Wash your hand -- then draw it!

I don't participate in social media during the day. By which I mean that my phone does not have any social apps and no notifications when I get an email. I only read blogs from my tablet when I am home. I opened a Instagram account that I used to post my sketches during October (Inktober) from my computer only. Now, moving one step closer, I installed the Instagram App on my tablet. I find that it is easier to post my sketches when I take a picture with my tablet and send it to Instagram. At this time, my focus on this blog and on Instagram is the process of learning to sketch, so that is what I am posting is my sketches.

On Instagram, I picked up a suggestion to draw my hand each day. [for posterity, I should state what right now is obvious: we are in the midst of the novel Coronavirus pandemic with the accompanying cautions and restrictions. That is the reason for the hashtag "wash your hand..." as a precaution to prevent infection] In my case, I draw it with some object that I use or have near me each day. I am posting several of the hand sketches here that have been on Instagram. I am currently using three sketchbooks with different paper, so I'm grouping the sketches based on paper. 

First is a notebook from Daiso, a Japanese dollar store in which most items sell for $1.50.

Daiso notebook back. $1.50 with smooth
paper that doesn't bleed with most inks.

This notebook has 50 pages, softcover, very smooth paper that is great for fountain pens and pencils. It does buckle when water washed and shows ghosting if written with ink on both sides of the paper. But the paper is quite lovely for such an inexpensive book. I bought it to practice doodles and people sketches. 

#washyourhandthendrawit series number 1
drawn with M+R pencil sharpener

My first #washyourhandthendrawit post was on the Daiso paper. This is labeled Hand#39 because I started a 100 hand challenge that was interrupted. So I am continuing the numbering series.

Number 7 in #washyourhandthendrawit series
CdA NeocolorII on Daiso paper

Also on Daiso paper, hand 47 using a Prismacolor vintage dry colored pencil on the crayon held in my hand. The hand was drawn with the crayon, a Caran D'Ache NeocolorII watersoluble pastel crayon. Love these lush color tools! 

Number 12 in the #washyourhand... series.
Fountain pen ink on Daiso paper

Last night's sketch (hand#52) was on Daiso paper because I decided to use fountain pens and ink. I am feeling more relaxed with drawing my hand, not the easiest thing! So with these three sketches, I can show some of the progression I am making in sketching hands. I highly recommend practice in drawing daily, and especially making yourself draw the same thing from many different angles. Trust me, as awkward as it may feel at first, you will be happier in time with your results!

Rocks and Trees

Joshua Tree National Park always makes me think of Dr. Seuss. When I was young, I thought the alien looking trees in some of his books were imaginary. Until I moved out to California and saw Joshua Trees.

03/09/2020 A big Joshua tree in the middle of a Joshua tree forest.

I planned to camp there this week, then this atmospheric river showed up. A desert full of rocks and washes is no place to tent camp in heavy rain! My friend, Jeannine, and I decided even two days would be better than rescheduling and having something else interfere.

Sunday, March 08, 2020. Sun and rocks behind a dead Juniper tree.

The weather Sunday and Monday was just about perfect: sunny, calm, with temperatures in the 60s during the day and 40s at night. The clouds were thickening all day Monday and by 4 pm it looked like a was storm moving in. I got back to Poway about 8 pm Monday night and by 9 pm it was raining. Great timing!

April 2015
Chynna (my Aussie dog) in Joshua Tree National Park.

Joshua Tree NP is a land of rocks and "trees". Joshua trees are actually arboreal (tree-like) yucca plants. I first went there in 1997 with my sister. Since then, apparently, it has become a hipster destination. The last time I camped there in 2015, I drove up in the middle of the week expecting to be able to get a first-come campsite early in the day. I drove to each campground, but there was not one open site. I ended up finding a site after dark in the Indian Cove campground outside the park boundaries.

Indian Cove campground.
Our campsite next to the rocks.
White-throated swifts were flying arond the rocks behind us.

This time, I decided to reserve a site several weeks ahead. The only campground with sites available during the week that had 3 days open was again, Indian Cove. But it is a beautiful campground with sites surrounded by the same rocks that Joshua Tree is known for.

