As I previously confessed, I am severally journal challenged. I've have lots of journals from moleskines to diaries and I'm still severely journal challenged. So, what's a journal? It's anything you want it to be. Here's my version. These are Itoya Art Portfolios. Really inexpensive neat books that come in all sorts of sizes, 24 double sided pages (that's 48 drawings), acid free and archival. I have the 4x6 (for postcard trades), 5x7, 8 1/2 x 11 and 9x12. They do come larger but they're really not made for heavy paper. I don't think the larger ones would hold up to 48 bristol boards.