Watercolour Paper

Bring Your Watercolour Masterpieces to Life With Our High Quality Watercolour Paper

While acrylic paint can be applied to a wide range of surfaces, watercolour paints work best with specially crafted watercolour paper. This paper is porous, strong and can easily hold large amounts of paint and water without tearing, buckling or fading over time.

Riot Art & Craft have a wonderful range of quality watercolour paper and art supplies by the best brands in the business, including Eraldo Di Paulo and The Paper Mill. Shop our watercolour pads, sheets and rolls in various sizes, types and textures to create any kind of watercolour project you have in mind. Durable, highly absorbent and acid free - they work like a dream with our range of watercolour paints by Jane Davenport, Mungyo, Eraldo Di Paolo and more, as well as watercolour pencils, markers and other mediums.

Pick up one for your next masterpiece or give a gift card to a special someone in your life. We've also got everything else you need to complete your watercolour work, including easels, paintbrushes and paint sets with all of the essentials included.
Check out our special offers today, add your items to the shopping cart and checkout easily with free postage Australia-wide over $99!

A Guide to Watercolor Paper Surfaces

Watercolour paper comes in three different types of textures and the one you choose will depend on what you want the final piece to look and feel like, as well as your individual style. These textures include:
1. Hot pressed - this is the smoothest grain watercolour paper and is best for artists who like detailed and finely rendered watercolour projects, such as illustrators.
2. Cold pressed - this is a medium textured paper that's great for beginners as it lends itself to a wide variety of different techniques and applications.
3. Rough - this is the most textured paper available. It has deep grooves in the surface for the paint to settle into and create unique patterns and a speckled effect.

Choosing the Right Watercolour Paper

When using watercolour paints, regular drawing paper just won't cut it! You need a strong paper that can withstand the amount of water and paint being applied to it. To pick the right one for you, consider your overall project goals.

If you plan on using fine detail and clean lines, a hot pressed paper will be best as it has a smooth surface for more control. You can also experiment with printmaking paper. If you need more texture, choose rough or cold pressed.

Our mixed media watercolour pads by Art Studio and Eraldo Di Paolo are perfect for using with all types of mediums. Combine paint with gouache, pastels, crayons and more. If dabbling with alcohol inks, yupo paper is also a great option.

Adding Texture to Paintings

Aside from using a rough watercolour paper, you can add extra texture to your work with a variety of products. Use modelling paste, such as our ones by Holcroft, to give definition and depth to your works by adding waves and peaks. You can also apply gesso with a palette knife to similar effect. Don't forget to apply a varnish to your finished masterpiece to protect and preserve it!

Cotton Water Colour Paper

Typically, watercolour paper comes in cotton or cellulose. While cellulose is weaker and considered student quality, cotton watercolour paper is more durable, holds more water and pigment and is used by many professional artists.

We sell paper sheets made of quality cotton fibre that can handle any technique, from heavy washes to light detail. They're also acid free so your paintings won't yellow over time and colours will stay bright and beautiful!

Textured Paper for Watercolour Paintings

Rough watercolour paper is the way to go if you're looking for a loose style of watercolour painting with loads of visual interest! It has the most tooth out of any paper which means that paint will pool into the dents and create an amazing granular look. For a mixed media project, pastel paper is also highly textured and can be used with watercolours and pastels.

Watercolour Paper Pad

We've got an excellent range of high-quality watercolour paper pads by leading brands that are perfect for use with watercolour paints and watercolour blocks. Discover 100% cotton and acid free paper that enables paint to glide freely and colours to show up brilliantly.

Try our cold pressed Eraldo Di Paolo pads with a medium tooth for capturing both vivid washes and intricate detail or go for a rough paper if you want to create more visual and textural interest. For mixed media enthusiasts, The Paper Mill Sketch & Wash will hold paint, pens and pencils, while the calligraphy pad is ultra-smooth and is great with calligraphy pens as well as fluid alcohol inks.

Does Paper GSM Matter?

Paper GSM stands for Grams per Square Metre and refers to the weight of each sheet of paper. It's important to know as it determines how thick the paper is and how much water and paint it can hold before breaking or buckling. Watercolour paper weight ranges from 190gsm up to 638gsm. A range between 200gsm and 300gsm is typically best for most watercolour projects as it's durable and can hold a decent amount of water and paint.

If you prefer working with less water, a lighter weight would be suitable. Browse our different watercolour pads with various weights for any type of project, from 190gsm for mixed media to 225gsm and 300gsm for heavier works.

Watercolour Paper Size Range

We've got various paper pad sizes to accommodate any project need, from small to large. Shop our A2 and A3 field pads by Eraldo Di Paolo to experiment with your style and create incredible landscape paintings or start small and detailed with our A5 and A4 pads.

FAQs About Watercolour Paper

What Paper is Good For Watercolour?

While acrylic painting is suitable for many surfaces, including canvas and paper, watercolour paints are best suited to watercolour paper. You can choose from three different types of watercolour paper available at Riot Art & Craft:
1. Hot pressed paper for a smooth, grain-free finish
2. Cold pressed paper for a slightly textured finish
3. Rough paper for a highly textured finish with loads of character

Why is Watercolour Paper So Expensive?

The best watercolour paper is made from quality materials with a lengthy manufacturing process. However, it doesn't need to be expensive! Our special offers help you pick up a high-quality watercolour pad at the most affordable prices, as well as paintbrushes, watercolour paints, easels, varnishes and more. We've got products by:
1. Art Spectrum
2. Eraldo Di Paolo
3. The Paper Mill
4. Art Studio
5. Artist's First Choice

What is The Best Watercolour Paper For Beginners?

Our 300gsm Mix Pad by Eraldo Di Paolo is a great choice for beginners. It's durable enough to handle heavy washes without tearing or warping, plus it comes with 5 sheets each of hot pressed, cold pressed and rough paper for you to experiment with and discover your individual style and preference!

Do You Have to Wet Watercolour Paper Before Painting?

It depends. If you want sharp lines and vivid colours, you could apply wet paint onto dry watercolour paper. However, if you're after soft edges and blurred lines, wet the paper first with a paintbrush to make the paint bleed and to create a pale, dreamy effect.