The Best Cheap Watercolor Paper Will Shock You!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Watercolor Paper is the single most important part of this journey but we're not made of money so here's my favorite budget paper!
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I am new to watercolor and I found this comparison soooooo helpful. Not just because you steered me to a good starter paper, but mostly because you taught me what to even look for in terms of blending, durability, texture and smooth application. I would not have been able to articulate that list without your help. So - thank you very much. .
You are so welcome!
I'm not new to watercolor, and I found this so very helpful; especially the pilling test. I've experienced pilling in the past but couldn't figure out why. Now I know. Hope you will do more of these comparisons on other art supplies, like brushes or various type (pound) papers and what benefits each offers. Thank you for a very enlightening video. 😊
Same! I instantly bought the gem crafts paper and haven’t looked back since!
God this explains so much why I sort of dropped out of doing watercolors- I've used most of these brands and I was always left super dissatisfied with the results and thought I was just horrible at painting. And your description of 'fighting the paper' vs 'gliding' was how I actually did feel about some of the brands.
Well hooray it wasn’t you!! Lol!! I hope you pop back into watercolors now :)
Thats why you always need to learn the theory first. There's a reason why art needs to be studied, after all.
Finally someone focuses on just the paper. I'm a new painter and have a ton of questions and am reluctant to spend on poor products. Thanks for this presentation. You've cut thru the crap AND taught me techniques and concerns.
Oh I’m soooo glad this was helpful!!
Paper, paint, then brushes, that's the importance I put on those art supplies. I went to paper supply, over to the stationary area, tested Strathmore cotton sheets for handwriting, Bristol paper, and hit the discount racks. They used to receive the giant Strathmore cotton sheets, cut them down themselves. That was my secret to be flush in art paper, at wholesale.
I'd do similar with paint, see when the paint suppliers were visiting the art supply stores, (still do). And with brushes? Anyone ever realize that you can buy Kolinsky acrylic nail brushes for under $20, at nail supply shops? When we couldn't import, I discovered these ;) That led me down the rabbit hole to discover, that Brush manufacturers do indeed make Cosmetic brushes, with art brushes as a specialty section.
Via talks with manufacturers, sales at stores, I've lost my anxiety over art supplies. Discovered if you ask, prices are always negotiable.
@@juliesczesny90 yes I like my sable travel brushes, but my synthetics are almost as good, and way cheaper. Brushes are less of an issue. Paper was, my first works were on cheap paper and faded in front of my eyes....how I realised paper was SO important....probably most important lesson actually. You can skimp on paints, some of the mid-range student paints are really good, you don't have to use Old Holland :-) I mix between Winsor and Newton. Rembrandt, Lukas, Jackson's and a few Sennelier and St Petersburg paints (pre Ukraine!) - only one Daniel Smith colour - and usually find the cheaper Rembrandt paints from Royal Talens are almost as good, sometimes better. I've tried so many cheap and mid-range Cobalts and Cadmiums that I can't spot the difference!
But paper - this can't be skimped on. That said there are some good wood pulp papers, but the stuff you find in pound shops or discount places (Flying Tiger, Poundland, The Works - UK shops but I expect there are US versions) is usually uttter dreck. That's what I (re)started with.The FT paper is good for swatches for palettes, that's all, or cheap Xmas card paper.
I buy the imperial sheets of Fabriano paper when I can get them and cut them down :-) WAY cheaper than pads. :-)
Also I have used cosmetic trays as palettes and art-boxes - they are the same size, and have a few cosmetic brushes in my brush bag! And sash brushes, decorating brushes....more for ink/acrylic/oil, but you don't have to use 'art' brushes always :-)
Now , take the winners, tape them down and do a full page wash.. and a quick painting..then dry and remove tape..how flat is it?????????
Other than beating the paper up and lifting, the Bee paper won for me. The art created on it looks AMAZING. Canson was also a good paper for final results. A few of the ones you selected didn't look so great when they dried and their flat washes were a fail. I was surprised you didn't mention it. Overall, I think the best paper is always going to depend on how the artist works so ultimately it's just trial and error.
I like Bee too but Arches of course is number one
@@pamelaroderick6588 Baohong is good as well. And its cheaper.
The Bee and the Gencraft are definitely overall the winners depending on minor preferences. I think I may be going for the gencraft for my 8 year old for that durability, but I agree with you about colors on the Bee paper! All things being equal, it's nice seeing the pros and cons with how some of these brands have good lines but not others and those "final five" are definitely a solid place to start.
@@pamelaroderick6588 Nope, I don't like Arches.
This was very interesting. Most brands I am not familiar with due to living in Australia. I would love to see how a more expensive paper looks and reacts to the paint, compared with the best beginners paper. It would help to know what to use as our painting improves. Thank you for your help in inspiring us to not give up mastering water painting.
Agreed on testing fancier paper! Especially for art destined to sell. Kristy is such a gifted teacher ❤
Great idea!
I like the bee paper because it doesn't lift. My technique isn't affected so much by the scrubbing test and I actually like a paper that can handle putting lighter washes over darker washes without lifting them. I absolutley hate canson XL, probably for the same reasons. It made me hate watercolor
There is no reason that a thicker paper would hold up better under scrubbing. You’re not scrubbing the thickness, you’re scrubbing the surface. It’s how the SURFACE holds up that you’re measuring. Personally I like Fabriano for cheap paper and I use a lot of mixed media paper. Tbh scrubbing isn’t something that I’d usually do, but most ALL good papers should be around 10 seconds. LIFTING on the other hand is important, and I find mixed media papers are great for that
Okay thanks!!!
