Hello Everybody! How are you all doing?
Welcome to my new creative post. Today I want to talk about the new journals I’ve had the pleasure to experiment with. If I could I would have done this years ago. But I didn’t know these journals existed until resent. And they are not as easy to get as you think. If only I could waltz into a store and buy them, then and there.
After so much searching, I’ve found two journals what could work well with the art medium that I want to practice on. I have the Moleskine Watercolor Journal and the Leuchtturm 1917 Sketchbook. They are quite pricey but I am hoping that is was worth it. So far, so good. I’ve had
I was looking for good quality paper within a journal. I am tired of carrying around loose sheets of paper. A journal that could handle ink and watercolor. My basic go to is the Canson Mix Media Sketchbook. But I needed something stronger than that. The downside is that they don’t come with a lot of sheets. So I have to make each page count. There is no room for mistakes.
My creative journey has been either practice my art style or finding the best journal. And I sure that I am close to getting that perfect sketchbook that I always dreamed of. It is hard to find something that can meet all your expectations. Especially when you don’t have it at hand to see if they deliver. So buying something like these is a necessary risk.
The first journal I got was the Leuchtturm 1917 Sketchbook. Is the magenta journal on the right. I love the feel and color of the hardcover. It comes with an elastic strap to keep it close and ribbon to use as a bookmark. It also has a pocket on the back to store some loose pages too. The journal has 180 gsm paper thickness. The page is thicker in comparison to my mixed media journals.
To test the page before use I created a small chart at the front page. It works fine with most of my ink pens like Sakura and Deleter pens. I am somewhat worried about the use of water in this journal. The pages are thick but not thick enough for watercolor. It can still take it only if I use water to on a small amount. The journal had 96 pages. But I wouldn’t risk it by painting on both sides.
My most recent journal is the Moleskine Watercolor Journal. I’ve been wanting to try this out for a very long time. I was too scared to get it at first. But now I have no time to feel intimidated by it. There are too many artworks I want to try on it. The Moleskine is the black journal on the left. It would have been nice to pick another color for the cover but I ordered this online. I had
Like the Leuchtturm Sketchbook, the Moleskine comes with a hardcover. It has the elastic strap and a pocket on the back but no bookmark ribbon. I don’t mind it that much. I sometimes forget to use it anyways. By touch only I can tell the pages are thick. And they have to be if they are going to resist watercolors. They are 200 gsm, almost 135 lb. But what I am excited the most is, that it has 25% cotton fiber. The more cotton the paper has the better.
The big difference between my Leuchtturm and the Moleskine is that the later is in portrait. That doesn’t bother me at all. The journal does carry up to 60 pages. But I am going to stick with using only one side of it. It works well and doesn’t bleed or ghosts to the other side, I will consider using the back side too. I still haven’t tested out my art supplies on the front page. But I have faith that it will work out well. I am still going to do the testing page to be cautious.
I am very excited to color on these sketchbooks. The Leuchtturm is already complete with drawings. All that’s left are some inking the lines and coloring them. Before that, I want to also draw on my Moleskine first before I do anything else. If they turn out to be a dud, I can continue searching for other journals to practice with. As of now, I’ve had my eye on the Pentalic Aquarelle and the Leda Sketchbook. But I am saving those for later.
And there you have it a new creative post. Not so creative and more informant. I wanted to let you know my reasons for getting these sketchbooks. Now I am buying sketchbooks for testing and real completion purposes. For example, I can’t buy another sketchbook until these are complete. There are two other sketchbooks here that I need to test and complete as well. The Strathmore Visual Journal and the 400 Series Watercolor. If you thought that I was busy, this is only the tip of it.
Do not forget to give me a visit at The Senspirational ArtRoom. All I need is your support and now you can do so by going to my Patreon page. Or go to see my older drawings at DeviantArt. There are also many other sites that I am currently active. Never forget to add me at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and on Pinterest. Well, I’ll leave now. Be nice to others and have a nice day!
See you all later and take care,
from Ijiserure