Sketch Pads & Books
- MOULD-MADE, HEAVYWEIGHT SURFACE—Experience superior surface stability with 140 lb. watercolor paper that delivers a magnificent archival properties
- GLUE-BOUND BLOCK PREVENTS WARPING & DRIES FLAT—No need to soak or stretch the sheet, this cold pressed paper will stay flat thanks to the 4-sided binding
- Borden & Riley's heaviest and most versatile drawing paper with excellent erasability
- Recommended for dry media, watercolor, pen & ink, markers, pencil, charcoal and pastels
- COLD PRESS WATERCOLOR PAPER—Made from heavyweight paper (140lb/300gsm) known for its luxurious texturing for stunning washes, gradients & layers without unsightly warping
- 5.5" x 8.5"
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- GENERAL PURPOSE, RECYCLED & HEAVYWEIGHT—Made with 30% post-consumer fiber! Tackle sketch projects like figure drawing, still life, urban landscape, perspective & preliminary character design
- 9" x 12"
- Tackle the full spectrum of watercolor projects using gradients, washes, layering, glazing, fine strokes, wet-on-wet, dry brush, splattering, lifting, scraping and masking fluid
- 9" x 12"
- MOULD-MADE, HEAVYWEIGHT SURFACE—Experience superior surface stability with 140 lb. watercolor paper that delivers a magnificent archival properties
- GLUE-BOUND BLOCK PREVENTS WARPING & DRIES FLAT—No need to soak or stretch the sheet, this cold pressed paper will stay flat thanks to the 4-sided binding
- MOULD-MADE, HEAVYWEIGHT SURFACE—Experience superior surface stability with 140 lb. watercolor paper that delivers a magnificent archival properties
- 5" x 7"
- GENERAL PURPOSE, RECYCLED & HEAVYWEIGHT—Made with 30% post-consumer fiber! Tackle sketch projects like figure drawing, still life, urban landscape, perspective & preliminary character design
- 9" x 12"
- The Canson Artist Series range features premium art surfaces meticulously composed for professionals to create showcase-worthy pieces
- Constructed with a durable cover & sturdy binding, ideal for artists on the go; take your sketchbook wherever inspiration strikes & never miss a creative moment.
- RECOMMENDED BY ART TEACHERS—A finely toothed surface used for classwork studies of still life, portraits, figures, perspective, shapes, forms & tonal values
- 3.5" x 5.5"
- OUR MOST LOVED WATERCOLOR PAPER—A strong, versatile, coldpress surface in a natural white finish is ideal for exquisite watercolor effects & resists warping or buckling under multiple layers of paint
- 9" x 12"
- Artist-grade paper with a fine grain surface especially suited for metallic and interference colors.
- Pads are glues on one side, blocks are glued on all four sides
- Artist-grade paper with a fine grain surface especially suited for metallic and interference colors.
- Pads are glues on one side, blocks are glued on all four sides
- STRATHMORE PAPER MADE FOR ART STUDENTS—The 300 Series features our intermediate-level surface, recommended for art students & hobbyists looking to improve their creative skills, techniques & practice collegiate-level artwork
- DRAWING PAPER FOR ART CLASS & HOME ART PROJECTS—Expand your drawing skills with a medium weight, lightly textured surface made to withstand erasing multiple times over
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- XL SERIES—Everyone's favorite pad of fine art paper, it's hard not to notice the popular covers in art classrooms & colleges; these economical pads offer quality student-level paper
- RECOMMENDED BY ART TEACHERS—Heavyweight, cold press watercolor paper provides a sturdy foundation for multiple washes & layers without warping or buckling
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- STRATHMORE PAPER MADE FOR ART STUDENTS—The 300 Series features our intermediate-level surface, recommended for art students & hobbyists looking to improve their creative skills, techniques & practice collegiate-level artwork
- MIXED MEDIA PAPER FOR ART CLASS & HOME ART PROJECTS—Expand your drawing & painting skills with a medium weight, lightly textured surface made to withstand multiple layers of wet & dry media
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- STRATHMORE PAPER MADE FOR PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS—The 500 Series features our superior-level surface, recommended for career artists creating pieces for galleries & online marketplaces
- 100% COTTON MIXED MEDIA PAPER—Extra heavyweight, 3-ply surface internally sized for wet media & featuring a vellum drawing finish
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- Everyone's favorite pad of fine art paper, it's hard not to notice the popular covers in art classrooms & colleges; these economical pads offer quality student-level paper
- Constructed with a durable cover & sturdy binding, ideal for artists on the go; take your sketchbook wherever inspiration strikes & never miss a creative moment.
