Strathmore Visual Journal Watercolor 9"X12"-22 Sheets -460590

The media could not be loaded. I just love, love, love this Journal! Wow! I want to add a few things about this Visual journal. It's the same paper as the Strathmore 500 series premium Mix Media Journal 100% cotton but more small, the same quality, thikness, texture, lb and gms. This journal have a good capacity to work with graphite, Ink, colored pencils, soluble pigments crayons, colored graphite, ballpoint pen, watercolor and gouache. And I love how it looks gouache on it. So I highly recommend this for sketches, project or preliminary painting or drawing. High quality, good for student and professional Artists.

I worked at the art supply store at my art college years ago, in the 90s. My school collaborated with a local paper company to put out a variety of school-brand sketchbooks. One of them was a spiral bound book, 11" x 14", with a heavy cover and back. And the paper was 100% cotton watercolor paper, 140 cold press. There were around 25 pages in them. They were the best sketchbooks, and an incredible buy. (I can't remember what they cost, but if I found them affordable as a student, they were not expensive.) I wish I had somehow been able to stockpile them and store them in an art supply bunker, but those sketchbooks are now a thing of the past.The next best thing to building a time machine, and going back to buy one of my alma mater watercolor sketchbooks, is buying one of these. Strathmore 460-19 500 Series Visual Mixed Media Journal, Vellum, 9"x12", White, 34 Sheets.These are my requirements for a good sketchbook: spiral binding, so I can fold the pages all the way back without them getting weird, and tear the pages out easily if need be. The paper needs to be 100% cotton so it will stand up to multiple eraser scrubbings and multiple water applications without pilling. It needs to be of a decent weight so it doesn’t tear under the erasing and water. It should have a generous amount of pages. It has to tolerate a variety of mixed media. And- it needs to be affordable.I work wet on wet a lot. I use water soluble graphite to draw the basic design, and have to do a lot of erasing because my drafting skills aren't the greatest. Then I go in with water-soluble chalk pastels, gouache, ink, more graphite, and sometimes acrylic paint and water soluble colored pencils. I spray the paper with water for wet on wet, and will spray the work in progress and sometimes rinse off as much of the image as I can, and then go back in and work on it some more. When its finished, I will spray the work with either Workable Fixatif or Crystal Clear to seal in the media. Or I will put on a layer or two of polymer medium. I like to keep the work in the book. I do put glassine between the pages. But the paper gets loaded with media, and layers, and plastic- and with the exception of a little tearing at the top or bottom of the page, the books stay intact.I don't know how the paper is sized, or have any other information on them. I just know they are amazing, and I'm happy they exist.Strathmore, if you are listening: I'd really love an 11" x 14" size of one of these.I highly recommend this sketchbook. Treat yourself to one. Under $20. 100% cotton paper. The paper makes a big difference, and won't quit on you, or pill, or tear. I have tormented the pages of these sketchbooks, and they keep their integrity. I'm really glad I found them.

Bought as gift. Arrived without damage. Recipient liked the size and paper.

Great little watercolor sketching companion. I primarily work in ink with light wet in wet washes.What I liked...*Cost. If you're trying to sketch daily, wc paper gets pricey fast. This book is 1/3 the cost of most watercolor sketchbooks.*Size. 5 x 8 is perfect to toss in my handbag or backpack.*Spiral binding. I need the ability to fold my sketchbook back on itself. I don't do 2 page spreads often for daily sketch work.*Heavy 140# paper...hard to find at this price point. No buckling, even with a heavy wash.*Stiff covers. Seriously stiff. No table or clipboard needed for support.*Dries super fast. Ideal for on location sketching.*Takes pen exceptionally well. This was huge for me. My last wc sketchbook resisted pen ink.*My Koi travel sketch kit works well on this paper.What I don't like...*No elastic closure. Using one of my daughter's stretchy headbands or a binder clip.*This is heavy paper, but does not perform like traditional sized watercolor paper. The front of the pages allows for a little softening off and lifting, and wet in wet works moderately well. I couldn't scrape back or do my normal pulling or softening off.*My QoR paints looked dull on this paper compared to regular wc paper. Weird!Visual Journals advertise themselves as a "no pressure playground where imperfection is perfectly amazing." I wanted a durable sketchbook for daily field use, and this is a bargain for that purpose. This is not a journal I'd choose for a trip abroad or for trying to learn and practice watercolor painting technique. For everyday skill building, the fast drying watercolor and easy pen work outweighed the negatives on this paper for me. I don't like waiting for watercolor to dry between washes in the field, and I HATE trying to work on buckled paper in the field. Thank you, Strathmore, for journals that encourage lots of use. If you decide to buy this journal, I highly recommend Signo pens and a Koi travel watercolor kit to go with it.

A great little sketchbook to toss in my art bag. Good for pastel work. I carry a few of my pan pastels and this sketchbook in my bag to use whenever I have 15 minutes or more to work on something between commitments. I’ve learned there is time for art, if you are prepared for it!

Great drawing journal. Lots of pages and a good size for art work. Pages are pretty thick, and it’s particularly good for watercolor painting.

I LOVE this journal. Super portable and sturdy. Great to take camping or the beach!