ZenART's Membership Plans Terms & Conditions

(Updates effective 17/08/2020)

These terms and conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) govern the ZenART Supplies Rewards & Referral Plan as well as Subscribe & Save Plan (“Membership Plans”), and members of the programs will earn zen coins in connection with the purchase of qualifying online products and online activities that are redeemable towards the purchase of certain products online. For the re-occurring members (Subscribe & Save Plan) this includes exclusive gifts & content.

1. REWARDS & REFERRAL

  • Free. No purchase is necessary to obtain membership in the Rewards & Referral Program, but you must establish an account at https://shop.zenartsupplies.co/account/register . Please see our privacy policy, located here, to understand how information you provide us will be used. This program is void where prohibited.
  • Eligibility. In order to be eligible for the Rewards & Referral Program, you must create an account as outlined in these Terms and Conditions. You may create an account if you are at least seventeen (17) years of age, have Internet access, and have a valid mailing address. If you are between the ages of 17 and 18, you must have your parent’s permission to register for an account. If you choose to create an account, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account, username and password and for restricting access to your account. You are responsible for keeping such information current, complete, accurate and truthful. You agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account, username and/or password. You agree to provide only current, complete, accurate and truthful information. If you are accessing and using the Site on someone else’s behalf, you represent that you have the authority to bind that person as the principal to all Terms and Conditions provided herein, and to the extent you do not have such authority you agree to be bound to these Terms and Conditions and to accept liability for harm caused by any wrongful use of the Site or Content resulting from such access or use. You may only have one member account per natural person. Persons who are discovered to have more than one account forfeit their zen coins and will be unsubscribed from the Loyalty Program.
  • How To Enroll in the Rewards & Referral Program. (a) Create an account: Visit www.zenartsupplies.com (the "Site" or "Online") and become a registered user of the Site. Click here to be taken directly to the registration page. You will be asked for your first and last name, your email address, and a password. You will also be given the option to sign up for our newsletter. Once you have submitted the requisite information, you will be sent an email to the address you listed confirming your membership. Once you have confirmed your email address, you are automatically enrolled in the Reward & Referral Program and are a member (“Member”).
  • How to Access/Change Your Member Information. You must keep your personal information on your Account up-to-date. To do so, click on the "My Account" section and access your account by entering your registered email address and current password. From your dashboard you can access your account information; review your current and past orders; change your profile; manage your subscriptions and applications, and access your previous purchases.
  • How to Cancel Your Membership. You may cancel an account at any time. To cancel your account, please send an email to support@zenartsupplies.co and write “cancel membership” in the subject line. The email must come from the account currently listed on our servers as being associated with your Rewards & Referral Program. If you no longer have access to that email address, please email our customer service department and we will verify your status and cancel your account. Upon cancellation, you are no longer a member, and any unused zen coins accrued in your account will be forfeited and cannot be redeemed. Zen coins maintain their value only on valid accounts in good standing, and except as otherwise provided here for redemption, have no cash value outside of their redemption value on the Site.

