Hi everyone!
Arteza recently sent me their Expert Watercolour Pad, which is 9x12 inches and contains 32 sheets in a set of 2. Looking online, this would cost about $26.99/£23.99, which is a good price for an acid-free, cold press 140 lb (300 gsm) paper . The paper is dual-sided and designed to be used for watercolour or mixed media. The front is the rough side and has a lovely texture. It is not too rough and is smoother than other cold pressed paper I have used before (e.g. Cassart, Winsor and newton, Canson) but still has enough texture to hold pigments. The reverse side is smooth but I did find it contained lumpy blemishes. The paper is easy to pull off from the gummed end without damaging its edge.
Rough side:
Using watercolours on this side was surprisingly good. The paint and water glides smoothly, holding the pigments very well, retaining the vibrancy of the paint. I didn't have any trouble manipulating the paint and there were no problematic spots/areas on the paper. I noticed the paper does gets warped easily when doing a big wash, but it does come back to its shape if you give it time. When using masking fluid, I found it took it really well, there were no tears or fraying as I pulled the dried masking fluid off the surface. I also tested the paper with erasers and the paper was very sturdy. I didn't notice any peeling or fraying even after I erased pencil lines a few times on the same spot.
Using coloured pencils on this side was good too. I normally only use smooth paper for coloured pencil illustrations as textured paper makes it hard to create small details or be precise with colouring. However, because of its unique texture, I liked how my coloured pencil illustration turned out. It made the colours look deeper and vibrant compared to the smooth side. The paper is also not too rough which allows me to still maintain visible details on my illustrations and at the same time bring out its lovely texture. The drawing below is small, yet I was able to make tiny leaves and details without difficulty. The only negative thing I could say about this side is that it doesn't take much to masking/painter's tape. No matter how careful I pull the tape, the paper's surface was ruined. But then, it might be just the tape I was using.
Smooth side:
I find this side not as smooth as I would like and it has a lot of noticeable (lumpy) blemishes. At first, I thought it was just a manufacturing error on one of the sheets but it is actually on all of them. I also tried to erase multiple pencil marks on this side and the surface was not as sturdy. I noticed fraying of the surface after just a couple of light rubs from a very soft eraser. You can see this on the image below where the labels for each colours I wrote in ink were slightly rubbed off, looking uneven.
In conclusion, I can say that I am impressed with the paper and that it performed better than I expected. I like the rough side and would probably use it for small quick paintings or coloured pencil sketches. For the smoother side, I wouldn't bother using it and if you are planning to get these papers for its smooth side I would rather get a hot-pressed paper. Here are my pros and cons for this product:
Pros
- Texture is good on the rough side.
- It holds pigments and water well.
- The textured side is also very good for coloured pencils.
- The price is reasonable.
- Rough side is sturdy and can take up masking fluid and multiple use of eraser.
Cons
- It warps easily with medium washes.
- The smooth side has lots of uneven/lumpy blemishes on the surface.
- The smooth side is not as sturdy as the rough side - couldn't take multiple use of an eraser.
I hope you find this helpful and if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to send me a message or comment below! Thanks for dropping by!
Have a lovely day!
Abbey
*Watercolours and coloured pencils used above: Arteza Premium watercolours and Arteza Expert Coloured pencils
*Ink used: from Sakura Pigma Micron pen
Interested in my other Arteza product reviews?
- click here for Arteza's Premium Watercolours
- click here for Arteza's Expert Coloured pencils
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