• Pocket (5.5 x 3.5 in, 60 pages)
• Large (8.25 x 5.25 in, 72 pages)
• Folio A4 (12.5 x 8.5 in, 60 pages)
• Folio A3 (16.5 x 12.5 in, 60 pages)

Like all Moleskines, the pages in the watercolour notebook series are stitch bound and lie flat when opened. However, the binding is on the short-side of the book, so it opens up into a horizontal landscape/panoramic format. If you sketch and paint on the go, it can be a little clumsy to hold your book open. But many artists love it for drawing landscapes and locations! These days, I walk around Zurich on the lookout for panoramic views to put into my book : )

For some tips on how to support your watercolour Moleskine during travel sketching, see Russell Stutler’s page on sketching with Moleskines.

The paper in the books are cold pressed and 200g/m² thick. The texture is slightly rough, as you can see in the photo below.

According to Wikipedia, the watercolour paper used in Moleskines are sourced from a specialist French manufacturer. I can’t comment on the paper quality in comparison with watercolour blocks as the Moleskine is the only watercolour paper I’ve really used. From what I’ve heard and seen, I think it probably compares well to other brands.

So is this Moleskine worth the money? I give it a resounding YES. A watercolour block of 15–20 sheets might already set you back US$15 or so. A Moleskine contains many more pages, plus you can draw and paint on both sides of the sheets! Most irresistibly, all your paper is safely bound between gorgeous black oilcloth covers…

There are lots of places where you can find Moleskines but they’re always slightly cheaper online. As someone who does not live in US or UK, I love the Book Depository as they ship worldwide for free!

Book Depository Pocket: $11.42 Large: $16.50 A4: $24.29 A3: $31.77

Amazon US Pocket: US$10.20 Large: US$12.21 A4: US$19.77 A3: US$29.20

Amazon UK Pocket: £5.32 Large: £7.95 A4: £12.47 A3: £19.00

If you purchase your books via these links, I get a 5% commission which helps me run this website! : )