Choosing the right medium is an important ingredient in the recipe of an artist’s success. After all, you want your painting to come out exactly the way you visualized it, right?
Even when it comes to watercolor paintings, there are some papers that are better than others. Let us look at 10 of the best watercolor papers for artists.
But, before that..
What Does the Ideal Watercolor Paper Look Like?
The type of watercolor paper you choose ends up having a lot of say in how your work turns out. The paper must be absorbent, should dry easily, and be able to withstand rough techniques such as scrubbing.
Here are some characteristics that an ideal watercolor paper has:
- Quality. Artist’s grade paper (also known as archival paper) is acid-free and is the best quality paper for watercolors as it won’t yellow or brittle over time.
- Weight. The most common watercolor paper weights are 90 lb, 140 lb, and 300 lb. The lighter papers are thin, less durable, and prone to warping. The 300 lb paper is the best for professionals.
- Texture. Watercolor papers are usually either hard pressed or cold pressed. Choosing between the two depends on your painting style and personal preference. Hot press paper has a smooth and hard surface, making it ideal for paintings that require a lot of precision and accuracy. Example: portraits. Cold press paper has a slightly bumpy and textured surface and is great for various watercolor techniques.
- Content. Watercolor paper made of 100% cotton (known as rag paper) is the best if you want permanence, but it is also the most expensive. If you tend to use techniques such as scraping, masking, scrubbing, or taping, rag paper is the ideal choice. Paper made using a mixture of cotton and cellulose comes a close second.
- Production. Handmade and mold-made watercolor paper is better than machine-made paper due to its sturdiness and durability. They also don’t distort or deteriorate when wet.
Now, let us move on to the reviews.
Best Watercolor Paper For Artists
#1 Arches Watercolor Paper
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press/ Hot press/ Rough
Great for: Professionals and beginners
Weight: 140 lb
The Arches watercolor paper is mold-made using natural cotton fibers and is available in 13 sizes and different weights. It is widely known as the gold standard of watercolor papers. The thick paper is acid-free and won’t tear even if you scratch/ erase. The paper provides an excellent balance between texture and absorbency – your paints won’t penetrate into the paper, making it easy for you to blend or overlay. The cold press paper won’t pill or puddle, making it a great choice for wet-on-wet techniques. Both warm and cool colors appear vibrant, and won’t fade away.
#2 Saunders Waterford Paper Block
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press/ Hot press/ Rough
Great for: Professionals and beginners
Weight: 140 lb
The Saunders Waterford paper is mold-made entirely of cotton and comes in various textures and sizes. The cold press paper is a little bit on the lighter side, but is still strong and doesn’t buckle easily. The off-white color of the paper makes the paints pop vibrantly. It doesn’t curl when wet, making it great for wet-on-wet techniques.
Although absorbent, it does take a bit more time to dry, which means it is easy to create transitions and wash away your mistakes. The paint also doesn’t pool when it is wet. If you are going to apply the layering technique, you do need a bit of patience. ‘
#3 Daler-Rowney The Langton Prestige Watercolor Pad
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press/ Hot press/ Rough
Great for: Professionals
Weight: 140 lb
The Langton Prestige paper is sustainably mold-made using 100% cotton and has a natural whiteness to it. It features a soft touch along with a distinctive texture that is reminiscent of woolen felts. Each sheet is gelatin sized to give it strength and the ability to endure the most demanding watercolor techniques such as scraping, washing, layering, and scrubbing, making it ideal for professionals. The acid-free paper also has an alkali reserve to preserve your paintings from discoloration and fading.
#4 Canson Montval Watercolor Block
Made of: 100% cellulose
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Beginners and students
Weight: 140 lb
The Canson watercolor block is affordable and great for practicing. These mold-made papers are acid free and come in a variety of different sizes that are compact and ideal for painting outdoors. Since it comes in block form, the paper won’t buckle or warp when you are using it. The colors show up well on the paper. The Canson Montval is ideal for practicing, but not so much for professional work since it is not very thick and will buckle when you use wet-on-wet techniques.
#5 Winsor and Newton Watercolor Paper
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press/ Hot press/ Rough
Great for: Professionals
Weight: 140 lb
The Winsor and Newton paper is mold-made using 100% cotton where the fibers are interwoven for added strength and stability. This means it is capable of withstanding rough watercolor techniques. The cold press paper leans more towards the rough side, so the colors show up vibrantly. The paint spreads across the surface easily. It is a bit slow to dry, which is great for wet-on-wet techniques. The only downside is that it tends to buckle a bit when very wet.