Some animals we saw on the trails or in the campsite.
Clockwise, Antelope squirrel, common raven,
Sonoran gopher snake, Western Side-blotched lizard,
Pinacate beetle, Desert Cottontail.

The campground is actually within the park boundaries, but doesn't connect directly by road with the rest of the park. So we had a 15 minute drive each day to get back inside the park. It was worth it. The campground was very quiet and serene. Sunday night was the night of a super moon, so there was no Milky Way to be seen, but the brightness of the moon made up for it. I longed to be able to take the time to sketch, but being there such a short time I only did a quick sketch of the campsite and filled in a few of the animals we saw after I got home.

3/09/20 Wall Street Mill Trailhead. 

Most of what we saw at JTNP consisted of rocks and trees, but very impressive looking rocks and trees! We did go on one hike to see some historical landmarks. It was only about 1.2 miles from where we parked to the gold mill, but that apparently was enough to discourage most of the tourists. All the parking lots were full and I had to time it right to get a space as someone drove away, but we hiked back to the mill pretty much by ourselves.

We saw some old cars that I remember from 1997, but I seem to remember them having hoods and roofs back then. However, I haven't found my photos from that era to confirm my memories.

Wall Street Mill was active during the 1930s and 40s. It was used to crush and mill ore to extract the gold. There are several brief, but interesting, stories explained about the history of the site at plaques in the area.

View looking up hill from the end of the Wall Street Mill.
Gold was extracted from rock ore at this site.

It was a great, although short, trip. I arrived home tired and sleep deprived but itching to get back to the desert for another camping trip soon. Next time, probably Anza-Borrego desert.

What's Cookin?

I have been obsessed with sketching and that has been just about all I mention in my blog (well, except for the obligatory grandchildren mentions). But I have a life. Really I do! So I thought I would post a few of the other things I am doing this month.

Knitted fingerless mitts, left is flat knit pair from two years ago.
Right is circular knit pair that were just finished. 

First, my knitting. I started knitting two years ago in December by making the fingerless mitts on the left. As you can tell, I wear them a lot because I love the jewel-like tones of the Lion brand "Landscapes" yarn. But I am annoyed by the seam needed for the flat knit pattern. So I tried again with the same pattern and yarn, but using circular methods. Clearly, my gauge has tightened with experience. And I am apparently thumb challenged because both pairs have one thumb longer than the other. The new pair is too small for me, but too long for my 7 year old granddaughter. Maybe a small women's size?

Poway has a Farmer's Market every Saturday morning. I don't usually get there because I am involved in other activities on Saturday, but occasionally I stop for things I can't get elsewhere. Like Giant Kohlrabi. Unfortunately, the last several weeks there have been no kohlrabi at the only booth that grows them. But I have picked up a few other things. I sketched it last Saturday, trying to focus on the amusing sign, but it doesn't look clear. An urban sketcher I am not, at least not yet. The sign indicates NO dogs, NO ducks, and NO elephants! As you can see, the dog owners are unfazed. but I didn't see any elephants!

#Inktober2019, Poway Farmer's Market 10/26/19
"NO dogs, NO ducks, NO elephants"

Last week at the farmer's market, I splurged on a growler of designer Kombucha, a fermented beverage made from black and/or green tea with added flavors. Kombucha is one of my tea/fermentation passions, but my SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) is not producing the kind of flavor and carbonation that I love in my 'buch. So it is time to grow a new one from fresh kombucha. The last time I tried from my favorite store brand the culture did not grow strongly and was less than satisfactory, so I decided to try again with "chef-made" kombucha. The seller (clearly not the producer) claimed that no carbonation was added to the keg (not sure I believe that) and I loved the fizz and flavor. To grow a new SCOBY, I scald a jar, add one to two cups of fresh kombucha, cover with an air permeable top, leave at room temperature for about one week. On the left is a picture of the new SCOBY after 6 days. It grew very well (the red color is from the berry tea they used in the fermentation). After a week, I added it to my gallon kombucha jug in a half gallon brew of green, black, and mint tea and 1/2 cup sugar. On the right is a picture of the SCOBY on the brew after 3 days. It is growing strongly.

Kitchen, October 2019. In front is a jar growing the new
 Kombucha SCOBY.

