I usually paint on Arches but wanted to give this brand a try (I bought the cold press, which I'm used to using). I'm finding that it has a very uniform texture to it rather than the more random texture that I'm used to with Arches, and the texture really tends to show through the paint, which I don't like. Also it seems to pill and "fuzz" up a bit when using lots of wet washes. And it dries unevenly in patches, like wood pulp paper does. I've kind of been fighting with it the whole way so far, disappointing. I'll stick with Arches, Blick Premier, or Fabriano Artistico, all of which have performed well for me!

#sweepstakes I typically use illustration paper and do manga style drawings with my watercolors, but I thought these would be worth a try. They're really different--they make the paints very vibrant, and add a very distinct and lovely tone to the paint that differs depending on what press you get. That's not really what I'm looking for with illustrations--I need somewhat more of a matte tone there--but these pads give a really beautiful look to the paint, so I'm still glad I bought them. They'll be perfect for the landscapes I want to try, where the paint is the focus, rather than inked linework.

I ordered cold press in 10" x 7" and 10" x 14" rough during the buy one get one free sale. It was a great deal. But like some of the others have stated the paint has almost no flow. When I put my brush down I get a mark which I cannot feather out. And it does bleed through to the paper behind it. The paper is sturdy, and the block adhesive is nice but I am unable to work on it. I happened to buy a Blick water color block (100% cotton) and just love it. I'm am so sorry I did not get the Blick paper instead.

I am new to Watercolors but have tried out a number of papers now. Notably Arches, Saunders Waterford, Fabriano. My favorite tends to be Fabriano.

I tried this paper and it's quickly becoming my favorite! I love to work on it. Colors lift easy and the paper can take a whole lot of abuse from scrubbing, alterations, masking, etc. My favorite aspect of the paper is that is hardly warps while wet, and drys flat between washes (with a hair dryer).

It seems a little overpriced, but I do recommend it.