Arches Natural White Watercolor Pads

Arches Watercolor Pads are made from the same great Arches Natural White, 140 lb. Watercolor Paper that has been prized by artists since the founding ofﾠArches in 1492. This legendary paper is still made with natural cotton fibers, carefully selected for their absorbency and durability. Arches paper is mould-made on a cylinder-mould machine which ensures that fibers are not closely aligned but are randomly oriented and densely interwoven in all directions. This adds considerable strength to the paper and produces a natural,ﾠattractively textured surface with the look and feel of a vintage handmade paper.

Each sheet is acid-free, pH-neutral, gelatin-sized to the core, and air-dried. It’s strong enough to withstand many washes of color, masking fluid, scrubbing, and artist’s tape. Available in 12 sheet, top-taped pads.

Cold Press – The cold press finish has a light texture and is the most common watercolor paper finish. It reflects light well, retaining the transparent quality of watercolors. A light tooth makes it easier to achieve certain details. Not just for watercolors, Arches Cold Press is also recommended for gouache, acrylic, dry drawing media, and airbrush.

Hot Press – The hot press finish is often used for portraits and illustration because the smoothness allows for fine details. With a minimal vellum texture, the character of the paper fades and digital scanning is easy. Not just for watercolors, Arches Hot Press is also recommended for gouache, acrylic, graphite, colored pencil, pen and ink, and technical pens.

Rough – The rough finish has an effect close to that of handmade paper and encourages a loose style. This rough tooth paper helps to achieve effects of texture and showcases granulating watercolors well. Not just for watercolors, Arches Roughﾠis also recommended for gouache, acrylic, charcoal, andﾠpastel.