Kombucha brew with new SCOBY
after 3 days at room temperature.

I was going to crop out the background of the SCOBY starter jar, then realized it is a good cross-section of my kitchen pursuits.

In the picture with the new SCOBY you can see my sprouting container with a mix of alfalfa, clover, radish, fenugreek and lentils on the far left. This time of year, with warmer temperatures in my kitchen, it takes about 5 days to grow to the size I prefer.

In the middle left behind the jar is an heirloom pumpkin that I bought when they went on sale last year. More on that in a minute.

Hanging on the wall is my homegrown Stevia plant drying for the winter. I don't eat sugar and don't like the flavor and processing of store bought stevia so I tried growing my own. I add a couple of leaves to teas and smoothies. I like the flavor of fresh leaves better than dried, which add a taste that reminds me of dried alfalfa, but stevia is a warm weather plant so I don't expect it to grow in the winter. But then again, this is my first year so I might be surprised.

in the middle right is my pottery onion pot, made during my clay-throwing period. On the far right is my InstantPot, a deeply appreciated gift from my daughter-in-law. My favorite uses are Indian cookery and cooking dried beans without having to plan ahead to pre-soak. Love it!!

Unknown variety of heirloom squash, raw and baked.

This time of year I stock up on winter squash. Usually Butternut because it is most available. In November, the pumpkins and unusually colored squashes get marked down. I'm not a fan of the flavor of pumpkin and I prefer to make pies from butternut squash. My favorite squash is Buttercup, but although common in Michigan, I rarely find them out west. Last year about this time, a basket of large heirloom squashes was marked down to $0.99 each, so I bought two. One quickly rotted and the other has been sitting on the counter being decorative for a year. With butternut, the insides would be dried, sometimes moldy, with sprouting seeds and stringy flesh long before a year was up. I almost threw out this squash, but decided to check it. It is as moist, smooth and full of flavor as a fresh squash. I am amazed! I can't find a picture of an heirloom squash that looks the same. Maybe a Jarrowdale cross, as they are known for keeping a long time.

After baking slices of squash smeared with olive oil, salt, and spices I made soup with it. There is no sweetness to this squash, but a rich and complex flavor much better than pumpkin (which is actually a squash). The remaining half will make great pie after roasting and pureeing. I experimented with sweet potato banana pie to see if I could make it sugar free. It turned out okay except for the banana flavor. This time I will try adding some stevia leaves and dates to the puree.

#Inktober2019 10/29 Wilted Dahlias.

It was hot, dry, and windy when I went to the farmer's market last weekend. So I got a good deal on some wilted dahlias, which are still sitting on my counter. I missed two days of Inktober sketches but the flowers were my inspiration today. Inktober is almost over. I loved it!

Semi-wild animals

Yesterday I was invited to go for a walk at the park formerly-known-as the Wild Animal Park. I have never taken to the name San Diego Zoo Safari Park. What's up with that?? WAP rolls off the tongue much better than SDZSP. How do you even say that? I let my membership lapse about the time I bought my own house. Budget cuts, you know. So I appreciate the occasional chance to see how things have changed. We were there primarily for the exercise and I didn't want to hold up my companions with sketching. I got a quick one off while one person was getting a beer,

#Inktober2019 number 13. Tree Kangaroo
and African elephants at the Wild Animal Park.
Pens and Inks were listed on the sketch

and another when we paused to observe the elephants. There were enough animals that I would have liked to sketch that I briefly considered renewing. My annual membership used to be the best bargain in San Diego, since I got the membership that allowed me 4 free guest passes and I could take one person in for free each time. But the price is up and the perks are reduced. I can still find plenty of wild life to sketch in my neighborhood, especially the semi-wild kind.

Today I thought I ran over a lizard with my trash bin. He was very cold and sluggish. So I put him in the butterfly cage to see how he fared. Sam was absolutely thrilled. She loves all kinds of nature and insisted that we bring it into the house so that we could both sketch it

Sam's version of a Western Fence Lizard
Canson Black sketching paper
Faber-Castell Watercolour Pencils

(in truth, I don't know how to distinguish the gender, although if I reread my reptile guide it might give the distinguishing marks. Hmmm. Maybe I will check that)

#Inktober2019 number 14 Western Fence Lizard
Sailor Fountain Pen (fude nib), black water
soluble ink, Waterbrush with diluted Joy Sepia,
Sakura Gelly Roll white ink.

