Keeping a Journal Practice: 3 Store-Bought Journals
Studio Journal Practice: The 3 Store-Bought Journals I Use the Most
I talk a lot about keeping an art journal practice and having multiple journals in rotation supports my curiosity and keeps my practice flexible.
I love to explore color, mark making, pattern, and always have evolving ideas going on in the brain. Using multiple journals gives each of those interests a place. The journals I return to again and again are a comfortable size, support specific materials, and make it easy to simply begin.
Here are the three store-bought journals I’ve used the most in my creative practice (Psst, you can watch flip throughs of these journals here).
1. Strathmore Soft Cover Mixed Media Art Journal
This is the journal I reach for when I want to work with heavier materials. I use it for acrylic paint sketching, collage, oil pastel, and layered mixed media work.
The paper can handle a fair amount of experimentation without warping, and the soft cover keeps it flexible and approachable.
2. Marble / Composition Notebook
I’ve been using marble notebooks my whole life, first as a student, then in the classroom when I was teaching, and now as an artist. They’ve stayed with me because they’re not precious, and that matters.
A composition notebook can hold a surprising amount of media. I use them for mark making, taking notes, working through specific studies, and keeping related ideas together. Because they’re inexpensive, there’s freedom to experiment. Pages can be torn out and reused as collage material, which keeps the work in circulation rather than locked in a book.
This kind of journal supports volume, repetition and showing up often, without overthinking the outcome.
3. Master’s Touch Mixed Media Journal
These smaller mixed media journals from Hobby Lobby are another staple in my practice. They’re inexpensive, often buy-one-get-one-free, and easy to replace.
I use them for mark making, plein air sketching, and everyday journaling that leans more toward writing than painting. The paper isn’t the toughest, so very wet media can be tricky. If you love heavy watercolor, this isn’t the best option. But for dry media, light washes, collage, and quick studies, they work well.
What I like most is the size. I can throw one into any bag, which makes it a good companion for travel or daily carry.
Let the Journal Support the Practice
None of these journals are perfect on their own—and that’s the point. Each one supports a different aspect of my creative practice. Together, they create a system that encourages exploration without pressure.
Using store-bought journals reminds me that the work doesn’t need to be precious to be meaningful. The goal is to keep showing up, stay curious, and let the materials and the pages do their job.
If you’re building a journal practice of your own, consider what you want to explore—and choose journals that make that exploration easier, not harder.