2. EARNING ZEN COINS

  • General Members can earn zen coins on the purchase of qualifying online products at zenartsupplies.co. To receive zen coins for your Online purchases, you must be signed into your account. You may check at any time to see if you are signed in to the Site by looking in the upper right-hand corner of the site. Gift cards do not qualify for zen coins. Other products that do not qualify for zen coins are noted on the Site.
  • Earning Rate. Members earn 5 sen coins for every $1.00 spent on qualifying purchases (in other words, one (5) zen coins for every one dollar ($1) spent). Zen coins are based on your order subtotal, after any discounts, only. Zen coins are rounded down to the nearest whole number. For example, if you spend $9.99, you will receive 9 zen coins. The calculation is as follows: $9.99 x 1 zen coins per dollar = 9.99 zen coins, which is rounded down to 9 zen coins. This program started on August 17, 2020, and initial levels were set on the 2020 amount spent on ordering products. Note: Shipping and Taxes are not taken into consideration. If an item is return and/or price adjusted that will also be removed from your rewards calculations.
  • Gift Cards. Gift card purchases are not eligible to receive zen coins. However, once a gift card is redeemed, zen coins will be awarded to the recipient for the subtotal after any gift card values, provided s/he is logged into the account, as outlined in these Terms and Conditions.
  • Addition of Zen Coins to Accounts. Zen Coins will be added to your Account under the following conditions, and will generally show up immediately. You will receive zen coins:
    • At the time of account registration
    • During the purchase of qualifying products
    • For other activities outlined on the Site that may show up from time to time. Note that for these other activities, including “bonus zen coins” accumulations and other zen coin promotions, zen coins may show as “pending,” depending upon the activity.
    • Joining the Birthday Club. Birthdate must be entered 30 days before your Birthday to qualify.
    • For Liking the ZenART Supplies Facebook page and sharing the ZenART Supplies Facebook page with your following. This is good one time only.
    • Following ZenART Supplies on Instagram. This is good one time only.
    • Referring a friend to ZenART Supplies. Your account will be automatically awarded the discount only if the referral friend used the link sent to them from your referral account and makes a qualifying purchase. Discount will automatically be applied to account if stipulations are met.
  • Exclusions. Members earn zen coins only on the purchase price of: (i) qualifying online products. Calculation of zen coins excludes payment by the Member for shipping charges and all taxes, including without limitation, federal, state, and local taxes or use taxes. Zen Coins will not be earned on any discounts or other credits offered in connection with a product or service. For example, if a product that is normally $50 is on sale for $25, a Member will only earn zen coins on the purchase price of $25. Purchases of gift cards, redemption of vouchers, and any type of price adjustments, including merchandise returns, are not eligible for zen coins. All purchases made: (i) by a Member prior to such member joining the Program, (ii) Online without a Member being logged onto the Website with the Member's Account number linked to the Member's Online account, are not eligible for Reward & Referral Program credit. The purchase of ZenART Supplies products outside the Zenartsupplies.co website are not eligible for the Reward & Referral Program.
  • Returns/Order Cancellations. Zen Coins earned for a purchase that is then the subject of a return, cancellation, refund, declined credit card or gift card, or other credit will be deducted from your account in an amount equal to the zen coins earned for the original transaction, including any bonus zen coins that may be applicable. Any rewards discounts that are applied to the order, will be distributed equally to the applicable items in the order when completing a return. Zen Coins redeemed on an order will not be reapplied back to your rewards account for any reason on a returned order. If a return/cancellation will cause your account to have a negative zen coin balance, you will not begin earning zen coins again until your zen coins balance is returned to zero (0), by making purchases, or engaging in other promotional activities offered from time to time. If an item is exchanged (different product) any redeemed rewards on the initial purchase may be transferred to the exchange one (1) time only. Rewards used on an order that is canceled cannot be reapplied as they are good for just one use.
  • Bonus Zen Coins Promotions. From time to time, ZenART Supplies may run certain bonus zen coin promotions. Under bonus zen coin promotions, Members can earn additional or "bonus zen coins" in connection with the purchase of certain online products. When you purchase these specially marked products or make the purchase during a bonus zen coins time period, you will earn bonus zen coins on each product, as specified in the offer. Bonus zen coin promotions are subject to the terms and conditions of the offer and may be offered at any time in ZenART Supplies sole discretion. Bonus zen coin offers cannot be combined with any other offer.
  • Limitations on Bonus Zen Coins and Zen Coins, Generally. These terms apply to zen coins and bonus zen coins accruals. If you purchase a product during a promotion and the product comes with an additional, free product, zen coins will not be issued on the retail value of the free product. If you redeem zen coins towards the purchase of a product and pay a portion of the retail price after the zen coin's redemption, you will receive zen coins only on the leftover retail amount you pay, and not on any value attributed to the zen coin you used. If you redeem zen coins towards the purchase of a product in an amount equal to the full price of the product, you will not earn any zen coins.
  • Non-purchase Options for Earning Zen Coins. You may also earn additional zen coins on non-purchase activities. From time to time, ZenART Supplies may offer you the chance to win various prizes, and earn zen coins, for entering into promotions. For sweepstakes promotions, there is NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO PLAY OR TO WIN. Rules and restrictions will apply to such promotions and may be found on the entry page of any promotion.
  • Referring a friend to ZenART Supplies. Email a friend an $8 off coupon on $50 order by clicking “ Earn Zen Coins” then “ Refer a Friend”. Enter the email address of a friend who has not purchased with ZenART Supplies before (if your referral has shopped with us before the referral link will be automatically voided by the system). A referral link will be sent to your friend with an $8 off coupon on a $50 order. $8 off coupon on $50 order will automatically be rewarded to your account only if the referral friend used the link sent to them from your referral account and makes a qualifying first-time purchase with ZenART Supplies. Your Referral friend will receive an $8 off coupon on $50 order, 200 zen coins for signing up, and zen coins from their first purchase made while signed into their new ZenART Supplies account.

