The Best Watercolor Paper for Beginners? Canson Versus Strathmore

[@susanyoung6331]

This was an excellent video. Thank you very much. I have been struggling along since I took up this hobby during our great lockdown. I had no idea about papers at the time, just grabbed whatever I could get my hands on, not realizing there can be a world of difference between papers. Eventually I found cotton paper but, in the meantime, through sheer ignorance, I occasionally achieved some delightful results on cellulose paper that I have never reproduced on cotton! Sometimes the lack of absorbancy can work to one's advantage. I still default to the more affordable options to paint cards or practice on and save the good stuff for when I'm serious. I love this past-time, and so grateful for you You-Tubers for keeping me sane during all the social isolation ❤

[@boxesofsheep]

Thanks Susan! ❤ And yes, I agree! I think the key is figuring out the type style and subject that works best for these pulp papers.

[@jas8815]

Love your commentaries, your humor and your insight. Thanks for sharing.

[@jeannes]

This was a very insightful way of describing these papers, would love more of your paper thoughts and reviews. 👍 I like all the analogies you used. Most watercolor teachers just advise to go with 100% cotton paper, but that's not always practical for every budget, plus, like you said, cheap paper gives you peace of mind. I can't use either of these papers anymore for most of my paintings after I discovered that I love to do several layers of super wet washes, but I still keep pulp paper around for swatching and thumbnail sketches.

[@boxesofsheep]

Thank you! I figured I should start with the cheap papers and work my way up with these review videos. 😁 And same - I don't really use either for watercolor anymore, but it's still nice to have them on hand for quick sketches.

[@spktme]

Just stumbled upon your burnt sienna and payne's Grey video today and fell in love. 😊 So now I'm binge watching them all.😂 I went to look at the brushes and noticed you didn't have links. I know several creator's who use affiliate links with Jackson's or Amazon so they can use the money they accumulate to buy more art supplies and who doesn't want free art supplies. Just an idea and hopefully it will help.

[@laural1348]

Very good comparison showing different techniques and subjects to paint! I have a pad of canson, I don’t even think about using it for pieces with a lot of wet in wet or many layers, but I still think is nice for swatching, trying color mixing, small studies, and if you like using other media I think is a good affordable thick paper that works nicely with gouache or mixed media

[@mnap1595]

Honestly, just after the Intro I think you could have said, "So which is better? The answer is: neither," and instead moved onto some of the cheaper but decent quality cotton options. From personal experience, I nearly quite watercolor because I had no idea there were different materials used in making the paper. Full disclosure, Strathmore 300 was recommended to me because I was a "beginner". No matter what I did, I struggled to achieve certain effects, couldn't control others, and generally felt as thought I wasn't improving. Fast forward, I bought a pad of cotton paper and the difference was immediately noticeable. If I could redo anything during my art journey, it would be to go back and start with cotton paper from the start. That and perhaps revisit the individual who suggested Strathmore 300...

[@constancemiller9119]

Thank you for this thorough examination of these two papers. Using poor quality paper gives poor results and can be discouraging. Your look into to these papers with warnings was very helpful.

[@deep_in_the_paint]

“the next paper Jesus” 😂 Thank you for the video and the laughs!

[@louisklein9207]

Nicely done. I guess I alway thought of it as student grade paper was ok for illustrative type painting where the paint was being used with less water. The warping of these papers barely allow for the use of much water. Wetting the back of the page can help but once I tried 100% cotton large sheets where I can cut my own size it’s hard to use anything else

[@jenneke2]

I agree with every word you said and every stroke you placed on the paper! In my OCD and frugal attempts to journal a compilation of swatches + artist’s insights & info for all the paint pigments I’ve amassed since beginning my watercolour ‘journey’, I used both canson and strathmore wirebound books. While I still really enjoy paging through and referencing all that work, I also rather regret all that effort being expended on something that doesn’t 100% showcase the paint/pigment’s full characteristics as cotton paper would have. Hindsight is 20/20! 😂 That being said, I did delight in the ‘doing’and the research…so there is that!

