CANSON VS STRATHMORE - Best Cheap Watercolor Paper?

Рет қаралды 35,032

4 жыл бұрын

It's time, Strathmore and Canson go head to head. Which brand has the best cheap paper for watercolor artists? Is it mixed media? Is it watercolor? Is it Canson XL? Or is it Strathmore Watercolor? How do all these papers compare? Let's find out which is the absolute worst and which is the best.
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No More Buckling: • No More Paper Buckling...
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USED
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*Strathmore Mixed Media Spiral - amzn.to/2LB1KyX
*Canson Mixed Media - amzn.to/3062hlg (Super expensive for some reason??)
www.dickblick.com/products/ca... (MUCH cheaper!)
*Canson Mixed Media XL - amzn.to/2QgZPUp
*Strathmore Mixed Media Pad - amzn.to/2O5Nqjr
*Strathmore Watercolor Pad - amzn.to/31pXhV7
*Canson Montvol Watercolor - amzn.to/2QhJIWP (could only find 2 pack)
*Canson XL Watercolor - amzn.to/2Nlygal
--
DaVinci Resolve.
I film with a Nikon D3300. (+tripod lol)
~~My Most Used Art Supplies:
Note that some might not be the highest quality brand, sometimes I like cheap stuff just to be rough with it.
*Strathmore Sketchbook: amzn.to/2C3XRz1
*Strathmore Mixed Media: amzn.to/2HlIctW
*Micron ink pens: amzn.to/2BwSCqk
*Copic Markers: goo.gl/EcqZjV
*Clearpoint mechanical pencils: amzn.to/2sBz4OK
*White charcoal: amzn.to/2FbhmnE
*Sakura Gel Pen: amzn.to/2svyH8s
*Grumbacher watercolors: amzn.to/2CsO3Ky
*Ohuhu water brushes: amzn.to/2FbLM9w
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Пікірлер: 105

@MarzoAlive 4 жыл бұрын

I was expecting you (as this is my first video I watch of yours), to only talk about paper and a random drawing maybe... But you have the journals all full with your art?????? I'm impressed, you totally have the right to review each one of them since you worked on them entirely. Thank you for the video!

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

There's a reason why this video took 1.5 years to make LOL Thanks for watching :)

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you all SO MUCH once again! This was probably the biggest project (minus my novel/books) that I've ever undertaken, and your support really helped pull me through! I hope y'all had fun and continue to enjoy your art journeys!

@gabrielagueri 3 жыл бұрын

Not an artist but I love to paint. Your videos are super interesting, (no extra "yapping"). Thank you for all your information!

@sharmashwetaUTube 2 жыл бұрын

thankyou.this is so helpful. I am abeginner and trying to find cheaper watercolor paper ,good enough for beginner. this was very helpful

@TimeCodeMechanics 4 жыл бұрын

Guess that explains why these Strathmore pads are so cheap. I suspected as much since no one ever talks about it.

@imrobie5758 3 жыл бұрын

Helpful! Thank you!

@jennw6809 3 жыл бұрын

I really like me some spiral too :) I love your self portraits!!! They are such good likenesses of you.

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

Team spiral! :D Haha. And thanks so much ^^

@AlphaGeekgirl 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for taking the time to do this thorough assessment. I was really hoping you might have included; Strathmore 500 Series Heavyweight Mixed Media Pads or Strathmore 500 Series Ready Cut Watercolor Paper, but I guess at around 40c per sheet, it's no longer considered "super cheap", but for a a beginner, it's that next step up and so much more enjoyable and less frustrating.

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I tried to keep the list to the more popular ones I've seen and heard of. There were definitely more I was wanting to include, but this was already costing a lot of time and money, I had to cut it off somewhere xD

@HarukaTavares 4 жыл бұрын

Good comparison video! I'm glad we agreed on what's the best paper of that list, from the brands and models I've tried the Canson Montval was the best one. I'm so glad you did not try Strathmore Vision Watercolour: worst watercolour paper I've ever tried.

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! :) I haven't heard of that one, but oof. Sorry you had to deal with that x'D

@Chahaky 4 жыл бұрын

The strathmore 400 series watercolor pad disappointed me too! The glue is gross, most sheets rip when you try to take them out, and the paper tears way too easily in my experiences ;n; Being poor, it was my "upgrade" from canson's watercolor paper and omg. Mega disappointing and totally not worth the higher price tag. Thank you for making this video~

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

I have no idea what happened?! Their other paper I've always loved. How did they screw up with this so badly??? Blew my mind. I was looking forward to it too, after going through all those crappy Canson papers ;o; Such disappoint. For sure not worth the price, sorry you had to deal with it too ;o; But thanks for watching!

