BAOHONGAcademy Grade Watercolor Block, 100% Cotton, Acid-Free, 140LB/300GSM, Cold Press Textured, 20 Sheets per Block (Cold Press 15"x10.2")

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.

I know nothing about watercolor painting, but my wife says this paper is great. It is a little tough to get the first couple of pages out as other reviewers have said. If your careful and use the tool it comes with the paper won't tear. Don't let this discourage you. It is still worth it because of the money you are saving on quality paper. My wife says it is very comparable to arches paper for a fraction of the price.

This is nice paper and, at least when I bought it, was bargain compared to other brands. I have a hard time separating the pages from the block, however. I wait until the painting is completely dry, and I have tried many implements but still manage to make small tears along the edge of the paper. It could be user error, but I think I may try a different brand next time.

Baohong Academy Grade watercolor paper is a quality paper for a relatively inexpensive price. I’m not experienced enough in watercolor to be able to describe one paper’s attributes over another’s, but this paper has performed well for me and is much cheaper than other 100% cotton papers. This paper comes in block form, glued on all 4 sides, and a plastic “leaf” knife is included to help separate the paper from the block after your painting has thoroughly dried. Will purchase this paper again.

I LOVE this paper. I have 3 different sizes and 2 different finishes. HP and CP and both the academy and the professional. I've watched a lot of reviews on YT and most of the people reviewing the paper all love it. I LOVE it and I am going go a step further and say I like it a lot better than Arches (I bought some at michael's just to see what all the hubbub was about I wasn't impressed. And for the price???!!!) I really appreciate the bauhuang paper. The quality, the pricepoint and that I can just click on it here without having to spend $30 in gas just to get to the store where they sell the Arches (on top of paying the outrageous amount for the paper itself). I know a lot of people are going to give me flak about my opinion, but then again, it's just that, this is MY opinion, my story and I'm a stickin to it!

I'm an intermediate level watercolor/mixed media artist and I've tried a lot of watercolor papers- let's see...Arches, Canson, Arteza, Strathmore, Bee paper, Fabriano, Hanamuele, Stillman & Bern, Legion Stonehenge and more I don't recall- both artist and Student grade. Anyway, I saw this paper raved about on You Tube so wanted to give it a try. And...I love it! It does not feel like student grade paper at all. I was going to try their artist grade paper but I'm perfectly happy with the Academy student grade. This paper takes A LOT of abuse, lifts well, colors flow well, colors retain vibrancy when dry, has a lovely texture, and I love the bright off white color. I just ordered my second block in a larger size. This paper also comes with a handy tool to remove paper from block. Some seem to have trouble with this but if you've painted on blocks before it won't be a problem at all; They're all sort of a pain when it comes to removing sheets but the positives outweigh this small annoyance. Get some and enjoy!

Pros for this paper are that you don't have to worry about the paper buckling or bleeding through. Nice and thick paper hold the paint beautifully! The only con I can think of is that it's a bit difficult to separate the pages after you finish. But that a small issue really.

This paper is a very good alternative to the more expensive Arches watercolour paper. You may find if you are a professional artist that Arches works better. As a non-professional I feel this paper is definitely one of the better alternatives for the cost.

First time using this paper with water soluble graphite. Takes many layers, love that it is in a block so I don’t have to tape down to a board. Reasonably priced. I think this paper will now be my go to for watercolor.

Good quality for the price .

As a beginner, I am very happy with this paper. Price is good & it performs well, given my experience. Would buy again.

I love working on this watercolour paper. Great quality!