The 6 Best Sketchbook Watercolors (2023 reviews)

Artnfly has been making great book for years, thanks to a combination of clever design and high-end materials. Whether you’re searching for drawing paper for kids or sketch pads for drawing for adults, this watercolor journal makes the perfect gift. The specially-formulated sketchbook with art paper preserves your watercolor paint, so you can revisit your paintings for years to come. It is a thick enough paper (140lbs) that the water doesn't warp it too much (when the edges are taped down) unless you really saturate the paper with water, but it warps if you don't tape down the edges.

The back is much smoother. It is an artist favorite because it is slightly textured (has tooth) making it perfect for large areas of wash (even repeated washes) as well as fine details. The paper is glued together at the top, and you can easily tear off a sheet when you wish to paint on it. It is a good weight and you can float water color paint easily.

Why We Like This:

Fun to get a flow going with paint
Excellent watercolor pads for beginners, or just for fun
Good sturdy paper that stands up to water
Better at allowing lifting paint than layering

Best For daily practice: tumuarta Sketchbook Watercolor

Buy on Amazon

The tumuarta sketchbook watercolor should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. As a beginner watercolorist, you will love this for travel. It is ideal for watercolors, acrylics, ink pen, colored pencils, markers, oil pastels and more, it will tolerate light washes without bleeding and holds up to erasing. It's small enough to tuck into a purse or briefcase. It is used to use watercolor paper. It is perfect for art lovers and artists anywhere, recording your thoughts and ideas on the go.

The size is just right for a very small pack and travel color kit for sketching on the go. It is easy to carry along.

Why We Like This:

A great going-away present for someone special
Capable of washes, erasing, good weight for mixed media and, no ghosting
Perfect size for small sketch or just doing swatches to compare colors

Best For Heavy layered work: Artnfly sketch Pad

Buy on Amazon

If you often find yourself scrambling for convenient and suitable book, artnfly sketch pad is your end point. Whether you’re searching for drawing paper for kids or sketch pads for drawing for adults, this watercolor journal makes the perfect gift. It can absorb a lot of water with minimal buckling. The specially-formulated sketchbook with art paper preserves your watercolor paint, so you can revisit your paintings for years to come. The paper doesn't warp easily or pill, either, so that's a huge plus.

The watercolor paper is ideal, not light, and not overly/unnecessarily heavy. It is ideal for all wet on dry and wet on wet watercolor techniques and is a necessary addition to your art supplies. This is a great art tablet for those who like to paint and color with different mediums.

Why We Like This:

Easy to use paint easy to apply paint great for art and craft
Good quality product for watercolour painting
Super sturdy and heavyweight watercolor paper

Best For children: Paul Rubens Sketchbook Watercolor

Buy on Amazon

The paul rubens sketchbook watercolor is capable of outshining several other book featured in this list in overall features for the price point. Adopted 100% cotton, this journal is acid-free and can keep your memories alive long after the trip. It is a bound pad of very nice paper. It is cute, compact and great quality. The inside of the cover is black and rubs off onto the first sheet of paper. It is acid-free and designed to endure.

It’s convenient to take this watercolor journal with you wherever you go. It's not as roughly textured as some cold pressed 100% cotton watercolor paper, but still enough to enjoy.

Why We Like This:

Great for travel but a little to small to do much
Good for watercolor pencil and pen and ink
A nice size, the sweet smell of leather, and a good quality paper

Best For urban sketching: Paul Rubens lb Watercolor notebook

Buy on Amazon

Paul Rubens makes beautiful and great book with classic and smartly choosen materials. The quality of watercolor paper is really important for beginners. It holds up very well for urban sketching. Each sheet of this watercolor paper features a double sided texture, so it offers you up to 40 pages to use. It's 140 lb (300 gsm), so it's thick enough that it doesn't significantly buckle when used for watercolor. It does have a slight texture which is noticeable when using watercolor pencils. It is actually quite nice to paint on it since some of the cons of the hot press and the cons of cold press are solved since this is in-between the textures.

It bowed slightly in the center during a heavy wash, but the sheet flattened as it dried and didn't have waves or other distortions.

Why We Like This:

Nice paper for light watercolor washes
Colors are vibrant and handles anything you toss at it
Bleed-through if you want to do art on both sides

Best For mediums: Liphontcta Sketchbook Watercolor

Buy on Amazon

Best part: liphontcta sketchbook watercolor costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. The Linden Art watercolor journal is a high quality book for all your art, from painting to sketching to drawing and mixed media. It takes paint and water well without bleeding or pilling. The stitched binding allows the book to lay flat easier and the hard pu leather cover provides support when painting or drawing. It has beautiful texture on both sides, a great buy.

The paper holds water very well. The cold pressed pages are acid free so your art will last. It's not too small and the paper is decent. It's a great purchase, provided you use media that is in wet paint form when applied.

Why We Like This:

Consists of 32 double sided sheets for a total of 64 pages to use
High quality cold press paper and leather cover, best size for traveling
Made well, and watercolor works well on the paper