--- title: "Moleskine Art Sketchbook: 165 g Ivory Pages, Sizes" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/moleskine-art-sketchbook/" description: "Moleskine Art Sketchbook explained: 104 plain ivory pages of 165 g/m² paper in the Large 5 × 8.25 in book, other sizes, and how it takes pencil, ink, markers." category: "Paper" type: "Sketch & art pad" published: 2026-10-20 updated: 2026-10-20 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 9 products: - name: "Moleskine Art Sketchbook (Art Plus), Large, Plain, Black, Hard Cover, 13 x 21 cm, 104 pages" brand: "Moleskine" brand_origin: "Italy" made_in: "China" material: "Cardboard hard cover; 165 g/m² acid-free, FSC-certified ivory paper" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per ream or pad, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Moleskine S.r.l. (D'Ieteren Group)" gtin: "9788883701153" url: "https://www.moleskine.com/it-it/shop/taccuini/collezione-art/sketchbook/taccuino-per-gli-schizzi-nero-9788883701153.html" --- # Moleskine Art Sketchbook: 165 g Ivory Pages, Sizes > The Moleskine Art Sketchbook is a hard-cover sketchbook with plain, heavy ivory pages: the Large is 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in) with 104 pages of 165 g/m² acid-free paper, plus the elastic closure, ribbon and back pocket of the Classic notebook. It suits pencil and ink; alcohol markers bleed through and heavy washes are not its job. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/moleskine-art-sketchbook/ - Category: Paper - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-20 - Updated: 2026-10-20 ![Drawing of the black Moleskine Art Sketchbook, Large, 210 mm (8.25 in) tall, closed with its elastic and ribbon, and opened flat on ivory pages with a pencil still life; inset: 165 g/m² ivory pages](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/moleskine-art-sketchbook-16x9.png) *The Large Art Sketchbook, closed and open, drawn to scale.* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/moleskine-art-sketchbook-cover.svg. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Moleskine Art Sketchbook (Art Plus), Large, Plain, Black, Hard Cover, 13 x 21 cm, 104 pages | Moleskine (by Moleskine S.r.l. (D'Ieteren Group)) | Italy | China | Cardboard hard cover; 165 g/m² acid-free, FSC-certified ivory paper | – | $$$: $20–75 per ream or pad | - Made in (Moleskine Art Sketchbook (Art Plus), Large, Plain, Black, Hard Cover, 13 x 21 cm, 104 pages): China. John Lewis gives China as the country of origin for the Large black Art Sketchbook. Moleskine's Italian product page doesn't state the country. Source: https://www.johnlewis.com/moleskine-large-art-sketchbook-black/p4141282 ## Key takeaways - The Large book holds 104 plain pages (52 sheets) of 165 g/m² ivory paper: Moleskine's Italian site gives the paper, Paragraph Books and Unsharpen the page count. - At 165 g/m², each page is about 2.4 times the weight of the 70 g/m² paper in a Moleskine Classic notebook. - Moleskine lists five sizes, from Pocket, 9 × 14 cm (3.5 × 5.5 in), through Medium, Large and A4 to A3, 29.7 × 42 cm; its Italian shop prices the Large at €28.00 (about US$31). - Reviewers report that alcohol markers and Sharpies bleed through, while pencil, fountain pen ink and fineliners stay on the page. - John Lewis lists China as the country of origin for the Large black Art Sketchbook. ## What is the Moleskine Art Sketchbook? **It is Moleskine's hard-cover sketchbook: the familiar black notebook, filled with plain, heavy ivory drawing paper instead of thin writing paper.