Water Color Paper Sketch Book - Portable Watercolor Sketchbook with Sturdy Faux Leather Bound Cover - 100% Cotton, Acid-Free, Textured Watercolor Journal by Viviva Colors - A5 Size, 40 Pages, 140 lbs

I'm so happy that these wonderful little sketchbooks are available! They're 100% cotton 140lb. /300gsm paper just as the information here states. They've got a very pronounced tooth. The paper isn't bright white, it's a creamy white. It's not that easy to find 100% cotton sketchbooks and I've never seen this size in a hardcover 100% cotton, either.I'm an intermediate self-taught watercolorist. I like using 100% cotton paper because it's what I've become used to but it's not easy to find in a sketchbook of any size, let alone in this small pocket size. For those who also like a pronounced tooth to their watercolor paper, these sketchbooks will certainly make you happy. I normally use Bee cold press paper for my work or Paul Rubens hot press. Of course, the hot press is smooth but the Bee has a tooth. If you're familiar with Bee cold press, then you'll be able to judge what the paper in these sketchbooks is like when I say that these have about half again to twice the tooth of the Bee paper.I used a wash in my first painting and the paper buckled, but to my surprise as it dried it straightened right back out and lies as flat as the other pages now. That's a nice plus. I'm used to paper that retains a wavy appearance even after it's dry. Absolutely no bleeding through of paint.The thing I found a little difficult to adjust to is that the paper is a creamy white and I've never used that shade before. It's not a bad thing, though. Just something I'm not used to. It's only recently that I've become aware that there are different shades of white watercolor paper.The paper does lie flat when the book is open. You need to crease it open, if that makes sense, but once you've done that, your two pages will lie open flat. Using page clips makes that a simple thing.I haven't done any studies in the book yet, but will come back to update with photos once I do. I hurried to leave a review because these are such great little sketchbooks. I ordered 5 of them to start with, thinking how could I go wrong for 100% cotton paper. I'm ordering more of them because I don't want them to just disappear and not be available anymore for some reason without my having a supply of them. However, I'm not hoarding them----I'm leaving plenty in the listing for others who will want to try them. The information on the cover strip says they're made by the same company who make Viviva Coloursheets, for those who are familiar with that. I'm not but I'll do some research to find out what those are.

(Earns commissions)I'm always looking for that unicorn of watercolor journals...100% cotton, hard bound, portable, has a pocket in the back cover, an elastic closure and one I will want to rely on as my go-to. The Viviva 100% Cotton Watercolor Journal checked 5 of these 6 boxes for me, and among handmade watercolor paper journals, it's a 10 out of 10.My only hesitation for making this my "go-to" watercolor journal is the cream tone of the paper. It's just not white enough for my personal tastes. I sketch on toned paper often, however, when I paint with watercolor, I prefer a white paper. The cream toned paper is a natural result of their use of 100% cotton rag to make the paper.I actually love that! Viviva is a company that champions minimal environmental impact, and by using cotton rag (typically recycled from the garment industry), they are actively lessening their footprint on our planet. So...the 4 stars for me is really just because I prefer a paper that is closer to white. Don't get me wrong, I really like this paper and I will gladly fill each page with a painting!It's very easy to use, and a HUGE plus is that every other watercolor journal I've used that contains 100% cotton handmade paper is too textured, the biniding can be "iffy" & the sizing has a slippery, gelatinous feel. The Viviva watercolor journal has beautifully succeeded in overcoming these difficulties, and THAT is what makes this sketchbook a pleasure to use.If you are in the market for a journal with the uniqueness that handmade paper brings, this is your journal!

I love everything about it. It is a good quality cotton 140# paper, which is what I need for watercolors. It’s the perfect size for quick studies and small enough to carry with me, easily. Great price point…I will be getting another one soon!

The pages are very textured - thick paper, not at all smooth. Which is fine for some applications. What I didn't like was the fact that the pages separated at the seams. So now my nice paintings are taped together with packing tape. Not what I wanted.

It's a pretty rough paper, with bits of embedded fiber or wood. Kind of attractive in a rough hewn way. However, it is completely unsized, and so soaks up water. It catches on pen nibs and tears. Overall it is disappointing

I love Viviva color sheets and have been meaning to try this sketchbook, so I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. The paper is an ivory color, rough texture with 100% cotton short fibers. It held the water and paint well, and is just like working on handmade paper. If you aren't used to working on rough paper or handmade fibers, then you may have a learning curve with this. But if this is what you're after, you'll be very happy with the way the paper absorbs and the interesting texture you can achieve - especially with dry brush techniques. Not for beginners, though, this is more of an advanced watercolorists' supply.

I took a chance on this because it's rare to find this price for 100% cotton paper. This is the strangest paper I've ever seen. It's an inconsistent gauze-like, drywall-like, cloth-like, alien texture, a bit like painting on canvas. Odd bumps and fibres that got trapped in the paper pressing process throughout. And then there are paint-resistant, paper-colored spots that appear only after the paint starts to dry. Scrubbing technique with watercolor causes pilling, like those little cotton things that happen when you wash cheap towels. Lots of staining so lifting is limited to impossible. Too much water and the paint travels past the paint parameter and gets absorbed, so your crisp line becomes a blotch. Gouache seems to be better on here, although the paper sucks it up like a sponge so I have to use extra paint. Im learning to work with it, but will NEVER buy again. Sorry to be harsh. Just honest.

I bought this sketchbook even though I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews about Viviva cotton sketchbooks. People seem to either love them or hate them. I’m in the former camp! I really like the paper, it’s very unique and unlike other cotton papers I’ve used before. It behaves very differently probably because it’s handmade. I’ve heard that it doesn’t perform well with tape or masking fluid, so I don’t intend to use either on it. It handles lots of water and does interesting stuff when using wet into wet techniques, which I find to be quite fun. I recommend it, but I also recommend not having any particular expectations and just enjoying its unique properties. It’s not like most machine made papers, so don’t expect it to be!

Really nice if your looking for a nice off white paper with some thickness, the quality here is very nice!

Me parece un gran produco

Dieses Skizzenbuch hat eine super tolle Papierqualität, es macht richtig Freude mit Aquarellfarben darin zu arbeiten.

The media could not be loaded.  I love this journal!!Paper is lovely thick cold pressed. I have used watercolour and also acrylics on this paper and both have great results.Great value for money, and I would highly recommend