FabrianoStudio Watercolor Paper, Cold-Press, 12" x 18", 90 lb.

Great deal for student grade watercolor paper. Resists curling, nice amount of texture. Very much recommended!

This is an excellent student grade watercolor paper and you can't go wrong with Fabriano! Even though it is only a 90 lb. paper, it is thicker than other school brands that I own of the same weight. I have used frisket and Elmer's Rubber Cement as a masking fluid, and this paper did not tear when I removed it (the other papers did). I even kept the masking fluid on for 2 weeks (as a test) before removing it, and it still came off cleanly and without tearing the paper. I know I was very impressed! This paper has a nice texture to it (not smooth, but not rough either). The texture is more mottled and not linear, like Strathmore watercolor papers tend to be. Since the 100-sheet pack is so affordable, I do most of my experimental paintings on this paper. It doesn't buckle as readily as the other 90 lb. papers and behaves like a higher weight paper. I don't stretch it, but I also don't lay big areas of wet washes either. I just tape or staple it down on MDF board and paint small areas at a time. I think there's nothing more frustrating to students than to have paper that warps and buckles when they try to paint, and this paper keeps that to a minimum. I still find the price amazing for this size, quality and quantity of watercolor paper.