Hello!
Recently I got this question in my inbox:
I replied that I love to watercolor on a hot-press (smooth) paper, so I’ve found Fabriano Artistico 140# hot press to work well… however, I haven’t found a sketchbook that has quite this quality… many of my friends (like Teesha Moore) make their own journals from the above paper, but I’ve found this isn’t the solution that works well for me and my impatient personality. 😉
For sketchbooks, I’ve recently been using a Canson Mixed-Media spiral bound; it’s inexpensive and takes watercolor, but probably not as beautifully as others out there do…
I asked Eleanore if she minded if I posed her question here… I think feedback from other mixed-media artists will be way more helpful than mine!
Do you have a suggestion for Eleanore? Thank you!
carlasonheim.wordpress.com 
Most of the time lately, I make my own, but I also kind of love the bookbinding process more than any human probably should. That said, I recently picked up a Stillman & Birn hot press watercolor book (spiral bound, the thicker quality paper) at Daniel Smith, and that’s absolutely dreamy to work with. Almost dreamy enough to get me to buy books rather than make them. Thirsty paper that both pen and brush just glide right over, and enough density that there’s not a lot of buckling….droolworthy. Totally. 🙂
I love the Canson Mixed Media spiral bound books, but I also love making my own sketchbooks with watercolor paper. I find that cheaper 90 pound paper is much easier to make books with than the 140#.
If you’re looking for top quality, though, you just can’t beat Artistico hot press 140# paper. You can make a very simple pamphlet stitch book quickly by folding your papers, nesting them, and stitching with waxed thread. The hardest part about it is folding the 140# paper (which is why I often use 90#).
Jessica Wesoleck of Cre8it.com highly recommends the Stillman&Birn Beta sketchbook. Check out her web site-she does a lot of journaling.
Strathmore Hardbound 400 Series Watercolor Art Journal.
I discovered this after taking an online class from Lisa Congden. Takes markers and watercolors really well.
Ditto the Stillman & Birn Beta books. My pens love the smooth paper, and as yet, I haven’t had any bleed through, even with markers. I also don’t get much buckling with watercolors. With small sketches, none actually. With larger washes, a little…but then I just use a binder clip or two around the edges while it dries and that takes care of it.
I’ve also tried the S&B Alpha and Zeta, but I don’t like those was well for watercolor and ink.
Strathmore Mixed Media art journals are the best. I really dislike Canson as the paper wrinkles. Strathmore has an inexpensive spiral line and a more expensive hard bound line. They are the only journals I will use. I love them!
I use Strathmore Mixed Media too. I am now making all my own sketchbooks and buy the Strathmore Mixed Media 11 X 14 sheets in a block – or a tablet of 15 sheets – and make sure I have some in every sketchbook. This way I have single pages for other water color when I want it. This is 140 lb hot press with a vellum surface. I buy with when its buy one get one free at M’s or when I have 50% coupons.
Canson for sure. I was told to get one for a book cover making class and I did. I hadn’t used it before since it wasn’t very expensive. It surprised me so much as it was wonderful for sketching and takes other media so well. Although I have bought several other more expensive brands, I now won’t use anything else but Canson.
I don’t like working in a sketch book because I don’t like the spiral edge blocking my hand when I need to work from the left hand side. Even more frustrating for me is a hardbound book that doesn’t lay flat and is difficult to work near the bound edge. My solution is making my own book using a 1/2″ ring notebook. Costco sells packs of 6 for really cheap. The 1/2″ ring binder is relatively light. I invested in a 3-hole punch (really not that expensive, Costco carries one). It’s quick and easy.
There are many advantages: 1. I can have different types of paper in the same book, 2. I can remove the paper to work on it flat and then put it back in the binder. 3. I can arrange pages any way I want. 4. I can take a page out to use as a reference when I’m painting from that image. 5. I can use the notebook as a hard surface under my paper if I’m out and about and don’t have a table. 6. I can transfer pages to a larger binder for efficient storage.
I’m sure there’s more I can list but you get the idea.
I’ve also made small sketch books using smaller ring notebooks. But making the holes takes more time. I hand punch holes using a homemade template. (I could adjust the holes on the 3-hole punch but I’m too lazy!)