@fangchick93 2 жыл бұрын

I love the Strathmore 500 cotton mixed media art journal for small watercolour pieces.

@SUGAR_XYLER Жыл бұрын

Can't stand that brand. Lowest quality

@lizadivine3785 8 ай бұрын

I soaked the sizing off the strathmore 400 for 10 minutes in lukewarm water and then rubbed it off with a sponge. It was a tip I found on you tube and it was helpful. There was better acceptance of the paint, less streaking, etc.

@gorway7 4 жыл бұрын

100% Cotton sketchbooks are really hard to find in the UK and if you do manage to track one down they are really pricey. It kind of makes you scared to paint in them I find. The only one I come across here is Saunders Waterford. The pads are made by a main art paper wholesaler - RK Burt. They make up ring bound pads branded "Fat Pads" for many of the papers they stock but the smallest Saunders is the 11" x 7.5" which will set you back about £23 or about $30. I can get a quite useable A5 size Bockingford Fat Pad for £8 which is more my budget. The other option is to buy your favorite Cotton paper by the sheet and make up your own sketchpads. If you like spiral bound, There is a system called disk binding that works like spiral but you only need the punch tool and a bag of disks, not a binding machine. They use T-slots which make it easy to remove or reorganise pages which might be useful.

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Oh man, I'm sorry it's so difficult! I can understand the hesitation on using them because of that. It's a shame that it's not more readily available, especially since every watercolor artist I hear from, and from my own experience, say 100% cotton is the best. You'd think it'd be available everywhere. That's a shame. Hopefully more options pop up in the future!

@krabfingers8473 2 жыл бұрын

I tried both the Canson XL watercolor paper and mixed media one recently. Wet on dry technique on the XL mixed media already felt like it was breaking down, which I think is partially because the paper weight is way too thin. 160 g is not enough for wet media, maybe 190-200 gsm is good. It works good with watercolor pencils and my crayola water-based markers though. The XL watercolor paper was sturdier and took wet on dry great. Buckling is such a mood killer when painting, so before painting I wetted both sides of sheet a few times and patted it dry. It barely buckled at all. And the paint somewhat absorbed in. I have very staining paints so layering isn't too much of a problem for me. I'm not sure wet on wet will do well on it, since it's very fragile.

@irritatedlibrarian9057 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video! Not only is it good for people on a budget, but it's also great for beginners looking for an affordable way to learn and practice. A lot of beginner guys harp on getting good paper, but good paper is expensive and it would just freak me out to use my good paper as practice paper.

@sambeawesome 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! I think the Canson papers work just fine as practice, but do note you'll probably still want to practice on the nicer paper too. They do behave differently, and those differences could take getting used to. It's definitely not a waste of paper either way, so don't feel pressured to create something special, just go in to have a good time. :) All the best! :D

@MerakiPainter 4 жыл бұрын

All of your pieces are just so beautiful tho!!! 💜

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Aw, thank you so much! x3 This whole adventure was a lot of fun, even with the struggles, I enjoyed it all :)

@MerakiPainter 4 жыл бұрын

sambeawesome that's awesome then!

@bookworm05234 4 жыл бұрын

I was just gonna say this too.

@SilverHyenaTV 3 жыл бұрын

I too am a connoisseur of spiral-bound sketchbooks. While I don't use too much wet media on mixed media paper, I'm actually very partial to Canson XL Mixed Media paper. Plus I like Strathmore watercolor paper. But this is why there are so many different kinds of watercolor papers out there. I'm still having trouble deciding if I like Arteza Watercolor Paper or not. lol But I love seeing other artist's perspectives on different papers.

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

I definitely appreciate the variety of paper options too :) I haven't tried Arteza's watercolor paper, but I'd be open to giving them a go one day. Thanks for watching ^^

@SilverHyenaTV 3 жыл бұрын

@@sambeawesome Oh you're welcome!

@rebekahbladen7775 4 жыл бұрын

I had started with the canson XL and it almost made me give up the medium. It dries almost immediately and the paper ruins if you try to re wet it. It works ok for wet on dry loose minimalist painting and maybe practicing....it's so cheap I still buy it to doodle with and mess around without wasting the bank. FLUID 100 is a decent one . Paid $6.50 for a 4x6 block of 15 pages . But nothing beatings arches . Wish someone would come out with a cheaper competitor

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Ah yeah, the entire Canson line is a pain for wet media. I liked using it with my Crayola drawings, but watercolor? Oof no. I've heard good things about Fluid, have some, have yet to try it though. Have you heard of Bee paper? People are saying it's a decent cheap paper. Shame the quality stuff is so out of reach for so many though :(

@Skinnychelle48 4 жыл бұрын

Ur work is really nice!

