At a glance
- Paper
- 100% cotton, 300 gsm (140 lb)
- Surface
- Cold press
- Sheets
- 24
Maker's figures from the Amazon listing, checked Oct 15, 2026.
This is the black hardcover watercolor journal I paint in on camera. I haven’t written my own verdict on it yet, so this page sticks to two things: what my Spirited Away paint-along Short shows of the journal, and what BAOHONG states about it on its listing. For how watercolor paper compares with drawing and mixed media paper, see my sketchbook guide.
The journal in my Spirited Away paint-along
In Paint with me - Spirited Away | Studio Ghibli, I paint a gouache fan-art scene across a two-page spread of this journal, using my HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache set:
- The closed journal (
0:04–0:06): a black hardcover sits on my desk next to the gouache box while I set out my brush washer and mixing palette. - Sketching (
0:08–0:10): the journal lies open across both pages and I sketch the scene in blue pencil. The textured cold press surface shows clearly at this point. - First washes (
0:11–0:17): a pale yellow-green wash goes across both pages, then a light green layer. - Layering the scene (
0:18–0:43): gray tree trunks, layered sunlit and shaded foliage, the dark blue car and the mossy stone guardian statue, built up in gouache over the washes. - Chihiro and the finished spread (
0:44–0:59): I paint Chihiro in front of the car, then hold the finished spread up to the camera. Stitching is visible along the gutter between the two pages.
The finished spread and my other Ghibli scenes are on my Ghibli gouache painting page.
Sizes, surfaces and paper (maker specs)
According to BAOHONG’s Amazon listing, the Academy journal comes in two sizes, 4.7 × 6.2 in and 6.2 × 9.4 in, and two surfaces: textured cold press, which BAOHONG describes as a light texture with strong scrub resistance, and hot press, which it describes as smooth and suited to fine detail. Each journal holds 24 sheets of BAOHONG Academy grade paper, 100% cotton at 300 gsm (140 lb), in a PU leather hardcover. BAOHONG says the long cotton fibers let the paper absorb a lot of water without warping or making colors bleed.
One listing detail doesn’t match. The third bullet on the 6.2 × 9.4 in cold press page says “one block with 20 sheets” glued on four edges, which reads like BAOHONG’s paper block listing. That same page’s title, size details and product description all say 24 sheets in a bound journal, and so does the 4.7 × 6.2 in page.
Who it suits and how it compares
Watercolor and gouache want heavy paper that won’t buckle when wet. My sketchbook guide puts that at around 300 gsm (140 lb), ideally 100% cotton, and this journal is listed at exactly that weight and fiber. A bound journal lets you paint across a two-page spread, as I do in my Short. BAOHONG also lists 300 gsm, 100% cotton cold press paper as a 4.9 × 7 in paper block. For choosing paints to go with it, see my watercolor guide and gouache guide.
How it compares
| Photo | Set | Paper | Surface | Price (Amazon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | BAOHONG Academy journalThis set | 100% cotton, 300 gsm | Cold press | Back to top card |
 | BAOHONG block, cold pressI use thisSame maker and 300 gsm, 100% cotton cold press per its listing, as a 4.9 × 7 in block of 20 sheets instead of a bound journal. | 100% cotton, 300 gsm | Cold press | Read why: BAOHONG block, cold pressView on Amazon |
  | Fuumuui watercolor journalI use thisBrand partner codeA square 7.6 × 7.6 in cotton watercolor journal with 30 sheets of 300 gsm cold press, per its listing. | Cotton, 300 gsm | Cold press | $16.99Typical price: $19.99Save 15% as of Nov 3, 2026, 11:16 UTCDetails Price and availability show on Amazon. |
Specs are each maker's own. Prices are Amazon's, shown only with their time. All 2 in the guide
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Questions
What sizes and surfaces does the BAOHONG Academy watercolor journal come in?
BAOHONG's Amazon listing offers four options on one page: textured cold press or hot press, each in 4.7 × 6.2 in or 6.2 × 9.4 in. The buttons on this page go to the 6.2 × 9.4 in cold press option (B08LCH94SJ); the 4.7 × 6.2 in cold press option is B08LCZNQ5C.
What paper is in the BAOHONG Academy journal?
According to BAOHONG's listing, 24 sheets of its Academy grade watercolor paper: 100% cotton, 300 gsm (140 lb), in a PU leather hardcover.
Is Academy grade the same paper as BAOHONG Masters or Classic?
The listing does not say. BAOHONG's own site (Baoding Huarong Paper Mill, the manufacturer named on the listing) describes its Masters' and Classic papers and has no page on Academy grade, so I can't tell you how they differ.
Can you paint gouache in this journal?
My Spirited Away Short shows a full two-page gouache painting in it, from a pencil sketch through layered greens to the finished spread. That is one painting on camera, not a test against other papers.
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