Bee Paper Company 808R-0536 Bee Paper Super Deluxe Sketch Roll, 36-Inch by 5-Yards

The independent Bee Paper Company was bought by a large corporation a few years ago. All types of Bee Paper were in short supply and hard to find. The Super Deluxe Sketchbook, which is tagged as "the only sketchbook you'll ever need", truly is the only sketchbook you'll ever need: enough tooth for pencil drawings and sturdy enough to take watercolor washes. It is the perfect sketchbook and I was afraid it was going to go extinct. Old stock was going for some crazy prices on Amazon and eBay.When I saw these back in stock at a reasonable price, I had to get one to see if the paper was as good as before. I was not disappointed! I'm still a bit afraid the quality might dwindle, so I'm going to buy a few more so I have some to ration if necessary.

Though I am still using my first one of these sketch pads, I have just ordered my third one, because I want to have a stash of these for the future. This has become my all-purpose sketch book, planner, list keeper, note pad, dream journal. It was driving me crazy to use different journals for all those things. The paper is great (haven't tried water color, mostly using pens, colored pencil) and I love the big sturdy spirals and nice thick covers. The size is perfect for my purposes, fits nicely in my purse. I am easily intimidated by big pages of blank space - I like to work small, so this size is friendly to my way of working.Just a quick note on how I manage to do all those things in one book - I use a two-page spread for my to-do's, shopping lists - the day-to-day planner type of thing. But instead of using a new page each day, I have a small sticky note at the top upon which I write the date, cross out and write the new day's date. Huge paper savings, I have been using my current one for 2 weeks. It obviously isn't a good system if you rely on looking back to figure out when things happened, etc. But this works for me - no carrying things over to new pages daily, etc. Eventually, the 2 pages are crammed with things and it's time to start a new 2-page spread.(I should note that I keep a small separate calendar for appointments as well, only jotting them in my sketch pad planner on the day they happen.)Meanwhile, on the following pages, I have been writing drafts of poems, making sketches for my fiber arts projects, etc. I just go to the next blank 2 pages, putting a paper clip on one so I know just where to open the book for my current tasks & lists.I decorate the covers, add a some stacks small of sticky notes to the inside cover. My pen fits perfectly inside the spiral.

This is the second of these sketchbooks I've owned. It's great quality - nice sturdy cover and thick paper. I have used it mostly for pen and ink drawing. Haven't tried it with watercolors or gouache. The small size is perfect. I can fit it in my bag and take it with me most anywhere.

I had one of these pads of paper previously and loved it so much that I decided to get another, but have moved and cannot find this size paper at my local art supply stores. I just love that it's square and just the right size for me to use as an art journal. I like creating pages on both sides and this paper holds up really well with mixed media without warping or tearing, unless I really have a lot of paint on it. I have used acrylics, watercolors, soft pastels, colored pencils, and stamps on it. I usually cover the wire spiral in the middle with masking tape to avoid getting paint in it when doing a 2-page spread. I love that it will lay flat when open, unlike journals that are not spiral bound. This allows me to make one larger layout over both pages, without worrying about it closing before the paint or adhesive is dry and also allows me to leave it open while I sketch. It is very stable when the book is opened up to one page and the other pages are flipped behind it, so you can take it with you to sketch or work on a piece wherever you go. I would recommend this paper to others that want to art journal and like the square format. I have also seen people that will stand it up and allow pages to be shown as art on their tables or in their studio. I will definitely buy another one after I fill this one.

Looks like what I need. Thank you.

The reason I'm only giving this Super Deluxe sketchbook four stars is not because I don't love it because the paper is a lightweight, sized, drawing paper. I was under the impression from several reviews that the paper in this book was suitable for watercolor, but it's not.The pages are white and bright and SUPER sturdy. They hold up to a ton of water. I literally put puddles of water all over the first page and while there was some *slight* buckling there was NO seeping through to the back of the paper at all.And the book is packed with paper- 60 sheets! That's amazing.The issue for me is that the pigment in the watercolors fade considerably on this paper- I tested it with a variety of paints, everything from Holbein to Twinkling H2Os and all the colors faded quite a bit when painted on this particular paper when compared to regular, run-of-the-mill watercolor paper. I'm super obsessed with color, and with the crisp and bright gradients of color that happen with controlled washes, so to see the colors fade so much was a huge disappointment. I haven't tried treating the paper with a wash of gum arabic before painting- that might help. But I was hopeful this paper might be sort of a lightweight watercolor paper, and it's not. It can handle the water and the moisture, but it sucks in the color.While I won't dedicate this pad to watercolor work, it is absolutely perfect for art journaling (probably *the* best art journal I have found- large, sturdy, perfect for mixed media, tons of pages, perfect size...) and a variety of other mediums- ink drawing, markers, pastels, etc. Anything *mostly* dry, or anything that you use a layer of gesso for would be an ideal use for this journal.