The Ultimate Beginners Guide To Watercolour Paper

The Ultimate Beginners Guide To Watercolour Paper

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Hot Press, Cold Press, Rough? What's the difference, and why is it important?

Choosing watercolour paper is a bit like choosing a lens: the “best” one depends on what you’re trying to paint, how you like your washes to behave, and how much texture you want doing the work for you.

Below is a practical guide to the three main surfaces—Cold Press (NOT), Hot Press (HP), and Rough—plus a brand comparison of Arches, Fabriano, Baohong, and Bockingford with some practical examples along the way.

What does it all mean?

1) Cold Press (NOT): the all-rounder

Cold Press (often labelled NOT) is the most popular surface because it’s the best balance of texture + control. It has enough tooth to break up washes beautifully, but it’s not so bumpy that detail becomes a fight.

What’s it great for?

  • Everyday painting (almost anything)

  • Layering/glazing (especially on well-sized paper)

  • Landscapes, skies, buildings, portraits—general use

What’s it less ideal for?

  • Ultra-crisp ink linework and tiny botanical details (HP usually wins)

What brands and how much?

2) Hot Press (HP): smooth, sharp, graphic

Hot Press is pressed flatter, so it’s smoother and less textured, which means paint and ink sit differently. You get cleaner edges, smoother gradients, and more precise lines.

What it’s great for

  • Botanical painting and fine detail

  • Illustration, ink + wash, line-and-wash

  • Portraits where you want smooth skin transitions

  • Calligraphy/hand lettering over watercolour

What’s it less ideal for?

  • Big loose granulating washes (they can look flatter)

  • Very wet, heavy scrubbing (depends on sizing/brand)

What brands and how much?

3) Rough: texture that paints for you

Rough paper has a pronounced tooth. Pigment settles into valleys, highlights catch on peaks, and granulation looks incredible. It can make a painting feel more “painterly” fast.

What it’s great for

  • Dramatic skies and clouds

  • Seascapes, waves, spray, snow, rocks

  • Loose landscapes and expressive work

  • Granulating pigments (they really show off)

What’s it less ideal for

  • Tight architectural linework

  • Tiny controlled edges (the texture can “wiggle” your line)

What brands and how much?

Quick subject-to-paper cheat sheet

  • Botanicals / fine detail/ink & wash → Hot Press
  • Everyday tutorials / versatile “one paper” choice → Cold Press (NOT)
  • Landscapes/ skies / seascapes / texture-rich scenes → Rough
  • Urban sketching with pen → Hot Press or smoother Cold Press
  • Lifting and correcting → Often best on well-sized rough/heavy papers.

Brand comparison: Arches vs Fabriano vs Baohong vs Bockingford

Below is the “feel” of each brand, and who it tends to suit. (Paper choice is personal—but the differences are real.)

Arches (Aquarelle)

Arches is a benchmark paper for professional artists and the heavier papers are more on the expensive side, but you get what you pay for: 100% cotton and known for gelatin sizing “to the core”, which helps with luminosity, layering, and lifting/corrections.

The paper below is what I have used for all my commissioned pieces for over 40 years.

Best for

  • Artists who glaze a lot

  • Wet-in-wet plus sharp edges (it can do both)

  • People who lift, rework, or use masking fluid frequently

Paper/subject pairing

  • Cold Press: the classic all-rounder for landscapes, portraits, tutorials

  • Hot Press: crisp illustration + botanical detail

  • Rough: expressive skies, rocks, surf

Fabriano Artistico

Fabriano Artistico is also 100% cotton and mould-made, and it’s known for being sized both internally and externally, which supports strong wet techniques and durability. Note the lighter weights, 140lb for example, will need to be taped down as multiple washes will warp the paper.

Best for

  • Artists who want a premium cotton paper with excellent handling at a good price

  • Controlled washes and glazing

  • People who like a slightly different “feel” than Arches (many love it)

Paper/subject pairing

  • Hot Press: detailed work, smooth gradients, cleaner edges

  • Cold Press (NOT): general painting, balanced texture

  • Rough: lively granulation and broken colour

Baohong (Academy / Masters / Professional ranges)

Baohong has become popular because it offers 100% cotton options at a more accessible price point, with ranges available in HP, Cold Press, and Rough. 

Best for

  • Practice paper that still behaves like cotton

  • Students levelling up from cellulose pads

  • High-volume painters (studies, thumbnails, repeat tutorials)

Paper/subject pairing

  • Cold Press: the best value all-rounder

  • Hot Press: line & wash, smooth illustration

  • Rough: expressive texture and granulation

Bockingford (St Cuthberts Mill)

Bockingford is a classic UK favourite: it’s mould-made, acid-free/archival, and made from woodfree (cellulose) pulp rather than cotton—yet it’s widely loved because it’s forgiving and known for good lifting.

Best for

  • Beginners and pros who want a forgiving surface

  • Painters who lift a lot or like to correct

  • Sketching + watercolour, studies, everyday painting

Paper/subject pairing

  • NOT (Cold Press): general painting, tutorials, landscapes

  • Hot Press: cleaner linework and smoother effects

  • Extra Rough: texture-heavy landscapes/skies

I hope this blog post has helped give you a greater understanding of these watercolour paper types and brands. If you would like to see demonstrations and tutorials using these papers, please follow along on our Facebook page - Let's Paint Watercolors

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