Watch the painting
YouTube Short · 1:00
Ghibli Painting From Anime Only Yesterday
Posted on my YouTube channel.
Watch on YouTubeMy photos
My photo · My full-spread gouache painting of an ivy-covered archway and a black cat across the journal open flat at 180° on my desk
My photo · Holding my closed Fuumuui 7.6 × 7.6 in watercolor journal, with its paper band reading 30 sheets, 300 g cold pressed, 100% cotton
My photo · My gouache painting of a house under power lines across an open spread of the journal, clipped flat on my desk
At a glance
- Paper
- Cotton, 300 gsm (140 lb)
- Surface
- Cold press
- Sheets
- 30
Maker's figures from the Amazon listing, checked Oct 15, 2026.
If you have followed my paintings for a while, you know I always choose this line of Fuumuui square watercolor journals. The first thing that really impressed me about this sketchbook is its gentle, natural cold-press texture, which is not as rough or as strongly bumpy as other cold-press papers I have used. Paired with 300 gsm sheets that hold and absorb water well without warping, a surface that holds paint and pencil well, and a thread-sewn open spine that opens completely flat at 180 degrees, it lets me paint panoramic scenes across both pages without fighting the gutter. Here is how each of those details works in practice in my paintings, and how the journal fits into my sketchbook guide.
A gentle, natural cold-press texture that is not overly bumpy
The first thing that really impressed me about this sketchbook is its texture. Even though the paper is cold press, the surface has a gentle, natural tooth rather than the heavy, strongly bumpy ridges of other cold-press papers I have used.
In practice, that calmer surface makes a noticeable difference when painting detailed scenes:
- Smooth control on small detailswhen I paint architectural lines, window panes, power lines, or a small figure like the black cat sitting on the stone balustrade in my cover photo above, the brush tip glides across the grain instead of skipping over deep pits.
- Even washes with natural characterthe slight, natural tooth still gives skies, stone walls and foliage a soft paper texture, as you can see in the close-up photo of the blank spread below, without breaking fine strokes apart.
300 gsm paper that holds water well without warping while painting
At 300 gsm, the paper holds and absorbs water well and does not warp or buckle while painting.
When I lay a wet sky wash or background gradient across both pages with a wide 20 mm or 30 mm LOBEO ART flat
brush, the sheet takes the water evenly and stays flat on my desk. In my painted spreads on this page—the ivy-covered stone
archway with the black cat, the house under power lines, and the Studio Ghibli Only Yesterday landscape—the pages sit
flat right to the edges even after full-bleed gouache coverage from corner to corner.
180-degree lay-flat binding and thread-sewn open spine for full-spread scenes
This journal opens completely flat at 180 degrees, and if you have followed me for a while you know I always choose this line of sketchbooks for that reason.
The spine is thread-sewn and glued with specialist glue in an open-spine design, which solves the two problems that usually get in the way of painting across a bound book:
- No bump under your handwhen the book is open on the desk, both halves rest on the same plane instead of arching up into a stiff curve at the center.
- Full-spread paintings without breaking the spineyou can press the journal completely flat to carry a continuous sky, roof line, archway or dirt path straight across the center fold without cracking the binding.
In the close-up photo of the blank center fold above, you can see the white sewing thread running right along the flat gutter alongside the micro-perforation line. Across all three of my full-spread gouache paintings on this page, the painting runs continuously across the seam so the two 7.6 × 7.6 in pages read as one wide panorama.
Holds paint and pencil well from sketch to finished layers
The paper holds both pencil and paint well. Every scene I paint in this journal starts with a detailed pencil layout before any wet media touches the page.
In my close-up sketching photo below, I am drawing roof tiles and timber framing in mechanical pencil directly on the cold-press sheet: the gentle, natural tooth grips the pencil lines cleanly without snagging the lead. Once I switch to brushes and HIMI jelly gouache, the surface holds the initial wet washes as well as the layered foliage, brickwork and fine highlights on top.
My Studio Ghibli Only Yesterday painting Short in this journal
My painting Short above (Ghibli Painting From Anime Only Yesterday, 60 seconds, posted October 22, 2026, and also on my Instagram) shows a full two-page gouache spread painted in this exact journal from pencil sketch to finished piece:
0:00–0:03: the finished scene of trees, a sunlit green field and a dirt path across an open two-page spread (also shown in the photo below).0:04–0:07: my tools on the desk: my MEEDEN ceramic brush wash bowl, aLOBEO ARTflat brush, water brushes and my HIMI jelly gouache case.0:08: the closed journal with its gray woven fabric hardcover and white paper band reading Watercolor Art Journal, 100% Cotton, 30 Sheets, 300 g Cold Pressed and 7.6 × 7.6 inch (19.3 cm × 19.3 cm).0:10–0:12: the journal open flat across a pencil-sketched spread, clipped at the corners with two brass binder clips while the flat brush lays a yellow and blue wash right across both pages and the center fold.0:12–0:56: building up the blue sky, clouds, distant hills, row of conifers, the large foreground tree on the right page, and the field and path across the spread.0:57–0:59: lifting the right-hand page upright so the tree painted on it stands over the field on the left-hand page.
