Leda Art Supply Journal Sketch Book, 160-Page

Last updated: January 11, 2023


The attractive cover on this sketch book is weather resistant, which is handy if you prefer to sketch while being inspired by nature. The book is medium in size and fits neatly in any purse or backpack. The pages are cream colored, smooth and perforated for easy removal.

Leda Art Supply Journal Sketch Book, 160-Page

We looked at the top Sketch Books and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Sketch Book you should buy.

Product Details

Key Takeaway: This sketch book is quite versatile, as it can be used as a planner or journal in addition to acting as your sketch book.

In our analysis of 66 expert reviews, the Leda Art Supply Journal Sketch Book, 160-Page placed 13th when we looked at the top 17 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

Leda Art Supply banner VERSATILE: dense 81 pound (130 gsm) sketchbook paper takes application of pencil, ink, pen, pastel and charcoal. SMOOTH WITH SLIGHT TOOTH: Art paper has enough tooth to show marks well. PREMIUM: 160 pages of cream-colored paper accents your colors. MORE PAGES: You get 56 more pages than Moleskine’s A5 Art Collection Sketchbook (which only gives you 104 pages) BIT WIDER: LEDA is 8.25 x 5.70 inches — .7 inch winder (5.7) than Moleskine’s A5 sketchbook (5.5) Leda banner Leda customer art Leda test paper texture GET CREATIVE FALLING IN LOVE WITH LEDA SKETCHBOOKS Looking for a premium art journal? Consider Leda. You will find the soft, smooth paper enticing. 160 pages of cream colored paper will accent your every mark. Ideal for pencil, pen, ink, charcoal and pastel. The dense paper isn’t too thin or thick. It won’t easily rip or smear. PREVENTS BLEEDING You will find very little bleeding with the Leda — if at all. Large tip markers will show through on the other side but customers report that pen and ink work well. Like markers? Colors blend wonderfully on Leda paper. MAKES COLORS POP EXTRA FEATURES Elastic band keeps pages together. Accordion back pocket for storing photos, lose papers or pencil. LAYS FLAT The solid binding permits the book to lay flat. Use the elastic band to hold the pages together. The dense paper and solid thread binding will hold up to aggressive art making. MORE PAGES THAN MOLESKINE You get 56 more pages than Moleskine’s A5 Art Collection Sketchbook (which only gives you 104 pages). SMOOTH WITH A SLIGHT TOOTH PERFECT PAPER Dense paper is smooth but with enough tooth to grab and show your medium. WHAT ABOUT WATERCOLOR? While the Leda isn’t meant for heavy wet media. Some customers experiment with a light watercolor wash. The pages will warp a bit, but our designers consider that normal for sketchbooks. We think that art doesn’t have to be proper and precise all the time. It is OK to mess up your sketchbook. And the Leda will take vigorous art making. Read more side DURABLE UNIQUE COVER MATERIAL People love the look and feel of the textured flexible cover. It is water resistant and made of PU leather. It bends and lays flat. Unlike other sketchbooks with hard cardboard backing, the Leda’s cover protects your art from the elements. Perfect for sketching in the field. The Leda weighs less than bulky hard covered books, making it much easier to pack around. The cover feels like a new pair of sneakers. It will hold up to use and abuse over the years. Our solid, thread bound book will last decades. Pablo MADE FOR CREATIVE PEOPLE PANTHEON OF SIZES Pocket “Baby Leda” Sketchbook 5.5 x 3.5 inches. Fits in your pocket for sketching anywhere. Medium “Mother Leda” Sketchbook 8.25 x 5.7 inches. Easy to pack in your bag or backpack. Perfect for art or writing. Large “Odyssey” Sketchbook 10 x 7 inches. Lighter weight, water resistant and ideal for traveling. Extra Large “Zeus” Sketchbook 8.25 x 11.5 inches. For professional designers or artists who prefer lots of surface. Art With Heart LEDA CARES CHARITY SUPPORT A portion of your purchase will be donated to Art with Heart, a community organization that brings the healing power of creative expression to children and teens facing trauma or adversity. That means your art habit is helping kids. Leda is a private label art supply company located in Kirkland, WA dedicated to helping artists make the world a more beautiful place. Thanks to Leda fans Debbie Riley, Vicky Wood and Pablo Borda for art above. You can express yourself with Leda too! Join our mission and get started on your next masterpiece today.

Our Expert Consultant

Amy Markham  
Artist and art educator

Artist and educator Amy Markham is the creator of Starling, a podcast dedicated to helping artists develop depth in their creative practice. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Amy has been an art educator since 2001. Today, she teaches middle school art at a school outside of Memphis, Tennessee. Her personal artwork explores myth-making and symbolic understandings. Through her brand, Starling Creative Living, she leads others to explore art production as a method for enriching their life experience.

Expert Reviews


What reviewers liked

The first thing that caught my attention when I first saw the sketchbook was just how beautiful it was. This is not like those ubiquitous black hardback sketchbooks. This is a softcover sketchbook with a nice textured cover. It feels so good each time I touch the cover.
Flexible all weather cover and stitched thread-bound book lays flat for easy sketching.
Flexible all weather cover and stitched thread-bound book lays flat for easy sketching.
This informal sketchbook is perfect for carrying around and using when inspiration strikes. The PU leather cover is weather proof, the pages are thick, and the surface is versatile.
Many love this sketchbook for its smooth writing surface, making it perfect for markers without feathering on the page.
Soft page texture soaks up all forms of paint very quickly
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We think this is the best sketchbook because the paper is a sturdy 81 lb. weight, so inks and colors won’t bleed through the paper as you sketch. The paper is cream colored, which helps colors pop out clearly on the page.
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We think this is the best sketchbook because the paper is a sturdy 81 lb. weight, so inks and colors won’t bleed through the paper as you sketch. The paper is cream colored, which helps colors pop out clearly on the page.
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Its cover is waterproof to protect your work on the move, though it's worth noting that it's flexible, so you'll need a hard surface to support it.
The cover is described as all-weather, and weather-resistant. Although flexible, it is sturdy enough to provide some support.
The cover is quite flexible, and the whole sketchbook bends enough to be comfortably carried in a pocket.
The binding is sewn. As usual with this kind of binding, the pages are sewn into sections called signatures, and the signatures are then sewn together. The Perfect Premium signatures are sewn together with a red thread, which adds a nice touch of elegance.
The pages are dense and they can easily support graphite, ink, or charcoal. This is a softcover sketchbook so it is flexible and easy to bend. Great for storage, not so great for keeping your pages straight.

What reviewers didn't like

The paper is not watercolour paper so it's not the most suitable paper for watercolour. It can handle light washes but the water tends to glide around much. I will not use more than one layer of wash because the paper is too smooth to handle multiple coats of paint.
As you may expect, some people find that Copic markers bleed through to the other side, and a sacrificial sheet of paper is necessary.
The paper is thinner than other sketchbook pages so you may only be able to draw, sketch or paint on one side of the paper as your work may bleed through or warp the pages.
Not as portable as we would have liked
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Doesn't carry markers well
I don’t love the big debossed logo on the front cover.
There are no grommets to hold it place.
View our Sketch Book buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

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