Thickness is a mistake I see all the time when dealing with fountain pens and dip pens. Bad paper is still bad paper, even if it's an inch thick. Unfortunately, many people don't realize this, and companies are all too ready to take advantage of them by making their bad paper thicker, and then putting blurbs and ads about how the paper has been improved.
It's really common sense. Paper is not bad because it's think, and not good because it's thick. It's good or bad based on what it's made from, and how the manufacturing process is done. The most popular, bleed proof paper o in the fountain pen world is also the thinnest at only 52gsm. Some of the worst bleeds if a drop of moisture gets on it, even though it's 160gsm.
I gotta try Bee paper. Lifting isn't an issue for me, as I really don't do it much. My priorities are more how smoothly the paint blends, how vibrant the colors look, and how well they layer. :)
Could you please do a video on hot process? Maybe you already have? I am a beginner and accidentally bought hot process. Thank you.
I'm teaching a beginner's wc class at "camp" this summer. I found that Prang semi moist wc pans and Grumbacher wc paper give some amazing results $8 for 30 sheets. It warps a bit while painting but flattens out nicely when dried. The texture is a little funky but gives the painter a success with vibrancy and movement. Starting with rainbow wet in wet so they can start with joy in their heart. Credit will be given! ❤❤❤❤❤❤🎨
Great tip!
I have also found Prang watercolor pans to be my go to for newbies on a budget or children as it is a great budget watercolor set. So many lose interest with other sets that are substandard and do not perform as watercolor should.
Watched this and did some testing on the paper I picked up at Michael’s and I use it all the time. It’s called Artist’s Loft and it’s 90 lb 190 g/m2, cold press. It’s made in Italy, artist level 2. It warps with a lot of water, but the other tests look nice. Piling at 16 seconds as I counted using one 1,000 etc. For paint I used W&N Cotman. For me it works for what I’m practicing as a beginner. I will definitely try the Gencraft though! Thank you so much this tutorial was extremely helpful in getting to know how watercolor paper should behave.
I tried the Artist's Loft 140 lb, and it held up well to the tests. I just use it to practice new techniques, or to make greeting cards with.
I have tried GenCraft paper,,,, not impressed. I don't think it absorbs pigment as I would have liked. Sizing seemed too hard
Cotton is cellulose. I hate to be pedantic but saying wood-pulp paper is "cellulose" and cotton is not cellulose is not accurate. They are different sources of cellulose and have different properties due to the other components in the source, but they are both cellulose.
Gencraft in the US is $17.99 for the 2 pack from Amazon. That would be about $23 in Canadian funds. Here Amazon sells this 2 pack for $52.24. US price for Genstar cotton paper is $16.00 for 1 pad of 20 sheets. Here it's $45.78. Heavy sigh...
That's what I was afraid of :(
@@KristyRice That's ok; out of your control! I really appreciate all the help and information you generously offer. I learned from a previous vid of yours about the Baohong Academy paper. Fortunately there is a seller that charges a fair price; US & exchange. It makes sense for me to stock up, as all other watercolor paper has dramatically jumped up in price from 50% to 400%. 🙂
@Ana Pie How very kind of you! I have an opportunity to get some Academy cotton paper at a more reasonable price. I'd better act quickly tho, as the paper prices aren't sneaking up, they're pole vaulting! (ie: from $13 to $42 overnight, and it isn't even a good product! >/
Hobby lobby watercolor paper is not bad for practice/sketching. Super cheap on 50% of week. Some of the sheets in the pad might have spots where the sizing isn't in spots,but that fairly rare anymore. Still worth the price. Wayyyy better than canson xl
Well, I don't think it's nearly as good as Canson XL, but I can see how you would think that if you use it constantly. Thisd, in fact, is why I think it's a horrible idea and a massive mistake for beginners to use cheap paper. It can slow down progress by years, and it can mean you won't even know what is and isn't quality paper because you've adjusted your style to bad paper.
Beginners need very high quality paper at least as much as pros do, and maybe more. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and buy the best in any field, even if doing so hurts like crazy. Putting money ahead of quality is fine if your goal isn't to reach the highest level possible, but if you do want to climb as high as you possibly can, you really need to put quality ahead of money.
The Canson XL is suppose to do better with the dye based liquid watercolor, vs the liquid watercolors on cotton. I would love to see you test that if you happen to have some of the liquid watercolors on hand.
Oh interesting :)
Absolutely loved this video! I am an advanced beginner and have a bankers box full of paper pads and with the exception arches I forget if I like the pad and how it reacts. I am going to try these tests on all my random pads and staple the results on the front of each pad.
Wonderful! :)
Brilliant! I think I'll do the same. Thanks.
@@KristyRice just wondering , I can't seem to get gencrafts in Ireland do you think the Amazon basics are a good enough quality for beginners. I hope you don't mind me asking. Thank you.
Oooh, I like that idea of stapling to the front of the pad, though I'll likely use a tape roller instead as I dislike staple marks in the paper. It'll help all of my Amazon reviews, too.
Thanks for this! Don’t know if anyone mentioned Artbeek 100% cotton, Amazon $17 for 32 sheets 9x12. On a wire binder at top with perforations. I have used it following one of your tutorial videos (happy poppies!) and it looked great! I know it’s not “budget” but I like it better than Arches for the price point.
