Review: Watercolor Journal from Bee Paper Company

[@good_youtube_handle]

I think that watercolorists who do a lot of glazing might really like this paper. I e got a pad of it and have mixed feelings about it. I think I'm finally just going to buy full sheets of Arches and bind my own sketchbooks.

[@cacklefrendly3736]

I seem to be in the minority, but I enjoy the Bee paper! The way it holds onto pigment helps with glazing (which I've been wanting to figure out), and I actually really love the more uneven blending - it feels more visually interesting, more conducive to playing with neat textures. It also feels really good to use water-soluble graphite on. Heck, it's just nice to sketch on in general. I'd say that anyone who feels frustrated by paints lifting and blending TOO much should at least try this paper! If that's not your thing, than try some other water-based mediums! (I won't lie, I'm also a sucker for spiral-bound sketchbooks, ahahah)

[@THEMAYQUEEN1]

I have trouble finding good watercolour journals so have ended up making my own with good quality paper. You buy a pad of paper and bind it into a book. There is a lady on KZbin who teaches book binding. Her name is "Sea Lemon" I think.

[@OneTrueWord1988]

THEMAYQUEEN1: Thank you! I will check that out. 😊

[@SharonCullenArt]

THEMAYQUEEN1 Yes her video is done very well. Excellent. That was how I learned years ago. From her video.

[@jacqulyynw]

Teoh thank-you so much for this review. It was very helpful and saved me from wasting money.

[@lori_bain]

I've often heard that with watercolor, the quality of one's work is in direct proportion to the quality of 1) the paper; 2) the brush; and 3) the paint, in that order. It looks like this test proves that. Thanks, Teoh!

[@teohyc]

Yes, that's pretty much the order of importance.

[@InLiquidColor]

Its such a mystery that they had a 25% and now a 100% version with the same branding. I found with mine that if you prep the paper with clear water first before any pigment at all, it does okay with the wet in wet if you work quickly but it's not for me. These unsized papers are fascinating, but not in a way I'm eager to explore myself ;)

[@InLiquidColor]

I'm honestly not sure if its a matter of quality or just preference in sized vs. non-sized paper. I do not like any paper that is unsized, but many of my viewers say they prefer it and actually bought this journal for the same reasons I didn't like it. Another viewer suggested I play with adding ox gall beforehand to increase flow, which I haven't done yet but want to try!

[@Shiruvan]

I can't even see the point of unsized paper being sold as watercolor paper 😂

[@pru5730]

I think I read that Amazon's description as 100% cotton was an error. At any rate, I won't be buying this paper!

[@elsagrace3893]

In Liquid Color for who is this unsized paper fascinating? Clearly not you. So who are you speaking of?

[@scribbliedoo]

I wonder if it being unsized is why i dont like it

[@lightwavz]

Thanks for the review and comparison, Teoh! I think it is amusing that for the same reasons you dislike the Bee Paper, I love it! I came into watercolors sideways and backwards, though, from other media and consider myself more of a mixed media collage artist. The tests you performed on Bee are the exact, intentional results I have been looking for. And that makes me pleased that we are such a diverse art community :)

[@OneTrueWord1988]

I have purchased the loose sheets packages of Bee paper, and it performs pretty well. I also have some Arches paper and love it! I might have purchased this sketchbook, but now that I see your review I know that I would not like the results. Thank you for saving me the expense of a sketchbook that I would not want to use. I appreciate your honest and very helpful reviews! 😊

[@zaygezunt]

Very informative, thank you. Also, a big thank you for recommendingthe Singapore Sketch Book for my mother - she loves it! I gave it to her for Mother's Day and she was delighted. 😀

[@teohyc]

That's great 😁

[@Donna_G]

Thank you for doing this review. One of our local department stores sells the Bee Paper drawing tablets; but, not the watercolor tablet. I bought two tablets one for each of my sons. They work well for pencil and marker work. After this review, I don't think I will be purchasing this watercolor journal. I do understand how some paper can make one feel frustration. I purchased a pad of Canson Montval some years ago. At first, it seemed like decent paper; but, I found that I could not glaze over paint that had been allowed to dry. The wetness of the brush caused the dry paint to liquify and mix with the paint that I was trying to put down. It was a frustrating experience for me. I ended up giving the paper to my son.

