I've used Saunders Waterford 200 lb for 15 years. 200 works just like 300 lb, it doesn't need to be taped. Doesn't buckle or warp. It is so forgiving and easy to lift paint off. More expensive but well worth it.....

Saunders Waterford is my choice of paper for final projects, for swatching and practice I use Bockingford, cellulose paper, which is made by the same manufacturer St Cuthberts Mill. Just a note on Saunders Waterford paper - it comes in white and high white. White is not bright white so make sure you read the description when purchasing - learnt that the hard way. 🙂

We need a Saunders vs Arches paper now. I’d love to see how those two stack up against each other!

I love the Bee paper for play and experimentation. It paints quite well, but isn’t so precious that I feel held back.

Thank you for doing this video. I'm gonna save up for some Saunders paper. As Jane Davenport says, "Life is too short for cheap paper." 🤣

In addition to comparing Saunders to Arches I would be interested in seeing you test the 140 pound Bee paper for us on a budget.

If you like Saunders Waterford, you can also try Millford 100% cotton. In my humble opinion, it's even better. It's easier to lift the colour up if you wish too and it keeps watercolour wet a bit longer if you need more time. It is made by the same manufacturer (Saunders Waterford cotton, Bockingford cellulose and Millford).

As far as the final pictures, for me, the Saunders paper absolutely produced the best outcome. Definitely saw the vibrancy difference

I’m not professional but Saunders Waterford is my favorite paper. Arches is great but I get the most vibrant fluid final results with Saunders.

Iirc, Canson owns Arches. One paper for Adults and one for children. Kind of how Lamy Safari is given to school kids in Germany but artists love it. Canson moulin du roy watercolor paper is 100% cotton. Also iirc, Canson & Saunders have a collaborative Art Book sold in Europe. This was interesting … thank you.

Thanks for performing this comparison. I'm in the middle of comparing Hahnemuhle vs Arches vs Saunders Waterford. Side is preferential, so there's no real front/back. They typically differ in coarseness and felt grain pattern (e.g. the "back" side is typically smoother with different felt grain/texture).

Thanks so much Emma for this informative video and all the behind the scenes research you did to compare the quality and pricing of the papers. You continue to impress me. You work so hard to help us develop our watercolor knowledge and skills.❤❤❤

Yay my Hahnemuhle paper is awesome but I do agree that the Saunders Waterford paper does make the paint look better & brighter. I might have to give it a try sometime soon! I definitely enjoyed seeing your reviews on each of these papers. Thanks for sharing this wonderful informational video with us.

So pleased to learn you liked our Saunders Waterford paper

As a beginner, I am loving your channel. I've taken a few classes, and now I'm enjoying delving into learning more about papers, brushes, etc. Thank you.

SW is my favorite paper. It is sized throughout the paper so you can paint on both sides. Some papers are sized on one side. Michael Solovyov has a video on papers and sizing differences. He is a Canadian artist too and offers the SW through his web site. You probably know about him as another Canadian artist. Thanks for your review. I've used all of the ones you reviewed too.

Yay, you picked the one that’s my favourite too! Thanks for doing this work!

When I cut my larger sheets into smaller ones, I put either an X on the wrong side or an abbreviation of the brand if I’m cutting more than one brand.

Thank you for the educational video. I’m starting water coloring for my cards and this helps understand the differences on the papers. 😊

What a difference in vibrancy of colors. Thank you for this comparison. Im definitely trying Saunders Waterford.

Thanks for your review of the different wc papers. I use a lot of mixed media and wc sketchbooks. I've found if I pre wet the paper with a spray bottle of water and let the water soak in I have more success using the paper.

In Toronto Gwartzman's art supplies and Above Ground carry Saunders paper but are often sold out. Looking forward to trying it sometime. Arches seems to be many people’s favourite because it’s readily available and is sold in a variety of sizes of pads of sheets not just blocks which make it double the price

oh, yes! This helps a lot. Always looking for a good affordable paper. I have been working mostly with ARCHES watercolor paper and reaching the best results. It is a very forgiving paper for correctios or liftings as you call it. I bought big sheets and having been cutting them in half to have more use of it. I would love a comparison with Arches too. Have a great day, dear Emma! Lots of love from the Hahnemüller country of origin! 🥰

You taught me so much with this video. I really enjoy all of your videos.