Well, for the price point, maybe, but Arches is absolutely one of the best paper out there, many pros think it's number one, and is actually pretty cheap as top papers go. The Arches I use is the 9x12 or 12x16 300lb blocks. The 9x12 is a little over four dollars per sheet, and the 12x16 is something over six dollars per sheet, but it doesn't get any better. Trying to go too cheap is probably the worst mistake a beginner can make. A little over four or six dollars for paper of this size and quality is very cheap, and buying anything much cheaper can mean it will take a lot longer to develop your skills.
Some of the graphite Bristol Board paper I use costs from fifteen to twenty-five dollars per sheet. I know many can't afford such paper, but using the absolute highest quality you can afford will get you where you want to go a lot faster.
Really, I've drawn and painted on all sorts of paper and surfaces, but other than just having fun, it did me no good at all. What's the point of using cheap paper, even if you can do well on it? It really doesn't help you use a top paper, and very, very often stops a beginner from using high quality paper, or from knowing how to use a top paper well. You can't, or shouldn't sell a painting done on anything less than the best paper, and even displaying a paint done on cheap paper does very little for the artist's reputationj.
The GenCraft Paper didnt work at all for me. I will probably give this to the kids. ---- pilled terribly. Didnt handle my watercolor paint nicely either. I use Daniel Smith WC paint . I liked Bee Paper...
Oh no! So odd!
Thanks, Kristy, for putting this together. I'm new to the watercolor journey and will give Gencrafts a try. Appreciate the time and effort you put into your content.
Kilimanjaro from Cheap Joe's is my favorite cotton wc paper, and it's inexpensive. Stonehenge is also great and affordable. For non-cotton sketchbooks, I love Canson Montval Artist Series.
I actually STARTED with Chinese Brush painting-p…basically watercolor + ink on Xuan paper-called “rice” paper, but almost always mulberry or/and bamboo. Because the binding agents + natural pigments are different; so are the results on the papers. I’m branching into more Western Watercolor for certain subjects..mainly because I found Gongbi, a much more detailed, unforgiving style on a smooth, treated paper, (ideally non-absorbent)-it’s just TOO unforgiving for my failing eyesight and not-so-steady strokes sometimes. Western watercolor I’m just really getting started & a bit overwhelmed. Considering the money & practice I’ve invested in my CBP & calligraphy supplies..for the most part, I’ll stick with mostly doing that.
HOWEVER, I’m currently attempting two particular subjects that, for me, aren’t as easy to do in the oriental style..or perhaps I should clarify, they’re for my daughters. When they saw my panda, ink & WC paintings that were praised by my Chinese tutor? “MAMA? WTF. are you doing ink blot tests on bamboo?”
Somehow I doubt they’d appreciate a hummingbird or bunnies in ink & CBP. Western watercolor attempts coming up…
(Both subjects have special meaning..Hummingbirds showed up at my late son’s life celebration last year, then again when the girls visited the farm we lived on in their childhood. My youngest daughter, after 5 years of surgeries and fertility treatments, is pregnant with likely my only grandchild, due next Jan, the Year of the Rabbit. She was also born in the year of the rabbit, 1987. As to why the emphasis on Chinese culture; my Son spent the last 12+ years living in, traveling through and working in China. His/our Chinese friends call and message us almost daily to check on us and offer any help we need with anything. I’m STILL hoping to get over there at some point after my grandchild is born..I have another tie in that a medical research group I was a part of for many years, is now located in China after their funding was cut about 4 years ago. I’d planned on joining my precious son over there, and we were hoping to convince the girls. We’ll see. 😉
Thanks for sharing precious details of your life. I also had a child born in 1987 and he's such a wonderful son😍
Thank you for sharing this!
Interesting broadcast, Elaine.
I have to disagree with Gencraft as the winner. The horrible wet in wet is a deal breaker for me. I would give it second place, though, because of the rest of the tests. I actually thought that overall, the Soho performed the best. I think it might be a matter of what kind of painting you're doing, whether it is going to be more wet in wet or more lifting.
I just couldn’t get past the weight of Soho :( Otherwise it was awesome
Bao Hong Paper has taken the world for its great value
Not as inexpensive as it was when this was made
@@dsimms561 And I find it too coarse to control water flow.
My Gencraft paper arrived yesterday and I was anxious to start my testing immediately! I didn’t try wet on wet at first so the wet on dry took some getting use to because of the texture of the paper. The back side of the paper is much smoother and I will def try that side soon for some testing.
The paper does buckle easily so I will tape it down for my next testing session. Wet on wet worked fairly well, lifting worked well. Some of the colors look weird, sort of dirty on this paper and I am not sure why. My water is clean, can’t stand a jar of dark dirty water and my paints are not muddy from dipping a brush into several colors without washing the brush in between. Perhaps I had too much water on my brush that produced a weird color. More testing is scheduled. Today I made several bookmarkers and used vibrant colors from my new Kristi Rice palette. Love my palette! They look really good! I got four bookmarkers from a sheet of paper.
The Gencraft paper was a two pack unit from Amazon for $17.95, 60 sheets total. I doubt there is a less expensive paper on the market that would give you a decent painting. I would not use this for a piece of fine art, at least not for now until I test it more. Some of my paintings are very detailed and take hours so I don’t want to ruin one of those with paper that is not top notch. All in all I am pleased with my bargain priced paper. Thanks Kristi for giving us these comparisons.
Thank you for sharing your findings!!