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
- Specially sized for watercolor
- Product Size: 9" x 12"
- For wet or dry media including acrylic, watercolor, gouache, ink, markers, pencils and more.
- Spiral bound and perforated for easy sheet removal
- Whether it's watercolor, mixed media, or drawing, each paper within the Canson Artist Series is meticulously crafted to deliver superior performance & exceptional results. From the brilliant color retention of the watercolor paper to the versatility & durability of the mixed media paper & the precision & texture of the drawing paper, artists can confidently express their creativity knowing they have the perfect canvas to bring their artistic vision to life.
- DESIGNED FOR ARTISTS—The Canson Artist Series range features premium art surfaces meticulously composed for professionals to create showcase-worthy pieces
- Perfect for drawing, journaling, urban sketching, field studies and more
- Sturdy, hard-bound sketchbooks
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Whether you’re in an industry that is heavily influenced by visual design, like fashion, interior decorating or graphic design, or you’re looking for quality art supplies for school, Staples offers drawing pads to bring all your ideas to life.
What Are the Benefits of Using Drawing Pads?
Sketching pads or drawing pads are booklets of paper usually meant for illustration or painting. They’re well-suited for art projects, doodles and even works to be displayed. Most drawing pads have a perforated border near their binding, allowing you to easily remove the papers from the pad whenever you’re done with them. This clean line allows you to remove pages for display or scrap whatever you may want to throw away hassle-free.
Unlike notebook paper, drawing pad paper is intended for use in illustrative work. It’s more durable and heavier than typical printer paper in order to stand up to heavier mediums. Some sketching and drawing pads are specialized to specific mediums of art, like watercolor or charcoal. They may have heavier paper or textured paper to help facilitate the artist’s work.
What Features Should I Look for in a Drawing Pad?
Drawing pads have a wide variety of features that are useful for different art forms and might dictate which product is best for you. Take a look at the most common features below:
Compact Sizes
Most sketch pads fit easily into standard-sized backpacks or bags, so you can travel anywhere with them and pack them on the go. For comparison, a standard size for printer paper is 8.5 × 11 inches, so judge your sketchpads based on whether or not you want your pages to be larger or smaller than that.
Durable Covers
Resilient covers carefully shield artwork from dirt and debris while lending a contemporary look to the exterior of the book or pad. Covers also prevent the paper inside from easily becoming rumpled or damaged. Staples carries a variety of colors, from classic black to a clean white. Blue, green and multicolor are also popular options for drawing sketch pads.
Customizable Pages
Some drawing pad models provide accessories to personalize your pages such as templates and dyes. You can also enhance the look of your pages with adhesive border pads or glossy stickers.
Versatile Designs
Use sketch pads and books for your daily drawings, or choose books geared toward a specific holiday or occasion. Some books are filled with thick, durable cardstock, which makes it easy to transform the pages into stunning greeting cards or nostalgic scrapbook entries.
Are Drawing Pads and Sketch Pads the Same?
Not quite. Sketch pads and drawing pads are sometimes used interchangeably, but there are some differences. Drawing pads usually contain heavier, higher-quality paper, while sketch pads contain lighter paper. Sketch pad paper is generally intended for practicing while drawing pad paper is meant for a final version or works of art to be displayed.
If you’re planning on using a heavy medium like acrylic paint, watercolor, pastels or other painting supplies, then a drawing pad would be a better choice. If you’re using a lighter medium like markers, colored pencils, pens or graphite pencils, then a sketch pad should suit the majority of your needs.
Can I Purchase Eco-Friendly Sketching Pads?
Yes. Staples offers Eco Feature certified products, recycled content products and Sustainable Forestry Initiative sketch pads for drawing.