NEW: Moleskine Reporter Watercolor Sketchbooks

I finally have the new Moleskine Reporter Watercolor Notebook samples in my hot little hands.  They arrived last night via UPS and I tore right into them.  I had imagined that these new watercolor notebooks would be more or less just a change of paper quality over the Moleskine Classic Sketchbook.  I also wondered if the new watercolor sketchbooks would eclipse the use of the old classic ones.  Now that I have these here I can see that this is an entirely new animal altogether.  Modo & Modo hasn't redesigned the Moleskine sketchbook as much as they have reinvented it.

The Watercolor Sketchbook is being made in the Reporter format, with the binding on the short end of the pages, the elastic running the short way, and the inside back pocket that opens on the short end.  In all ways of construction these are the same as the Reporter notebooks.  The pages are made of 200 gsm cold pressed watercolor paper with 25% cotton fiber content.  They come with 60 pages in the pocket size, 72 pages in the large size.  Here's where the big difference comes in: All the pages are perforated at the spine and are removable.  This design aspect challenges the basic concept of the Moleskine sketchbook - a bound book of personal artwork - by adding this option that all the pages can be removed, and will seem to many to be an unwanted element.  I was skeptical about this feature myself until I actually saw these, and now understand why this is such an important innovation.  Modo & Modo has designed a sketchbook with the needs of a professional artist in mind.  This is a painter's sketchbook.  This makes me very happy, and I know it will make many other people happy as well.

Here's why: I can see artists filling these notebooks full of paintings, and as with most artists some pages will turn out better than others. These good paintings can be removed, matted, framed and exhibited, without destroying the integrity of the binding in the process.  I have often thought about taking out pages from my classic sketchbook to matt and frame, but doing so would undermine the structure of the binding.  A friend of mine is planning on taking her whole pocket classic sketchbook apart to mine the good artwork from the bad, but if you don't want to do that you now have the option of removable pages with the watercolor sketchbook.  The flip side is that if you have painted a page that you feel is just pure crap you can remove that too.

The other scenario that I can imagine with these watercolor sketchbooks, especially the pocket sized ones, is taking it on vacation with a traveling watercolor set.  You could then paint your own post cards from your vacation, remove the pages and mail them off.  The same function can be accomplished close to home too, say, in your local cafe, or hiking in the woods.  Whatever the use, the perforated pages allow for sharing your artwork in different ways than are possible with the classic sketchbook.  If you are concerned that pages will fall out unwanted because of the perforation, it does appear to be a sturdy connection that will take some working to remove the pages.

Ready to try out the new Moleskine Watercolor Sketchbook. Click images for larger versions.

I have tested out the paper briefly and the results are good.  I will need to spend some time working on these pages to see how the results are, but everything about the surface of the watercolor pages looks to be very nice to paint on.  I will post the results as soon as I have something.

The Moleskine Reporter Watercolor Sketchbook will be shipping from the distributor some time in February.  I will let you know on the NWD blog as soon as I have these available for sale.

The Moleskine line also has some new Planner formats for 2007, including that little red beauty that was only available in Italy last year, as well as some 18 month versions that start in June 2006.  I have samples in hand and will write those up in my next post, so stay tuned!

Comments

[Christopher Meisenzahl]

Great review, thanks!

[_41]

and the paintings?

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Thanks Christopher!

"_41" Have patience - Creativity takes time!

[Karen]

Thanks for the thorough review - it looks like Moleskine has certainly been responsive to all the requests. I'll look forward to reading more about how the paper behaves to various washes as you continue experimenting with it.

[ashley]

What an exciting development!!
Speaking of the reporter format Moleskines:
can you tell me whether the paper (and spine) lay flat when you write on the backside of a page? Or is it like a legal pad, where the paper does not completely flip over? Looking at them online, I can't really tell.Thank you!

[Marc Veeneman]

It looks like you use an Altoids tin for the watercolors but what do you use for dividers? And your use of the custard cup as a brush rest is really resourceful. Thanks for the photo.

[Jim]

Ashley,

The reporter notebooks (both pocket and large) lay flat when in use, and the pages lay flat when turned. I was sent a pocket size by the manufacturer to try out when they were first introduced, and I was thoroughly impressed! I'm on my third reporter notebook now, it tends to be my catch all notebook, everything from something to research later from the newspaper, to shopping lists. I found it particularly handy for tracking Christmas shopping this past year. I used everything in it from fountain pens (three different brands) to gel pen refills in a Parker Jotter. Looks to me like the same thought went in to the watercolour books, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one soon.

NWD, looking forward to finding out more about the new planners, I'll do my best not to drum on the desktop!

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Karen - Stay tuned, I hope to get some time this weekend to paint in my new Moleskines. Weeee! - Ninth Wave

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Ashley - The watercolor Reporters have a stiffer spine due to the heavier paper. They lay flat when open, but you can't flip the cover over the back as you can with the other Reporters.

The regular paper Reporters have a binding that allows you to flip the front cover over the top to fold flush with the back cover. This creates a bit of bulge at the spine, but you can work it a bit to flatten out the pages. When open you have access to either side for writing, so you can write on one page, and then flip it to write on the back side. It doesn't work in the same way as legal pads or a Rhodia pad, but is a difficult thing to describe! It's a fun notebook format, so give one a try. - Ninth Wave

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Yes Marc, that's an Altoids tin. Good eye! I used thin strips of brass to make the dividers for the half pans of watercolor. I have taken this little watercolor set everywhere! - Ninth Wave

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Jim - I will have something up on the new planners soon. Thanks for your comment! - Ninth Wave

[Rene]

Is it out already? Is it out already? Is it out already? Is it out already? Is it out already? Man, I'm so excited that it's got me blabbering!

[ana]

I absolutely love your little watercolor altoids tin. Very clever and divinely useful! I may have to try this trick myself. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Rene - Take a deep breath, okay, now exhale slowly through the nose.

As soon as I get them you will hear about it here! You can email me and I will send you a notification if you like, just use the link in the sidebar. I'm thinking I'll have them on hand the last week in February or the first week in March. Thanks! - Ninth Wave

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Ana - The Altoids tin traveling watercolor set has been a great traveling companion over the years. I made this many years ago after looking at the ones available, and realized I could make my own for so much less money. I have another tin that this fits into along with a traveling watercolor brush, watercolor graphite sketching pencils, and a few other little tools to round out the kit. Thanks - Ninth Wave

[kate]

Altoids water color tin - what watercolors did you use in this tin? That's a great little kit you've made.

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Kate - The watercolors are half pans of Cotman by Winsor & Newton. I bought the watercolors a while ago, but at the time it was a good deal compared to getting the field kits. They came in a cheesy plastic case, so I decided to make the tin to carry them around in. Thanks! - Ninth Wave

[Joe L]

I have been patiently waiting for these to show up in stores un the US, but so far, nothing? I'm in Boston, MA, not like I'm out in the sticks. Do you know where can I buy them?

THANKS!
Joe

[Ninth Wave Designs]

Joe,

Buy them from me! They are not available yet, they are coming sometime in May. Email me using the link in the side panel and I will notify you as soon as they arrive. Thanks! - Ninth Wave