Thank you, Emma. I love your video and comments. I will definitely try the Saunder paper. 😊❤

Hi Emma. Thanks for the great paper comparisons. I just did some checking and here in the US, Dick Blick has the best selection and, for the most part, the best prices. I usually buy the Arches 300lb. 22 x 30" sheets in bulk at Blick for $15.43 per sheet. The Saunders Waterford in the same size and weight is $13.32 per sheet. I am going to order a block and one sheet each of the 300lb and 200lb to try it. For any of the folks in the US ordering from Blick, here are some of the prices. 7x 10 block = $29, 9x12 block = $31, 10 x 14 block = $38 and the 12 x 16 block is $50. Cheap Joe's has the 12 x 16 block for $43.

Thank you for sharing this info about wc papers. So helpful to me…you saved me “experimenting” money. 😊

Thank you for this information Emma. I have been eyeing the Saunders Waterford paper and wondered how it performed and whether or not it was worth the price and rivaled Arches. Now I want to purchase a large sheet. Thank you for sharing videos with us. I have learned so much from your videos.

So beautiful; I love autumn & autumn leaves & tress.

The Saunders paper is amazing 🎉 The paint looks so vibrant ❤

With all my papers I give them a wipe over with an immaculate cloth even A5 size, which stops any lint or dust-making balls once the paint hits the paper. Once my paints are dry for the close of the day in the pan, I blow on them stopping any dust that may have fallen. (We know it's in the air). It's very hard to afford Good paper. I have tried them all, and I fully understand what you're saying about cost. The plight of an artist's life sadly, (sometimes I have gone without a few things just to buy my Arches paper. This was very interesting, and I totally understood you loving the paper...And finding one has to mortgage the house to buy it...I feel like we are in some way still living like the artists of old. Being so careful with the papers.THANK YOU so much for this video, it really was great to see. x

A nice educational video concerning paper Emma! 👏👏 Thank you for demonstrating on the various papers for us. Unfortunately everything has really gone up in pricing. I’m frequently using both sides of my papers especially when practicing different things. I also do sometimes stretch my paper for larger works that I attempt, that I think will end up being good. The lifting demo is great, too. Thank you.❤️

I have never seen paint lifted like you did on the Sennelier…wow! Thank you for this comparison video. I’ve been wanting to try these papers and now I can eliminate Bee

Thanks for the detailed review! I live in Germany so I've been eyeing the Hahnemühle watercolor paper, but I've had problems layering on many of their papers, so I haven't tried this one yet (it is pricier than my other Hahnemühle papers). I think I can forego this one. I really like the Saunder's and this video makes me want to paint some more on my Saunder's paper.

try Jacksons art supplies for Saunders Waterford paper

Like when you do these comparisons. It helps to decide what paper to upgrade to.😮

I recently started purchasing the Waterford watercolour papers and have loved them. It was reassuring to have you confirm my preference. I’ve used Archers but it is much more expensive in Australia.

Thanks for this! Before cutting my paper, I put a check mark in each corner on the correct side.

Thanks for the demo Emma! Jerry's Artarama here in the US is having a sale now on Waterford's, so I might pop over and get some. I looked to see if there were any Hyatt's near me as I've never heard of them before. That's because they are only in Buffalo. 🙂

Again enjoyed your sample work in comparison. Great job and fun while experimenting. 😅😊❤

I just ordered some paper, I’m so excited to try it. 🙌🏻 thanks for the video.

I just bought the hahnemuhle paper. I like it. Thanks for the demo. 😊

100% cotton papers really are the best, I love that there are so many options nowadays ❤

Hi Emma. I wonder if you could do a comparison of the Saunders and Arches? I would like to see the result of that same demo on the Arches paper. It was quite a striking difference from the other papers.

