The 8 Best hardbound Watercolor journals (2023 reviews)

Here, we review journal that manages to win our hearts. It's the strathmore hardbound watercolor journal and it's widely considered as one of best journal you can buy. These are truly great books to use for a visual journal. You can get them in any variety whether you are drawing or water coloring, and they're perfect for art journaling. It's built sturdy and the paper is high quality and nice and thick and toothy. It is excellent for watercolor and collage, and is also good for acrylic, pen, ink, pencil, and marker.

The paper weight will hold a lot of water without warping. They are easy to draw on and take watercolor very nicely without buckling.

Why We Like This:

Takes watercolor, pencil and pen well, as well as collage
Great gift for artists and teens
New and hot release

Best For tutorials: tumuarta hardbound Watercolor Journal

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The tumuarta hardbound watercolor journal is capable of outshining several other journal featured in this list in overall features in its price range. It takes so much water and paint, and doesn't get warped. The round corner protects you from accidental paper cuts, sturdy and durable heavy board with linen covers support you to paint and draw, and the book lays flat for working two-page spreads. It fits into a small purse.

The books are nicely bound and the paper feels great. It's very easy to lift color before it sinks into the paper. The book lays flat when opened for easy painting. It's well-made, the pages lie perfectly flat, and the paper is thick. It will last up to many years under normal use and storage conditions.

Why We Like This:

Nice fabric on cover, elastic strap is 1 cm wide and sturdy
Has a bit more of a rough texture
Perfect size at 5x5 with hard cover
Takes tons of water with little to no warping

Best For adding White highlights: Strathmore Watercolor Paper

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The strathmore watercolor paper should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. This intermediate grade watercolor paper has a strong surface that is ideal for watercolor. It's cold pressed with slight tooth on one side and smoother on the other side. It is allows for fine and even washes, as well as lifting and scraping applications. The paper holds pastel pencil with little rub, as well as Pen and Pencil well. It is great for a travel sketchbook.

It's 100% cotton, acid free. There is no water seepage so far through to the next page. The paper is very durable. For a sketchbook to test layouts and color schemes, and do quick watercolor sketches, this is perfect for a sketchbook.

Why We Like This:

Good for light washed and dry mediums
You can use all sided when painting as the paint doesn’t bleed through
Excellent even for moderate watercolor use

Best With Acrylic Paint: tumuarta low Cotton content Paper

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If you often find yourself confused about convenient and suitable journal, tumuarta low cotton content paper should be your first option for buying. This wee journal is excellent for studies, technique experiments, and miniature paintings. It holds the water and you can scrub a little, for lifting paint, without damaging the paper. The paper is thick and can take anything you want to throw at it. It is ideal for watercolors, acrylics, ink pen, colored pencils, markers, oil pastels and more, it will tolerate light washes without bleeding and holds up to erasing. The binding is sturdy and it’s the perfect size for painting at home or taking on the go.

The wood heels are great, the hinges feel sturdy and magnets work well. The paper dries quickly and the pages do not stick when you close the journal. This is also the perfect size for a special trip or even as an autograph book or sign in for an event or celebration, like a graduation or a special birthday.

Why We Like This:

Altogether an excellent addition to a budding (or veteran) watercolorist
Good quality paper in a well crafted binding
Decent paper performance & you can paint on both sides of the paper
A perfect travel size and you can actually use both sides of a page

Best For children: Paul Rubens hardbound Watercolor Journal

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The paul rubens hardbound watercolor journal's superior materials makes sure that it ages well with use. You will love the perfect and compact size watercolor paper. Adopted 100% cotton, this journal is acid-free and can keep your memories alive long after the trip. It comes with an artist quality 100 cotton hot pressed watercolor journal. It’s also a thread-stitched notebook which makes it possible to remove the middle thread and use it as a larger page, so you can do the wide range of painting and panorama on it.

Each sheet of this watercolor paper features a double sided texture, so it offers you up to 40 pages to use. It is acid-free and designed to endure. The classic book cover can protect the works on the inner page. It is made of 100% cotton rag for dry or wet painting, can be used for watercolor paint, gouache paint, acrylics, pencils, etc. It’s convenient to take this watercolor journal with you wherever you go.

Why We Like This:

Suitable for detailed work and smooth washes
Available in two sizes, dual-sided paper design
Lot of satisfied buyers

Best For urban sketching: Paul Rubens lb Watercolor notebook

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Not everyone likes to purchase journal for their daily usage, but the paul rubens lb watercolor notebook would be an anomoly. The quality of watercolor paper is really important for beginners. It truly accepts lots of watercolor and other media and the smooth surface allows for details. Each sheet of this watercolor paper features a double sided texture, so it offers you up to 40 pages to use. The paper allows watercolor without buckling or bleeding through to the other side.

It is made of 100% cotton rag for dry or wet painting, can be used for watercolor paint, gouache paint, acrylics, pencils, etc. like the cover and is a pretty small size that makes it nicely portable. The paper is thick and lightly textured so it takes watercolor beautifully. The sewn binding is also very secure.

Why We Like This:

Nice paper for light watercolor washes
Nice and thick, double sided, quality 100% cotton paper in a travel sketchbook
Works for both watercolor and small airbrush work
Bleed-through if you want to do art on both sides

Best For mediums: Liphontcta hardbound Watercolor Journal

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The liphontcta hardbound watercolor journal has killer features for the price point. Linden Art watercolor journal is a high quality book for all your art, from painting to sketching to drawing and mixed media. It features a stitched binding and a brown pu leather hard cover, elastic strap, and page marker. It warps and curls with very little water. The pages are nice and thick with texture.

This sketch book fits inside perfectly and has a beautiful cover and good quality paper. It is best size for traveling. The paper is thick enough that you can paint on both sides of each page. It's not too small and the paper is decent.

Why We Like This:

Made well, and watercolor works well on the paper
Consists of 32 double sided sheets for a total of 64 pages to use
High quality cold press paper and leather cover, best size for traveling

Best With envelope: creative mark hardbound Watercolor Journal

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If you want nothing but a journal that is satisfactory, this creative mark hardbound watercolor journal is certainly a best investment. This watercolor sketchbook features an acid free paper with a clean white appearance, a beautiful cold pressed fine texture and heavy tub and external sizing to allow ink and paint to sit up nicely on its surface. It actually takes a lot of water with very little warp. The shape of the paper is perfect for landscapes and wide drawings. It has a fine perforation allowing it to be removed without harming the artwork.

The paint is very vibrant and sharp. It doesn’t like heavy washes, and it will buckle a bit if you try it.

Why We Like This:

Should be a fun, calming time for many evenings to come
Nice binding, perfect size, good paper for most mediums
Perfect book for watercolors or watercolor pencils
Very convenient to take outside for on site painting

The 8 Best hardbound Watercolor journals (2023 reviews)

Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Strathmore hardbound Watercolor Journal

Best For tutorials: tumuarta hardbound Watercolor Journal

Best For adding White highlights: Strathmore Watercolor Paper

Best With Acrylic Paint: tumuarta low Cotton content Paper

Best For children: Paul Rubens hardbound Watercolor Journal

Best For urban sketching: Paul Rubens lb Watercolor notebook

Best For mediums: Liphontcta hardbound Watercolor Journal

Best With envelope: creative mark hardbound Watercolor Journal

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