Artist’s Loft is another very good budget paper. Generally 28 sheets, Level 2, made in Italy, and when on sale it’s usually buy 1 get 1. I’ll definitely give Gencrafts paper a try.
Don’t like the lines on Gencraft!! Did like Amazon Basics, Canson XL, Bee paper. Thank you for this video!! I also like your video on cotton papers!! Excellent!!❤
Thanks for watching!
A lot of info, thank you. However, it would have been very helpful to show the front of the relevant pad that you were reviewing.
Noted!
No doubt in part due to this video, Gencraft paper has nearly doubled in price...sadly.
Oh no!!!
Can't match 30 cents a sheet but I also truly can't work on bad paper. I started on some of the Strathmore lower-end journals, the equivalent of their 300-400 paper, and was nothing but frustrated and discouraged. Nothing worked the way it was supposed to and I almost gave up. I buy artist grade watercolor paper by the large (20" x 30") sheet from Blick and cut it down. You can buy artist-grade, 100% cotton, correctly-sized, 140 lb. fully archival paper for $6-ish to $9-ish a sheet. That includes Fabriano Artistico, Arches, Saunders Waterford, Strathmore Imperial, and others that are of similar best quality. Right now, Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. is going for $6.60 a sheet. (Often you can find 4-packs for less per sheet.) If you cut that down to 10 x 11, which is a tad bigger than 9 x 12, you get 6 pieces which works out to $1.10 per piece. It is really worth it if you can go up to that price. I skimp on brushes before I skimp on paper.
I'm with you! The quality of the paper is the most important contributor to success in watercolor painting, and I say that as a professional.
Love this video -- I started with the Arteza paper and the texture has bothered me a lot -- so good to hear it wasn't just me. I would be curious to hear another video on comparing papers that would be the more expensive ones.
Oh don't worries, this is a whole series!! XO
@@KristyRice YAY!!
I'm a beginner, and I've been using an Arteza sketchbook. Maybe it's me or maybe the sketchbook paper is different, but I have gotten the opposite results. My Arteza sketchbook has taken a lot of abuse as far as laying down a lot of pigment, but it absolutely hates a lot of water.
Whoops! Sorry, I meant this as a regular comment, not a reply! 😳
Arteza expert watercolor paper is so much better it is a littlemore $, but definitely worth it. The lines really bugged me on the paper shown in video
Honestly I think you missed the best one. Bee is my choice here. You are correct that it doesn’t take scrubbing very well, but it’s other characteristics are close to higher quality cotton papers. I use it all the time for studies and practice and even some finished work. I have the 9x12 sketchbook but I prefer the 6x9 individual sheets. They are better than the sketchbooks. I do appreciate your analysis very much. Just my opinion and I have not used all the types you looked at.
Oh I need to try the individual sheets then!!!
I love the Bee 6x9 sheets but haven't been able to find them lately. Anyone know where to find them?
@@45067daddymac Jerry’s Artarama has it for $9.48 pack of 25. It’s gone up from where it was a couple years ago
I have found this to be true in my experience as well, that the 6x9 individual sheets perform differently and better than the paper in their bound sketchbooks, which is unfortunate because the sketchbooks are bound so nicely and come in bigger sizes. Of course, Bee paper also comes in a roll, and you can cut it to whatever size you prefer. I am a professional and I love working on the Bee paper. There's just something about it that I find pleasant to play around on. Although for most of my work to be sold, I use either Arches or Saunders Waterford 300 lb.
I wouldn't use any of these papers for finished work, but I do think Bee is better than it was ranked here.
I like Mozart Supplies 300gsm CP watercolour paper ($15.99 for 30 sheets). I enjoy Wet-in-Wet techniques and this handles water beautifully - and I *cannot* get that sucker to pill! (believe me, I've tried! 😂).
One cost-effective way of trying higher quality papers is to buy assortment packs. I bought a pack 3 years ago and I still have plenty left to use. 😊
With regard to Arteza, I have the watercolour sketchbook and I found the sizing very inconsistent and not great for Wet-in-Wet. Have you experienced that with the bigger sheets?
It's funny, but where the papers 'failed' (for instance, at 28:11) I can see opportunities to exploit it for artistic effect. 😊
There’s always opportunity in every “failure”. I’m needing to try that Mozarts paper for sure!!
I’ve never tried an assortment pack before, I’ll have to get one sometime!
I like to use “bad” paper for artistic effect, too, though it’s usually cheap sketchbook paper.
I had a 400 Strathmore pad that I didn’t mind using and recently ran out so I purchased a new pad and it has been driving me crazy. It seems like to me they changed it, the texture is different and I feel like the pigments just sit on top of the paper and is as she says slick? I am curious if anybody else has noticed it has changed or if I am just crazy. I have also been using 100% cotton more so maybe I have just been noticing the problems more.
As I said in another post, I almost never use cheap watercolor paper, but I do keep the Strathmore 400 series Watercolor paper around for other uses. I think it's extremely good paper, and if I have to use any cheap paper for watercolor, it would be the Strathmore 400. I know a lot of pros who love it, and I can't find any difference in the 400 I just bought, and what I had last year.
I think the problem is the one hundred percent cotton paper you're been using. There is a serious difference. This difference can make switching from one to the other difficult.
I use Arches, even for practice. It never made sense to me to practice on one kind of paper, usually cheap and with problems, and then try to do a finished, professional level painting, or just the best painting I could do at the time, on a completely different type and quality paper. Beginners are often much better than they think they are because poor paper hides their skills.
