Skip to product information
1 of 3

Opus Art Supplies

Opus Essential Hardbound Sketchbooks

Opus Essential Hardbound Sketchbooks

29 total reviews

SKU:OPUM558S

Regular price $7.15 USD
Regular price $6.44 USD Sale price $7.15 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Earn $0.71 back on this (10%) with the Artist Pass, or join for free to earn $0.35.  How cashback works Opus Members get a percentage of what they spend on eligible items back as store credit to use on a future order. Base Member (free to join): 5% back on Opus and Buzz brand items (10% as a Creative Member). Artist Member and Artist Pass: 10% back on almost everything. Artist PRO: 15% back on almost everything. Cashback is earned on the price you pay after discounts, before tax and shipping. The amount shown here is an estimate. Your cashback is finalized after your order is complete. See membership tiers →

Dimension
Quantity

Ready to ship — 393 available

Pickup available at 7 stores

View full details

About the product

Opus Essential Hardbound Sketchbooks

Draw anywhere with this high quality, versatile sketchbook made exclusively for Opus.

The Opus Essential Hardbound Sketchbook has a durable black hardcover with 160 pages of 128 gsm, acid-free, medium-tooth paper. This sketchbook opens flat for easy maneuvering, making it ideal for quick sketching with graphite, coloured pencils, charcoal, pen and ink, markers, and light dry brush work.

Sheets 80
Binding Hardbound
Paper Weight 128 gsm
Cover Colour Black
Paper Colour White
Media Graphite, Coloured Pencils, Charcoal, Ink, Markers
Acid-free Yes
Perforated No
Availability 8½″ × 12″

Customers praised these hardbound sketchbooks as "best value for size and price and quality," ideal for journaling, sketching, and daily use. Many appreciated the portable size and durability. However, some noted recent paper weight inconsistency and compatibility issues with certain pens. Works well with pencils, markers, and light multimedia.

  • SUPER DUPER PAPER! Great paper that allows versatility with graphite and water soluble pencils.
  • Consistently perfect for my needs. Value-priced, quality paper, convenient size.
  • Better quality than similar looking books. Best for pencil, ink and dry media.
  • 5 stars: 23 (79%)
  • 4 stars: 3 (10%)
  • 3 stars: 2 (7%)
  • 2 stars: 1 (3%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
S
Sheri C. (New Westminster, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Best value for size and price and quality of paper and binding

Best value for size and price and quality of paper and binding.

A
Anonymous (Langley, CA)
5.5" x 8"
These book are the right size to be carring around for pen and pencil quick sketches

These book are the right size to be carring around for pen and pencil quick sketches.

A
Anonymous (Campbell River, CA)
5.5" x 8"
Disappointed with the weight of the paper

Disappointed with the weight of the paper.
I've been using Opus Essentials sketchbooks for years because of the size combined with reasonable weight of the paper but the latest one has really thin paper. Very sad.

j
john (Port Renfrew, CA)
5.5" x 8"
I use these sketchbooks as journals

I use these sketchbooks as journals, and I’ve been doing it for years… Love the size… Perfect for writing in

A
Alexa I. (Vancouver, CA)
5.5" x 8"
Nice

Nice size!

S
S.F. (Rossland, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Cheap but tough sketch books

Cheap but tough sketch books that are better quality than similar looking books. I’ve tried other, more expensive sketchbooks but the size and price keep me coming back. Best for pencil, ink and dry media.

A
Anonymous (Vancouver, CA)
8.5" x 11"
exactly what I needed

perfect companion for daily sketching

R
Rose K. (Port Coquitlam, CA)
5.5" x 8"
My favourite!

Consistently perfect for my needs. Value-priced, quality paper, convenient size for taking along anywhere. I must have bought over 35 of them in the last 10 years!

E
Edwardo L. (Vancouver, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Not so good with pen. Fine with pencil.

I draw create with pen, and I found the pages were damaging the pens I use, if I was sketching with pencil I believe the book would be just fine.