[@sarahnoda]

Canson with dr ph martins water color is a truly wonderful combination. Im not wild over canson for anything else. It is very interesting how the same paint can look completely different on different papers, one of those wow moments when i first began watercolor.

[@elaineg60]

I get strathmore when it’s on sale ONLY and then start cutting & “binding” (basically just 1 hole with narrow ribbon through it), to use for swatches & mixing recipes.. I actually found a MUCH better cotton alternative recently-Baohong Sample booklets. These measurements are approx, but about 5x4, with 6 sheets of CP, HP & Rough, glued VERY well-although I do reinforce with duct tape, especially because I put 2 together. These “booklets” range from $9 on sale to $11, sometimes $12. In the past 6 months I’ve purchased 6…putting 2 together, I stamped 2 with Kim Crick’s swatch stamp, 2 to a page, front and back and have all my paints swatched in them, the only “division” is I reserved the 24 rough pages for granulating paints, the other non-G, are in YRBG N(neutrals) color groups. My other “book” is color mixes. As proud as I was of my new system..I’m using my strathmore swatch cards more than my booklets. I’ve realized when I’m picking out colors for a painting, I prefer individual cards. I DO usually check my booklets to make sure there’s not some strange difference between pulp and cotton before I start. In both sets, I have lifting/glazing/salt sections for each paint-which CAN be very different between pulp and cotton. Starting next month, I’m going to cut out my pretty booklets, get a pack of 80 CP 4x6 Baohong for $20, cut in 2 to match my others..and replace all my strathmore cards. I have so much strathmore, I am now just using it for stroke practice, scrap paper for mixing, doodling and a few days ago I painted some of my long sheets (I think they’re about 5x12) with DS WC translucent medium..to give it texture. I have a specific idea I want to try using my Chinese ink and some traditional mineral paints. IF it works like I think it might…I have quite a few Chinese/Sumi-e type paintings I want to do..without worrying about mounting.

[@Ora_Lin]

At the end of the day all we want is to make something that we can look at and say “huh. I really like how this color blob interacts with this other color blob, and together they form a giant blob that doesn’t burn my retinas” ~Kathy Shin

[@boxesofsheep]

Quote of the century 😂 Love you Ora!

[@martinaakervik]

You’re really good at colouring your words like poetry too. So please don’t be to afraid of using your voice. (To me it lifts the videos to even greater highs.) I like your brushwork. Even details with big brush👏😃(curious about your brush, maybe it says in description. Haven’t looked yet😅) First video I saw was the one with two colours. Every video I looked at on your channel is inspiring. Or like maybe you would say it: “I push on the play button and …not only get a girl in a summer dress dancing with the wind, in the sun. I get the colours of her, the sound of her, her character and the personality.”😅 (tried to be a bit funny.) Anyway. What do you think of 25% cotton paper? I found some that had better prices per paper from Fabriano. (Probably because it’s only 200g/m2. I think, but I’m a beginner, that the buckling thinner paper probably will do. Hopefully not is so much worse than 300g/m2. I just wanted to test paper with some cotton in it. Not confutable buying 100% yet.) 📎I got Fabriano Watercolour GF 75 sheets, 25% cotton, 200g/m2 (24x32cm) 🖇

[@boxesofsheep]

Haha thank you! ❤ it's definitely awkward speaking in front of the camera, but I've been told that's pretty much a given for most people in the beginning. And I suppose I can only go up from here. 😁 For the paper: yes, I really like 25% cotton! I have the Fabriano one too (300g) and it's much more pleasant to work with than 100% pulp. Interesting texture, nice colours, better absorption and all that. Wishing you all the luck with your practice!

