Janice Sung Reviews Strathmore Watercolor Paper
The wonderfully talented Janice Sung reviewed our 500 Series Ready Cut Watercolor paper in both cold press and hot press.
Strathmore Ready Cut Watercolor papers come in standard size sheets for ready-made frames and mats. This saves time and hassle, and makes framing easier and less expensive. This 100% cotton paper is harder sized than "old world" papers giving it excellent surface strength. It provides greater water hold-out and improved color lifting and blending.
Weight: 140lb. (300gsm)
REVIEW 1: 500 SERIES READY CUT WATERCOLOR
COLD PRESS SURFACE (more textured)
Janice's Review:
"Gouache on Strathmore 500 series Cold Press Watercolor paper (100% cotton, archival, 140lb). I’ve been a dedicated Strathmore lover since I started painting in middle school so I was so honored when they wanted to send me some of their products. I guess I’m not surprised that I ended up falling in love with the first thing I tried. How do I judge how good the watercolor paper is?⠀
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- Will it warp in the process⠀
- How well it holds water⠀
- How easy it is to blend colors⠀
- Overal look of the texture⠀
- Does the paper peel off when I remove the tape⠀
- The end result: how nice and even my colors look⠀
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After finishing my first piece, I would give it an A in all those fields. All my watercolor papers I’ve used in the past few months have warped in some way, although there’s a way to fix it, it disrupts the painting process since it creates shadows on the paper. This didn’t happen at all with the Strathmore paper, no matter how much water I added (that’s what I’m talking about!). My colors also look very evenly blended and smooth. As for removing the tape after you're finished, I know a lot of you complain about it ripping your paper and I find that it's usually due to the paper and not the tape. With this paper, there was no residue left on the tape yay!
Moreover, I love how they’re already cut for you and they also come in various sizes. They’re super well priced especially for the quality. I highly recommend it ⭐️"⠀
REVIEW 2: 500 SERIES READY CUT WATERCOLOR
HOT PRESS SURFACE (smoother texture)
Janice's Review:
"Marley & Max | Gouache on Strathmore 500 Series Ready Cut hot press watercolor paper. I noticed I haven't been pushing myself very much lately with creativity and style. Sometimes I have to remind myself that's it's important to purposely find ways to challenge myself and by doing so I've explored and learned different techniques that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise
More on the materials, this is actually my first time trying hot pressed watercolor paper. I'm usually drawn to cold press because I enjoy working with textured paper. However, the hot press by Strathmore isn't fully smooth and it actually has a beautiful subtle texture which I love. Overall, the quality of these papers are outstanding. I've used so many different papers that simply don't absorb paint very well, leaving the paint to just sit on the surface, but it's the complete opposite with Strathmore's. I'm so happy to have tried these and will continue to use them for my future paintings without a doubt ❤️"