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! :)

@kailam4421 4 жыл бұрын

Ive learned that if youre doing watercolors, you want specifically watercolor paper. The mixed media pads are....iffy at best for watercolors. I love the mixed media canson for drawing and sketching, I hate it for watercolors. Edit: also, use binder clips! :> They help with the buckling at least a little bit.

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

The Canson mixed media was pretty nice for non wet media, which was cool. But yeah, definitely watercolor paper as a minimum for watercolor artworks. For buckling, I have a safer trick that won't damage your paper, I uploaded a video on it if you wanna check it out ;) Thanks for watching! :D

@KoalaTulip47 4 жыл бұрын

What a great video! Me being a sketchbook hoarding fiend and also (slowly) learning watercolor, I already have a lot of these sketchbooks and it helps me on which ones to keep for actual artwork and which one to keep as practice. Thanks for making this, your hard work won't go unnoticed 😁

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear it was helpful :o That's my favorite kind of comment and why I do these videos x3 Best of luck with your watercolor journey!

@shabora112 4 жыл бұрын

can you please share which sketchbooks worked fine with watercolors??

@biancamaego Жыл бұрын

This is the best review of these Ive seen

@Drumaier 2 жыл бұрын

I like a lot the canson xl watercolor sketchbooks, though there are some subjects or styles that you shouldn't even try on it. But if you work fast enough and don't do layering or much wet on wet, then you can achieve nice results. But you really have to touch and go because this paper won't let you mess around with second thoughts, correcting etc. In a way, you kinda have to be an expert painter and be willing to work with this limitations to pull out good results from this paper. I am not an expert painter but I like the paper pushes me to be by raw force 😂

@nephtaliejalbert 4 жыл бұрын

I have both Canson xl and Montval because I want to get into some mixed media and cut paper art too. Also making my own pattern paper as well.

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Good luck with all your projects :)

@nephtaliejalbert 4 жыл бұрын

@@sambeawesome Thanks Sam! But that's just some ideas you can try too.

@snulsim7245 3 жыл бұрын

which one's better??

@nephtaliejalbert 3 жыл бұрын

@@snulsim7245 That's going to depend on how use it. If you like to do mixed media art, then they are both good. But if you do wet into wet, then getting a cotton rag paper would be better. Also if you do a lot of layers too.

@snulsim7245 3 жыл бұрын

@@nephtaliejalbert thank you! :)

@labaccident2010 4 жыл бұрын

I like the montval paper and bee paper for cheap paper. My favorite paper is arches hot pressed but it’s so expeeeensive

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

I'm eager to try Bee, since I've heard so many good things :) I only tried Arches for a hot minute and it was so nice ;o; But the prices are oof.

@Meisuko 3 жыл бұрын

Great comparision.

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much :)

@iaintstan_2645 2 жыл бұрын

HI! In the Canson Mixed Media XL Spiral, is it cold-pressed (toothy) on both sides of a page? Or is it toothy on the front and smooth at the back. I just worry if it would destroy my brush nib (Ohuhu markers) Help please!

@sambeawesome Жыл бұрын

Super belated, sorry, I don't always check the comments on YT, but the textures for papers tend to be one-sided. So the backs are often smoother. (This is for most all papers, not just Canson sketchbooks.) Most craft stores have these sketchbooks out on display where you can open them up and check them out too if you're ever curious (and able to hit up a physical shop).

@ramil2733 4 жыл бұрын

Fabriano 25% cotton is cheaper and better than those two. I love the stratmore though for acrylic works. Paper is more important than painting when learning ☺️

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the tips! Those are definitely things I've picked up when doing this project, haha. Every watercolor artist I've heard from or spoken to has said "paper is #1" xD Fabriano is on my list to try. I've already been lucky enough to get a shot a Arches and it was amazing! x3 Thanks for watching!

@kreativna Жыл бұрын

Fabriano 25% cotton has a horrendous grain texture that I just can't stand. It's unfortunate because it's nice to work on, but it really affects the look if you're painting something delicate such as portraits or florals.