[@martinaakervik]

@@boxesofsheep to be honest I watch more videos than paint myself😅. (Used two sheets in a month of my 75 sheet Fabriano.) 😬😅 I took a look at your video description and found out you already "answered my q" there. Saw you used Fabriano Artistico (at least in that video, and found link to brush😃.) Thanks for answering, and I enjoy your channel. Will you make “paint along” real-time? I think we/I would love that 😃 Made a video myself with my beginner skills 😅 …and still manage to talk live in English (that is a foreign language to me) while recording. I’m use to sing though and did some editing. (Removed long parts of silence)😅 I also did some of my painting off-cam to fix some issues.😅)

[@trinidiana]

I love your voice , just found your channel and subscribed. Recently I tried the 'best ' Stratford and found it truly terrible, buckled immediately. I hated it and now will keep it for like sketching

[@trinidiana]

I love that tree you did so much, can you do a tree tutorial please?

[@sammiller9855]

Out if all the wood pulp watercolor brands you've tried, which one is your favorite, closet to cotton?

[@Pattymelt415]

Your trees are wonderful! Paint more!❤ thank you for this video! What is the paper you alluded to close to the end of your video that you said was pulp but super close to cotton?????

[@boxesofsheep]

Aw thank you so much! I'll practice and paint more. 😄 And the paper was - spoiler for a future video, maybe - Bockingford. Definitely not on the same level as expensive cotton, but it's such a good quality paper and I honestly couldn't _believe_ it was pulp when I first used it.

[@markquiles5057]

So is it worth it if you want the best all around paper to get arches?

[@matet7772]

Did u use ox gall ? it helps spread pigment. also pre-weting helps .

[@mariapires8704]

I like your humor :))

[@jessieadair]

Hey, how 'bout not talking your trees down 'cause I like them and it makes me think my taste might be bad, LOL! As I watch you paint various subjects, I'm struck by how decent they all turn out. I look at my own and think, I suck. I'm wishing I could see your earlier stuff -- I'm very early on the path -- to see where you started compared to where you are now.

[@boxesofsheep]

Omg Jessie, I look at my stuff and always think that I suck. So clearly our brains are horrible liars and should never be trusted, because I'm SURE your art is as decent as you think mine is. And I *have* been thinking about doing an old vs new art recreation video, so you might get to see them sometime in the future!

[@jessieadair]

@@boxesofsheep ❤

[@LearnerChess]

Only because you're a teacher and will make more videos. "In the visual arts, *gradation* is the technique of gradually transitioning from one hue to another, or from one shade to another, or one texture to another."

[@kimcasault2582]

Near the end you mentioned there is one pulp paper that is very close to cotton - but didn’t say what it is! My wallet is begging for the secret.

[@boxesofsheep]

I admit, I'm a terrible tease for adding that line 😆 The paper is Bockingford! Not quite the same as cotton, but it could have fooled me when I first tried it!

[@l.e.phillips]

Good comparison! I started with Canson, and it’s fine. > shrug < I don’t think I’ve used Strathmores watercolor paper. Way back in high school we had a big watercolor segment and could purchase large sheets of super nice cotton paper for a few bucks. It kind of spoiled me. 😂 Kristy Rice did a big comparison video of tons of budget watercolor paper (under $1 a sheet) and it was really interesting. Definitely recommend for you or anyone else that needs cheap paper. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gH3dhox7gr6Wn7M

[@blacbeak]

oh, you are using XL... those are awful 😅 they are beginner, as in very beginner grade that gives a false idea of student grade. as I got to study watercolor in an art academy, my teacher advised me not to use XL unless I want wet on dry technique but I still wouldn't get even paint on wide areas and wet on wet is just no. the colors start moving around and bleed easily as you keep adding layers, it's awful. now as for strathmore, it's better, but more expensive than it should. but if I had to advise what beginners should by for watercolor, I'd say hahnemuhle harmony cold pressed or rough texture. even baohong on aliexpress is better if you're on a budget. I have both and was disappointed when I tried using watercolor on them again after perfecting my skills, so now I keep them for gouache only, since gouache works on pretty much any thick paper.