3. REDEEMING ZEN COINS

  • How To Use Your Zen Coins. Zen Coins must be used in increments outlined in these Terms and Conditions. The maximum number of zen coins that may be used in a single transaction is 10,000 zen coins. Zen Coins may only be used Online at the ZenART Supplies website. Zen Coins towards Products: Members can use their zen coins to reduce the purchase price of a product or to receive a product for free based on the following scale:
    • 500 zen coins = $5.00 off
    • 1,000 zen coins = $10.00 off your at least $50 order
    • 1,500 zen coins = $15.00 off your at least $50 order
    • 2,500 zen coins = $25.00 off your at least $50 order

    Zen Coins can only be redeemed in any combination of the zen coin and increment amounts set forth above. Redemption of zen coins towards purchases of products is subject to product availability. Any rewards discounts that are applied to the order, will be distributed equally to the applicable items in the order when completing a return.

  • Gift cards. Once available, zen coins cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards. Gift card redemption, however, is eligible for zen coins. Zen Coins accrued pursuant to the use of a gift card will benefit the gift card user, provided the user has an account in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
  • To Redeem your Zen Coins. Before you begin shopping with us, sign in to your Shop account on our site. Select “Redeem Zen Coins” from the red tab housed in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and select the amount of zen coins you would like to redeem. You will be issued a custom code that you can copy and paste into the discount bar during check out (Please note - only one code can be used). Your total payment amount will be discounted by the amount of zen coins you allocate to the purchase. Note that zen coins may only be redeemed for the purchase price of the product. Sales tax, shipping, and other handling charges assessed in addition to the price of the product are your responsibility and zen coins may not be used to discount these additional charges.
  • Exclusions. Only one account per natural person. Only one discount code can be redeemed per transaction. Rewards redemption codes may not be combined with any other discount codes. Zen Coins may not be transferred or gifted at this time. Zen Coins cannot be used on past purchases. Zen Coins accumulated on different accounts by different members may not be combined or aggregated to make purchases of products or for any other reason. Zen Coins earned in a transaction cannot be redeemed in the same transaction. Redeemed zen coins cannot be retroactively applied to any past order or receive a price adjustment on any order where redeemed zen coins were not applied. Zen Coins have no cash value outside of the ZenART Supplies website and are available only to members in good standing.
  • Zen Coins Expiration and Time Lapses. All zen coins acquired, whether standard zen coins or bonus zen coins, shall expire 180 days from the date the zen coins are added to your account. Zen Coins expire 180 days from the date in which they were assigned to your account. Specific onsite activities in which zen coins will be awarded are set to accrue zen coins based on a time-lapse at the discretion of ZenART Supplies.
    • Sign up: zen coins are added to your account instantly
    • Order: zen coins are added to your account when your order is placed.
  • Once zen coins are redeemed, a discount code will be assigned and we are unable to cancel the discount code and reapply the zen coins to your Reward & Referral account. Discount codes generated by redeeming zen coins do not expire until used. They are a one-time use code, so once it is used it is gone. If an order is returned zen coins will not be reinstated.