I also love Fabriano Hot for the Smooth qualities. I have made Teesh’s style book. Miriam Schulman makes a great accordian style in her workshop Watercolor Textures (The Inspiration Place) I think Roz Stendahl’s blog is FULL of INFO at making sketchbooks and defining types of paper to use for different mediums. I LOVE Stillman & Birn Zeta Hardbound Sketchbook for the smooth paper and one that will stand up to any mixed media. The micron pen glides over it and water color washes are divine on it. The colors mingle on this paper in happy ways. Also, they sell sheets of this and all of their paper. I like S&B Alpha series too. I highly recommend Stillman & Birn ZETA. Cheers-Darlene
Roz also has an online bookbinding workshop for making your own round back spine sketchbooks. It’s amazing! It’s in session now. I think she has plans to offer it again, along with workshops for other styles of bookbinding.
I use micron pen as well and will try your Stillman & Birn Zeta. Thanks!
Joyce, have you tried Stillman & Birn Zeta or other series? Hardbound, lays flat, quality paper.
Sent from my iPad
>
Elenore,
Michaels has a 40 sheet Fabriano paper booklet that measures 81/4 x 113/4 inches. if you use the 40% off coupon you can get it for about $2.50. Good luck!
Karen
Thanks for all the great suggestions regarding the best-quality sketchbook for art journaling. I promised to share the reason why I was looking for this in the first place. It all began when I was asked to give an arts workshop for the Chaplains-in-training at Fort Belvoir. They would be ministering to troops who were deploying and in the hospitals. So, I was looking for materials suitable for the battlefield or bedside. “An economy of means” was also my guiding principle.
There is a Healing Arts Program for wounded warriors at the National Intrepid Center for Excellence, and I was inspired by one of the projects they create in their final week there. A postcard they make, with words of support, is sent to a former graduate of the program.
Family and peer support is deeply valued in the military. I liked the idea of creating a postcard that could be detached and sent home, so the Canson perforated spiral-bound sketchpad at 5.5x 8.5 and 140 lbs seemed like a perfect find.
I also bought and fell in LOVE with the Faber-Castell Mixed Media Set—the one with Albrect Durer watercolor pencils, 3 marker sizes and a great brush. The quality of the German materials never lets me down.
When Carla mentioned the Canson, I ran to see which one I had. Guess what? I ended up buying the Canson “Montval” watercolor pad. This is a cold-press, which I like (because I was taught that it’s more forgiving). I had tried everything in my new Mixed Media set on this pad of paper and loved it!
After posing my question to Carla, I went back and tried my dip pens with Calli ink on the Canson pad and they worked beautifully, too. So, essentially, the Canson watercolor pad is truly the “mixed-media” one. (Their other pad by that name buckled when I used watercolor.)
Thank you again or getting me back in the spirit of experimenting—I have a lot of your suggestions to try out!
Eleanore
Wow, what great info! Often, I let cost dictate my choices which is NOT always the best solution. It’s hard to commit a random intuitive sketch to a costly book but that brings up another topic related to ‘saving’ your ‘special’ supplies!
My ‘daily journal’ sketchbook which includes random notes et al, is a Daler Rowney Classic Cachet hardbound, and I do use wet and dry medium on it; it buckles less with gouache but the trick is to not saturate the page. I still want something smoother of better quality, so will probably try ones suggested by the posts. Otherwise if I think a sketch is ‘going to be worth it’ – I like the cold pressed paper in a Moleskine watercolor book. Of course, you just never know how a piece will turn out. It’s a conundrum, for sure.
Hi, I myself am looking for one perfect notebook for me. I use tech pens for drawing and writing, and I use watercolor a lot too! At this time I’ve started with Dealer Rowney A5 Graduate sketchbook. The same paper quality will be found in other Dealer Rowney formats like their landscape and portrait spiral sketchbook with 140 gsm paper. Smooth enough for tech pens, so fountain pens will be great on it too. It’s thick enough for watercolor wash. I’ve tried up to 4 layers of watercolor. Just be careful to use softer brushes and don’t wet the paper too much because it’s not made of cotton.
I use isograph pens and watercolor a lot. I’ve used a Dealer Rowney Graduate sketchbook recenly which I cut to fit my Midori traveler’s notebook and it’s been wonderful. Technical pens glide smoothly and watercolor colors stay brilliant, they don’t seem to tern out after a few days unlike on the other sketchbooks I’ve used before. It’s this enough to make a few washes and layers, just make sure you use soft brushes and not wet the paper too much.