Arches is $44.43 for a ten sheet block of 300lb 9x12 paper on Amazon right now. That might seem very expensive, but it's considerably cheaper than several much lower quality papers, and many, many pros think Arches is the best watercolor paper out there.
If you haven't used really high quality paper, give it a try. Use one sheet just to see what watercolor paint does on such paper. Use two or three more for pure practice, and don't sweat being great. Then use the rest of the sheets to do the very best paintings you can do. This paper is your friend, and can help improve your skills quickly.
@@jamesaritchie1 Thanks. One tip I have been using from another artist is you can flip the paper over and paint on the other side. You can get more use out of the better paper when you don’t like your painting or are just using it to practice.
If its not %100 cotton the paint will not behave correctly, period. So once you start using real watercooler paper your going to have to relearn everything and overcome habits you learned from using anything that's not %100 cotton. The best budget water color paper is whatever %100 cotton is on special, cut into fours, and used front and back. I learned this the hard way. You will regret learning on anything that's not %100 cotton. If you want to go budget do it on the paint and brushes, never on paper. Just get any cheep watercolor paint and hogg hair brushes are dirt cheep and awesome, you just need to soak them for 15 min before using them. Later you can switch to better natural brushes or synthetics that TRY to emulate natural brushes with out having to relearn anything, but you might end up just getting nicer hogg hair brushes. I learned this from the watercolor master Gordon Mackenzie.
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise🤗 I'll look around and see what I can find.
I’m loving this group of videos. I already past my strathmore and Canson XL on to my 5 year old grandson. He wants to create with Grammy. (He doesn’t think my art is awful even if I’m still not painting a group of things) I want him to feel his art is worthy of proper equipment.
Love this! I'm saving my "reject paper" for my grands also.
Save money for when he is in high school entering art contests.
I would love it if you would give us your next top 3 from this list. ( But not number one since you want people to watch the video.) Could you maybe pin it to the top because I'm thinking other people might be curious too. Thanks!
The Arteza paper here seems to be the ‘Premium’ one. Sometimes they offer another still budget one, but costs a little more called the ‘Expert’ paper which I’ve had really good experience with, but at least in UK that seems to be hard to find at the moment! Arteza Expert is quite durable to overworking and one I really recommend a good value.
Canson water color paper may not be the best for water color, but I love using it for acrylic, posca pens, and gouache. I think their water color paper is better than their mixed media paper. I can’t wait to see which paper wins! 🤗
Ooh I never thought to use it with gouache!
Oh hello! I watch your videos
@@alpcreative2059 Hi there! 🥰
Glag you did this. I grabbed some Grambacher from Walmart, it did just like the Gencraft. The amazon is fast to pilll up on me and it's sucks in the pigments also. It's so hard to buy the expensive to practice on. I go thru a lot, as I'm sure you do. Thanks for this video.
Soooo much paper! The Grumbacher falls in my midrange review :)
@@KristyRice I'm not impressed and I'm just a beginner in watercolors. lol..it'll be good for practicing brush strokes lol Have a good weekend.
I've had the same experience with the Amazon paper. I have never been so frustrated.
I stocked up on Grumbacher a couple of years ago when I found it on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I bought one or two of each size. I have to admit that I almost feel guilty when I say that it's one of my favorites for things like card making and practice. I do pull out my Arches for "important" pieces.
I kinda like Grumbacher too. Just started playing with it.
I can get the Strathmore 500 cotton watercolour paper for only $1 a sheet. I prefer to work on 8"x5" pieces of paper myself. I absolutely love that paper, I prefer the hot press, as I can do details, but I've never had issues doing washes or wet on wet
Where do I buy this paper ? Gina Cates
@@ginatexasgirl9438 with recent events, some papers have increased in price..past the 1.00 per sheet standard from this vid...I like the 500 series Strathmore, and have found it at JoAnn online, and lucked out at other stores. Suggest googling it, and ordering quickly before shipping causes more price increases.
The 500 is amazing but i dont like the 400 either
@@ginatexasgirl9438 I can find it at my local superstore sometimes
@@kathyhackney7950 They're both very good paper for the price. It's often just a matter of learning how to use a particular paper. On an objective basis, though, Strathmore 400 is made extremely well. You still have to learn how to use it properly, just as you do all paper.
For me, and my personal style and needs, Fabriano Studio and Fabriano 1264 are the best budgets for me, along with Baohong Artist grade and their Academy paper. Because with my style I prefer using more moist style watercolors and I use them in a very controlled way and a lot of mixed media with them, so I prefer hot pressed paper. And for me, Fabriano budget lines and Baohong have been affordable and their hot pressed options have been incredible. I still do light washes and sometimes I love to play with granulation and lots of water, but I mostly do portraits and character design. I have some sketchbooks from Hahnemuhle, both academy and professional, and they’re VERY affordable for their price range. And they’re very ink and wash, mixed media and controlled technique friendly. The paper is excellent but also doesn’t break the bank. They also have toned tan and gray watercolor paper sketchbook options. I prefer to do studies in a sketchbook and then spend a bit more for higher quality paper for my more serious “pieces”.
There’s options for everyone, every budget, every style.
Never been a fan of Strathmore! Don’t understand why they are still in business.
GenCrafts leaves those odd stripes. Maybe I don’t have the same kind as yours.
It does have an odd texture
I think your pick was biased somewhat. Perhaps because the GenCraft paper was sent to you free and you are choosing that brand because of that. I also think you should have chosen several others as second and third bests. Thanks anyhow for your opinion.