4. Subscribe & Save Plan

  • Re-occurring purchase. Purchase is necessary in order to participate in this plan. The plan is worth $6.95 and will be charged to your account on the same date of the month that you purchased the plan, i.e. if you purchased the plan on 19th of January, you will be charged for the plan on the 19th of each month you are a Subscribe & Save Plan member.
  • 15% re-occurring discount. As a member of the subscribe & Save Plan, you are eligible for a 15% discount every time you put an order in place. You are qualified for the discount as soon as you purchase the plan.
  • Cancellation. After a purchase made with a Subscribe & Save Plan, you are not able to get a refund for the plan for the month the purchase was valid for but you can cancel for the following months.
  • Free samples & accessories. These are included for members of Subscribe & Save Plan only. These are not included in each order but the member will be informed when they will receive "extras" in their order.
  • Access to exclusive content. Exclusive access to tutorials, guides, tips & tricks in video, pdf, or audio format will be part of the membership program. Not all exclusive content is available but what is and will be available is up to ZenART Supplies sole discretion.

5. GENERAL

  • By registering with Zenartsupplies.co and joining the Reward & Referral Program, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions set forth in these Terms and Conditions, as well as any other terms that may be associated with the Reward & Referral Program. ZenART Supplies reserves the right to cancel, modify, suspend or restrict the Reward & Referral Program, your account, the redemption of zen coins, or any aspect of the Program, including, without limitation, the zen coin conversion ratio and the zen coin expiration policy at any time. Any changes can be made without advance notice. ZenART Supplies may make these changes even though such changes may affect your ability to use zen coins already accumulated. You are responsible for remaining knowledgeable about the Program Terms and Conditions. A Member's zen coins balance, as reflected in ZenART Supplies records, shall be deemed correct. ZenART Supplies reserves the right to determine the amount of zen coins in any Member's account based on ZenART Supplies' internal records related to such Member's account. In the event of an inconsistency between the amount accrued in a Member's account as stated on any Member's receipt and ZenART Supplies internal records, ZenART Supplies internal records will control. ZenART Supplies assumes no responsibility for errors caused by incorrect Member information. Your right to transfer zen coins earned or granted under the Program is strictly limited. The sale of zen coins is prohibited and may result in the confiscation or cancellation of your zen coins as well as suspension or termination of your membership, which in each case shall be final and conclusive. All transactions involving zen coins and all Member accounts are subject to review and verification by ZenART Supplies. The zen coins balance in a Member's account may be unavailable for use when an account or transaction is under review. ZenART Supplies may revoke any Member's membership in the Reward & Referral Program at any time if such Member engages in abuse of the Reward & Referral Program or fails to follow the terms and conditions of the Program. Fraud or abuse relating to the accrual of zen coins or redemption of rewards may result in revocation of membership in the Program and may affect a Member's eligibility for participation in any other ZenART Supplies program, present or future. Zen Coins are non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. The interpretation and application of the Program's Terms and Conditions are at the sole discretion and determination of ZenART Supplies. For more information or other questions, click on Contact Us.
  • The Terms and Conditions of the loyalty program are subject to change at ZenART Supplies’ sole discretion at any time and without notice to customers. Upon customer’s at-will termination of their Zenartsupplies.com registered account, or if a customer is termination for violation of these Terms and Conditions or other activities in violation of the intent and good faith intended use of this Site, all zen coins will immediately be forfeited and will no longer be redeemable. ZenART Supplies will make reasonable efforts to award zen coins as outlined above to all 1. registered and 2. qualifying Zenartsupplies.co customers but is not responsible for any technical or unforeseen errors that may occur.
  • Zen Coins are nontransferable, nonredeemable for cash, are nonrefundable and are not valid outside of Zenartsupplies.co. Purchases made outside Zenartsupplies.co are not valid for zen coin accrual (this includes, but is not limited to Facebook resell groups, Ebay, and Amazon).
  • Employees of ZenART Supplies are not eligible to participate in the Reward & Referral Program.

