Arches Water Colour Block, 300 lb / 640GSM, Cold Pressed, 9" x 12"

I purchased this 12" x 16" Arches watercolor block for my aunt, who is a very capable and experienced artist. She always strives for the absolute best in her artwork, so I knew I couldn't cut corners on her supplies. She was incredibly pleased with the overall quality and has gotten a lot of enjoyment out of painting on it. When it comes to watercolor suitability and overall durability, this heavy 300-pound paper is unmatched. It handles heavy water washes beautifully without warping or buckling. She specifically praised the texture—the cold press surface provides the perfect amount of tooth for her paints to grip, giving her precise control over her brushstrokes. Another huge plus is the portability. Because it is a glued block, she doesn't need to tape down loose sheets to a separate heavy drawing board. She can just grab the block and easily travel or paint outdoors, knowing the glued edges will keep the sheet perfectly taut while she works. If you are buying for a dedicated painter who demands professional-grade results, you really can't go wrong with Arches. Even though it is a premium product, the flawless performance and lack of frustration make it an outstanding value for money. Seeing how happy she is with it makes this an easy 5-star purchase!

I love this paper. However, for the first time, the whole block of paper came away from the cover. It just wasn't glued well.

Arches is always highest quality. It arrived OK, but I am becoming more and more concerned about Amazon's shipping practices using materials that don't protect vulnerable products as well as they used to.

This paper is awesome and do require stretching. It is a pleasure to work with when lots of water is required.

Love love love this paper. It has to be a staple for every watercolor artist. It is truly a dream to work with. This paper can take several layers of color. I am so pleased with the results.

The brand, rocks!

i'm a printer and work with paper all the time. i'm new to painting but i know quality. this is it. the best paper money can buy. i've spent loads of money on other paper (including from ARCHES) and nothing comes close to this. its very toothy, meaning slightly textured, but highly absorbent. fast drying, too, which could be a downside but this is so easy to reactivate it's not really a problem. 95% buckle free! having it on the block is a dream, i will never tape down a piece of paper to masonite ever again if i can help it. for pencil work it isn't so great, but literally anything else mixed media—paint, charcoal, india ink, whatever—this hasn't been beat. keep a look out for sales, got my first one for about forty bones, but honestly this is good at any price.

Best watercolor paper around . It is very expensive so I practice on the cheaper paper.

Es un excelente papel, en mi caso cumple las funciones a la perfección. no se arruga, absorbe el agua muy bien, estoy contentísimo.

Gr8 price and definitely worth it for the artist painter.

Colours are so much clearer and brighter, less mud when darkening. Working wet in wet, the first sheet detached itself too easily from the block. Very very good. Very expensive.

Ottimo prodotto

La carta migliore in commercio per distacco.. Questa grammatura poi… È cara ma ne vale la pena..