#6 Hahnemuhle Watercolor Block
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Professionals
Weight: 140 lb
Made entirely using pure cotton fibers, the Hahnemuhle watercolor paper is durable and strong enough to withstand demanding watercolor techniques. Whether you use layering, masking, or taping, the fibers won’t lift, rub off, or loosen. The texture is great for wet-on-wet work. The paper is acid free, resistant to aging and yellowing, and vegan, making it a great choice for artists who look for sustainability in their materials.
#7 Legion Stonehenge Aqua Watercolor Pad
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Beginners and intermediates
Weight: 140 lb
The Stonehenge watercolor paper is a one-of-a-kind unique black colored paper which will give excellent results when working with gouache and metallic paints. It is acid free and can withstand tough techniques. It is very absorbent, so you need to be quick when you work. The paper is not super sturdy, so if you tape it up, you will need to tear off the top portion to remove it. This would be great for beginners or intermediates, but not so much for professionals.
#8 Strathmore Watercolor Journal
Made of: Cellulose
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Beginners and intermediates
Weight: 140 lb
The Strathmore journal is hardbound and contains 140 lb/ 300 gsm paper, which means it is sturdy and can be carried around. Moreover, you also get to store all your art in one place. The paper is acid free, thick, and has a strong surface, making it great for lifting and scraping techniques.
The watercolors appear bright on the natural white color of the paper. Even with a few layers of colors, the paper doesn’t buckle or warp. However, it is not too absorbent, so you need to wait for it to dry if you want to work in the same area.
#9 Ampersand Aquabord
Made of: Clay coated panel
Texture: Similar to cold press
Great for: Professionals
The Ampersand aquabord is technically not a paper; rather it is a hardboard panel that is clay coated. It has a toothy texture that is similar to cold pressed watercolor paper, but you will have fewer shadows. The aquabord is acid free, FSC certified, warp resistant, and highly absorbent. Your colors will show up vibrantly on its surface. It is also easy to lift and erase colors from the surface whether it is wet or dry. Since it does not buckle, it can handle a lot of water application. This is ideal for finished work that you want to display.
#10 Bee Watercolor Paper Roll
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Beginners and intermediates
Weight: 140 lb
This watercolor paper roll is great for those who want more control over the size of their paintings. However, you need to purchase a board separately in order to have a solid surface to work against. The paper quality is very good and comes at an affordable price. It is durable and doesn’t buckle or curl when wet. However, it is not really great for scrubbing, blending, or lifting paints off the paper, so I would recommend this for practicing and not for professional artwork.
With this, we have reached the end of the article. Now it is time for you to choose the best watercolor paper according to your needs and get painting!
Choosing the right medium is an important ingredient in the recipe of an artist’s success. After all, you want your painting to come out exactly the way you visualized it, right?
Even when it comes to watercolor paintings, there are some papers that are better than others. Let us look at 10 of the best watercolor papers for artists.
But, before that..
What Does the Ideal Watercolor Paper Look Like?
The type of watercolor paper you choose ends up having a lot of say in how your work turns out. The paper must be absorbent, should dry easily, and be able to withstand rough techniques such as scrubbing.
Here are some characteristics that an ideal watercolor paper has:
Now, let us move on to the reviews.
Best Watercolor Paper For Artists
#1 Arches Watercolor Paper
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press/ Hot press/ Rough
Great for: Professionals and beginners
Weight: 140 lb
The Arches watercolor paper is mold-made using natural cotton fibers and is available in 13 sizes and different weights. It is widely known as the gold standard of watercolor papers. The thick paper is acid-free and won’t tear even if you scratch/ erase. The paper provides an excellent balance between texture and absorbency – your paints won’t penetrate into the paper, making it easy for you to blend or overlay. The cold press paper won’t pill or puddle, making it a great choice for wet-on-wet techniques. Both warm and cool colors appear vibrant, and won’t fade away.
#2 Saunders Waterford Paper Block
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press/ Hot press/ Rough
Great for: Professionals and beginners
Weight: 140 lb
The Saunders Waterford paper is mold-made entirely of cotton and comes in various textures and sizes. The cold press paper is a little bit on the lighter side, but is still strong and doesn’t buckle easily. The off-white color of the paper makes the paints pop vibrantly. It doesn’t curl when wet, making it great for wet-on-wet techniques.