When we were done, I released him into the shrubbery. Sam was allowed to hold him and he was still rather sluggish. But once I put him on the bush, then tried to touch him, he was gone like a flash. I hope he's okay.

Underside of Western Fence Lizard in the
butterfly habitat.

On the bottom, Western Fence Lizards have a blue belly and yellow legs. They are quite flashy. Literally. They flash the blue throat and sides by shifting their position to communicate with other lizards. Since I decided to use blue paper for my sketch, I didn't add the yellow to the legs. It would have turned out green.

Lizard in hand, before release.

My favorite thing about the Western Fence Lizard is that studies have shown that the low incidence of Lyme disease in Western states is related to the population density of Western Fence Lizards. Some lizards, such as Western Fence Lizards and Alligator lizards, are very common in this area and have an immune component in their blood that kills the microorganisms that cause Lyme disease. The black-legged tick that is the primary tick encountered out here prefers lizards as a host, apparently 90% of nymphal stage ticks infest lizards. So the ticks are cleansed of the organisms that cause Lyme disease in humans. Neat, huh?? Save the lizards! 

#Inktober2019, week two close-out

Here are the sketches to close out week 2 of the #Inktober2019 challenge. My goal is to focus on shading, sometimes as hatching, sometimes with broader lines.

#Inktober2019 number 9 Black and white inks.

Toned paper makes for interesting contrast with black, gray or white inks. The goodie box that came this week included two books with colored drawing paper. I can't bring myself to use the oh-so-precious Field Notes Sweet Tooth book with luscious red paper yet, reasoning that I have to get better at drawing before sullying its pages. But, I did use the blue papered notebook. The idea with toned paper is to use the color of the paper for one of the shading values, the mid-range in this case. The sketch is a blue glazed tea cup. Pens used were a Pentel pocket brush pen and a Sailor Fountain pen (blue) with a fude nib and the black cartridge ink that came with the pen. The white highlights were from a Sakura Gelly Roll pen.

#Inktober2019 number 10 grapes

I wanted more color for the grapes. The shading was done with waterbrushes using diluted Namiki blue ink and diluted Joy Sepia ink. The pens were a Kuretake #13 brush pen with Malachite green, a Pilot Metropolitan Fine nib with a mix of blue and purple ink, and two Wing Sung 6359 EF nibs with Vert Empire green and Chocolate brown inks.

#Inktober2019 number 11 The laughing pencil case

Day 11. I went back to shading with hatching. I mostly sketch for the #inktober challenge just before bed, using what is quick and handy. My new pen case, a gift from my sister, and the new Monteverde DC Supershow Teal ink from Goulet pens (on their discount shelf) seemed like a great match. The pen was a Wing Sung 6359, EF nib.

#Inktober2019 number 12. 2 minute poses

One of my sketching goals is to be able to quickly draw people in action. They don't have to be recognizable to anyone who knows them, in fact I think it's safer to publish pictures that are unrecognizable, but I do want to show the emotions and gestures. So I am reading several books on sketching people. Here is my nightly practice from poses rotated on a timed basis via a great website. The pen was a Jinhao x750 with fude nib. The Jinhao is thicker than the Sailor fude pen, and heavier as it is made of metal (probably brass?). I like the line capability, but all my Jinhao pens seem to dry up more quickly than my better pens. They are cheap and pretty, but I only use my less expensive inks in them.

Library Statues

The local library has a fountain that includes two bronze statues. The fountain has a spot under the shade structure of the central courtyard. It used to have water flowing, adding to the peaceful feeling in the courtyard, which has tables and chairs distributed around the edges. Unfortunately, during the deep drought of a couple years ago all fountains were ordered turned off and it was drained. I don't know if they never turned the water back on because the pool developed leaks or because of liability issues. But the bronze statues of a little girl reading and a boy holding a book are still enjoyable. I sketched them from a distance and later each one close up. The girl was my #Inktober2019 post for day 3. I was using Diamine November Rain and a fude nib pen. The shading I tried to give her face made her look like a lion face. That is not how she looks, but my granddaughter says she likes her better that way.