** It keeps the Classic's rounded corners, elastic closure, ribbon bookmark and expanding back pocket. Retailers sell the same book as the Art Sketchbook, Art Collection Sketchbook or Art Plus Sketchbook. The Large black version carries ISBN 9788883701153, because Moleskine books are distributed through bookshops. ## Moleskine Art Sketchbook Large specs | Spec | Large, plain (this guide) | |---|---| | Size | 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in) | | Pages | 104 (52 sheets), plain | | Paper | 165 g/m², ivory, acid-free, FSC-certified sources (Moleskine) | | Cover | Hard cover, rounded corners | | Extras | Elastic closure, ribbon, expandable back pocket, opens flat to 180° (Moleskine) | | Italian list price | €28.00 (about US$31) | | ISBN / EAN | 9788883701153 (black) | | Made in | China (John Lewis) | Moleskine's Italian product page gives the paper, cover and extras but not the page count; Paragraph Books and Unsharpen list 104 pages. Cass Art's A4 spec table says 160 g/m², against Moleskine's 165 g/m². UK retailer Cass Art lists the Large at £19.95 (about US$26). ## What sizes does the Art Sketchbook come in? **Moleskine's Italian site lists five sizes, and the page count depends on the size.** | Size | Dimensions | Pages | |---|---|---| | Pocket | 9 × 14 cm (3.5 × 5.5 in) | 72 (Unsharpen) | | Medium | 11.5 × 17.5 cm (4.5 × 6.9 in) | Not published | | Large | 13 × 21 cm (5 × 8.25 in) | 104 | | A4 | 21 × 29.7 cm (8.25 × 11.75 in) | 96 (Unsharpen) or 104 (Cass Art) | | A3 | 29.7 × 42 cm (11.75 × 16.5 in) | 96 (Unsharpen) | Dimensions come from Moleskine's Italian site; it doesn't list page counts, and sources disagree on the A4, so check the band on the book you buy. ## How heavy is the paper compared with other sketchbooks? **At 165 g/m², its paper is heavier than the other popular A5-size hard-cover sketchbooks, and more than twice the weight of Moleskine's notebook paper.** ![Bar chart of paper weights to scale: Moleskine Classic notebook 70 g/m², Strathmore 400 Sketch 89, Leuchtturm1917 Sketchbook 150, Stillman & Birn Alpha 150, Moleskine Art Sketchbook 165 and Stillman & Birn Beta 270 g/m²](https://stationerytimes.com/images/moleskine-art-sketchbook-weight.svg) *The Art Sketchbook's 165 g/m² paper against other drawing and notebook papers.* It is heavier than the 150 g/m² paper in the [Leuchtturm1917 Sketchbook](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/leuchtturm1917-sketchbook/) and the [Stillman & Birn Alpha](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/stillman-birn-alpha-sketchbook/), but far lighter than 270 g/m² books made for wet media. A wirebound [Strathmore 400 sketch pad](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/strathmore-400-sketch-pad/) uses 89 g/m² paper, and the pocket [Maruman Croquis sketchbook](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/maruman-croquis-sketchbook/) only 52.3 g/m². ## What media work on Moleskine sketchbook paper? **Dry media and ink work well; alcohol markers and heavy watercolor do not.** Unsharpen says graphite, charcoal, pastels, colored pencils and fountain pens all behave, and that even hard pencil leads don't emboss through to the next page. Reviewers agree on the weak spots. Alcohol markers and Sharpies bleed through, so a scrap sheet behind the page is wise. One reviewer finds it fine for small, controlled washes, but not for repeated wet layers or heavy washes. ## How does it compare to other hard-cover sketchbooks? **The Moleskine has the heaviest paper of the three best-known A5-size hard-cover sketchbooks, but the fewest pages.