This scene and my other Ghibli fan-art Shorts are on my Ghibli gouache painting page.
Paper, binding and size specs (maker claims)
According to the Amazon listing, the journal holds 30 sheets of 140 lb (300 gsm) cold-pressed cotton paper, and Fuumuui’s product page and the paper band on the cover specify 100% cotton. The maker’s other stated specs from the listing and product page:
- Acid-freethe listing says finished work stays vibrant over time without yellowing or fading under normal use and storage.
- Cylinder-mold paperthe listing states that the cold-pressed sheets are made on a cylinder mold that distributes cotton fibers evenly so the surface resists scratching and erasing under multiple layers of color, masking fluid and tape.
- Micro-perforated pages, pocket and cover detailsthe listing describes micro-perforated sheets that tear out cleanly if you want to frame a piece, while Fuumuui’s product page notes rounded corners and an inside cover pocket for small tools, postcards or notes. My photos also show the gray elastic closure strap and orange ribbon bookmark.
- Sizesthis review covers the 7.6 × 7.6 in (19.3 × 19.3 cm) square journal; on the Amazon listing (checked October 27, 2026), the other size options are 4 × 6, 5.5 × 5.5, 6.3 × 6.3, 8.3 × 5.3, 8.3 × 8.3 and 8.5 × 5.5 in.
Paper weight in gsm and pounds is explained in my guide’s paper weight section, cold press in its tooth and surface section, and hardbound lay-flat books in its binding section.
Who it suits and where it fits
Choose the Fuumuui 7.6 × 7.6 in Watercolor Journal if you want a 300 gsm cold-press sketchbook with a gentle, natural tooth that is not overly rough or bumpy, paper that holds pencil and paint well and absorbs water without warping, and a thread-sewn open spine that opens completely flat at 180 degrees for full-spread scenes.
For a pocket-sized book from the same brand, see my Fuumuui 4 × 6 watercolor sketchbook write-up. To compare it with the bound BAOHONG journal and cold-press block in my kit, see the table below or my full sketchbook guide, and for the gouache I use in these spreads, see my beginner gouache guide.
What I liked
- Gentle, natural cold-press texture: a light, natural tooth that is not as rough or strongly bumpy as other cold-press papers I have used.
- 300 gsm paper holds and absorbs water well without warping or buckling while painting.
- Opens completely flat at 180°: the thread-sewn, specialist-glued open-spine binding lets me paint full two-page spreads without a bump under my hand or a broken spine.
- Holds paint and pencil well from the initial sketch through layered washes.
How it compares
| Photo | Set | Paper | Surface | Price (Amazon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Fuumuui watercolor journalThis setBrand partner code | 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. |
 | BAOHONG Academy journalI use thisA taller 6.2 × 9.4 in textured cold-press journal with 24 sheets of 100% cotton 300 gsm paper, per its listing. | 100% cotton, 300 gsm | Cold press | Read why: BAOHONG Academy journalView on Amazon |
 | BAOHONG block, cold pressI use thisA smaller 4.9 × 7 in cold-press block of 20 sheets of 100% cotton 300 gsm paper rather than a bound journal, per its listing. | 100% cotton, 300 gsm | Cold press | Read why: BAOHONG block, cold pressView on Amazon |
Specs are each maker's own. Prices are Amazon's, shown only with their time. All 2 in the guide
If it fits, here it is
Fuumuui Watercolor Journal, 7.6 × 7.6 in
$16.99Typical price: $19.99Save 15%
as of Nov 3, 2026, 11:16 UTCDetails
Price and availability show on Amazon.
Paid link · I may earn from it
Questions
What is the cold-press texture like in the Fuumuui watercolor journal?
The texture is the first thing that impressed me about this sketchbook. Although it is cold press, the paper surface has a gentle, natural tooth that is not as rough or as strongly bumpy as other cold-press papers I have used, and it holds both pencil and paint well.
Does the 300 gsm paper in the Fuumuui journal warp or buckle when wet?
In my use, no. At 300 gsm (140 lb), the paper holds and absorbs water well and does not warp or buckle while I am painting full-spread scenes across the pages.
Does the Fuumuui watercolor journal open completely flat at 180 degrees?
Yes. It opens completely flat at 180 degrees, which is why I always choose this line of sketchbooks. The spine has an open-spine design that is thread-sewn and glued with specialist glue, so I can paint large full-spread scenes across both pages without a bump under my hand or a broken spine.
What paper specs and features does Fuumuui list for the 7.6 × 7.6 in journal?
According to the Amazon listing and Fuumuui's product page, the journal holds 30 sheets of 140 lb (300 gsm) acid-free 100% cotton cold-press paper with micro-perforated pages, rounded corners, an elastic closure band, a ribbon bookmark, and an inside cover pocket.
What sizes does the Fuumuui watercolor journal come in?
On the Amazon listing (checked October 27, 2026), the size options are 4 × 6, 5.5 × 5.5, 6.3 × 6.3, 7.6 × 7.6, 8.3 × 5.3, 8.3 × 8.3 and 8.5 × 5.5 in. This review covers the 7.6 × 7.6 in (19.3 × 19.3 cm), 30-sheet square journal.