[@sarawackadoo]

Thanks for the informative review. After using Canon XL and Stratmore journals I upgraded to a 100% cotton Bee Journal. I'm definitely enjoying it more than the other journals but have had some frustrations following tutorials like charging a new colour on a wet surface. At first I thought I was doing something wrong but I guess it may also be the paper. I also noticed it creates a hard line where the colour ends. Anyways, will I buy another Bee Journal? Possibly. But I think I will also look into binding my own journal. Thanks for the thorough review.

[@MeowMeowKapow]

This is literally my favorite watercolor journal, and I recommend it to everyone all the time. I used it for all of my inktober videos and have loved it ever since. What’s really weird to me is definitely that yours is 25% cotton instead of 100, because I also bought mine a number of months ago from amazon and it’s 100%. I also use a lot of wet on wet and had a lot of success with it so, again....it seems so weird that you and Denise had so much trouble with this paper! I’ve found it to be durable, workable, and my paints were still very vibrant and my washes were super smooth. I did HEAVY glazing in the backgrounds of some pieces and they came out super well.

[@teohyc]

I may buy the 100% version in the future to try again to see if there's any difference

[@Nurse3811]

You are very organized and informative . I used Arches exclusively 30 years ago. I stopped watercolor then and raised a family and a nursing career, lol. Now , back in it , I’ve given my Canson XL to my grandchildren to draw on, lol, and I’m trying Strathmore 400 and Bee Paper 100% cotton today . I work at Michaels and I lust over that $85 Arches block 12 x 16”and I see there’s a 60% coupon so I can get that for $34. Hmmmmm.... Thanks so much for a GREAT video

[@dan-b-gone6557]

Wendy Price Michaels is the worst place to purchase art supplies. Go to Jerry’s Art-O-Rama. Incredible price difference on everything.

[@Nurse3811]

Dan B Yeah , I’ve bought from Jerry’s . I love that place They are discounted 50% off retail. But I said Michael’s with a 60% coupon. Makes it $34. . Just checked and Jerry’s is $42. You gotta play the Michaels, Joann, Kohl’s, Beall’s , etc Coupon Game sometimes!

[@515aleon]

Glad I took time for the review. I did one sketch with this paper and loved it, but it is fairly unusual--almost blotchy. It's also kind of opaque. It worked for the odd way I worked on this picture. But I don't normally work that way. I did notice a couple of those things. The paint seems to kind of stay put. This paper might work nicely for gauche or other opaque watercolors. Perhaps i might pull out my little set and play with it.

[@jenthulhu]

Informative as always, Teoh. I think that a higher quality paper purchase is in my future. The cheaper paper I started with is only contributing to my frustration with learning techniques.

[@elsagrace3893]

Jennifer Wells weirdly though, I don’t like Arches so much. I haven’t learned how to handle it. What I paint on it turns a muddy dull flat tone. No variations in value. I need much more experience and to give up the techniques that worked on cellulose paper. I liked Fabriano paper though. Got a nice pic out of it. Paper is a tool that we have to learn how to use or choose the best tool for us.

[@barbrajoan2554]

Teoh, Bee paper was one of the first paper companies that I remember and thats a long time ago. I always thought of them as inferior when better and newer papers became available. Recently I've seen an upsurge in their advertising and have become available in my art store. I was thinking of getting some, but for the way I paint I will stay with Fabriano and Arches.

[@eileengoldenberg270]

Very good review to see how good paper makes such a difference.. thanks!

[@higherground711]

Your honesty is greatly appreciated. 🙆 💁 Think they need t market that as a mixed media paper instead of watercolor. Thanks for a fair and unbiased review Teoh.

[@OkieSketcher1949]

I think I now know what watercolor sketchbook to avoid. It might be good for pencil or pen and Ink sketches, even water color pencils, but I have a feeling if one does an ink sketch and then tries to use watercolor the results may not be what one would want. Thanks for the review.

[@JoAnneMOwens]

Thank you for this video, Teoh. I had been wondering how this paper performed so I was glad to see you had reviewed it. Now I know it is a pass for me.