I once painted the same thing on 15 different papers. None look much different in terms of bright color, as long as you use high quality paint. But I do enjoy the thick cotton papers they do the bleeds and fun things better

I use the 90lb. bee paper for card fronts. It is lighter weight for layering on card stock and it makes it is more economical as I assume the cards will eventually end up at the landfill. But have been using Arches for paintings. Will have to try the Waterford as I have also been reading a book by Ann Pember and the Waterford along with Arches are what she recommends. May have to experiment with the others as well. Thanks for the review.

Thanks for the reviews. Very helpful.

I have kept an annual membership with the SAA (Society for All Artists, located in the UK) to purchase Saunders Waterford paper, which I have used exclusively for my art for over five years. I don’t know the Canadian exchange rate, but the SAA prices for SW paper (which is offered in all weights, textures and colors (high white is my personal favorite) is better than Jackson’s. It is a beautiful paper!

❤🙋🏼‍♀️ Hello Emma! Thank you for the watercolor paper comparison video. 😥To me, the most important supplies to create a watercolor painting are the paint and paper. The most difficult supplies to find are the paint and paper. Both are scary and expensive pathways to go down. Videos like yours are extremely helpful and informative, and help me to make better decisions. I’m Fran, a Pen & Ink artist and a student of watercolor. Have a great week and better weekend.👍🏼👩🏼‍🎨👩🏻‍🎨

Great comparison video. The color and lifting differences are surprising! Have you ever tried Winsor Newton paper? I got a pad and like it but haven’t officially compared like you did. This was great!

I found the Saunders Waterford at MC Art Supplies in Texas for $15.42 for a 9 x 12 inch pad of 12 sheets. I’ve never used a block and felt more comfortable trying a pad. Shipping was about $15 within the USA for 3 pads of paper. I’m just a beginner, but hoping this will help me improve my techniques.

As other have said, I’d love to see a Waterford v Arches comparison.

To save money I switched from Arches which is expensive. Now I use the Ready Cut Stratmore in 5 x 7. I am satisfied as that size works for most of my painting.

Saunders waterford 300gsm CP is my absolute fave watercolor paper. I prefer it over Arches even.

Hi Emma, thank you for the review, I know it can cost $$$ for you to buy supplies to show us and I appreciate it! I have used the bee paper in the past and then it became hard to find and became more expensive, I did buy the 140lb and I feel that it is still mot as user friendly as it used to be. I don't plan to purchase anymore. But I fully agree that Saunders is a lovely paper to use:))

Thank you so much Emma for testing these so we don’t have to. You are amazing. Kim from NB Canada.

The Hahnemühle-Company and it’s mill is 8 km away from my house :) It’s quiet popular here in Germany. The also manufacture high quality writing paper.

I have purchased the Saunders sample pack from Amazon that gives you 2-4 half sheets of each type plus their Bockingford line which is cellulose but acts like a student grade cotton paper. The price here in the USA tends to vary but you can put alerts on products and catch them on sale.

Saunders Waterford can be found at Blick’s site and they have a decently low threshold for free shipping, easily reached with paper blocks.

I have always used Arches, I learned on it. This video has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, thanks. I will try Saunders Waterford ! So much to learn! Your avid student, Karen Dirmish Elmhurst Ill!

This video was extremely informative, and your paintings are beautiful! The last time I purchased Bee paper was during covid. It was out of stock for a long time! When it was finally available I bought some; I was so disappointed! It felt very thin to me as well. I wish I remembered where I bought it, perhaps I bought the 90lb as well. I see they have the same label for 140lb as the 90lb you bought, which is a bummer! I used mine to practice, and didn't feel like I was wasting it when I tried new things or colors.

I like to use both Arches and Saunders watercolor cold press paper. They are both so good, that I don't mind using one over the other. For me it comes down to price when I am going to choose one and I go for the better deal, just because they will both work perfectly. And then my 3rd option is Baohong coldpress paper.

