Strathmore 500 Series Watercolor Travel Journal, Cold Press, 5" x 8", 20 pages, White

When I first got into watercolor painting, I experimented with all sorts of watercolor paper including this, Strathmore 140-205 Ready Cut Watercolor, Cold Press, 5" x 7", White, 25 Sheets. I liked 'em, but I didn't really realize how good they are.A few years down the road with lots of experience with watercolors, I can really appreciate this paper. It's 100% cotton, and after talking to the folks at Strathmore a while back, I discovered it's also vegan. Yay, Strathmore! It holds paint well, it absorbs liquid at the perfect rate, the sizing is ideal for wet washes and dry brush techniques. Paints look great on this paper, and it never gets in the way of what I'm doing, which some paper does.You may already know that Strathmore's 100 series is their entry level paper, then there's the 200 series, 300 series and 400 series, and this - their 500 series - is their highest quality watercolor paper series. And you can tell the difference.So I'm happy I came back to these 5x7 series 500 sheets. I think I'll order some bigger Strathmore 500 paper, too. Good stuff! I'd say it's good for every level of watercolor painter.

I had high hopes for these papers especially since it is from Strathmore, which by the way they have such amazing products, so I was excited about this product. I am fairly happy with this purchase! I purchased a 5x7 size set and although it is smaller than I am used to I ended up liking the proportions anyway (I am aware there are other sizes but I wanted to try to draw on a smaller scale for a change). The paper was able to hold lots of washes; however, the paper did bulk just a tad bit even when it was taped down. The bulking is not terrible, like I said before it is very minimual, in fact it was easy to flatten with a little back and forth warping so it was not a big deal breaker. Just like most cold press watercolor paper there is texture on both sides. One side has a more uniform dotted harsh texture while the other side had a mild tooth to it. So it was pretty cool to be able to choose a side. My paints also stayed wet on the paper for a fair amount of time for me to work with blending and such. I also loved sketching on this paper. If you sketch every lightly it is almost hard to notice the lines when you paint over them. I adore this feature only because I would prefer to have line-less drawings ordrawings where the line art is not muddled by the graphite. Overall, great product. I think I will be using this paper more for my personal sketch and practice drawings. I think this product is perfect for any type of experience watercolorist and I highly recommend it.

I love how convenient this product is. The 5x7 size is ideal for framing as well. It's just so easy. Just open the bag, take one sheet out, and you're ready to paint. This was the first hot-pressed watercolor paper I ever tried and I was very impressed with the quality. The colors look beautiful on it. It does not warp very heavily. It works great for glazing and it's decent at lifting. I love this. I would highly recommend for small, finished artwork.

This Strathmore "Ready Cut, Hot Press" Watercolor Paper is truly a fabulous upgrade from the less expensive, lower quality "cold pressed" watercolor papers which have a grain to the paper. Usually, the Hot Press papers are smooth finished with a heavier stock. In the case of the Strathmore 140 Pound (300 grams/square meter) is beautifully manufactured and packaged in pre-cut sizes. The heavy weight and the perfectly smooth surface is perfect for water color renderings. These products by Strathmore are another example of how much difference the quality of the materials make in creating artistic representations of exquisite water color art. Each time I move up in materials quality, I find that not only is the product better in a number of expected or predicted ways (e.g. Hot pressed vs. Cold pressed watercolor paper), but in addition, I was truly rocked by the amazing difference in the quality.In my work I primarily use "Derwent Inktense Pencils & Color Sticks" when I paint/draw. This Strathmore hot pressed paper gives the artist a clean, smooth, well constructed watercolor paper, which at 300 grams/square meter (tensile strength), the paper is ideal for high quality watercolor paintings, and has a look and feel that is more like a 'postcard' than a watercolor painting on cold-pressed, ready cut sheets. I highly recommend these products for wondrous creations.

It's very nice, smooth, and obviously well-made. I'll save it for special watercolor projects and use the cheaper stuff that I already have for practicing.

Value, color accuracy and smoothness