I have a small Moleskine watercolor book. I found that ink and watercolor just seemed to sit on the surface as if the paper had been treated with a water repellent coating. I didn't like it at all. Then one day I tried wiping rubbing alcohol on the paper and let it dry and suddenly it was behaving much better--IMO, anyway. I've never felt the urge to buy another Moleskine book, though. It seems like too much trouble when there are so many other options.