A
Anonymous (Langley, CA)
8.5" x 11"
I really like it 👍

I actually really do like this sketchbook, it’s a little bigger than I usually use, but I like the quality of the paper and the weight of the paper, I can use my pens and my Copics with it plus i very much like the way my Copic markers blend on this type of paper 👍👍👍

J
Jessica S. (Coquitlam, CA)
8.5" x 11"

Opus Essential Hardbound Sketchbooks

A
ALANDA G. (Kootenay Bay, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Excellent value

I've been using these for years and years - mostly for journaling with sketches and drawings sometimes. They are a terrific item.

S
Sophia's a.s. (Surrey, CA)
8.5" x 11"

Opus Essential Hardbound Sketchbooks

J
Jessica R. (Surrey, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Good everyday sketchbook

Paper has nice grab and an even texture. Reasonably heavy paper is ok for light multimedia use. Looks like a more expensive book but priced so that it doesn’t feel too precious to muck around with.

L
Lynne J. (North Saanich, CA)
5.5" x 8"

Opus Essential Hardbound Sketchbooks

J
Jason T. (Vancouver, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Skinny Little Sketchbook

I bought this because I was there, but it was the only standard black hardcover sketchbook they had, a very thin lame version of what I would usually get.

B
Barbara L.n. (Kamloops, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Sketchbooks

Ordering stuff on line sight unseen is difficult - hard to guess what the tooth and weight are going to be like, but these are fine for my purpose. (I use graphite and coloured pencils, inks and oil pastels in them.)

C
Christina F. (Vancouver, CA)
8.5" x 11"

I have bought two of thesesketchbooks as gifts to artists One is in his eighties and the other in his twenties. Both greatly appreciated this purchase I gifted them I have also bought these sketchbooks in the past and really like them for sketching, writing and designing Art

C
Connie P. (Saskatoon, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Hardbound sketchbook

Love the hard cover, large pages and paper quality!

L
LIZA Y. (Victoria, CA)
5.5" x 8"
Great value. Great quality

Get these for our kids to keep their sketches. They hold up wonderfully.

S
Stephen N. (Surrey, CA)
5.5" x 8"
Great size for students

I use these notebooks for journaling, they’re a great size for taking a walk in nature and sketching. My students appreciate that they don’t take up a lot of space in their lockers/bags

D
Danielle A. (West Kelowna, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Love these

I have bought other brands but return to this brand always. I am not a pro at all. I go through these books like crazy. I buy them often also love their pencils

J
Jen B. (West Kelowna, CA)
5.5" x 8"

❤️❤️❤️

B
Beatriz M. (Richmond, CA)
Perfect for nature sketching outdoors!

SUPER DUPER PAPER!

I specifically chose the 5 x 8 in. hardcover sketchbook for our outdoor nature sketching program. (And the softcover for the indoor program).

It is GREAT paper that allows our students to use both graphite pencils and water soluble Color pencils, in all their glory, creating shades of grey without getting ripped off or saturated. It also allows for mixing colours. Great paper, I cannot overstate it. HUGE versatility. The paper is thick enough that they can also add some water media in both sides of the paper, like water soluble Color pencils.

The hardcover is great when sketching outdoors, so we don’t need an additional cardboard as surface.

So overall incredible quality for a very reasonable price. I love this paper, and it is acid free!

Highly recommended :)

S
St. G.J.S. (North Vancouver, CA)
8.5" x 11"
Tried, tested and trustworthy

I have purchased over 200 of these every year for the past 3 years and they are great quality. Since they are a stapled-paper-back the cover sometimes can be ripped off. But this is not common and can be re-stapled if you have a long neck stapler. Ours are used quite rough by elementary art students but the ones I have used for personal use have never fallen apart.

C
Charlie H. (Vancouver, CA)
5.5" x 8"
it’s great

love it. great size and weight and paper!! 10/10

D
DAS (Vancouver, CA)
5.5" x 8"

Good for sketching

A
Alex S. (Victoria, CA)
5.5" x 8"
Small sketchbook

I got the opus hardbound 5x8 sketchbook to keep in my car / backpack when i go backpacking and it is the perfect size for me. Small enough to fit with limited space but big enough pages to get a decent drawing done without having to shrink the idea down. 10/10 would recommend

Learn with Opus

Demos, workshops and guides for Sketchbooks.

From the Resource Library