Although absorbent, it does take a bit more time to dry, which means it is easy to create transitions and wash away your mistakes. The paint also doesn’t pool when it is wet. If you are going to apply the layering technique, you do need a bit of patience. ‘
#3 Daler-Rowney The Langton Prestige Watercolor Pad
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press/ Hot press/ Rough
Great for: Professionals
Weight: 140 lb
The Langton Prestige paper is sustainably mold-made using 100% cotton and has a natural whiteness to it. It features a soft touch along with a distinctive texture that is reminiscent of woolen felts. Each sheet is gelatin sized to give it strength and the ability to endure the most demanding watercolor techniques such as scraping, washing, layering, and scrubbing, making it ideal for professionals. The acid-free paper also has an alkali reserve to preserve your paintings from discoloration and fading.
#4 Canson Montval Watercolor Block
Made of: 100% cellulose
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Beginners and students
Weight: 140 lb
The Canson watercolor block is affordable and great for practicing. These mold-made papers are acid free and come in a variety of different sizes that are compact and ideal for painting outdoors. Since it comes in block form, the paper won’t buckle or warp when you are using it. The colors show up well on the paper. The Canson Montval is ideal for practicing, but not so much for professional work since it is not very thick and will buckle when you use wet-on-wet techniques.
#5 Winsor and Newton Watercolor Paper
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press/ Hot press/ Rough
Great for: Professionals
Weight: 140 lb
The Winsor and Newton paper is mold-made using 100% cotton where the fibers are interwoven for added strength and stability. This means it is capable of withstanding rough watercolor techniques. The cold press paper leans more towards the rough side, so the colors show up vibrantly. The paint spreads across the surface easily. It is a bit slow to dry, which is great for wet-on-wet techniques. The only downside is that it tends to buckle a bit when very wet.
#6 Hahnemuhle Watercolor Block
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Professionals
Weight: 140 lb
Made entirely using pure cotton fibers, the Hahnemuhle watercolor paper is durable and strong enough to withstand demanding watercolor techniques. Whether you use layering, masking, or taping, the fibers won’t lift, rub off, or loosen. The texture is great for wet-on-wet work. The paper is acid free, resistant to aging and yellowing, and vegan, making it a great choice for artists who look for sustainability in their materials.
#7 Legion Stonehenge Aqua Watercolor Pad
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Beginners and intermediates
Weight: 140 lb
The Stonehenge watercolor paper is a one-of-a-kind unique black colored paper which will give excellent results when working with gouache and metallic paints. It is acid free and can withstand tough techniques. It is very absorbent, so you need to be quick when you work. The paper is not super sturdy, so if you tape it up, you will need to tear off the top portion to remove it. This would be great for beginners or intermediates, but not so much for professionals.
#8 Strathmore Watercolor Journal
Made of: Cellulose
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Beginners and intermediates
Weight: 140 lb
The Strathmore journal is hardbound and contains 140 lb/ 300 gsm paper, which means it is sturdy and can be carried around. Moreover, you also get to store all your art in one place. The paper is acid free, thick, and has a strong surface, making it great for lifting and scraping techniques.
The watercolors appear bright on the natural white color of the paper. Even with a few layers of colors, the paper doesn’t buckle or warp. However, it is not too absorbent, so you need to wait for it to dry if you want to work in the same area.
#9 Ampersand Aquabord
Made of: Clay coated panel
Texture: Similar to cold press
Great for: Professionals
The Ampersand aquabord is technically not a paper; rather it is a hardboard panel that is clay coated. It has a toothy texture that is similar to cold pressed watercolor paper, but you will have fewer shadows. The aquabord is acid free, FSC certified, warp resistant, and highly absorbent. Your colors will show up vibrantly on its surface. It is also easy to lift and erase colors from the surface whether it is wet or dry. Since it does not buckle, it can handle a lot of water application. This is ideal for finished work that you want to display.
#10 Bee Watercolor Paper Roll
Made of: 100% cotton
Texture: Cold press
Great for: Beginners and intermediates
Weight: 140 lb
This watercolor paper roll is great for those who want more control over the size of their paintings. However, you need to purchase a board separately in order to have a solid surface to work against. The paper quality is very good and comes at an affordable price. It is durable and doesn’t buckle or curl when wet. However, it is not really great for scrubbing, blending, or lifting paints off the paper, so I would recommend this for practicing and not for professional artwork.
With this, we have reached the end of the article. Now it is time for you to choose the best watercolor paper according to your needs and get painting!