Differences between cold press and hot press watercolor paper...

In this watercolor supply video, I will show you the differences between cold press and hot press paper. I will share what techniques work well with each kind of paper, tips on when to use what paper, and share why cold press is my preferred. I hope this is a helpful tutorial for you, especially all my beginner friends who are just getting into painting!
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[@alhannie6]

Thank you so much for this. Very informative. I feel like I am in an art class, for free. In which I really cannot afford, specially nowadays. Love your vids. ❤️

[@JennaRaineyChannel]

Glad you're loving the videos!

[@vivvv2630]

Great video! Many traditional botanical artists - Anna Mason, Billy Showell, etc - prefer hot press paper. It’s helps them to achieve the realistic details of that style of painting bc pigments don’t settle into groves and miniature brush marks are smoother and easier to apply.

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

Oh I also love Anna Mason and Billy 🌸 I know Anna sometimes paints in a mixed media journal So I think it’s about playing with supplies to find out what works for your methods All the best with your watercolour journey

[@mjpete27]

Understanding an Artist’s preferences in papers, brushes and other supplies gives viewers a real insight into the personality and attitudes of the artist we are watching! Thank you for sharing this video with us. I have not made much of a dent in your amazing library of KZbin content. I enjoy cold press over hot, but I find myself using rough press choices more often these days! I am hopeful that this content will remain as you move more of your new tutorial content to Patreon. I wish you only the best!

[@sandyeustace4596]

Thanks for this video. At last I’ve seen the difference between hot and cold press. Now to test on my own

[@carolliknaitzky5246]

You are just so fabulous, Jenna! I have learnt so much from you, and I have been doing water colours for about 50 years, on and off. Now I have the good grace of painting every day and practicing a lot. I just bought hot and cold pressed paper and had my experience and wanted to check if you say anything about it, and voila! you do! I agree totally with you and can see how the hot pressed paper which at first alarmed me with its non absorbency, had a lovely smooth, crisp look about it and could definitely be used with an ink pen as you suggest. I am so impressed by your generosity (all I have watched has been free) and your grasp on so many aspects and your massive output while remaining so relaxed and easy to be with. BRAVO!

[@krishnandamooduto9202]

This is so informative and yes I chooses cold.. just like my heart.

[@rhondapoon7998]

Thanks for sharing Jenna, I’m thinking about trying it. I will keep you posted on my preference when I do.

[@starlightglazer9181]

Thank you Jenna. I think I like cold press for the texture & look.

[@BradLynn-xy7mj]

Great video thank you!

[@sharnamulach8769]

Thank you, I'm new to watercolour and I've read the difference in the two papers. But seeing it done really helped explain it better.

[@heidikarpa2278]

Great video, seeing how differently the colors dried was surprising.

[@abarnswell]

I'm really starting to prefer the smooth look of hot press. I just bought a pad of Arches hot press paper to experiment with.

[@SuperRocketdog1]

Thank you for a great example between the two paper. Think I will stick with the cold press.👍👍💕💕❤️❤️🥰🐶🐶🎄🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@maryannadams3694]

This was so helpful as I will be doing watercolor and pen and ink. Hot press is what I will use for the drawing with the watercolor. Thank you so much.

[@janhogan3873]

Thanks Jenna I have not tried hot press paper yet, but have a Mixed media pad, which I am looking forward to giving it a go once I have a handle using watercolours on cold press which I love, very yummy to use and comes back laughing no matter what you do to it!

[@anniemac7545]

Great video, I love Hot Press paper for small detail on illustration, however for washes it's very frustrating and doesn't work out so well. Cold press is better for painting larger 'bits'

[@alliev8701]

I love your videos. They are so informative and fun to watch. You have a beautiful style of painting!! Thank you for sharing your tips and knowledge.

[@nics_127]

Thank you for all of your videos, Jenna! Xo from Philippines ❤❤❤❤❤

[@debbiedrawsfunny]

Good to know! I was a little more curious to see how your floral designs compare on each type in addition to just regular test of strokes and shapes. I'm a hot press lover, personally, for my sketchbook and block, but that's just me ;)

[@BelindaEardley]

Fabulous info!! Thank you so much!

[@ml3841]

Super informative and fun as always! ☺️☺️

[@valeriemilo]

thank you! Very helpful!

[@mariakellner5429]

The colors are more vibrant on the hot press,tfs ,I use mostly hot press for floral

[@kerrioke8043]

Thanks Jenna!

[@Dbeb27]

This was so helpful, thank you!

[@PauPaulito2012]

Jenna, thank you so much for this video, really helpful! Blessings and cheers from France :-)

[@andrearhoda2802]

Great information......Thank you.......

[@wanderingcreativity]

Thanks Friend this is wonderful

[@NightPhoenixPress]

Thanks for this!

