Tiong Bahru (3 August 2015)

This is Tiong Bahru, Singapore.

I started a new sketchbook today. It's a 210gsm watercolour sketchbook made by Khadi Papers from India.

Hmmm... I was just checking my purchase order and realised I had actually ordered a panorama landscape sketchbook. The seller mailed me a 8 by 10 inch (21 by 25cm) sketchbook instead. It turned out to be a lucky mistake because after my first sketch, I seem to prefer this format better.

I'll write a more detailed review for this sketchbook after I complete all the pages, but I'll give you my first impression first.

There are 80 pages in this hardcover sketchbook. Khadi Papers provide this sketchbook in a lot of different sizes. They are handmade and the page edges are deckle.

The paper feels like coldpress to me. Khadi Papers call them smooth. It buckles with water but flattens completely after it dries because it's so soft. They are sized in gelatin and takes water well. It's not too absorbent, just the way I like it. I'll need further testing to see if they are durable for glazing and if all the pages are uniformly sized

The paper is a bit off white and the watercolours come out vibrantly. I've used are Mission Gold for the sketch above.