Library statues at (dry) fountain.
Faber-Castell watercolour pencils on
Blick Mixed Media paper.

Close-up of boy statue with Faber-Castell pencils (watercolour).

Close-up of girl statue at library fountain
Diamine November Rain ink in Hero Fude pen
Blick Mixed Media paper
#Inktober2019 number 3

I missed two days of Inktober sketches. I'm glad no one is enforcing. Here are the other three sketches from the past week. 

#Inktober2019 number 4

#Intober2019 number 7

#Inktober2019 number 8

#Inktober2019

Inktober is a challenge initiated by Jake Parker. Every October, artists all over the world take on the Inktober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. Sketches are shared on-line in some way with the #Inktober. There is a list of daily sketch prompts which many sketchers use to determine what to sketch for each day. Other sketchers develop their own personal challenge theme. I have so many challenges in sketching that a personal goal seems more appropriate than using the provided prompts. I love the rich and juicy fountain pen inks in my collection. So I want to feature a different ink in each sketch. I don't have 31 different inks (at least, I don't think I do...) but I may include some brush pen sketches. What do I most want to develop this month? Shading and values. Shading is often accomplished when using ink by line hatching techniques. I made a couple sketches as a warm up to the month. I experimented in one with using two ink colors, intending the blue ink to represent the deepest shading value. It didn't really turn out as planned. So I swiped the blue with a water brush to shade it. Still not quite right.

Top- pen: WingSung 6359 (EF nib)
with Noodler's Black Swan in English Roses ink
Bottom- pens: Platinum Plaisir (03 fine nib)
with De Atramentis Document ink
Sheaffer Vintage Tuckaway (fine Triumph nib)
with Visconti Blue ink shaded with a water brush.

To better understand how to sketch with ink, I read the book "Portfolio: Beginning Pen and Ink" by Desarae Lee. I learned a lot about hatching and values (different levels of shading), but still need much practice! Two take-aways from this first sketch:

1- hatching takes a lot of time! About 3 hours for this one sketch. 

2- hatching looks best with an extra fine nib. The Lamy Left Hand nib is fine, but a German fine is a wider line than the extra fine, or a Japanese made fine nib. 

Monteverde Cherry Danish Ink is a new release that I just received from Goulet Pens. I think it is called cherry danish because when it is wet it is a much brighter red, like cherries. When dry it is more subdued in color.

#Inktober2019, October 1
Pen: Lamy Al-Star (left hand nib)
with Monteverde Cherry Danish

The mouse teapot is a purchase from my first trip to a Teavana store. It is just so cute and it fits into my small collection of yixing clay teapots. As has happened with so many retailers, Teavana was purchased by a larger company and then had all the brick and mortar stores closed. 

It will be interesting to see how I improve with a month's worth of practice. 

Once a geek, always a geek

I am a science and technology geek. I think I was born that way but then, I also was nurtured in that direction. When I was in second grade, having read all the fun books in our little school library, I was forced to pick a book from the science section. I picked "Earthworms" and learned that they have five hearts and can regenerate up to half their body. What!?! It was like finding out that there were aliens in my backyard. I reread that book over and over during the week I had it. When I had to take it back, I begged my dad to buy it for me and was broken-hearted when he said he couldn't buy a library book. But, that day he put the book in his lunch box and made me a hand lettered and illustrated tiny book about earthworms during his lunch hour. That little book of stapled, lined paper written in pencil was kept in my desktop cedar chest with my most precious keepsakes until I was 16, when most of my treasures were destroyed. Now why did this story come to mind?

Goulet Pens recently recorded a video of a presentation by "the napkin note dad", who discussed the impact that written notes can have on those who receive them. I highly recommend this video. For Starwars geeks, there is a funny story about trying to go through TSA with a light saber.

Writing is often thought to be outdated in the digital age, but a hand written note can be more evocative and more permanent than a text, or even an email. Part of the power of a hand-written note is in the memory evoked by the sender's distinctive handwriting, as well as any little doodles or sketches that can be added. Those notes are often saved and reviewed for years. Since seeing that video, I am considering how to encourage my granddaughter with written notes. Maybe even make her a tiny, illustrated book about something that she is geeked over. Like earwigs.