[@ClearAbyss]

Really glad you made this video as I was just thinking about buying a Bee watercolor sketchbook. Looks like it'll be just as frustrating (if not more so!) than the Canson multi media sketchbook.

[@mararsc]

Thank you, Theo. I always learn from you. Very helpful video.

[@teohyc]

Glad you found it helpful 😁

[@dwuff]

When using Arches I also get that speckling. Even though it's an amazing paper, sometimes I find that some paints display dull on it, but have a beautiful texture. Do you also experience this?

[@teohyc]

It does dull down colours slightly because the paper colour is off white. If you want bright vibrant colours, try Fabriano's Artistico watercolour paper. Fabriano has traditional white and extra white (this is the bright white paper).

[@dwuff]

Ah, I see! Thank you!

[@astroid1111]

personally i have speckling on my arches paper as well, but i like it a lot cus i think it adds to the overall character of the painting. though I have not had the issue of my arches paper dulling down the pigment and vibrancy of my paints... are you using good quality watercolour paints?

[@dwuff]

Cera Ve yup I'm using Daniel Smith, Schmincke, w&n professional so there's nothing wrong with the paint. I think it's what Teoh said, that the paper is off white, plus I think the texture plays a big role, as I've only used the rough finish.

[@BarbrajoanOriginals]

... I sometimes wonder what so many see in Arches. Yes, it's very durable, you can wipe, scrub, etc. but I think for my style of painting I find I have better results with Fabriano and even others.

[@azzuparis]

Really interesting review. The difference between the 3 papers it's clear. It's now time for me to upgrade my watercolor paper. Thank you for the review 😀

[@elsagrace3893]

Azzu Paris you will still need a period of learning on a higher quality paper.

[@madefromashes]

Like someone else said I seem to be in the minority as well! I love these granted I do need to tape them down or use a clamp as the tend to wrap more but I love this paper my favorite is Fabriano but I find this sketchbook to do really good with earthy or pastel like colors. I particularly like using wt onto wet when I’m trying to get a soft edge not necessarily into another color. And glazing which is how I normally paint. As for wet into wet with multiple colors I find a good rule of thumb is if it separates a lot on the pallets it’ll probably separate on the paper but I’ve never personally had a problem with ultramarine and burnt sienna but maybe it behaves differently with how I work. I can usually also get a flat wash if I tape or clamp it down (Edit mine is also 100% Cotton)

[@sdovas]

Weirdness. Haven't used Aquabee products in years, and am less inclined to do so now. Wondering how some might use this paper's qualities in order to specifically take advantage of the odd effects you've encountered.

[@teohyc]

It performs like normal drawing paper, just thicker. It’s better for mixed media but not watercolour specifically.

[@rashone2879]

Weird watercolor paper, for sure. It might work OK for gouache. My favorites are Arches, Fabriano and Saunders Waterford.I always wonder whether the makers of poorly performing papers ever actually try painting on them. Nice review, very thorough.

[@teohyc]

Yeah, it should work with gouache. I got to try that 😁

[@sincostanian]

I had the same experience of paint getting immediately absorbed into the paper like tissue or something and not being able to do wet in wet techniques, even on 100% cotton Bee paper. Of all the papers I've tried, it was the most frustrating. I wouldn't ever buy it again. I also noticed a similar effect with Fabriano 100% cotton sheets but only on one side. The other side was fine so the paper was salvageable.

[@SuperExadidas]

Hello Teoh.....Thanks for sharing this review, last month I have watched your tutorial on how to repair the size of paper, can you please send to me again the link, I am sorry I cannot find it anymore. Thank you.

[@sokinecola9361]

Could you plz do Strathmore 400 watercolor paper test?

[@sunflorii]

The difference is shocking. Thanks for the video!

[@oliversmith9644]

How many sketchbooks do you go through a year, approx?

[@deep_in_the_paint]

I use the bee paper for acrylics: the pages are thick and sustain gesso very well. I too didn’t like using it for watercolour

[@shareart6561]

Hi Teoh, I've learned a lot from your videos. Thanks and happy new year! I'm trying the Arches paper. It is good for gradient and erasing. But it shows white speckles/dots for some dark paints and color faded after dried. In your Khadi paper review, you mentioned that the white speckles may be caused by bad sizing. How about the issue on the Arches? Nowadays, Dr Oto also raised the issue on her video.

