Your first sketchbook: paper, size and a 10-minute daily habit

A sketchbook is a practice space, not a gallery. The goal is to fill it — and the right one makes that easier.

Paper weight matters

Drawing paper around 100 GSM is thicker than printer paper. It handles pencil shading, erasing and fine-liner pens without tearing or showing through badly. If you love markers or heavy ink, test them on the last page first.

A4 or A5?

• A5 is portable — carry it everywhere and sketch people, buildings and objects on the go.
• A4 gives room for larger studies, detailed pieces and multiple drawings on one page.

White or off-white pages?

Off-white paper has a warm tone that is easy on the eyes and makes pencil drawings look soft and finished. Bright white gives more contrast for ink and colour.

A 10-minute daily routine

1. 2 minutes — warm up: fill a box with straight lines, circles and spirals.
2. 5 minutes — draw one object: a cup, a shoe, your hand. Look at it more than the paper.
3. 3 minutes — shade it: practise light, medium and dark tones.

For students and professionals

Art students often keep one sketchbook for class and another for personal practice. Professionals use small sketch pads for quick concepts before working digitally.