I hate camson XL water color paper, heck I haven't found a camson I like yet. They always pill and fall apart on me. Plus the streaking. I have tried it so many times wanting to like it and just end up mad.
I haven't used the bee paper much yet aside from swatches and simple paintings, same with Strathmore. I bought arches and was sold on it. I have never had it fail. I buy the bug sheets and cut them to the sizes I like. I feel it is a better deal that way.
Same. Detest canson
Have you tried Clairefontaine Aquapad? It is my goto budget 100% Cellulose paper. The 140lb 50 sheets A4 (8.3 x 11.7 in) is around 16 US$ meaning around 32 cents/sheet... almost the same price of Canson XL Aquarelle, but with a good cold press texture and I use both sides for exercises and color charts... hope you can test it next time!
I live in Québec, Canada. Aquapad is also my go-to paper for practice and swatching. I buy it from DeSerres. Cheap, but still good enough for a beginner like me. Got some Academy paper though.
Thank you for this helpful video. I'm barely a beginner, matter of fact I don't even know if you can say I am a beginner, LOL. I am currently doing a lot of reading, researching and watching videos like this one.
Thanks for this. I really like Fluid hot press paper and want to try their cotton paper. Both are reasonably priced. I've just started adding cotton watercolor paper into my practice. I have the Paul Rubens and the Strathmore 100 % cotton sheets. I actually like the Canson XL even as a beginner basically because I have no idea what I'm doing and I"m not going for anything specific and I like the weirdness. It keeps me from working so stiffly and tentatively. Also, weirdly, I found my Albrecht Durer WC pencils sucked on the cotton paper and were super rich and pigmented on the Canson. I found some random, weird watercolor paper that has a similar texture to the Arteza and it's definitely a no from me.
Have to say.. fluid is my go to for a more affordable paper!
Omg! Thank you so much for this video! I am a beginner however have always done art and managed quite the collection of art supplies. Sat done to play with Bienfang (?) to lazy to go look in my studio ....paper. It was awful! Did everything you don’t want from pilling to no movement! I thought it was Me! I love your books and videos! Thank you!
You are so welcome!
I'm looking at your palette... Can you share the brand and where you purchased? Thanks 🙂
Everything she uses in the video is listed in the description... hope this helps!!
I am using M Graham paint.
Thanks :)
Does anyone know where we can purchase the 100% cotton version of the Bee Paper anymore??? I can not find it anywhere, and on Amazon, it describes it as a pulp mix version-NOT 100% cotton!!
Thanks!!!🙋🏻♀️✌🏻💛
I'm hoping it's Canson. I've always liked it for other things. And Bee Paper. Emily Artful introduced me to it. Well....crap. Bee Paper is a let down. And I already have some, but...I can use it just to practice I suppose. Thank you so much!
Use it up for sure!
AHA! I waited with bated breath for your choice pick & I had picked Gen Craft! I'm learning! Thank you SO much for this demonstration! ;):):)
Nice!!
I’ve done watercolour for 35plus years some papers are better for wet techniques and some Are better for dry brush 90 lb print making paper like BFK reeves I work ala prima hit it once leave it alone. Layering is okay but the paper should dry completely between applications. Liberty Mills paper if you can find is nice and I really like cotton or linen paper
What about Baohong Academy paper? Available from Temu at $11 and change, 100% cotton? Debating getting and trying.
I reviewed it in my best 100% cotton video and LOVE it!!
Lots of good information here. I'd be curious to see you do this as a blind test - where someone preps the papers and you don't know what you're painting on until the end when you've done all the tests. Does knowing what the paper is affect your opinion even as you're painting? It does for me, sometimes.
I'd love to know what blue you used for the blobs at the bottom of each piece. It's luminous & beautiful!
Looks like Prussian
Thank you for the review. As always very educational. I bet the Gen Craft are good paper. Unfortunaly the Gen Craft and Soho are not avalible in Europe. Of youre top four I can get Canson XL and Fabriano Hot pad. I'll try those paper.
Absolutely both of those perform well… I’d favor the Fabriano get pad slightly over Canson XL
When choosing papers I like 140 lb minimum. Some papers are soft I have used scrapbooking paper but the quality has fallen off. Scrapbooking paper is good for dry brush techniques if it will accept the pigment well
Kinda weird how you didn't use a "high end" paper as a control.
Thank you for saving us a lot of money. I'm with you about Canson, and Arteza: ferget about it!!! I'll give Gencrafts a try next time I need to buy paper but you've almost guaranteed a price increase with this video, lol. TYFS
Ha gosh I hope not!!!
I’ve been using Hobby Lobby store brand. It has that same weird texture as the Gencraft paper. Like you I like the quality of the paper once I get past the texture.
I’ve tried the Gencraft acrylics, but never their watercolor products. How is that paint?
The paint is fun and inspiring to use but only the pans, not their tubes lol
This has to be the best video I’ve ever watched on paper by far. I love a.l the techniques you showed us. Very helpful!
Wow thanks!!
This week i tried the canson and the strathmore mix 400 and 500 and i dont like it at all 0/100👎🏻👎🏻
Yeaahhhh terrible
Agree
I just go for the cotton paper. Buy it in large sheets and make into a sketchbook so I can paint on both sider. I do use some cheaper paper when I know the technique I'm using allows for it: Canson Montval, Fabriano Studio, Dealer Rowney, Hahnehmule.
I went to Amazon and found this paper for $30. The killer is they want $12 to ship it. I am going to just say no to that. Outrageous!