[@teohyc]

Most likely issue is with sizing. Good Arches paper should not have any problems and colours should look vibrant on it.

[@shareart6561]

@@teohyc Thanks for reply :) It's really hard to choose a watercolor paper with consistent quality.

[@mkbuike7895]

The one I just got this year - Jan 2019 - says 100% cotton on the label.

[@maritzamachuca4251]

thanks

[@adildraws]

Wonderful review.

[@becool365]

Hey, would it be possible to review the Zen Art Turner set brushes? Also thanks for this review, been looking into moving onto better paper now I know what to avoid.

[@teohyc]

You mean this set? www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWIBZHE It does not ship from Amazon to Singapore where I am so I can't buy that

[@Susyqqs]

thank you

[@nicolle2126]

Do they use the same paper in their watercolor journals and their individual sheets?

[@teohyc]

It's different paper

[@nicolle2126]

Teoh Yi Chie good to know ^^ the performance in this journal was pretty disappointing so i'm hoping to have better luck with the loose sheets as my new cheap watercolor paper

[@yvans.73]

Cool! I've been interested in Bee Paper journals. May try one out soon. EDIT: Well that was disappointing. Was this their 25% cotton? The image of the journal in the link you provided says 100% cotton

[@teohyc]

They have both 25% and 100% options. From what I've read, they perform similarly.

[@chainsawkitten3766]

So continues my search for the perfect WC journal. Glad I didn’t buy the Bee. Wish Arches or Sennelier would make journals

[@TheSgyro]

Chainsaw Kitten i guess arches does have those 12 sheet spiral pads😄.. And i think they have a 15 sheet version too.. Kinda close to wat u want😄

[@teohyc]

The best ones that I know of are those 100% cotton spiral bound pads from Arches.

[@jenthulhu]

Bookmaking might be a fun hobby to complement your watercolor hobby. I've been enjoying the channel called Sea Lemon which goes over handmade bookmaking/journal making techniques in great detail. It's inspiring me to make my own watercolor journals. I intend to buy some larger sheets to make my own journals soon. Either Arches or Fabriano.

[@capbin146]

Jennifer Wells I’ve just followed the same route as you. Sea lemon was mentioned by someone, Steve Mitchell I think and so I plan to make an Arches one.

[@jenthulhu]

Good luck! I was looking at large sheets of watercolor online today. So many of the watercolor journals don't use high quality paper. Making my own will be fun and a sweet reward!

[@yasashiiyuuyake]

I just got a pack of Bee 100% cotton paper, and I feel it's not as good as I expected, it's a lot like the 25% stuff in this video

[@tucainga]

This paper can be actually good to try some interesting things out.

[@Artfully_J]

TFS Teoh!

[@ladyhollman9534]

I wouldn’t expect 25% Cotton journal to compare with 100% prime Cotton block paper. That’s neither a comparison nor helpful. (It’s 75% pulp.) However, I would expect the 25% to do much better on its own as compared to other 25% paper in its class or even general pulp journal paper. I would like to see its poor performance relative to other watercolor journals of similar quality.

[@melissabridge5687]

This is strang. My BeePaper is 100% cotton. I use for practice but have better results than your review. The spiral bound book i found on amazon 100 % cotton too.

[@abubillaupupaepops6520]

Nice review Teoh! Got dissapointed by the results, seemed an awesome book :'[

[@teohyc]

Thanks :-)

[@bastet469]

If 300 gsm converts to 140 lb how can a 260 gsm paper be 160 lb?

[@teohyc]

Good spot! 160lb will be much thicker. This is close to 300gsm but definitely not thicker

[@wakar1122]

bastet469 That's what I noticed too! How could they miss that.

[@elsagrace3893]

I absolutely hate the Bee paper mix media journal for watercolor. Do not waste your money. It’s fine for drawing.

[@capbin146]

I was dubious from the start as they claim it is 160lb and 260gsm when every other manufacturer gives 140lb as 300gsm. Small mistakes indicate a lack of care and professionalism. Sad as a few reviews of their paper have been positive. Thanks saved me trying it.