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Inspiration

These are the Absolute Best Sketchbooks for Artists

These are the Absolute Best Sketchbooks for Artists

As a creative journaling workshop instructor, I’ve made a career out of hoarding notebooks and sketchbooks. What can I say? I’m a sucker for cute covers and the smell of paper. Though after five years in the biz, I’ve become more discerning when adding yet another artist’s sketchbook to my collection. 

I still think first impressions matter, though. The first sketchbook you baptize may very well set the tone for your next artistic pursuit. Nothing compares to the blissful feeling of a first paintbrush stroke on fresh, durable paper.

This is why my rule with art, as in life, is to never settle. 

A good sketchbook is an investment that pays off the longer your creative journey.

Think of a journal or sketchbook as a record-keeper. Every page and every artwork is a celebrated milestone. One day, you’ll flip through these filled pages and marvel at your own growth, both as an artist and as a person. 

So if you’re looking for the perfect paper companion along your creative journey, you’ve found the right guide. Here’s how to choose the best sketchbook for professional artists and amateurs alike!

Things to consider when picking a sketchbook

You might be wondering: What are the best sketchbooks for beginners? Simply put, it’s the ones you’ll use.

I mean it! What’s the point of buying all these sketchbooks if they’ll just gather dust in your room or studio? 

There’s no one size fits all sketchbook that ticks off all artist’s boxes. Choosing the right sketchbook depends on your preferences and favorite media. 

For example, I love to sketch and I love to play with wet media like watercolors, gouache, and markers. Over time, I realized it’s truly a disservice to myself and my work if I use a low-quality sketchbook that isn’t built for water-based media. Why waste all that creative effort on paper that’ll just wear and tear from a light wash of paint. 

Don’t fall into the trap of getting a cheap and cute but low-quality sketchbook. Instead, invest in paper quality. It may seem like an extra cost now, but you’ll thank yourself in the future.

Sometimes finding the perfect sketchbook can be daunting though. So don’t worry, we’ve done all the work for you.

Orientation and Size

Many sketchbooks are bound in portrait orientation by default. But you can also find sketchbooks in landscape orientation as well—these are a go-to pick for artists who love painting nature and scenery.

There are square sketchbooks and round ones, too!

Again, this is all preferential. But personally, as a leftie, I gravitate toward portrait sketchbooks, which I can easily rotate if I want to create a landscape work.

As for sketchbook size, you'll mostly come across the standard A-series or B-series. The bigger the number (e.g. B6 or A6), the smaller the pages.

To make things less confusing, here's a chart of the best sketchbook sizes:

  • A3 (11.7 x 16.5"): For large portrait or large landscape sketching. You might also find sketchbooks in sizes 9x12" or 11x14".
  • A4 (8.3x11.7"): Standard copy paper size. The large pages are great for drawing on flat working surfaces.
  • A5 (5.8x8.3"): The best sketchbook size (at least for me, since I can't leave the house without one). Big enough for detailed sketching, small enough to stash in a backpack.
  • A6 (4.1x5.8"): A true pocket portrait or pocket landscape-sized sketchbook.
  • B5 (7x10"): Also known as the standard composition notebook size.
  • B6 (5x7"): A little bigger than the A6 pocket size so there's a bit more room for detail. My go-to for when I feel like squeezing in a quick sketch or two on one of my artists dates.
  • B7 (3.5 x 5"): Passport size. The best travel companion for any artist with a serious case of wanderlust.

