Paul Rubens Watercolor Journal, 100% Cotton 140 lb (300 GSM) Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper, 20 Sheets Sized 3.8’’ x 5.2’’ Travel Art Journal for Beginners and Experienced Painters (Black)

This is my first experience with hot pressed paper so I wasn't sure what to expect. I normally paint on 100% cotton cold pressed paper and do mostly wet on wet technique. But I've been noodling around with ink and wash so I needed a smoother paper.I've done several paintings in the sketchbook, ink and wash and just watercolor. It handles washes without buckling but if you are used to cold pressed paper you need to use significantly less water. Paint will move if you do wet on wet and it will granulate but not as much as on more textured paper.It handles tape well and I erased initial sketches with no issues at all. Color looks nice and vibrant. You can lift paint well. Wet on dry works very well on this paperFor anyone reading reviews of this journal to help make your decision, remember first and foremost, this is hot pressed paper, so it will not behave like cold pressed paper if that is what you are used to. Very smooth gradients might be difficult unless you are experienced. But that said I am enjoying it and if you are looking for an urban sketchbook or wanting to try a smoother texture it's a great book for the price.

This was my first watercolor sketchbook. As a beginner, I feel most comfortable painting on small sheets. The pages in this sketchbook are the perfect size for me. I even like the hot-pressed paper. My paints (Mai Liang half pans) flow nicely on the page. I can even paint wet-on-wet by spritzing the page with a water mister. I found the pages can take a lot of water. I liked this sketchbook so much that I filled it up pretty fast and ordered another in a larger size. For those who are concerned that the sketchbook doesn't have a rubber band closure, I purchased a 3-pack of small, fuzzy hair scrunchies at Dollar Tree for $1.27. One works perfectly to keep the sketchbook closed.

The paper seems great so far, besides the pages that have creasing and damage on them. I love the compact size and hard cover. I can't say I'm not incredibly bummed about the elastic breaking the first time I went to undo it. I wasn't even rough AT ALL, new sketchbooks are precious to me. The elastic was one thing I was very excited to have, as I want everything inside to stay together and compact, unlike my previous sketchbook which always had loose sheets falling out. Oh well, hopefully I can fix it, and still use the dented pages.Update: Despite some damage from shipping, this sketchbook is amazing! Because the paper is cotton, it can handle a beating from scrubbing, layering, etc. I was able to glue the elastic back into its original place, and it looks fine, although I have to be extra careful when using it. The dents in the paper were only an issue on the first couple of pages, and even then not much (after all it's a sketchbook not a piece I'm going to try to sell). I love the size of this journals pages, and if I so choose, I could do a panoramic landscape across a spread. The pages are perforated in case you did want to remove a piece, however I have not yet tried to remove anything. Anyway, I highly recommend this sketchbook to anyone looking for a great watercolor journal, as the paper is cotton, and it is wonderful to use. This is hot pressed paper, and so far I have not seen an option for cold pressed, but I certainly hope they make that an option as well.

Surface accepted multiple layers of watercolor, technical pen (like micron, with needle-sharp pen tip glided smoothly across the hot-press surface) and lifting (scrubbing/erasing paint) without damage. The rubber type sealing around the edges protects the bottom pages from leaking, but does not keep the paper flat with wet washes. There is a small gap at the top by the binding for you to slide a thin object to separate the sheets later, and I was concerned it might leak there. I did not pay attention to it as I put down a VERY wet wash. The paper underneath was totally clean, so no problem. It handled high water loads very well considering hot press is typically better for detailed low-water applications.Sadly I am removing one star because this honestly could have been a little better made. The top sheet had a lot of little defects including messy sealant around the edges and some markings here and there. I also do not think the curved edges were a good idea, because the corners should be decently protected by the hardcover anyway. Now I just have more to be careful about trimming away if I want to frame the art later. You barely have a few milimeters to spare when you trim away the curved edges and sealer mess to end up with a picture frame 5"x7" size rectangle.If you travel, paint during transportation or do urban sketching than this is pretty nice to have. The hard book style surface allows you to even balance a small travel palette on the open flap in your lap if you were tight on space. The paper is hard to remove from the next sheet without a very thin object, not so sure a credit card would not scrape the next sheet, so I used a thinner razor blade. A plastic razor blade would be a safer option and compact enough to throw into your travel pack.Refill note: I bought the small paper block which I haven't been able to find the Paul Rubens brand refill for in size nor in hot press. However, I did notice that the cold press version of their paper block (also on amazon) could fit into the larger size cover once empty. They are glued in, so you'd have to get to the last page then glue in a new pad. No real easy way to reuse these, though the cover is very nice like a hardbound book. Overall the price is reasonable even if you just replaced the whole thing now and again.