Choosing the right sketchbook starts with choosing the right paper. This guide breaks down the Artgecko paper types available across our sketchbook ranges, from lightweight cartridge paper for dry media and pen to heavier acrylic, hybrid and watercolour papers for painting and mixed media. Whether you have a favourite medium or enjoy experimenting with everything, find a sketchbook that supports the way you create.

Sketchbooks can be used in all sorts of ways. You might use one for an art course, coursework or structured studies, or simply as a place to capture ideas, practise techniques and let your creativity develop.

With so many options available, choosing the right sketchbook can feel like a project in itself. You need to consider paper weight, surface texture, size and orientation — and then there is the question of binding.

Two of the most popular formats are casebound and twin wire. Both offer distinct advantages, depending on how and where you like to work. In this guide, we’ll explore the pros and cons of each format and look at which Artgecko Classy sketchbook could be the best fit for your creative practice.

Paint markers are a brilliant tool for bold, colourful artwork, but they can take a little practice to master. If you want to improve your paint marker sketches and create cleaner, more confident results, the good news is that a few simple techniques can make a big difference.

In this guide, we’ll share five easy ways to level up your paint marker art, from choosing the right paper to planning your colour palette before you begin.

Sketching is often seen as a static activity - something done at a desk, in a studio, surrounded by tools and carefully curated inspiration. While that setup has its place, it can also lead to creative blocks, especially when your environment starts to feel repetitive.

That’s where sketching on the go comes in. With just a sketchbook and a pen, you can completely shift your creative mindset and open yourself up to new ideas, perspectives, and energy.

Keep reading to learn how sketching on the go can improve and reframe your creative practice for the better.

If you've ever tried watercolour on standard paper you’ll know the frustration; paint pooling in strange places, colours drying flat, and pages buckling before you’ve even finished your first wash. It’s easy to blame your technique, but more often than not, it’s the paper. Watercolour isn’t just about paint and brushes - the surface you work on plays a huge role in how everything behaves. And once you experience the difference, it’s hard to go back.

That moment when you finish a sketchbook brings a mix of emotions. Delight, relief, excitement, inspiration… and then a little dread. Questions start racing through your mind:

"What will go in my next sketchbook?"
"Which media should I choose?"
And most importantly… "what size and format should I pick?"

After a quick online search, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Conflicting advice, endless sketchbook brands, and format debates make choosing your next book, way harder than it needs to be. That’s why we’ve put together this guide! Created to explore why thinking outside the rectangle and going for square as your next sketchbook, could be the creative refresh you didn’t know you needed.

We’ve all been there, you pop round to Nan’s house and she pulls out the photo album. Before you know it, you’re flicking through photographs of your dad as a baby, splashing around with rubber ducks in the bath.

While this process can be downright hilarious (from the expressions on Dad’s face to that very bold green bathtub), it’s easy to assume that scrapbooking is a little old-fashioned.

But scrapbooking today is so much more than faded photos and dusty albums. It’s a creative, expressive, and surprisingly modern hobby and one that truly is for everyone.

Let’s take a closer look at what scrapbooking really is, how it’s evolved, and why it’s a perfect creative addition to your everyday life (and your craft supplies!).

We are thrilled to announce that we have just launched a brand new product to the range! Meet the Extra Classy Sketchbook. With a name like that, you might be wondering what makes it so special. Keep reading for a closer look at this sketchbook and discover why it truly earns the name “Extra”.