Cover and binding style

Sketchbooks come in a wide range of binding styles and covers. Though if you’ve developed a pickiness for certain notebooks, you’ll probably know what you want already. Still, we’re here to break each type down for you.

Spiral Binding

In theory, wire-bound or spiral-bound sketchbooks are great for beginners and perfectionists. They don’t just lay perfectly flat but they also leave room for making mistakes. You can easily rip out pages from your sketch pad if you don’t like your work. Or if it’s time for framing a beautiful sketch, just rip out the page and trim off the edges. 

Some spiral-bound sketchbooks nowadays come with perforated pages for easy removal.

For lefties, I’d steer clear of spiral-bound or wire-bound sketchbooks, though. Unless you’re filling in your sketchbook from back to front. Speaking from experience, there’s nothing more uncomfortable than sketching or writing while the metal spiral binding digs into your hand.

Hardbound Covers

Hardbound sketchbooks are usually held together via sewn-binding. The pages are thread bound and then glued to a hard spine and cover. They’re much less likely to fall apart over time than glue-bound sketchbooks or watercolor blocks. This is a good choice if you’d like to archive your artwork!

Many hardbound sketchbooks have interior pockets, which comes in handy especially if you like to collect paper ephemera.

Soft Covers

My personal go-to, especially if the sketchbook can lay flat at a perfect 180°—just like the variety of sketchbooks and journals we have here on Zen Art (but more on that later). They're much lighter than a hardcover. These sketchbooks can still be thread-bound but with paper or flexible leather as a cover.

Preferred media

Don’t you just hate it when the paper you’re working on disintegrates at the lightest brushstroke? Or when it crinkles at the swipe of an eraser? That’s likely because your chosen art medium is incompatible with your sketchbook paper.

While it’s convenient and cost-effective to have just one sketchbook for all your artworks, this might not be the most practical choice in the long run. Wet media like watercolor and gouache need thicker paper that can absorb water without warping or thinning. Dry mediums like chalks, charcoal, and pastels don’t necessarily need thick paper, but they do need paper with tooth or texture. This ensures that the pigment can grip and stay on the paper. 

Now if you’re on the go and working with heavy media like oil or acrylic paint, you’ll want a canvas pad. These are bound sheets of paper or cotton with a texture like canvas. Great for practice!

If you like to experiment, the best sketchbook paper for you will be mixed media. Note that mixed media sketchbooks can handle most but not all wet media.

Paper type and quality

Paper quality and your preferred media are closely related. So here’s where you should get picky. My top tip for beginners is to know the difference between a blank journal and an artist sketchbook. 

Blank journals are just notebooks without lines or grids. They typically have lighter paper and can handle at the most some light sketching and artworks done with colored pencils or water-based markers. At the most, blank journals are for casual doodling and some dry media. 

Pay attention to the weight of the paper, commonly measured in grams per square meter or gsm. The higher the number, the thicker and heavier the paper—and all the more can it withstand washes of paint sans warping.

Here’s a list of common weights you’ll run into:

  • 75 to 100gsm: Sketching or drawing paper. For charcoal, aim for 90gsm or so. Might be too thin for markers and ink, which will likely bleed through.
  • 90 to 120gsm: Drawing paper suitable for most dry media.
  • 180 to 260gsm: Heavy drawing paper suitable for mixed media and markers. Similar to card stock.
  • 300gm and up: Suitable for watercolor painting. Can come either cold-pressed (textured, more absorbent) or hot-pressed (smoother, better for illustrations).

Another feature to look for is acid-free paper. This means the pages have better archival quality.

Paper color

Lastly, think of paper color. Most sketchbooks use white or ivory (off-white) paper. The advantage of ivory paper is it doesn’t glare under sunlight or harsh overhead lights. If you’re drawing with dry media like pencil, chalk, charcoal, and graphite, opt for a toned sketchbook. With tan or gray-toned paper, these sketchbooks bring out the darks and lights in your art. There are also dark sketchbooks with black pages that bring out white ink and the shimmer of metallic paint!

