Reddit reviews Bee Paper 100% Rag 140# Cold Press Watercolor Paper Pack, 6-Inch by 9-Inch, 50 Sheets per Pack (1153P50-609)
We found 3 Reddit comments about Bee Paper 100% Rag 140# Cold Press Watercolor Paper Pack, 6-Inch by 9-Inch, 50 Sheets per Pack (1153P50-609). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
AquabeeCold press140-Pound paper100-Percent cotton sheetWatercolor paper
https://www.amazon.com/Bee-Paper-Watercolor-6-Inch-9-Inch/dp/B0044SAXKQ this is what I use when I'm practicing or when I'm making small paintings.
> I think it's for acrylic paint
I figured as much from the way the paint is sitting on it; it's most likely pre-primed for acrylic paint, which means it's got a coating of acrylic on it already. That's going to cause your watercolor to sit on top of it instead of soaking in like it's supposed to. Any watercolor paper is going to be better to practice on than that. The surface isn't as important if you're practicing with opaque paints as it is when you're using watercolor.
You don't have to start with super-expensive heavy weight paper; 90 lb paper isn't great but will do for small studies if you've got no other choice. 140 lb is a better choice; it's heavy enough to stand up to lots of water but not so heavy as to be prohibitively expensive.
A pack of 50 sheets of pretty decent watercolor paper can be had for under $15. I've got that exact paper that I use for some of my gouache paintings and for the price it's very decent stuff. Arteza does a watercolor sketchbook with 90 sheets for only a couple of dollars more; I've not used that one but the materials of theirs I have used have all been solid entry-level stuff. Both of those are 140 lb paper and will give you plenty of paper to get some good practice in.
Assuming you're from the US, here are a few recs from Amazon. But also check out other art supply sellers as they often have sales that beat Amazon prices (Cheap Joes, Dick Blick's, Jerry's Artorama, Art Supply Warehouse).
Bee Paper is a good, affordable alternative to the expensive (but fantastic) Arches. Whatever paper you get, it should be cotton (not wood pulp) or "rag", 140 pound, and cold pressed.
Robert Simmons makes some great synthetic brushes, but Amazon doesn't sell sets really. Princeton Neptunes are pretty good, and are on Amazon. Good brushes for a starter kit are a #8 and 12 round, 1" flat wash and maybe a #4 for detail work.
A lot of people here like the Koi Travel Set but I don't do plein art, and like tube paint, so I haven't tried it yet.
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