Thanks a lot for taking the time to prepare this video, it's very useful 😊
I also have a small Hahnemühle, it's really nice to work in that.

Thanks! very helpful. its a jungle out there.

Thank you so much, this was a very helpful video for me, as I have been looking at every single one of these sketchbooks and I hadn't made up my mind which ones I was going to buy. In fact, I pretty certain I have every one of these sketchbooks, except the Hahnemuhle, in my shopping cart on various websites online. This video helped me decide which sketchbooks I am going to buy to try first. I am definitely going to start with the Tumuarta and Bahong.

Absolutely love the landscape you did on the Khadi Paper though. It certainly gives interesting texture

i think the hot vs cold press difference is big enough to mention- but I like the options! (except the PR- I can't their hot press)

That was my issue with the Paul Rueben sketchbook.

Thanks for sharing! The Lightwish/Potentate sketchbooks also exist in larger sizes and square shapes, I got a couple and they’re great, plus they’re affordable. They have them hot press and cold press too. 😊

Potentate is actually a lot of very interesting forms, but unfortunately they may not be on Amazon. We also like to use it to practice watercolor techniques in China.

This is a good comprehensive review.

About Etchr:

the white cover ones are cotton, but not true watercolor paper. I think they call this mixed media paper.

The Perfect sketchbook (grey cover) is cotton watercolor paper. I think this only comes in landscape format, A5ish.

The Perfect Sketchbook, Signature series (I think it’s called, with navy and tan covers) is the only one with the Fabriano Artistico paper. It has a deckled edge. That’s how you tell. And it will run you a pretty penny, and only comes in B5 portrait. They only do a limited batch every year.

Lots of people think the regular “Perfect” sketchbook (grey covers) have the Artistico paper, but it’s not. Not sure what the paper is. There was speculation in the business that maybe it was Baohong paper, but it’s never really been known.

that Kilimanjaro would be perfect for water soluable oil pastels- edit: fabriano I hear uses veg sizing so if it feels off to you (it does to me) that might be why. Also, your bluecrabs are amazing

Thanks Kat. Perforations are a deal breaker for me, too.

Thanks for this video. Really helpful advise. Just a question because I didn’t see it on your Amazon list, where is the palette from? Love it.

Thanks for the reviews…I have a few of these brands that I haven’t used yet and I appreciate your feedback on how you felt about each of them. Thanks for the video! 😊

A good way to compare is price of your books is by cents per square inch of paper. And I too hate the perforations on some of my books.

I absolutely love the Baohong and the Hahnemuhle sketchbooks. I also have a Potentate 100% cotton one and that’s great too including its price.

Thank you for this review, lovely to see your sketches too. Etchr are my favourite currently, I believe the covers are left white intentionally for us to paint on. I’ve seen others customise them like that,  but haven’t done it myself as that feels like a lot of pressure to me and I quite enjoy the ‘battered’ look that comes from their use.

Fwiw, a friend told me that with the khadi, you have to paint the page with  just water, let it dry then you can paint on it. I haven’t tried yet though

18:43 the one with fabriano artistico paper is the 75$ one…

I have the square Khadi. Steep learning curve. I felt like I was painting on paper towels. It pilled terribly with attempts to lift or scrub or layer. Gouache was better. Ink feathered. BUT it did help me loosen up. My pages fall out too. I am filling my second one now. It loves granulating paint.

If you don’t like perferated paper, you must HATE spiral sketchbooks.  I would agree with you, except I really love the paper in the Saunders watercolor spiral sketchbooks.

Also, didn’t Cheap Joe’s go out of business?  Did someone else buy the Kilimanjaro paper?