Just ordered the SW paper and total including shipping and tax came to 66.23. I had been checking out papers and I really like the way this one looks as a finished painting. Thanks for your research and advice.

Thank you so much Emma, this video is so helpful 👍🙂

I was lucky enough to discover watercolor with Saunders Waterford and so long none has been better, I even like 90lbs or hot press that I use sometimes. Sennelier is not as expensive in France as it seems to be in your place. Thank you for the review.

Saunders Waterford is my favorite. I like Bockingford Rough too.

Wow the Saunders was hands down the best. That’s great to know.

I would love to see how the saunders compares to arches. Thank you for the lovely video

This was so informative. I'm a beginner, so I'm just learning about paper. Learned a lot in this video!! My paper dries too fast and creates ugly blooms. It is frustrating. Thanks so much!

The 140lb Bee Paper is MUCH better than the 90lb, so I do hope that you’ll try that one out on camera some time. It’s $20 USD for fifty sheets of 9x12, which is absurdly cheap for 100% cotton paper. It’s nowhere near the level of the more expensive papers you tested, especially the Saunders (omg that was gorgeous!), but it’s really great for practicing and learning how to use techniques. Before it, I was using my Canson XL mixed media- which I mainly used for blending gouache and creating sketches- for practicing new techniques and getting to know my brushes. As you can imagine, this was frustrating when I ended up trying to do an actual painting because everything I learned on the Canson required different methods than on actual cotton paper. After that, I started using a cheap, 100% cotton watercolor pad from Amazon, and while it’s not winning any awards, and it did lift when I first tried underpainting, it’s demonstrably better than the Canson. But the Bee is far better than it, so I love it for what it is: A great, affordable option for students to use actual 100% cotton paper that actually acts like 100% cotton paper. It’s currently the only option on the market, and I’m very grateful for it. They haven’t arrived yet, but I did just get a selection of a few high quality cotton papers and pads from Cheap Joe’s, and I’m super excited. I’m also waiting for my Craftamo brushes to arrive! I was super bummed that yours weren’t included in the BOG2 sale last week, but the ones I got look really wonderful, too. I’m excited to have good brushes and good paper to complement my W&N Cotman paints. I agree with your recommendation of the Paul Rubens block. It was my first 100% cotton paper, and I really love it. I didn’t realize it was a hot press when I bought it, and I’m glad because I wouldn’t have bought it had I realized that. But like you said, it’s a lot more like a cold press than typical hot press, and I really enjoy it. Thank you for doing these videos! I hope you can get a small video of the Bee’s some time soon so that your other viewers aren’t turned off by the actual 140lb paper without trying it. It’s such a great paper for learning. It’s above student grade, but below professional grade, while being cheaper than most student grade.

I've been having a hard time finding those paul rubens sketchbooks. They have been sold out on Amazon for a while in the larger sizes, so I'm hoping they will come back in stock eventually. And yea, the Bee paper comes in both 90 and 140 pounds. Either 25 sheets of 140 or 50 sheets of 90. I have the 140 pound, but I actually don't really like it. Idk though, because I'm very much a beginner and don't know anything haha. It just dries soooo fast. I feel like maybe it just might not be great for wet on wet, also because he pigment seems to stay in place and not give those little explosions of color. Omg after I wrote this you literally said the same exact things as me. I feel so validated 😂 I thought maybe I just was doing it wrong haha

This was so informative. Thanks

Wow! What a difference! Great vid!

The Bee paper is now available in 140 pound 100% cotton spiral sketchbook. Some say they love it. I found the masking fluid impossible to remove without damage. Also it was hard to layer without lifting.

I see what you mean about the price! Since most of our art supplies come from Europe, I could get this in South Africa but I will have to stick to cheaper ones.

You can get the Waterford paper from Gwartzman’s Art Supplies in Toronto. Nice comparison and very informative. Keep creating 💙💜💛

Great information! Thank you. I just ordered Saunders Waterford and can’t wait to try it. I’ve been using Bee 140#, but not getting good results on larger florals. Hope it’s the paper, not me!

