Watercolor Paper Block, BAOHONG Academy Grade Watercolor Block, 100% Cotton, Acid-Free, 140LB/300GSM, Cold Press Textured, 20 Sheets per Block (Cold Press 4.9" x7“”)

This is great paper for the price. It does have a bit of texture to it, and is not perfectly smooth. This means there tends to be more absorbency to the paper, which can be important depending on what you are doing with your watercolor. The paper is thick and feels like a good quality. I used gouache watercolor on this paper, and it turned out great with the color accuracy. The paper size is a bit odd for people in the US, and finding a frame for my work is proving to be difficult unless I go custom. The most difficult part is getting the page off once you are finished. The glue is well done on the edges, but it does mean you have to use a sharp xacto knife. You have to be very careful not to cut into the paper while getting the page off.Overall, I am very impressed with this paper compared to more expensive alternatives. I wish there were more sizes to choose from so I can more easily frame my pieces, but that is really the only complain that I have. For what it is, it is GREAT!

Excellent quality, fair price and great customer service. Although I typically use a different (more expensive) watercolor paper, the Baohong brand is becoming a favorite that I will reorder for sure!

This is a good quality cotton paper in block format. I keep ordering it when I run out!

They definitely improved their sheet removal capability. Much better and a good product.

The media could not be loaded. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice this paper is. I’ve tried arches and love it as well, but it’s much more expensive. You definitely need to use a palette knife or the leaf that comes with the paper to remove your finished art from the pad. Don’t attempt to use your fingers. None of my pages have ripped. The paper is very heavy (as thick as canson oil and acrylic paper). I do a lot of layering in my work and appreciate that the paper doesn’t warp on the pad. I’ve used the paper for both watercolor and gouache and both work great. The paper has quite a bit of texture so it holds a lot of water. I haven’t had any trouble getting detailed work on it either. I will say that the texture does lend itself to holding onto pencil sketches a lot though, so either go very lightly with your sketching or use a caran d’ache non photo blue pencil to minimize pencil marks showing. Even with erasing, my pencil marks came to the surface. All in all, I’ve been really impressed by this paper’s performance and highly recommend trying it out.

I've been using this block for a couple months. I have now used 18 of the 20 included sheets. So, I've had sufficient experience with this 5 x 7 Academy block by Baohong. I like to do wet on wet and I like using watercolor blocks. I have tried several, and this is the first that has impressed me. Firstly, it comes with 20 sheets. Secondly, the texture is beautiful under my paintings. Thirdly, this is very much the nicest paper I've worked with.Yes, I use a lot of water. Yes, the paper does buckle a little, but not like others I've worked with. Yes, my work has become more complex and detailed than in the past and I'm always growing as an artist, but still, I think this paper improves the look of my work. A lot, my friend.However, I don't recommend you purchase this block. Why, you might ask? I bought this block to test the brand, and found I strongly prefer it over others I've tried. (Excluding expensive Arches.) Because I like it so much, I've purchased the full roll of Baohong Cold Pressed for a very reasonable price here on Amazon.I would recommend you purchase the roll yourself, but I know that's a big leap. I would suggest you purchase the Baohong Sample Pack to see if you also approve of the quality and then buy the roll if you find the paper to your liking.Additionally, I would like to end by letting you know I'm a legit watercolor supply snob. I prefer top quality. I use Daniel Smith paints and Princeton Aqua Elite brushes. If this sounds like you, you'll probably like this paper. If you're happy with the products you use, don't switch!Stay wet, my friend.

The only thing I don't like about this paper is it's suuuuper thirsty. Takes a ton of water and paint.

Good quality for the price for watercolor painting.