XL Series Watercolor Pad, Heavyweight White Paper, Side Wire Binding, 30 Sheets, 9x12 inch

As someone who spends a lot of time experimenting with different materials and techniques for both personal projects and professional exploration, I’ve used a lot of watercolor papers over the years, and Canson XL Watercolor Paper (7x10 inches, 140 lb) is a solid choice that consistently delivers. If you’re looking for a reliable option for quick sketches or trying out some watercolor work, this paper checks all the boxes. It’s the perfect size—compact and portable, making it ideal for moving between spaces, whether you’re in a studio, on-site, or just out in the field. The 7x10 inch format is just right: not too big, not too small, and easy to store without taking up too much space. For the price, it’s surprisingly good quality. The texture is fine and subtle—not as pronounced as higher-end cold-pressed papers, but it’s more than adequate for ink, watercolor, and mixed media. It holds up well with light washes, though if you overwork it with too much water, it will start to buckle. But overall, it’s a great option for those who need something that’s dependable and won’t break the bank. Whether you’re layering ink or experimenting with color washes, it provides a solid surface that performs without fuss. It’s definitely one of those papers that, once you try it, you find yourself coming back to. If you want a versatile, affordable paper that you can rely on for both quick studies and more finished pieces, this is a great choice.

Canson paper has become my go-to brand for watercolor. I am learning and want an affordable yet quality product and this seems to work great. It holds water/paint well. Very pleased with this product.

I love this watercolor paper notebook. It is the perfect size to travel with. The texture and ease of use makes for very pretty pictures. Paint and markers do not bleed through the pages. The durability of the whole notebook is outstanding!! I definitely would recommend to anyone.

Exactly what I expected

It’s. Affordable and the quality. Is as good as other name brand

This is one of the most common brands of budget watercolor paper, and it’s easy to see why. It’s pulp paper rather than cotton, but for the price and availability it does a good job. The sizing is consistent across the sheets I’ve used, so there aren’t distracting patches or spots where the paint reacts unpredictably. It’s not the same as working on a cotton sheet, but it performs reliably for what I use it for and is more than fine for practice, studies, and comic work. I’ve use this mainly for ink wash comic pages, and it’s held up pretty much as expected. Even though it’s cold press paper, it’s almost like hot press, smooth enough to comfortably draw on with pencil or pen before applying washes. That makes it a good and cheaper alternative to bristol if you want to combine line art with washes while keeping the tooth of watercolor paper. The surface doesn’t fight your tools, so sketching, inking, and then washing over the lines is very workable. If you trim an inch from the 11-inch side, you get an 10×15 sheet, which lines up with standard American comic work area dimensions on an 11x17 sheet. That makes it easy to integrate into comic workflows without too much extra adjustments, and it saves time when prepping pages for scanning or print. You can go right out to the edge and make borders in post (the digital process). The weight can handle moderate water applications without immediately breaking down, but it will start to peel with heavier washes, but once dry it usually settles enough to keep working. For ink wash especially, it’s reliable and has the right feel under the brush. The paper takes general layering and lifting decently, though like all pulp papers it has limits if you push it too hard. It’s not premium stock, but it’s dependable, versatile, and easy to find. For people working on comics, ink wash, or just everyday watercolor practice, it’s a good pad to have on hand. —Nathyn Brendan Masters Night Phoenix Press

If you're planning, as I was, to make a watercolor sketchbook with this, it's grain short, with the grain running parallel to the 11 inch side. Even so, and even with the glue being on the short edge, this falls apart quite easily, a plus for me because that means no tearing. A minus if you intend to keep the book intact. If you want the best paper out there, go with Arches. If you plan to do the curriculum with Watercolor College, Chris Lyonn, the instructor, has stated if you're in the US, just go get that. I tried this on a lark, and he's not wrong. It can't do the things Arches can, for the techniques in that class. That said, if you're painting with Sarah Cray over at Let's Make Art, this is the exact paper she uses, or at least used to until they released their home brand, and it works perfectly for everything she teaches. The difference? While both embrace the spontaneous nature of watercolor, especially in things like clouds and trees, Chris avoids blooms and the rough, unblended edges they create. Sarah embraces blooms and the visual interest they provide. This paper makes it easier to get, harder to avoid, blooms. Chris works with natural pigment tube and pan based paints from brands like Winsor and Newton and Daniel Smith, favoring the lightfast properties and colors more suited to realistic paintings. Sarah favors dye-based liquid watercolors from brands like Dr. Ph Martins for their brighter colors better suited to illustrative painting. This works better with those dye-based paints, not as well with the tube and pan. So it's either perfect or meh, depending on your intention. Additionally, this is popular with the urban sketch crowd because it is a stable, strong paper that can put up with a lot of reworking the under drawing without damage to the paper fibers. If that's what you are looking for, then this is a great choice. That's my planned use for it, once it's in a sketchbook form. That property of ease of reworking makes it ideal for beginners.

Great sketchbook for watercolor painting

This was the very first watercolour journal/paper I ever bought. If you're first starting out in watercolour, I think this is a pretty decent and forgiving journal to buy before you commit to other more expensive brands. As a beginner, it allowed me to practice techniques, tutorials and experiment freely at a fairly affordable price point. However, the textures between the front and back of each sheet seem to be different. The front side of each page is more textured while the back side feels smoother to the touch and is less absorbent, imo. I did not notice the difference until I started using the back pages and consistently disliked the way the paint looked.

Good size paper to work on. Good quality paper which gives pleasing results. Spiral binding makes it easy to use.

Bom

Très déçu j'ai pas reçu ce que j'ai demander. En plus ce papier n'a aucune utilité pour moi. Faut je me déplace et que je paye pour me faire rembourser. Je n'ai jamais été autant déçu par une commande.

good quality paper and good value