So, what brand of sketchbook do you guys use? I'm looking for some nice ones for Christmas. Softcover-bound preferably. Comfortably big yet still portable. The only ones I've seen so far are the Moleskine Cahiers. The reason I want a softcover is so I can basically just customise/mess it up.

I don't want top-bound ones... they don't inspire me. :D

Right now I'm using an Academie Sketch Diary, because I was living in the middle of nowhere over the summer, and didn't have any access to art supplies... except what was available at Wal-Mart... Shudder.

Usually I pick up a Strathmore recycled sketch pad, simply because they're cheap and readily available. I like side-spiral-bound sketchbooks because I can rip pages out if I need to... I've had the hard, canvas bound type sketchbooks before, but I find them too intimidating to draw in... I guess that sounds silly.

I don't worry so much about paper type as I used to, since mostly I just do preliminary sketches in books, then finish in digital media... so paper quality doesn't affect the final image as much as it did when I used strictly traditional media.

I just use computer paper :P

yeah, same here, just a file full of computer paper and finished comics/drawings