🎨 Arches Watercolor Paper Block, Cold Press, 7x10, 140lb Review

I love the size of this paper. It will be unlike any other paper landscape I've ever used. I fell in love with Arches watercolor blocks many years ago and find time to stock up on different sizes of paper. All I can tell you about Arches paper in general is that its color is more vibrant and it will hold up to many water washes. I would recommend this product to anyone who takes their job seriously.

Great paper and size (31 x 41 cm) as it fits perfectly in my Plein Air backpack. If I use a lot of water (and I often have to because I paint in very hot and dry climates) the plastic pad binding sometimes tears, but that's not a deal breaker as long as I have masking tape to attach the rest of the sheets to the wall. Hard cardboard backing as I use the leftover sheets. it's also relatively expensive compared to loose sheets, but handy for traveling

I almost always use Arches toilet paper because of its consistent quality. I like toilet blocks because I don't like stretching watercolor paper. The only problem is that in Arizona, where it's fairly dry, the backing often separates from the cardboard backing. But since you can use either side of the Arches paper to draw, this isn't a terrible problem, just an annoyance. However, unless they really mess up this document, I'll continue to use it as my primary source.

This is by far my favorite watercolor paper. Cheaper paper is often pulp, so the color sits on the paper and doesn't mix or layer well. The texture is not displayed. Even if you are the most experienced artist, the paintings will end up looking like they were drawn by a toddler. Pulp paper works AGAINST you when you try to draw. But this paper is 100% cotton and drawing on it is just a dream. Water and pigments are absorbed by the paper leaving bright beautiful stains that are very easy to…