the paper inside of it.

It has 34 sheets, or 68 pages, of nice, sturdy, heavyweight 190 gsm sheets of paper with a vellum finish. This paper is also acid-free and perfectly suitable for various kinds of media. Watercolor, inks, graphite, charcoal, markers, and glue – anything would look nice on it.

The binding and the size of the spiral allows the pages to lay flat as you work on them.

ARTEZA 5.5×8.5” Watercolor Pad, Pack of 3

The package of three 30-sheets sketchbooks would give you 90 sheets of thick 300 gsm watercolor paper to draw and experiment on.

The paper is premium-quality, with the nice texture that is neither too smooth nor too rough and allows you to easily use not only wet media but also dry ones. Your drawings will not bleed, fade over time, and you’ll be able to enjoy the rich and vibrant colors of your art pieces because this paper is absolutely acid-free.

All of these sketchbooks have super convenient spiral binding and the pages are perforated for easy and clean removal.

As you can see, having a mixed media sketchbook for your artistic needs is extremely convenient.

But what to do if you’re just getting started and have no idea what cool features are there at all?

We can lend you a helping hand as well. In our opinion, Canson XL Series Mix Media Paper Pad would be the best option for beginners for several reasons.

• The paper is not too thick, so there are plenty of sheets under one cover.
• It has a very convenient binding and a hard cover that is perfect for outdoor working or sketching in random places.
• The sheets are true sized and micro-perforated, sturdy enough to survive lots of erasing.
• And, of course, the outstanding quality of this sketchbook is what makes it the best option.

Mixed media sketchbooks are great not only for beginners but also for professional artists of different genres. They are convenient, durable, easy to use and can survive even rough handling, like being tossed in your bag and carried around for months.

So now that you know something about them, maybe you are inspired to buy yourself one and make some art. Mixed media sketchbooks can also be great gifts, so don’t hesitate about that.

And, as always, enjoy the process of creating!

Hanna is an artist, poet and musician who lives in Minsk, Belarus. She loves food, cats, gigs and esoteric stuff.

Author: Hanna Martsynkevich

Artist and Writer