From smooth sheets to textured surfaces, the paper you use shapes every mark you make. Discover how to pick the best paper for your drawing style

When you’re starting your drawing journey, it's easy to focus just on pencils, but the paper you draw on is just as important. The right paper can bring your sketches to life, while the wrong one can leave even your best ideas looking flat or fuzzy. Here’s everything you need to know to choose your perfect drawing surface.

Think of paper like a playing field: it sets the rules for how your pencils behave. Different textures, weights and finishes can change how easy it is to blend, shade, erase and layer. Too smooth, and your pencil might slide around without grip. Too rough, and you might struggle to make delicate details.

Understanding the basics

When you pick up a sketchbook or pad, there are three main things to look at:

Paper weight (GSM)

GSM stands for ‘grams per square metre’, it's a measure of how heavy and thick the paper is.

• 80-100gsm – Light paper (typical printer paper); fine for notes but flimsy for drawing
• 120-150gsm – Medium-weight; great for everyday sketching
• 180-250gsm – Heavy paper; good for detailed work, ink, or adding light washes of water

Beginners top tip: For beginners, a paper around 120 to 150gsm strikes a nice balance – not too thin; not too expensive.

Surface texture (tooth)

Artists refer to ‘tooth’ – it’s the feel of the surface:

• Smooth (hot pressed) – Fine texture; best for detailed, precise work like portraits or pen-and-ink
• Medium (cold pressed / NOT) – Light texture; perfect for general sketching and shading
• Rough – Heavy texture; lovely for expressive, bold drawings, charcoal or soft pencil shading

Beginner’s top tip: Rule of thumb: If you love clean lines, go smoother. If you love moody shading, a bit of texture (tooth) helps.

Colour

Most drawing papers are white or offwhite. Some are warm-toned (ivory or cream), which can give your work a softer, vintage feel. You can also buy toned paper (grey, tan and so on). Brilliant for working with both dark and white pencils to add highlights and shadows easily.

Sketchbooks

Sketchbooks and drawing pads come in lots of different formats. Spiral-bound, glued pads, hardbacks, and each one can change how (and where) you enjoy your sketching.

Spiral-bound sketchbooks

Artway MRKZ premium spiral bound 240gsm sketchbook

The pages are held together with a metal (sometimes plastic) spiral along one edge. Spiral pads often feel more casual and ‘no-pressure’ compared to beautiful, expensive hardbacks. That’s great for beginners, it encourages freer, relaxed, and experimental drawing.

Advantages:

• Lies completely flat when open
• You can flip the cover right around to work on one side easily
• Easy to tear pages
• Available everywhere

Watch out for:

• The spiral can become bent if you carry it around a lot
• Not always as neat or ‘smart’ looking for presentation
• Some left-handed artists find the spiral gets in the way

Perfect for: Everyday sketching, outdoor drawing, and beginners who want flexibility

Glued or gummed pads

Bockingford glued pads

Glued or gummed pads have the pages glued together at the top (or side). You peel off each sheet after you’re done, like a giant notepad.

Advantages:

• Clean, easy sheet removal
• No binding to get in the way
• Ideal for single piece work
• Lightweight and portable
• Brilliant for mixed media

Watch out for:

• No binding means you can't treat it like a ‘book’, theres no sketchbook feel
• No security: pages can loosen or fall out if you’re rough with it

You can only draw on one side easily (the back sheet is loose once detached).

Hardback sketchbooks

Seawhite black cloth case bound sketchbook 140gsm, A3 portrait

Just like a traditional book, there’s something special about a hardback sketchbook. For many artists, this type of surface becomes a creative home.

Advantages:

• Looks professional and great for keeping a journal of your progress
• Built to last
• A beautiful hardback sketchbook inspires commitment
• Perfect for travel journals and projects

Watch out for:

• Can be heavier and bulkier than pads or spirals
• Not as easy to remove a single sheet cleanly without cutting it out
• Some cheaper versions don’t open flat, making edge-to-edge drawing tricky

Perfect for: Art journals, personal sketchbooks and projects you want to keep together

If you're new to drawing, don't stop here! Explore our other beginner-friendly guides to learn all you need to progress and develop your drawing skills.

Softcover sketchbooks

Daler-Rowney simply pocket sketchbook softcover

Think of these like hardback sketchbooks’ lighter cousins – flexible covers, often stitched or glued. Softcover sketchbooks, with their flexible, lightweight covers, might seem simple, but they offer a freedom many artists adore.

Advantages:

• Light and easy to carry
• Affordable and accessible
• Encourages loose, expressive drawing because they feel more casual than a heavy hardback
• Good-quality softcovers are surprisingly tough!
• Available in beautiful designs

Watch out for:

• Less protection for your artwork – easy to bend or damage
• Might not last forever if you’re rough with it

Perfect for: Quick studies, travel sketchbooks and beginners on a budget

Concertina (accordion) sketchbooks

Hahnemuhle, the Zig Zag book, fanfold 300gsm, 18 pages, 5x5cm

A fun alternative - these books have one long, folded sheet of paper – open it out for a continuous drawing. Concertina or accordion sketchbooks may seem unusual, but they’re a firm favourite for many artists.

Advantages:

• The paper folds out in one continuous sheet
• You can create a series of connected sketches or a panoramic drawing
• Perfect for storytelling!
• Less about single, isolated sketches and more about how everything connects
• Some artists love displaying their concertina sketchbooks at exhibitions
• Easy to pack and store

Watch out for:

• Less practical for everyday sketching
• Can be awkward to manage if you just want a quick, single sketch

Perfect for: Special projects, storytelling art, creative exploration

Choosing your first sketchbook isn’t just a practical decision, it’s part of building a creative habit. Think about where and how you like to draw, and pick a sketchbook that fits your life, not just your desk. At the end of the day, your sketchbook is your private creative playground.

Sketching paper versus cartridge paper

Sketching paper

• Lightweight, inexpensive
• Perfect for rough sketches and daily practice
• Can feel slightly rougher, but wears out quicker

Cartridge paper

• Heavier and sturdier
• Developed for ink and printing originally
• Brilliant for finished pencil drawings, ink work, and light painting

Beginners top tip: If you want your work to last, reach for cartridge paper!

Recommended surfaces for beginners

Sketching paper Good for everyday practice, quick doodles

Cartridge paper Good for general drawing, pencil, charcoal, ink

Bristol board Good for highly detailed work, pen-and-ink

Toned paper Good for adding highlights with white pencils

Mixed-media paper Good for sketching and occasional light watercolour or ink

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