Notes about earwig observations.
Exceed 100gsm paper and inks

Sam and her dinner guest. Ink and ink wash.
Still working on shading. Exceed 76gsm journal paper.
8/19/19

One of the things that I appreciate about my dad (who raised three of us as a single dad in the 60s when single parents were not common and single dad's were almost unheard of) is that he never said,"You're a girl, you shouldn't be interested in science and math." The societal attitudes at the time certainly did not encourage girls to pursue STEM interests. My dad sometimes brought home little things in his lunch box (he worked at a research facility) to demonstrate simple scientific principles, like electrical charges and chemical reactions. Because of dad, I didn't give in to peer pressure in school to hide my enthusiasm about learning, especially about science. I'm glad I got to be a geek when being a geek wasn't cool. I love seeing the same enthusiasm in Sam.

Tree Troubles

I love trees. As much as water and mountains. The path along the creek behind my house has been a favorite place to walk for over ten years. So, of course, I am eager to sketch the lushness of the greenery, especially the trees. But I am not happy with the squishy green mess that results.

Bridge on west end of Dog Park.
The wild Fennel has taken over the banks in the past decade.
Canson XL 140 lb paper various inks, waterbrush and ink washes.

King's Craft Coffee patio. Artist's Loft journal paper.
Inks: Noodler's Lexington Gray, Herbin Vert Empire,
Diamine Chocolate Brown

Some friends and I had a morning chat at a local coffee shop, King's Craft. They roast their own beans, the decaf is single origin Peruvian! Wonderful flavor. I had the time to sketch the greenery as we chatted for a couple hours. At least it looks like a tree, but I can't wash color into the leaves because of the thin Artist's Loft journal paper. 

East bridge and path to community park.
Various inks and watercolor pencils on Canson XL 140lb paper.

When I tried to represent the mass of trees on the east end of the path, it was overwhelming. And it was taking so long my feet were hurting! So back to the green ooze. At home I inked in suggestions of leaves, but I'm not sure it improved the effect.

Ficus tree at Poway Library. The guy on the bench
seemed to notice me sketching and moved elsewhere.
Artist's Loft journal paper, inks, watercolor pencils.

Finally. with a focus on one tree at the local library I could get the leaves instead of a mass of green ooze. But trying to sketch a forest with this many leaves is not practical. I have been reading enough books that I  hope to find the secret to sketching a mass of trees without taking half the day. The leaves in this sketch were started with Herbin Vert Empire ink (I like the green gray tone), which has a moderate level of water resistance. The trunk was inked in with Diamine Chocolate brown, that shades so beautifully when activated along one side with a thin water brush. After I got home, I added more leaves with different colors of watercolor pencil. Then my new Kuretake #8 brush pen came in the mail, so I inked it with a 50% dilution of Monteverde Malachite Green. What a lovely, leafy effect that pen and ink combo can give! Maybe I could have done without the pencils after using the brush pen. The texture doesn't match.

Cheap Journal Compare

Top left are Exceed journals; top right are Letterbox journals; bottom is my current journal, Artist's Loft.

Hi, my name is Anne and I am a journal junkie. It has been about two weeks since I have purchased an unneeded journal just because it was pretty and a good price. I have a small shelf of pretty, unused journals that I found in clearance bins. I have given several journals to friends as gifts when I find out that they like to journal. So I'm writing a little info on the current, past, and future journals that I actually use. I made some sketches in each of four of the above journals for a comparison. Noodler's Lexington Gray ink laid down with a juicy fude nib has lots of bleed-through (where the ink actually soaks through to the back of the paper and sometimes to the sheet behind), so I made a sketch in each journal as a comparison of how the paper handles fountain pen ink.

Costco carries a three pack of Letterbox journals for $12.99 at selected times during the year. These are the journals I used for my first two years of bullet journaling. They have 80 sheets (160 pages) of cream colored, lined paper. I have a note that the weight is 80gsm, I'm not sure where I got that figure, but it is consistent with my experience with these books.