This was a very informative video and exciting that there are some good cotton paper options. I would have really loved to see you use a very staining paint to see if it would lift off of the paper. The color I am thinking of is phthalo blue green shade. I’ve not been able to lift it and found it frustrating. I may get some saunders waterford and hahnemuhle. If so I can test it myself. I wonder if one is better than the other? If so, I would buy it! Thank you for the great video!

well done!! thank you - that has helped a lot!

Jacksons is currently having a sale on this paper! Check the shipping first though, it can be expensive for full sheets. That said, they also sell half and quarter sheets as well as blocks.

Thank you Emma..this was great!

Bee does come in 140 lb in the same packaging. I use it all the time for my greeting cards.

The same thing happened to me with the Bee paper. Had the 140 lb before, and purchased a new pack, just to find I should have read the description, haha!

yes, Bee comes in 140lbs. It has not been great paper for me though. Cheaper to use for some things ... ink and wash ... but I am surprised to see the 90 lb and it was expensive for that wt. loved seeing your haul!

Hi, Emma. Many thanks for doing this for us. I was amazed by the difference after drying! I'm really glad that of the three, SW came out tops. 💃💃💃💃💃 It's my go-to paper for everything but plein air landscape, when I need a rough texture. I'm not keen on the texture of their rough, but Fabriano Artistico has met the need for many years now! BTW, Hahnemühle is said, Har-ne-moo-le, with the moo like mule, not moo-cow (For a better help, put it into Google translate and make sure it gives you the German rendering, then click on the microphone) They don't make paints, though, only paper. I like the one you've bought, but definitely _not_ the one in their 250gsm sketchbook!!! It doesn't take multiple layers. Even two is a push for it to handle. I'm not a fan of Sennelier papier, either, though I can't explain why. It just doesn't work for my way of painting.

Hi Emma, thanks for your comparison. Found the Saunders Waterford Pad with 20 sheets 9x12“ at Amazon Germany for 28,19 € (41,44 Canadian Dollar).

Etchr sketcbook is made with Fabriano artistico cotton paper.

Great information! Thanks so much!

They have the Bee watercolor paper in 140lb for $19.57 and 90lb for $17.96 on the Amazon. The packaging looks the same minus the weight info. You can get easily fooled thinking you're buying 50 sheets of 140lb cotton paper for $17.86.

Studio Six Art Supply store in Toronto carries Saunders Waterford and ships all over. They are a fabulous family run business with a good price point.

Hi Emma. I only buy 100% cotton watercolour paper in sheets from DeSerres and Wallack's in Ottawa and order online from Gwartzman's and Above Ground. It is always more economical, no duty to pay and I cut it down in size. I usually lightly pencil in the brand, type, and weight of the sheet in each of the corners, on the right side (using the watermark as a guide, i.e. SW-CP-140 for Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 140lbs; A-CP-140 for Arches, etc. If I need to cut my sheet smaller than 1/4 sheets, I make sure that I write the info in at least one corner of each resulting piece. In addition, I try to cut my paper to fit the more common frames and mats, which saves money when framing.

Hi Emma. Also from Canada - but I order my Saunders through Jackson's on their Canadian site. They currently have a huge sale on their blocks and sheets...50% off - at least. I always find that I get some decent deals from Jackson's and the shipping isn't too crazy....

So good! I'd love to see you review academy and baohong too 😁

This is really helpful, thank you. I tried some more expensive papers and blamed my skill level, however, maybe it is the paper. LOL. Off to paint up a few cards for the stockpile of sympathy, birthday and wedding.

Waterford paper sheets can be found at Delta Art Edmonton

I got fooled as well by the new Bee 90 lb. paper. I used to buy the original 140 lbs. I decided to use it for card making.

Jerry's Artarama has Saunders Waterford blocks on sale right now.

I would really love to see you do a test of the fabriano artistico 300 GSM as well I prefer the extra white hot press as my main subjects are painted in pencil with solvent.

I'd like to try the saunders hot pressed.

Try hanamuhle bamboo paper it’s mixed media but holds a lot of water