Hello everyone!
If you're here to take a look through my journal, by all means go for it. :)
Now, if you're here to hear my thoughts about this journal...
Well, I finally ended my love/hate relationship with my travel nature journal. If you were keeping up with me on Instagram you may have noticed me looking forward to being done with this journal.
What journal is this? It's a Ranger Dylusions Creative Journal. I got mine from Amazon, but you can also get it from DickBlick. Affiliate links will all be at the end if you decide you want one.
Things that make this journal great-
It's sturdy. Seriously, I can throw this in a bag or suitcase and know it'll be perfectly fine.
You can decorate the cover, back, and edge.
It has a pocket.
The pages are thick. No warping even on the wettest pages!
Most media looks great in it- pencil, pen, colored pencil, water based markers, gouache, watercolor (ish. It depends. Keep reading.)
Things that make this journal awful-
Watercolor. Or at least the way I like to do watercolor. If you only dry brush it would be fine. If you like wet washes and the ability to scrub out and correct areas, nope. The paper may not warp, but it turns soft with too much water. If you try to scrub something out it'll make a wet gooey paper mess spot. It's a big NO for me the way I want to paint in it.
Cream colored pages. Okay, so not really that awful and this actually would be a pro to some people. I thought it would be for me, especially with the ability to use white gouache and it show up, but really I just ended up missing white paper.
Overall, it's actually a pretty great journal. especially for traveling. I love how sturdy it is, and when I travel again or want to go out in the woods or on a hike and paint I'm sure I'll miss it.
If you don't use wet watercolors like I do, and would like to give this journal a try then I really do recommend it. I'll also add affiliate links for my other supplies. If you'd like a separate post on what I travel with (and hope to one day travel with), just let me know. I would also love to know what you travel with!
Affiliate Links
Ranger Dylusions Creative Journal (Amazon or Blick Art Materials)
Pentel Aquash Water Brushes (Amazon or Blick Art Materials)
Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolors (Amazon or Blick Art Materials)
I actually created my own Winsor & Newton set by using an empty half pan I got from Blick Art Materials. You can find it here.
Reach out if you have any questions or comments!
-Jessica