MY MISSION…
Yep, you heard me. My goal this year is to find a new watercolor paper that meshes more with my artistic style. Recently, I’ve been using more detail supplies for my watercolor paintings – such as pencils and pens. And as a result, my Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper just isn’t vibing with me as much as it used to.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I still love Arches – but want to find a smoother textured paper (most likely Hot Press Watercolor Paper) that will fit more of my needs. This is why I’ve started testing out new papers in search of the perfect match for my needs.
What I Desire…
So before I even began painting – I wrote out a list of what I desired from my paper.
- SMOOTH SURFACE: As discussed earlier – I want a smooth or flat textured surface for detail work as well as photographing my art. I’ve recently been using my art in digital formats more than traditional forms. But still love the element of painting on a paper surface (as opposed to a digital format – like procreate).
- EASY CONTROL: I’m still looking for a paper that gives me a decent amount of water control – similar to Cold Press Paper. I want the paper to absorb color evenly and with little surprises of unwanted textures (which Hot Press Paper is known for). If I’m being honest, I’m looking for a paper that is a happy medium between Cold and Hot Press papers – especially when it comes to ease of the painting process. Watercolor is hard enough – I really don’t want to be fighting the paper to achieve what I desire in my head.
- AVAILABILITY & VARIATION: I’m also looking for something that is easy to purchase and comes in a wide variety of sizes and weights. I’m basing this off my experience with Arches – but I do enjoy purchasing the same brand of paper in different weights (140lb and 300lb) as well as different sizes and formats (such as pads, blocks, and sheets).
Reviewing Blick’s Premier Watercolor Hot Press Paper
Now that that is covered – and you kind of have an idea of what I’m looking for – let’s talk about Blick’s Premier Watercolor Block in Hot Press Watercolor Paper. This block is 100% cotton, and I tested it at 140lb weight, painting with a limited palette of Daniel Smith Permanent Violet, Quinacridone Gold, and Winsor Blue Red Shade, plus Dr. Ph. Martin’s Black Matte Ink and Bleedproof White Ink, with a little Schmincke Gold worked in. Below I’ve created a fun info chart of my findings…
- Tooth / Texture: 5/5 – smooth, but with just enough grab that ink pens and detail work catch better than they do on Arches Hot Press, which I feel has more of a sealed, sizing-heavy sheen on top.
- Absorption: 5/5 – the paper took color as soon as I laid it down, even wet-on-wet, and held onto it well, so what I saw while painting is close to how it looked once dry.
- Ease of Painting: 3/5 – this is where I struggled. The paper is so absorbent that wet-on-dry lines blurred instead of staying sharp and crisp, with color spreading between the fibers almost like handmade paper.
- Ink & Detail Work: 4/5 – fine linework from my Micron 005 still bled a little, so it isn’t my first pick if you need really tiny, distinct lines.
- Availability & Variation: 5/5 – it’s sold in multiple weights (including 140lb and 300lb) and formats, which is exactly what I look for.
Overall I’d put this around a 4 out of 5, maybe closer to 3.75. It’s a genuinely impressive hot press paper, and I think it would shine for looser, more abstract work where you want ink lines and colors to mingle rather than stay locked in place. It just wasn’t the sharp control I was hunting for.
FINAL THOUGHTS…
So here are my final thoughts. I probably won’t be painting on this paper again. I probably will use it for exploratory exercises – especially using wet-on-wet techniques. I thoroughly enjoyed allowing the colors to kind of blend and mix when I wasn’t trying to create sharp crisp edges. I honestly was rooting for this paper – especially when I found out it was made with 100% Cotton. But, sadly it just didn’t make the mark for my book. So, moving on to the next paper…
If you are curious about some of the terms I used in this post or just want to get a better understanding of watercolor paper in general please check out my blog post below.
