A proper watercolour sketchbook that fits in a pocket. The Seawhite Watercolour Travel Journal is one of those products that gets the fundamentals exactly right — good paper in a well-made, genuinely portable format — and then adds the thoughtful details that make daily use a pleasure rather than a compromise. Made in the UK by Seawhite of Brighton, it has become a favourite of urban sketchers, plein air painters, and travel journallers who want a book that keeps up with them wherever they go.
The paper is the foundation. At 200gsm with a NOT finish — slightly textured, sitting between hot pressed and rough — it handles watercolour washes, wet into wet, and repeated wet working without buckling or disintegrating. It is acid-free and FSC approved, off-white in tone, and has just enough tooth to grip pencil, ink, and fine liner well alongside watercolour. At 200gsm it is not the heaviest watercolour paper available, but it is more than sufficient for the kind of direct, confident working that travel painting demands — and the sewn binding, which allows the book to open completely flat, means both pages of a spread can be used for a single panoramic composition without the paper lifting away from the spine.
The journal format is what sets it apart from a standard sketchbook. The black hardback cover is durable enough for bag-and-pocket life. An elastic retaining band keeps the book closed securely between uses. A ribbon marker keeps your place without dog-earing pages. An interior back pocket in the rear cover provides useful storage for sketches on loose paper, tickets, maps, references, and the general accumulation of material that goes alongside location painting and travel. Each book contains 60 pages — 30 sheets — of watercolour paper.
We stock five formats: A6 landscape, A5 landscape, A4 landscape, A4 portrait, and 140mm square — covering pocket-sized daily carry through to a full working surface suitable for more ambitious pieces.
Paper weight: 200gsm Paper finish: NOT (medium grain, slightly textured) Pages: 60 pages / 30 sheets Binding: Sewn, opens flat Cover: Black hardback Features: Elastic retaining band, ribbon marker, interior back pocket Made in: UK Certification: FSC approved, acid-free
What is NOT finish watercolour paper? NOT finish — also called cold pressed — sits between hot pressed (smooth) and rough (heavily textured). It has a gentle, even texture that suits most watercolour techniques well, providing enough tooth for washes and wet working without the pronounced grain of rough paper that can interrupt fine detail and line work.
Is 200gsm heavy enough for watercolour? Yes — for travel painting and journal work, 200gsm is well suited to watercolour washes, wet into wet, and layered working. Very heavy applications of water or repeated reworking may cause some buckling, but for the direct and confident working that travel painting typically involves, it performs well. The sewn binding also supports the paper well and reduces the tendency to buckle at the spine.
Does the book open flat? Yes — the sewn binding allows the journal to open completely flat, making both pages of a spread available for a single wide composition without the paper pulling away from the spine.
Which size should I choose? The A6 is the most portable — genuinely pocket-sized for everyday carry. The A5 is the most versatile, giving a practical working area without sacrificing portability. The A4 formats offer a full working surface for more ambitious pieces. The 140mm square suits artists who prefer to work in a square format, or who want a compact book that stands apart from the standard portrait and landscape proportions.
Can it be used for media other than watercolour? Yes — the slightly textured surface and good weight of the paper make it suitable for pencil, ink, fine liner, gouache, and light mixed media work alongside watercolour. The interior pocket is also useful for storing loose sketches, photographs, and reference material.
