The Best Watercolor Paper After Arches
“What happens if I paint on this other brand of paper…?”
This question comes with a price tag. Experimenting with new paper can be expensive and frustrating. Buying a whole pad of paper to paint on it for only 30 second just to learn that you hate it and now suffer buyer’s remorse.
This week I’ve done the experimenting so you don’t have to. I painted the exact same flower with the exact same paint and techniques on SEVEN different watercolor papers on a mission to find out what is the second best paper to Arches. Most watercolor artists will agree with me that Arches will give you the best results, hands down, but it’s more than twice the cost of other brands. In the current economy we’re all watching our dollars a little more closely, and I don't want that to prevent you from exploring your creativity.
Why does quality watercolor paper matter?
The best watercolor paper is not made from tress, but from cotton. Cotton allows the water and paint to absorb more uniformly and it dries quickly. If there is no cotton, the water and paint sit on top of the paper for a little bit until it’s able to be absorbed into the paper, which results in uneven washes. The cotton of Arches also gives you a subtle wash when you paint wet on wet, which makes your paintings so beautiful. None of the other papers are able to capture that subtlety.
Let’s cut to the chase - which is second best?
For all artwork that I want frame, sell, or gift, I’ll always choose Arches. However, now that I’ve gone through this exercise, there are some less expensive papers that I’m excited to use in my journaling, sketching, and mindfulness practices.
See my experiments below to decide which paper is best for you, because it ultimately depends on what you want your final paintings to look like. Out of these papers I recommend Strathmore 400 Series and Bee Inspired (surprisingly the cheapest!). The one paper I do not recommend is Fluid 100. Keep reading to find out why.
Notes: All papers are 140 lb. weight. Price per sheet is based on 9” x 12” pad at www.dickblick.com
Arches Cold Press
This paper is the traditional watercolor paper. It has a light texture and is made of 100% cotton.
COST:
$1.66 per sheet
PROS:
Subtleties of wet on wet, smooth color mixing, ability to paint multiple layers
CONS:
Cost, feathering and hard lines when trying to create a graded wash, blooms are very apparent with the harsh lines
Arches Hot Press
This paper is also 100% cotton, but has a smooth texture that is great for a more illustrative feel.
COST:
$1.66 per sheet
PROS:
Subtleties of wet on wet, smooth color mixing, ability to paint multiple layers, less obvious hard lines with blooms
CONS:
Cost, buckles more than the other papers, very difficult to remove after dry
Bee Inspired
This paper is has a lot of texture and is the least expensive of all the papers I tried.
COST:
$0.30 per sheet
PROS:
Cost, ability to paint multiple layers, pretty consistent color blending
CONS:
Unable to get really nice subtleties with wet and wet, color fades a little
Canson XL
This paper has minimal texture and is great for color swatching and sketching.
COST:
$0.32 per sheet
PROS:
Cost, vibrant colors, mostly consistent color blending, color lifts pretty well after dry
CONS:
Unable to get really nice subtleties with wet and wet, the paint reactivates with multiple layers, longest drying time
Fabriano
This paper is 25% cotton with light texture and is considered a professional brand. The colors stay very vibrant, but it’s a little unpredictable.
COST:
$0.60 per sheet
PROS:
Vibrant colors, soft edges that are more subtle than some of the other papers, not as harsh bloom lines
CONS:
Unable to get really nice subtleties with wet and wet, the paint reactivates with multiple layers, there’s feathering when the color blends
Fluid 100
This paper is actually 100% cotton with a smooth texture and is made by Speedball. I taped a reference photo to every single paper and this is the only paper that ripped. Artist tape is made with light glue so that it doesn’t damage paper, so I was honestly surprised, especially for the price of the paper. I think this paper would be good for inks and pens, but not watercolor.
COST:
$1.62 per sheet
PROS:
Subtle wash with soft edges using wet on wet
CONS:
Cost, inconsistent color blending that looks like tie dye, very fragile, the paint lifts with additional layers
Strathmore 400 Series
This paper has minimal texture that feels more like traditional watercolor paper.
COST:
$0.79 per sheet
PROS:
Pretty consistent color mixing, interesting effects with blooms and graded washes, color lifts well even after dry
CONS:
Color lifts a little when applying additional layers, unable to get the subtlety with wet on wet
All things considered, the right watercolor paper is the paper that gives you the results that you are looking for. I hope this helps you decide which paper is best for you without having to break the bank or waste money experimenting.
Happy painting!
- Lisa