Creative Bee is my all time fave but it is increasingly hard to find.
I looked up the gencraft paper on Amazon there are two different kinds, which one do you like? 100% cotton?
Nope the other :)
Kristy i have 14 sizes of the brushes that you or using !An i love my an most of the artist say bad about this brush but,you have proud them WRONG.❤😊
Gencraft also comes in 100% cotton!
Oooohhhhh!
This is so helpful. Knowing why you chose the paper you chose makes it easier for us to decide what is best for us. I’m using the Canson XL because that’s what I heard was best for the budget. I am going to try the Gencrafts 😊
According to my research, Gencraft is a wood pulp/cotton blend.
I'm in Europe so the papers I like to paint on are different.
I like the watercolour papers from Rossman for about 4€ per Dina4 block with 20 sheets 180gm2 and Tedi DinA3 for 3€ with 10 sheets very thick paper, it's very smooth there is no weight on it about 300gm2,
from sostrene grene watercolour paper DinA3 10 sheets about 6€ 300gm2 i only use the back which has a fine texture, the front is strangely textured.
From the big art shops here in Europe i only like the Nr.3 from Gerstaecker there are different sizes e.g. 30x40cm with 65 sheets 200gm2 for about 13,19€,
the Le Grand paper from boesner has a grid like texture, which i don't like.
I don't like to buy more expensive paper, because I don't have much money to spend on my hobby and I like the papers I use,
and I haven't noticed much of a difference between them and more expensive papers that I've been able to try out with samples I've got in shops.
The only expensive papers i use are the ones with this cloudy surface that is between rough and fine.
for me, it is the Fontaine paper from Clarefontaine, I once bought it on sale for about 14€ for 10 sheets. I'm still looking for a cheaper alternative for it, it's very rare that it's offered so cheaply.
I tried the watercolor paper from SMLT 280gm2 and 35 sheets in a block when it was offered for under 5€ for a DinA4 block, and it's OK, but it wears out too quickly when I'm painting.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your recommendation for the best budget paper is awesome! Super-cheap yet durable, and the watercolor moves incredibly well on it. Huge win!
Thanks for this helpful video. As a newbie, I’ve been trying different papers and have been surprised at the differences, but wasn’t sure if my inexperience was the issue more than the paper. Ha. I haven’t tried your top pick yet, but that will be next. I bought a Gencraft metallic palette and love them.
I’m so glad to hear it!
Thanks for your memorable videos! Very chock full of info! I just bought a shitload of Canson xl paper I can kick myself. But I'll still use it.ce' le vis
In Canada on Amazon Gencraft is shown as 100% cotton, Cold Press and cost $50.00 😮 Too expensive for me!
At the end (34:20) you say, "Head on over to this video for other budget supplies" but I can't seem to find it. Any pointers?
Here ya go!! th-cam.com/video/eC2G9KllPOs/w-d-xo.html
Hi there.
My favourite budget paper is the Winsor and Newton Cartridge Medium surface paper at 220 gsm.
It has a very strong surface but not that hard sizing in order to repel the watercolours from its surface like the Strathmore 400 mixed media does. It is strong enough to withstand lifting colour but not that much to not be able to work on it in multiple layers. It's surface has some very slight tooth, enough to work with pencils but not that much to catch ink pens ( nib or others). Something between a HP and a CP or Vellum as it is called.
It doesn't accept extremely heavy washes if you haven't stretch it in advance, but if you do wet it on both sides and let it dry completely it can work with heavy washes too. Even if it buckles ( when you haven't stretch it) it dries out relatively flat. Something that is expected by the time that it is not a cotton paper and it is just 220 gsm.
I use it to bind sketchbooks for botanical illustrations and urban sketching, check swatches, make ink and pencil sketches but I have made some paintings on it too, more than a decade ago, and so I'm certain that is archival and it will not yellow over time. Generally speaking I have used it to its limits and it works pretty well.
It currently cost me 5 euros for A5 pads of 25 sheets each but the price might be somewhat higher in US depending the supplier and what sort of taxes it gets from country to country.
It is available in A5, A4, and A3 sizes.
Thank you!! This is so informative :)
I'm tempted to try the Gencrafts paper now! Though, to me, glazing is more important than lifting.
There you go! You’re final choice will definitely align with your specific ways :)
I am new to the watercolour painting, never really try to create art with it, and I just used Canson paper and for me I wouldn’t recommended to beginners . I might try some that you recommended.
Thank you some much for your reviews ❤
Thanks I have used Arteza which is expensive in Canada. I like Canson s Montval is very good practice paper. Thanks for doing all the work.
I agree with vision & bee and couple of others as to quality... I learned on Strathmore, find Canson XL useful for practice and bookmarks. Would like to hear your take on Canson 100% cotton (which I have put in and removed from my basket on Amazon 3X due to unknown quality and high price LOL).
I like the Strathmore 500 but lately the price is 😝. I think a person gets used to quirks of their paper & brushes but for me, pilling is a deal-breaker.
Good vid. Thanks !
Here's where the Fabriano Fat Pad really shines: printing. I've recently purchased an Epson printer, Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Wide-format Printer (model 844ed). I use Fabriano Fat Pad for printing black and white reference photos to help me understand values in the photo. I'd highly recommend the Fabriano Fat Pad for watercolor printing.
Your excellent experience is good.
Greetings from Seoul New friend.
Full support my dear friend 😀
Thank you!!
