Drawing every day only works if the paper is cheap enough not to matter and good enough not to annoy you. At 140gsm this sits in the middle: a fineliner won't ghost into the next page the way it does in a school notebook, an eraser can go over the same spot twice, and a light wash takes without tearing the surface. A4 is the size that fits a scanner, a folder and a printer, for when a drawing needs to leave the book.
— The Ghalyh team · How we pick
Good for
Daily sketching and figure practice · pencil, pen and light ink washes · portfolio pages for art class or an application
Not for
Real watercolour work — the page buckles under a wet wash, and proper watercolour paper is much heavier for that reason. Alcohol markers will also show through to the back of the sheet, so keep those on marker paper.
Specifications
- Paper
- 140gsm, A4
- Suits
- Pencil, pen, ink and light washes
- Bleed
- Alcohol marker will show on the back of the sheet
Questions people ask
Can I use watercolour in it?
A light wash, yes — damp brush rather than a flooded page, and work on one side of the sheet. Anything genuinely wet needs watercolour paper; this is a sketchbook that tolerates paint, not a watercolour pad.
Is it thick enough for markers?
For water-based markers and brush pens, yes, though strong colour may show faintly on the back. For alcohol markers, no — put a scrap sheet under the page and expect it to go through.