@SUGAR_XYLER Жыл бұрын

It's a horror on paper. Won't purchase Strathmore again 🤦‍♀️

@NinaHahArt 4 жыл бұрын

I missed the premiere ;-; nuuuuu Thank you, Sam for doing this for us ^-^ I shall now look out for Canson (and die a bit inside cause Imagine 250 gsm pad was so disappointing and buckling) if Winsor&Newton I bought recently will turn out to be crap XD We all shall continue this journey. Who knows, maybe there will be a company that makes good cheap mixed media/watercolour paper?

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

No worries!

@NinaHahArt 4 жыл бұрын

@@sambeawesome I will since I know I'll do one stream for Inktober and will try applying inkwash and fineliners on it. ^-^ We'll how much (if at all) will it buckle.

@Skinnychelle48 3 жыл бұрын

I’m a total beginner. What’s the best affordable paper for me to practice with? I have many types of nice brands of watercolors, nice brushes and Canson XL pads but I want to get a good brand of student paper.

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

The XL and Montvol watercolor paper is pretty good, in my opinion. If you want to go even nicer, Bee is a decent competitor to Arches, in my opinion. But if you're short on funds to invest, don't worry about brushes or paints, it's really the paper that makes/breaks everything.

@Skinnychelle48 3 жыл бұрын

@@sambeawesome thank you so much! I started with art journaling so I have many of the sets of the more crafty watercolors like Primas, Sakura etc. I recently started self teaching myself watercoloring so I bought several beginner books, some Princeton Brushes, Mission Gold and Shinhan Watercolor Sets and Canson XL & Strathmore 300 Pads BUT I keep hearing that I need to buy better paper and that the paper I have will be more of a handicap. I can purchase cotton paper but as a beginner I felt like that would be a waste of money until I get a bit further along with my skills. I don’t want to be afraid to practice in fear that I’m wasting expensive paper.

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

@@Skinnychelle48 Definitely an understandable feeling! I started my watercolor journey with crappy paper, and while it led to frustrations here and there, I can't say it inhibited me as much as people might think. It just made me more curious and excited to try more and more new things. So I wouldn't feel too bad if all you have is the cheaper stuff. But when the time comes for fancier paper, like Arches, you'll still need to practice with it anyway. Every paper behaves differently and takes getting used to. When it comes to experimenting and learning, I don't think anything is a waste, but I get where you're coming from. Especially when this stuff is so pricey! :( Best of luck with your journey though :D

@PsychoMantisss 4 жыл бұрын

I bought some Bee 100% watercolor paper, comes with 50 sheets and I think it was about $15 on Amazon.

@PsychoMantisss 4 жыл бұрын

I also have a Cabson Mixed Media XL with a black hardcover that was purchased in 2007. I got it at Barnes and Noble. I haven't tried it with watercolors yet, but it is textured and the paper is really thick. Not sure anything else about it, I had to Google it as it just had Canson imprinted on the back.

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Bee paper is on my "to-try" list :D I keep hearing good things x3 Thanks for the rec though!

@blackinkart1487 4 жыл бұрын

Is that available in canada?

@MisterNiles 2 жыл бұрын

Just purchase Arches. I just don't gas up my 3rd private, "weekend" jet with fresh fuel, for three months and I have enough saved up enough to buy an entire (small) block of their less expensive paper. But seriously, I had no idea. I've been using Canson mixed media, and Walmart kids paper. I have a fine time on the XL pads with ink and Pens and brushes and I have run into all of the problems you mentioned. But! When I run into the problems, I just figured they were something artists dealt with and got better at fixing, eventually. I've been slightly satisfied with my watercolor even with the Walmart paper. I think I am about to enter an entirely different galaxy. I'm 50 something and just started visual art after a head injury. Yeah. I'm one of those. I'm also a synesthesiac and other crazy silliness... anyway, I'm enjoying my new X-men power, but it's nowhere near your powers. You may not be a professional, but being an amateur sure is working for you. Holy smokes. I'd rather be an amateur anyway. "Ama", to love. Professionals end up hating what they do. It's like charging money for mushrooms or some other religious experience... money is gross, especially when it's driving art. But yeah. Good art, well rendered. I am sure I have good taste. That wasn't broken in the accident. So, am going on a work vacation for a week, near a nice art supply store. I am buying some Arches paper. Just to see. Thank you for the inspiration to get more serious about my visual work. It makes me want to make you a sound painting as thanks. So... thanks. If I end up making you a piece, I'll come back and give you a link. The closest analogy to my sound painting people seem to make is ambient music. People who only know classic rock ,reference Pink Floyd, and people who are mean or like classical music, reference window air conditioners that are on their last legs.... which is something I sometimes use as a music instrument :)

@sambeawesome 2 жыл бұрын

It's never to late to start an art journey! I hope you have lots of fun with it, and I'm glad I could help inspire you :) No matter your skill level, as long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters :)

@MistressOP 3 жыл бұрын

you can get pretty good results from half way decent paper and cheap watercolor paints. You'd actually be shocked at how much paper matters. Because watercolor as a media is "bloom". even when you don't want it to bloom. If you are doing things in a book. Fountain pen paper is cheaper sometimes. Also cotton and can workout for you. It's not pretty tho like real watercolor paper.

