Arches 200177170 Watercolor 12X16 Inch Sheets Review

I wanted to post a picture to show the process of separating a page from a block. Instead, I caution you against making sure you have a clean knife, freebie, or watercolor left over from a previous painting. This paper is so good that it gives me the equivalent of "writer's block" as an artist.

I really like this paper. It has just enough texture to add shiny white areas to my brush strokes. It holds up well after I removed the covering liquid which was a big problem with cheaper paper. I hold two blocks at once: I tape the edges to seal them even better, then rinse the top board of the block with a kitchen faucet, then propped it up to dry.

I've been using these watercolor blacks for years. There was a time when it was sometimes difficult to get the sheet off the block and you had to be careful or it could tear and ruin your painting, but for the most part they are great. But I've had issues with blocks I've bought in the last 2 or 3 years and it's really disappointing. Leaves come out of the block. The black rubber around the edges isn't thick or strong enough to hold them. Sometimes almost the whole pad of paper comes off the…