Shizen Hotpress Watercolor Sketchbook Full Review (Patreon)

Shizen Hotpress Watercolor Sketchbook Full Review

Other Shizen reviews on this channel: Shizen Hotpress Vs Coldpress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSVmQeHnCs0&t=1s Shizen Black watercolor paper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCdJ5e2ltzI&t=1s Watercolor Illustration on Shizen Hotpress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZLHWDKs5oI&t=2s Another Cottonrag Watercolor Sketchbook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yN2sMPazJs&t=1s Other watercolor paper reviews: Get Your Own: On Blick: https://www.dickblick.com/products/shizen-watercolor-journals/ Shizen Hot Press Watercolor Sketchbook Available in various sizes: 6"x6", 8"x8" Available in Hot and Cold Press Swatch Test: Going to use the Rembrandt Basics set because why not? I really love the granulation on Shizen paper- even their hotpress has a lot of texture. This hotpress has a bit more texture than what I've found in their paper packs, which makes it even better- its like the best of both worlds. Like most shizen paper, once you saturated this, it stays wet for AWHILE. However, it doesn't buckle unduly, and a nice clip to hold it down would be plenty. Shizen has a wonderful tendency to dry flat as well, although you might get some cocking in a sketchbook like this. Fieldtest: I feel like this would make a really ideal affordable watercolor sketchbook. I use Shizen coldpress and hotpress pretty frequently, so the sketchbook is just a different format. I LOVE watercolor sketchbooks, but have trouble finding good cottonrag sketchbooks at an affordable price. I prefer spiral binding to sewn or glued binding because it allows the book to lay flat. I like sketchbooks because it holds my watercolors in place- if I want to remove it, I can cut it out using an Xacto blade. I'm using my MozArt Komorebi palette because I've used it with Shizen Hotpress before, and find it to be a great match for this paper. But I've also used Superior watercolors and my daily driver with Shizen. Basically, Shizen plays well with most watercolors. This paper would be SO GOOD for granulation- will need to come back to this with something more granulating This paper stays open a long time (wet, intermixable) but lays pretty flat considering how much water I dumped onto it. Of course, when you add a lot of water, it increases your daytime, so YMMV, but you CAN add a lot of water to this paper- it can take it. And I love that it's not buckling all over the place or trying to curl up on me. Generally, if you're doing plein air sketching, you do wanna use a clip or band to secure it, but this allows you to paint edge to edge, and then once you have the b/g painted in, you can use a band to hold it in place. I used a couple hake brushes for the background because they remind me to stay loose, but they kept shedding hairs. Colors dry a bit duller, but not too dull If your work is too tight and you want to loosen it up a bit, you can spritz it with water and get the pigment to move around a bit. Cottonrag papers, unlike cellulose, absorb some of the water and pigment, so you'll get color movement, but not too much. Now if it's too wet, you can scrub off prior layers. Lifts pretty easily if still wet- whether it's the original layer or a new layer, so it'd be easy to rework if you wanted to Ok, at this point, I'm going to let it actually dry out. Some watercolor papers have a lot of internal sizing for rigidity and structure- Shizen does not. So if you overwork it, it gets pulpy. While it's a versatile paper, it works best IMO with quicker watercolor sketches- which this was not. In the past, I've tried masking fluid on Shizen, and it took the entire surface off and really made it handle like pulp (or toilet paper), so I would recommend avoiding masking fluid for Shizen papers. Dries flat even without clips If you have the time to work WITH Shizen, it's a very forgiving paper. Dries flat, colors are vibrant, can take a lot of water and a lot of layers- if you can be patient. Forgives a lot of reworking. THe Hotpress is like most brands coldpress, and the Coldpress has more tooth and texture than most brands Rough. Shizen is comparatively affordable, and this sketchbook format invites practice and study. While probably not idea for fans of tiny, intricate watercolor, Shizen Hotpress invites bold color and expressive play. I find Shizen to be a fun, approachable watercolor paper that invites brave and adventurous artists of all skill levels to play. Music: Kevin MacLeod: Clean Soul Windswept Tranquility #ShizenWatercolorJournal #Watercolorsketchbook #watercolorjournal