I always block my paper at the start. It doesn't stop all the warping but it sure cuts it down quite a bit regardless of which brand you use. And I say this as someone that blocks Bristol board so they can paint with gouache on it. My only problem is I go through a TON of blue painter's tape. lol
Announcement: Amazon currently has Gencrafts A4 watercolor pads of 30 sheets. 2 pack for $19.
This is SO helpful !! Thank you for sharing this !
You bet!!
M gram is like the only pro watercolor I have not tried yet and I really want to. They just seem like solid awesome watercolors with some unique offerings. Just not being able to fully dry/not able to take with you in a palette is what holds me back....that and the price
I've been using M Graham for a couple of years now and have it in my travel palette- it stays in place. I've not had any issues with it not drying or running out all over the place while it's in my tote bag sideways. I did let it sit out open for a week before I started carrying it. I hope I didn't just jinx myself. 😂 I am using the Mijello Fusion airtight palette.
I honestly have herd from so many people that they have traveled with their M. Gram with no problem, so don't let that hold you back. :)
Yesss! M Graham is awesome! I carry it in my travel palette without incident with one exception: the Cobalt Teal. It tends to absorb water and stay runny. Keep it for your studio palette.
I live in Southern California, so it's a dry climate. If you live in a more humid area, I've heard complaints because the honey in the paint sucks moisture right out of the air. On the bright side, it rewets beautifully, is mostly single pigment colors using the pigment name, so you know what you're getting without searching the fine print.
All of these paper to me, looks like the texture is just stamped on. It is not actual texture.
Hmmm well it’s def real texture promise :(
This was a great video. Thanks for this. I have been painting for 9 years in watercolours and can’t stand student grade paper. But now that I am teaching beginners I needed a good student grade that did not frustrate them and did not break the bank... I failed them with fabriano as that stuff is useless! Winsor and Newton has a student grade that is far superior, but not cheap. Arches 9x12 pads keep escalating in price so no longer $1 a sheet for high quality 100% cotton sadly. King art makes a sweet little paper that I have had good results with but it buckles like mad. Don’t get me started on Canson and its junk... so thank you for this new paper to try. Bee paper also failed me years ago so sad. Great idea for beginners.
You need to work dryer with the King art paper. It’s nice to work with but you need to control the water
Thank you for doing this test. I too am fairly new at watercoloring. I took the time and read every comment. This is really nice having all artist with great ideas. Full of great advice. Like having our own space with Kristy. Cool. I don’t do facebook. So maybe this is what its like. I like this. For a newbie watercolorer its all about what others know. Kristy you really are so helpful . its such a blessing this youtube Kristy’s newbies’ lol…..
Glad it was helpful!
@Gwen W
I did the same... read all the comments and taking notes from everyone. Kristy is my favorite when it comes to anything watercolor--paper, paint, & brushes--if you want/need (GREAT) info on watercolor "stuff", subscribe/follow Kristy!!
*I'm actually reading all the comments before I get to the end ("reveal") of the video-I was hoping there wouldn't be too many spoilers... lol!
I, too, am reading through all the comments. Great video. I'm wanting to get started back painting. Your videos & a lot of the comments are really encouraging. Thanks & HappPpPPy Painting
So Kristy I bought the winning paper GenCrafts. I cut up some pages and turned it into a journal. I find that the paper is not very absorbent and the paint kind of puddles. But this is because it’s not cotton correct? What cotton paper do you recommend that breaks the bank the least? Thank you!!!!
Yes and no… puddling is actually good and a sign that the paper dries slowly allowing you the time you need to do your thing… fast sting and overly quick absorbing paper would create loads of frustration!
My fave 109% cotton for the price is academy :)
Omg I'm loving your watercolor brushes and I'm so proud to own them. Love n hugs to you 🥰
Glad you like them!
LOL. I just purchased the Gencrafts. I have never used it before, I am so pleased to know your opinion. That it was a good call. :) I purchased 2 pads online and I think it was a super deal. Thanks for sharing this information with us :)
Hi Kristy thank you for this in-depth comparison! I couldn't help but also be impressed with the palette you're using in the video, love the shape of the wells, can you share more details on where it's from?
Adventurous Art Supply on Etsy
A bit late to this video, but I think you may be right about the Strathmore 400 having a sizing issue as sizing can notoriously start to deteriorate and act up after like a yearish after opening the paper up even on Arches paper. So if you've had that paper exposed to open air for year, it may naturally make it much more difficult to paint on.
Oh interesting didn’t realize!!
I'm pretty new to my watercolor journey. I've only been painting for 6 months and use the Canson XL. I recently tried to do my first real piece and was disappointed with how the paper performed, although could be user error. It seemed to lift the color underneath and made a fuzzy effect, at least I think that's what was going on. It was very weird to me since I've never seen this happen to anyone else I've watched. I'm so glad you did this video since I was already in the market for different paper. Thank you!
There’s someone I saw who made a video about some beginning watercolor issues, one of the things she talked about was lifting! She had some good demonstrations. It’s probably largely the paper for you (I recall having lifting on the Canson XL too, using not very much water in the paint is what worked for me when layering) but I can find that video too and you can see if any of those tips help you.
Here’s the link (TH-cam might delete this):
th-cam.com/video/Uzw7RBZnuSw/w-d-xo.html
If TH-cam deleted the link, she’s “Karen Rice Art”, the video is “The Biggest Mistake Beginners Make in Watercolor”. It’s been a bit since I saw it so I don’t remember all of what she said.