@elizanally5463 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing Video!! You made everything make sense!! I've used all of these, and I agree with everything except what you said about the Strathmore Watercolor Pad, which I loved! But nevertheless, you make an awesome video!

@sambeawesome 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it :) I've had a few people stand by Strathmore's watercolor paper, so you're not alone there. Hard to say if I got a bad batch or it just wasn't fit for me. But hey, rock on if you love it ;D

@andrewfrankovic6821 3 жыл бұрын

Maybe local water quality affects paper. Anyone ever consider that? NO! I don't know. iT just popped in my head.

@Tonyukuk1453 3 жыл бұрын

wow. Everybody says strathmore and canson are bad but your some paintings are amazing.

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

Aw thank you! I definitely agree that they're still bad though, haha. After using better paper, the difference is night and day. Really worth the investment to get better paper. :)

@MizGizma 3 жыл бұрын

my walmart had 11x15 in 30 sheet pads of canson watercolor xl for $2.50 (that's not a typo) .. so .. yeah ...

@jenniferarted3652 3 жыл бұрын

Clearance? My local stores don’t carry it anymore and it’s not on their website either. They’ve switched to Grumbacker which is the worst paper ever

@Tonyukuk1453 3 жыл бұрын

9:33 GREAT İNCREDİBLEEEE AMAZİNG I LOVE THİS

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it ^^ You can get a better look at it on my Insta instagram.com/p/BvwwvGQAcaP/

@earthingearthling2976 3 жыл бұрын

Love ur boats

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

Aw thank you :)

@lisasofthemoon 3 жыл бұрын

Hmmm it's interesting, i HATE spirals.

@wcleeart8203 4 жыл бұрын

ooh you streaming on twitch ? gots to look for u

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Yeee! Three days a week--Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays :) Though this month my schedule is a bit wonky because I'm going to Twitchcon :) www.twitch.tv/sambeart/ Feel free to drop in and say hi ^^

@wcleeart8203 4 жыл бұрын

@@sambeawesome oh .. give Fabriano Studio HP watercolor a try, it should be better than the ones in the video, the cold press version is alright but it is quite textured.

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the rec! :) I've been wanting to give Fabriano a try too, added it to my list x3

@rivs-bn4ho 2 жыл бұрын

Strathmore 400 watercolor is acceptable imo

@juliebrocklehurst-woods5247 2 жыл бұрын

Canson Archival is 100% cotton, a much better paper for a more reasonable price than most other cotton papers.

@soon_to_emerge 3 жыл бұрын

For the money you can spend on cheap crappy paper it’s better for your nerves just to buy one decent one. Frustration makes learning harder. Besides, how can one learn watercolour techniques of paper can’t handle said techniques?

@sambeawesome 3 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't say it's a waste of time, money, and resources to try out cheaper/crappier paper. I certainly learned quite a lot from it :) Also had a lot of fun, despite the frustrations. But it's more of a "to each their own", as this venture is certainly not one everyone would want to take. I just had a lot of drive for it, haha.

@SuperCutealien 4 ай бұрын

I hate Canson XL. Strathmore 400 Series is multiple times better. I use it for drills and practice. Finished pieces 100% cotton. Baohong is great if you can’t afford Arches.

@moonlightgator 2 жыл бұрын

I guess all the artists are devided on a Canson Fans and Strathmore fans. I love Canson paper much better. There is nothing wrong with cheaper paper.

@Felix.Wingfield 4 жыл бұрын

DickBlick brand 100% cotton watercolor paper. Cheap and awesome.

@sambeawesome 4 жыл бұрын

Ooh I hadn't heard of theirs, that's cool! Thanks for sharing x3

@Uniacoty 4 жыл бұрын

Man it sucks the closest Blick store is 30 miles from me

@cristinamedrano9127 2 жыл бұрын

You funny girl have been improving a lot in watercolor after all those exercises. Maybe it's time you stop using all those crappy papers and go for 100% cotton. At least that's what I'm doing now, got fed up of having awful results!