Best Sketchbooks on Zen Art Supplies

Now that we’ve walked you through the technical stuff, here’s a rundown of our top picks from our very own shop. 

As mentioned earlier, if you can’t choose just one preferred art medium, you can always grab a sketchbook that can multitask and handle ink and paint. Lucky for you, our sketchbooks can do just that! 

Our journals and sketchbooks are made with acid-free, off-white paper, with 160 pages or 80 sheets of paper. They’re perfect for drawing with pencil, ink, and even markers! Plus, it’s part of our artist series—you get amazing artist-grade quality without totally breaking the bank!

Best Sketchbook for Beginners: B5 (7x10") 120gsm Sketchbook 

As an artist, I never stop learning. I’ve been making art since I could hold a pencil, and I still consider myself a beginner at times. I love to join art classes and workshops as much as I love teaching them. It’s important to find new ways to unlock my creativity. 

I find that a B5 sketchbook is an ideal size for an artist who loves creating and learning. It’s not as bulky as an A4 sketchbook nor is it as compact as the A5 and A6 sizes I’m used to. With B5-sized pages, I can make big artworks and I can also half or quarter the pages for smaller sketches. 

Plus, it has enough space for me to add notes. Many artists go through several pages of sketches and studies before creating a final piece. Lots of said pages are splattered with notes on tiny details and revisions.  

Best Sketchbook for On-the-Go Artists: B6 (5x7") 120gsm Sketchbook

Never leave home without a pen or pencil and a sketchbook. You never know when the creative mood will strike. That’s why this is the best sketchbook and travel buddy for artists who like to sketch anywhere, any time. 

After two years in a pandemic, I’ve realized the life-changing magic of taking my inner artist out on a date or on a walk. Artists love drawing inspiration from their surroundings, and there’s no better place than the great outdoors. If you can, go on a hike, a beach trip, or a stroll down to your nearest park. Take time to sketch scenes en plein air.

(lays flat; portrait orientation; dry media and wet media;

Pair this B6 Artist Sketchbook with one of Zen Art’s travel-friendly watercolor palettes. Though the paper is quite light, trust me it can handle a fair wash of ink and watercolor paint! I also love its water-repellent and scratch-resistant softcover design. Plus an elastic band to keep the sketchbook shut and your artwork safe from the elements.

Best for Art Journaling: B5 (7x10") 120gsm Dot Journal

This dotted journal is a solid choice for making magic on the page—whether it’s for bullet journaling, diary writing, art journaling, or all of the above! The dot grid gets rid of that fear of the blank page. At the same time, it gives you guidelines for where to write or place your artwork without the constraint of a lined or ruled page. 

Sure, this isn’t a true sketchbook per se. But it’s got the artist-grade quality of one. As with the other sketchbooks in this list, the paper quality is next level—120gsm but still friendly toward fountain pens, watercolors, and markers. 

It’s good for jotting down thoughts or drawing them out. I love this journal, too, because it’s made with sustainable materials—and all without compromising on quality and aesthetic. It comes in five different colorways. Also, the paper edges are reminiscent of Japanese kimono patterns.

We’d love to hear from you!

Have you tried our other paper products?

Which ones are you eyeing? And how do you like to fill up your sketchbooks? Let us know in the comments below!

For more inspiration, join our community! Artists can’t thrive in a bubble after all. Find inspiration from like-minded folks and get insider tips on all your creative needs. 

Here’s to your watercolorist journey! Your next masterpiece is just a sketch away!

 

 


- MEET THE AUTHOR-

Belle O. Mapa is a writer and artist based in Manila, Philippines. She believes that everyone is born with an inner creative spirit—we just need to nurture and discover it on the blank page. Currently, she lives out her passion: writing stories, hosting journaling workshops, and advocating for mental health awareness.


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