MEEDENWatercolor Paper Block, 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper Pad of 20 Sheets, 140lb/300gsm, Acid-Free Art Paper for Watercolor, Gouache, Ink and More, 10" x 7" Cold Press

My favorite paper for watercolor has been Arches. There are other good papers, such as Fabriano, Strathmore, Windsor Newton, and so on. I have tried them all. It is always Arches I return to when working on an important piece, especially a commission. I tried Meeden several months ago on the advice of another artist. I was very pleased. I purchased their cold press and rough of varying sizes and found the paper to be a joy to use and very consistent in quality. It is far less expensive than Arches, but it is hard to find any fault with it. The paper is thick, accepts lost of water very well and cooperates when lifting. For the price, it is hard to beat. I almost always paint on blocks, which my Meeden papers are, so there is no problem with buckling. Some have complained that the sheets are hard to remove from the block, but I have had no problem just using a palette knife. This paper is definitely worth trying for either student or professional artist.

MEEDEN 100% COTTON WATERCOLOR BLOCK: ROUGH TEXTURE:**The block arrived in excellent condition. Sealed in plastic wrap, w/ a paper barrier over the watercolor block helps to avoid scratches, providing an added layer of protection. It is easily removed with a palette knife, butter knife, or whatever means you use to seperate from a paper block. **The block itself has thick, sturdy backing, making it safe and easy to use/prop on most any surface. **The texture is lovely! More "rough" than any other "academic" cotton Cold or Rough, and I've tried most of them. **The fibers woven tightly, more than any (aside from Baohang) I’ve used before. If comparing to professional rough texture, it isn’t what I would consider “rough” to be. **Slightly Off-white color. Holds up well to scrubbing. **After the paint has dried/set, the bright colors are rich and bold. The lighter colors are soft and delicate, not dull. ** Watercolor paper is an artist's personal preference. The fun is getting to know it! **SUMMARY: I'm a satisfied customer! This MEEDEN Rough Texture Watercolor Block is on par with Baohang Academy, but doesn’t quite meet professional standards. **Water and paint DEFINITELY behave differently than usual with this paper. It takes practice, but it's worth the effort! **My opinion: Ideal for cards, gifts, etc., but not selling a final piece. **REMOVE THE SHEET CAREFULLY!! It tears quickly and easily! **ACADEMIC LEVEL: 4.5 STARS. AND 4 STARS FOR ARTISTS. **(I prefer it to Arches, my least favorite "professional" paper.) **THE "FLOWER EXAMPLES" WERE COMPLETED IN ONE SITTING: #1: WET-ON-DRY, WATERCOLOR & GOUACHE, ROUND BRUSH: The first layer went well, but the second layer caused the center of the paper to raise from the block, causing an unwanted cauliflower effect, immediately ruining a petal of the flower. The result is obvious. Perhaps it takes getting to know the paper before using gouache. #2: WET-ON-DRY, WATERCOLOR, ROUND BRUSH: Predictable, layered BEAUTIFULLY! #3: WET-ON-DRY, WATERCOLOR, WATER BRUSH: Immediate cauliflower effect, "blooming" into an annoying, unmanageable loose flower. #4: WET-ON-DRY, WATERCOLOR & GOUACHE, MOP BRUSH: One flower was unpredictable in the most beautiful sense of the word, but the two wouldn't flow together. Yet again, I believe the problem is gouache. #5: WET-ON-WET, WATERCOLOR, MOP BRUSH: Handled the water surprisingly well, blending and producing a BEAUTIFUL bleed where the petals touch the leaves! #6: WET-ON-WET, WATERCOLOR & GOUACHE, ROUND BRUSH: Rather than blending and bleeding, it remained stagnant, w/ blooming cauliflower issue. The "least best" results. #7: DRY-ON-DRY/WATERCOLOR, DAMP, ROUND BRUSH: Rough, w/ lovely, bold colors.I #8: Can't take more than two layers of wet-on-dry w/ gouache and watercolor.

I like this paper very much, however the glue used in their blocks is far too thick. This makes it hard to separate the paper from the block. Arches is easier to separate, as I can use a palette knife. This paper sometimes rips when I separate the paper from the block due to the thick glue.

This watercolor paper block was exactly as it was described...which is what I wanted

This is a very affordable paper. It arrived in a timely manner and was undamaged

No problems

This is the BEST rough watercolor paper in this price range. I have purchased it MANY times and will continue to. I have not tried the hot press. I have purchased and worked with very expensive brands. I keep going back to this though, because it is great quality for the price.

I was eager to try Meeden hot press watercolor paper based on its reputation, but I was sorely disappointed. The first 6 or 7 sheets I used severely warped and buckled, particularly in the center, bottom left, and bottom right corners. Typically I don't use much water on hot press so the severity of bucklingwas very odd.This made it extremely difficult to achieve a smooth, even watercolor wash.I'm unsure if this is a one-time issue or a wider problem with the paper. Regardless, it's incredibly frustrating to encounter such a problem with a product that's supposed to be a reliable foundation for watercolor painting.Unfortunately returning is too much a hassel for such an item. I hope Meeden can address this issue to prevent other artists from experiencing the same disappointment.Rated 2

Good art paper and performs well for painting with watercolor and acrylic, print making and mixed media.

I like this watercolour block , have tried a few but it's the best after Arches paper .

Je me suis fié aux bons commentaires de certains pour tester une alternative au papier Arches, qui est vraiment très cher.Vraiment déçue par ce papier 100 % coton qui pour moi n’est pas qualitatif. Je me doutais bien qu’à ce prix là, je n’aurai pas la qualité et le rendu d’un papier haut de gamme. A utiliser en papier d’étude.

Das Papier ist sehr glatt und sehr saugfähig. Jedoch nicht richtig weiß, eher naturfarben, was aber nicht die verwendeten Aquarellfarben verfälscht. Der Kauf lohnt sich jedoch erst, wenn man etwas geübter ist. Es ist ringherum fest geleimt und läßt sich für meinen Geschmack recht schwer vom Block trennen. Ich empfehle dafür einen möglichst flachen Brieföffner vorsichtig zu verwenden, jedoch kein Messer oder Cutter, sonst beschädigt man dann Papier sehr schnell.

Beautiful paper, lovely to use.