Things I like:

+Fountain pen friendly - Rarely bleed-through, and very little show-through (the writing is discernible as a shadow on the back side, but the ink does not soak through) with all my pens except the Sharpies.

+Paper color is not quite yellow, but not stark white. Colors show up well.

+10 inch by 7 inch hard cover that is sturdy enough to withstand eight months of daily use and traveling. The three packs are available with various bright covers, or dark shades. The books open flat.

+One ribbon book mark and a sturdy back pocket.

+Did I mention the price? $4.34 each. Unbeatable.

Reasons I have moved on:

-a little larger than is convenient to carry.

-dark lines are a distraction behind the sketches I like to include. I have checked the Spicebox website (where the price is considerably more than Costco) and there are no plain or dotted page options in these journals.

Letterbox journal sketch with Jinhao x750, fude nib.
Ink is Noodler's Lexington Gray. Hand 19.

Letterbox journal, back side of Hand 19.
 Some bleed-through visible.

Michael's craft store carries a line of Artist's Loft journals.

Things I like:

+Hard covers that open flat in several bright colors. The binding has held up well to daily carry for 3 months. Includes two ribbon bookmarks but no back pocket.

+true A5 size (8 x 6 inches)

+white paper available with dotted format. Said to be 80 gsm weight, but it does not perform as if the paper is that heavy.

+Only $5, a great price!

Reasons I am moving on:

-Not friendly to all fountain pens. Show-through and bleed-through with some inks.

-buckles and bleeds with even light washes.

-Platinum Carbon Black ink feathers and that is one of my main inks for bullet entries.

Artist's Loft journal paper.
Jinhao with fude nib
Noodler's Lexington Gray ink.
 Hand 17

Artist's Loft paper, back of
Hand 17. Heavy bleed-through. The ink
actually soaked into the second page.

Walmart stocks Exceed journals in two paper weights, soft and hard covers, and three sizes. In 2018 I bought a large format (7.5 x 9.75 inches), dotted (came also in lined format), softcover journal with one ribbon bookmark and a back pocket for $8.64. The paper is cream colored, 78 gsm with no coating. I use it as my pen and ink notebook. I see show-through and sometimes bleed-through with many fountain pens and inks, so I wouldn't consider it for most journaling or sketching. I generally only use one side of the page when I am using fountain pens, or I live with the show-through behind what I write on the back side of a page. Still, the paper handles fountain pens better than the Artist's Loft journal, with no feathering of Carbon Black ink.

Exceed 78gsm paper, Jinhao with fude nib.
Noodler's Lexington Gray ink. Hand 20

Exceed 78gsm, back of page
Hand 20 showing bleed-through.

In 2019, the paper was changed in Exceed journals. There are now three sizes available with 100gsm, coated paper. I have the new A5 journals which come with 120 sheets (240 pages), two ribbon bookmarks, hard covers, multiple cover colors and a back pocket. They do not lie quite as flat as the lighter paper version, but it is acceptable to me (although I do have to sometimes hold the page down as I sketch). The two smaller sizes cost less than $9, the larger size (soft cover) is around $13. The paper does not have bleed-through, and little show-through with the inks I use. Light, water washes result in a little buckling, but still no bleed-through. 

Exceed 100gsm paper; Jinhao with fude nib;
Noodler's Lexington Gray; Hand 18
No bleed-through or show-through on back

Exceed 100gsm paper; Platinum Carbon Desk Pen;
Platinum Carbon Black Ink; Wing Sung 6359 pen with
Diamine Chocolate Brown Ink; Faber-Castell watercolour pencils
with water wash.

Exceed 100gsm paper. Back side of Butterfly entry. No bleed-through and very slight show-through
 of green leave wash on left.
Minimal buckling of paper.

In summary- for my usage preferences: 
Text journaling: Letterbox journals- good paper; acceptable for fountain pens; bargain price. 

Sketch journaling: Exceed 100gsm, A5 size, great paper; fountain pen friendly; accepts light water wash with minor buckling; reasonably priced.

Unacceptable for journaling (according to my usage): Artist's Loft journal; show-through with all my pens and inks except Pigma Microns; bleed-through and feathering with fountain pens; using a water wash makes for heavy bleed-through and buckling.