[@DesignDensity]

Thank you so much 🙏

[@lena.lk9817]

Thanks for the video! :)

[@butacrafts]

Perfect timing! Literally just wondering about the papers this week as I research on what watercolor paper would be good for sketchbooks. I’ve not tried hot press paper before. I’m primarily using fineliners, inks and watercolor in my sketchbook. I’ve seen artists using cold/hot pressed watercolor papers or mixed media papers. But it’s kinda hard to tell what’s the best option for sketchbooks!

[@Julie-vy3oz]

For plein air that involves sketching you, I prefer hot press. Pen work on cold press is difficult because of the texture and hard on pens, too.

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

Yeah sketching ink lines on rough or cold pressed paper sometimes feels like drawing on the wall. Not the best even surface. I also love plein air sketches bet you’ll be out sketching now that it’s Spring

[@ode2reading]

Thank you. The visual helps tremendously. I'm off to buy some cold press paper.

[@tracyebrandt3235]

Thanks Jenna! I have only been watercolor painting for about 6 months now. I have been using only cold press until my son gave me my first hot press as a gift last month. I see uses for both types, depending on what results you want. Interestingly, I painted some bookmarks on cold press and then had them laminated at Office Depot. The final results were very cool because once laminated, the lamination process emphasized the texture of the paper, which l love the effect! Hot press would not give the same effect.

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

Oooo I love laminating stuff, haven’t tried laminated cold pressed watercolour paper, will give it a try 👌

[@adrys315]

Awesome video!! thanks a lot !!

[@JennaRaineyChannel]

Glad it helped!

[@yanyammy6035]

Yea I also prefer cold press over hot for when I do use watercolours :D I find the colours just blend so much better.

[@djennetteluna2124]

You have great smile

[@Morgansstuffandthings]

your book Everyday Watercolor just came in today!!! I'm so excited to start working through that!

[@JennaRaineyChannel]

YAY! Have so much fun with the book! And yes, hopefully next year on Pen to Press!

[@sherryscoloringandpaintingcorn]

thanks for that information. Been wanting to know this .. I noticed hot is much more expensive.

[@stereodreamer23]

Granulating watercolors also perform more dramatically on cold-press paper, because the uneven surface helps the grains of pigment separate and concentrate more than on hot press. If you like that really granular look, cold press is the way to go, IMO...

[@ligaskirbauska8652]

Rough texture I find best for seascapes,landscapes,granulating paint..hot pressed,smooth paper,is a must for botanicals,portraits,realism,mix media,cartoonish and stylised painting styles

[@intuitiveinspiredart4366]

Hot press is the best for stamping too.

[@sunnyschramm9650]

I dont like too much structure so I use fine grain BUT still cold pressed paper.

[@maydella1978]

I was just pondering on this subject.... which paper is best for watercolor

[@Christine_R]

Cold press paper! It has a little bit of texture and good for mixed hair brushes. I think hot press would be worse when I use my good brushes... they hold so much water and pigment.

[@dimaalobaidy9973]

You are so pretty looking ⭐💙

[@irenemcnamara9699]

I have tried 2 different papers so far. I got one watercolor pad of papers from Dollar General. I assume its cheaper. When I put a stroke of paint down, it shreds, even when I use wet-on-wet. It is from Crafter's Closet, and it is called heavyweight paper for watercolor. There are 20 sheets for about $5.50. The next paper is cold pressed paper. It is very thin, almost like parchment paper. When I used it, there was a tiny bit of shredding, but it seemed to buckle, when I painted wet-on-wet. It is called Boris Marker Layout, Bright White Translucent Visual Bond for Felt Markers, charcoal, pencil and other mediums. And it was about $9.00 for 50 sheets. I am going to try to work with both papers again. I really don't know what else to do. Irene Mcnamara

[@kara1084]

Higher quality paper will make a huge difference without a huge price tag. I'm guessing you're in the US because you mentioned Dollar General. If artist grade paper isn't in your budget (great prices on Blick.com but it is expensive) student grade watercolor paper from a good brand like Canson XL will be much nicer than what you have without costing way too much. Michael's has options and coupons plus there's the option of Amazon. Editing to add that even nice paper will buckle if you don't tape it down around the edges but the nicer paper will buckle less and be easier to work with.

[@juliedrake6279]

The Boris Marker layout paper is no good for watercolour. That's why it says markers, charcoal and pencil. The other one sounds too cheap and nasty. You could try buying a large sheet of really good quality watercolour paper and cut it up into small sheets and make a simple sketch book. It will be alot cheaper than buying a pad and give you a chance to experiment without getting to precious about a sketchbook. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes. You will need good quality watercolours though. Even if you just try one tube to begin with.

[@marjo-riittareinikainen9740]

I think hot pressed is better when doing line&wash painting than cold pressed.

