Canson XL Series Watercolor Textured Paper Pad for Paint, Pencil, Ink, Charcoal, Pastel, and Acrylic, Fold Over, 140 Pound, 9x12 Inch, , 30 Sheets

This isnt the worst paper Ive ever used, but it definitely is not the best. Ive found that it works best with dye based paint (think the really cheap pans like Crayola, or some of the more expensive liquids like PH Martin). It warps badly if you use a lot of water, and you cant go over strokes very many times. Color picks up easily (sometimes a little too easily, really depends on your preference). This in some ways is a really hard product to rate. When you compare it quality wise to all the other papers out there, it is quite poor, but when you consider that you get 10 sheets of this for the price of one sheet of that really good 100% cotton brand everyone that has tried is obsessed with (I dont think we are allowed to list competitors on here). If you are a relatively new or student painter, I highly recommend this. If you can afford more, go for something that is 100% cotton.

Thick and has a nice tooth to it. I have used oil pastels, Inktense pencils, water soluble oil pastels all with great result. Canson is my go-to brand for art pads. I like thier 60 page mixed media 14x17 pad too.

Someone in another review said they used this paper to make greeting cards. Im just starting to make cards and so I thought Id give it a try. Fantastic! Thick and sturdy and perfect for a professional feeling card. And if youre going to stamp on it and then color in with WATERCOLOR pencils this is the paper to use!

This is my first time using water color in about 6 years and it works great for me!

I’ve tried other paper but love the control and outcome I get with this with my watercolor. They offer great size options and the amount and price per pad is incredible.

Excellent quality watercolor pad. Nice size too.

Love this paper. The pages are sturdy, you can wet them a lot without it bowing. Really nice paper for the money. Its very smooth too.

The paper itself is fine, I like doing watercolor with it. But I got the spiral-bound and it arrived with a sharp crease near the top that affected the whole pad. The lower corner of paper near the wire was also bent, and the outer upper edge had some dark looking marks on it. It almost looked old. Will probably buy in a store in the future so I can check out the condition before buying.

As a beginner you need all the help you can get. The name of the game is controlling the water. This paper doesnt hold water and has zero texture. Not good for wet on wet. It behaves more like hot pressed so if you dont mind blossoms, and hard edges its ok. Anyone who has used Fabriano or Arches will know the difference immediately. 140 lb. Strathmore is a more suitable alternative for working out ideas or practicing brush strokes. Most folks can probably get away with synthetic hair brushes and student grade pigments but use the best paper you can afford. The two pads I purchased will be used for pencil or graphite sketching NOT watercolor.

It holds up to washes of water well with minimal warping or tearing of the paper. It is a good value for the price.