** | | Moleskine Art Large | Stillman & Birn Alpha | Leuchtturm1917 Sketchbook | |---|---|---|---| | Size | 13 × 21 cm | 14 × 21.6 cm | 14.5 × 21 cm | | Pages | 104 | 124 | 112 | | Paper | 165 g/m² ivory | 150 g/m² white | 150 g/m² white | | Elastic and ribbon | Yes | Not listed | Yes | | Made in | China | Bound in the US | Not stated | Choose the Moleskine if you like the [Classic notebook](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/moleskine-classic-notebook/) format and want warmer, heavier paper for pencil and ink. Choose a Stillman & Birn if you plan to add washes. ## Where is the Moleskine Art Sketchbook made? **John Lewis lists China as the country of origin for the Large black Art Sketchbook.** That matches the Classic notebook, which retailers also list as made in China. Moleskine's Italian product page doesn't name a country. Moleskine itself is a Milan company, now part of Belgium's D'Ieteren Group. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many pages are in a Moleskine Art Sketchbook? The Large (13 × 21 cm) has 104 pages, which is 52 sheets. Sources disagree for other sizes: Unsharpen lists 72 pages for the Pocket and 96 for the A4, while Cass Art lists 104 for the A4. ### What paper weight is the Moleskine sketchbook? 165 g/m². Moleskine's Italian site lists acid-free ivory paper of 165 g/m² (Paragraph Books gives 111 lb); only Cass Art's A4 spec table says 160 g/m². ### Can you use watercolor in a Moleskine Art Sketchbook? Only lightly. Unsharpen says the sketchbook isn't designed for watercolor, and another reviewer finds it fine for small, controlled washes but not for repeated wet layers. Moleskine makes a separate watercolor book for that. ### Do markers bleed through Moleskine sketchbook paper? Alcohol markers do. Reviewers report bleed-through with alcohol markers and Sharpies, so put scrap paper behind the page. Fountain pen ink and fineliners stay on the page. ### Is the Moleskine Art Sketchbook the same as the Art Plus Sketchbook? Yes, in practice. Retailers sell the same 104-page, 165 g/m² Large book under the names Art Sketchbook, Art Collection Sketchbook and Art Plus Sketchbook. ### What is the difference between the Moleskine sketchbook and the Classic notebook? The paper. The Art Sketchbook uses plain 165 g/m² paper with fewer pages, while the Classic notebook has 240 pages of 70 g/m² paper. Both share the hard cover, elastic, ribbon and back pocket. ### Where is the Moleskine Art Sketchbook made? John Lewis lists China as the country of origin for the Large black Art Sketchbook. Moleskine is an Italian brand based in Milan. ## Sources - [Moleskine (IT): Taccuino per gli schizzi, Nero (Moleskine's Italian page: carta acid free 165 g/m² avorio, sizes Pocket to A3, €28.00 Large)](https://www.moleskine.com/it-it/shop/taccuini/collezione-art/sketchbook/taccuino-per-gli-schizzi-nero-9788883701153.html) - [Paragraph Books: Moleskine Art Plus Sketchbook, Large, Plain, Black, Hard Cover (5 x 8.25), ISBN 9788883701153](https://paragraphbooks.com/products/9788883701153) - [Rizzoli Bookstore: Moleskine Art Plus Sketchbook, Large, Plain, Red, Hard Cover (5 x 8.25)](https://www.rizzolibookstore.com/product/moleskine-art-plus-sketchbook-large-plain-red-hard-cover-5-x-825) - [Powell's Books: Moleskine Art Plus Sketchbook Large, 9788883701153](https://www.powells.com/book/-9788883701153) - [John Lewis: Moleskine Large Art Sketchbook, Black (country of origin: China)](https://www.johnlewis.com/moleskine-large-art-sketchbook-black/p4141282) - [Cass Art: Moleskine Sketchbook Large, 13 x 21 cm (165 gsm, £19.95)](https://www.cassart.co.uk/moleskine-sketchbook-large-13-x-21cm--c) - [Cass Art: Moleskine Sketchbook A4 (21 x 30 cm; 160 gsm in spec table)](https://cassart.co.uk/moleskine-sketchbook-a4-21-x-30cm--c) - [Unsharpen: Moleskine Art Sketchbook review (165 gsm; sizes and page counts; not designed for watercolor)](https://unsharpen.com/paper/moleskine-art-sketchbook/) - [Chris Wilson Studio: Are Moleskine sketchbooks worth it? (washes, alcohol markers)](https://chriswilsonstudio.com/are-moleskine-sketchbooks-worth-it/)