[@deborahamaral8470]

Maybe they are designed for different techniques!! I paint botanical illustrations and the hot pressed are more suitable! 🙌🏼

[@gizemuckuntiryaki8220]

Çok teşekkürler , çok faydalı sizi severek takip ediyorum 💚💚

[@hamerray]

With hot press paper the water and the color is going to sit more on top of the paper and you're going to get less control, with cold press it's just the opposite.

[@kaiwa97]

I am so glad you made this video, it's very informative! I'm wondering if you face any issue digitize painting on cold pressed paper? Thank you. 😊

[@inkynfrost3183]

That’s exactly what I was just wondering today, as I make cards and prints from my originals. I don’t like how hot press takes the paint or how colors seem to dry more dull and lacking in that beautiful watercolor textural character, but how to make prints from cold press without it looking like a xerox copy of texture. This has happened to me.

[@fionabromby4546]

The difference is that hot pressed is used by botanical artists who need no texture at all They sometimes use gouache on it so a completely non absorbent surface The pulp is put though a press and flattened then dipped it a strong size. The press is like a very hot iron. Cold press is pressed with cold iron. (Press). So slightly more absorbent

[@branamcs]

I keep getting broken edges on my cold press paper and I'm wondering if I'm not using enough water or if my paint is just cheap and no good.

[@cmeblu75]

Should something go wrong on hot press I can usually save it with either colored pencil or watercolor pencils and I’m not able to do that with cold press. I also learned on cheaper paper and it was actually easier for me to work on hot press. I do enjoy cold press for some things, but I’m just drawn to hot press more lately. I also like doing pen & ink on hot press, so for my style it’s more compatible.

[@safala]

Personally, I feel that hot-press looks a little cheap when wet and feels a bit cheap to work on. So, I prefer cold-press. However, it might have something to do with the lack of quality watercolor papers in my country until recently, which forced me to use cheap and smooth sketchbook paper for watercolors (gosh, they were a hell to work on, I don’t mind them much now though).

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

Arches and Fabriano hot pressed is quite lovely for detailed work

[@juliedrake6279]

@@watercolourartincapetown2919 I love Fabriano hot press paper. It's my absolute favourite and such good quality. I used to use it for lithography the old fashioned way printing on stone blocks and fell in love with it then. Now I use it for watercolour and mixed medium and get large sheets to make sketchbooks out of it. So much cheaper than buying sketchbooks from an art supplier. I live in the UK

[@safala]

@@watercolourartincapetown2919 Thanks for the suggestion! I don’t think we have Fabriano in my country but we do find arches in a few stationery shops and I’ll try to find them. Perhaps I’ll change my views on hot-pressed paper once I use a good-quality paper.

[@achillatula2259]

I have a question, is there a way to remove watercolor on hot press?

[@mhergoparian174]

Why is there a granular texture on the hot press paper, I looked like the fibers were peeling in the video, is that normal ?

[@magnolia2]

Maybe because of the actual watercolor paint she used.

[@sylviaanna]

I don‘t really see a difference in the separation of colours on hp versus cp. And isn’t it more common to mix the colours on the palette before applying them? This way I guess you wouldn’t normally have this separation.

[@nursen2106]

'common' a difficult word in art. I see both. but I must say, what was said here in the video doesn't really capture the differences. when I had started with watercolour, I had baught hot press, because I didn't know (here, where I live, it is called satine and cold pressed is called fine grin - didn't understand then). I had such a hard time to recreate some strokes and effects with my hot press - and the washes - they were so bad. later I did get the other sorts of paper and learned about them. and again a few month later, I learned, when a hot pressed can be even the better choice. till then I didn't understand, why people would buy them, when water is so hard to control on those. and that is not covered in this video. that is why it feels incomplete. the differences in color mixing on paper get's more visible, when one would start to mix e.g. landscapes with larger washes or in some forms of floral painting. also the hot pressed is easier to photograph - in case one needs that for digitalization

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

Hey Sylvia Mixing on the palette and mixing on the paper are two great methods Both have their advantages Personally I prefer mixing on paper, if you’ve ever watched teoh’s urban sketching videos he mixes his greens in the sketchbook instead of on the palette. This add a lovely lively atmosphere to the piece. Where the colours dance infront of your eye.

[@nursen2106]

that wasn't that helpful. in the end, it's not only, how one likes the end result, but it's also on what one does, how build a painting. does one want movement on the surface or not .... it took me sooo long to understand the differences. resp. the differences I did see quickly. I just didn't understand e.g. what the advantages of hot press is and in what occasion it is the better choice. I did learn in the meantime. I would have liked to have a realy summary video about this before. that is, why I looked this one up. but with the eyes of the beginner, I don't find this one helpful.

[@JennaRaineyChannel]

Thanks for the feedback funny girl!