Donut Dash- Arteza Expert Cottonrag Watercolor Paper (Patreon)

Donut Dash- Arteza Expert Cottonrag Watercolor Paper

Hey Artnerds! Today we're FINALLY finishing up the Expert part of our Arteza watercolor paper review! This is an honest review- I purchased this Arteza Expert pad out of my own pocket, so all opinions are my own and based on my experiences with watercolor. Like my art? Check out my Instagram: instagram.com/nattosoup Check out my comic, 7" Kara: Webcomic: 7inchkara.com Help support the work I do here on Youtube: Monthly pledges and early access to videos, comics, and classes: patreon.com/nattosoup One time tips and donations towards art supplies to review: ko-fi.com/nattosoup Join The Paintbox, my Art Discord Server: Arteza Premium and Arteza Expert Watercolor Paper Unboxing: Arteza Premium Cellulose Paper, 9"x12", 32 sheets: $13.79 on Amazon: https://amzn.to/37z5qZD Arteza 9"x12" Expert Watercolor Pad, Pack of 2, 64 total sheets: $22.89 on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2wez2hR Premium Paper, Pack of 2, 32 sheets per pack, $21.98 on Arteza Site: https://arteza.com/collections/watercolor-pads Expert Watercolor Pad, 100% cotton, 14 sheets: $16.99 on Arteza Site: https://arteza.com/collections/watercolor-pads Expert Watercolor Pad, Double Sided: $17.98 on Arteza Site: https://arteza.com/collections/watercolor-pads Comparable Papers: Arches Watercolor Paper, Pad bound, 12 sheets: $12.03 on Blick: https://www.dickblick.com/products/arches-watercolor-pads/ Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress, 15 sheets: $16.50 on Blick: https://www.dickblick.com/products/legion-stonehenge-aqua-watercolor-blocks/ Materials: Arteza Expert Cottonrag Watercolor Paper Gatorboard 3M Blue Painter's Tape Large Bulldog Clips Large Binder Clips Cup Clean Water Cotman watercolor mop Daily Driver Watercolor Palette Ceramic Rose Palette Derwent Inktense pencils White Gouache Variety of brushes- Silver Black Velvet Brushes Winsor and Newton Series 7, size 5 Small Synthetic Watercolor Brush Other Arteza Reviews: Other Useful Videos: Daily Driver Watercolor Palette: Stretching Tutorials: How to Paint Comic Pages (tutorials): Shownotes: Stretched ok- comparable to other cotton rags I've reviewed Bluelines washed out ok Seems to handle like Arches 140lb, pad bound paper or Blick Premier removed from the block It's raining and I have the heat on, so paper is drying unevenly and buckling a bit Really saturated the paper painting the donut- paper is still a bit shiny several minutes after application I'm going to step away and give it a chance to dry out Paper is a little warped from water, hopefully it'll smooth out as it dries So far it handles like pad bound Arches 140lb coldpress- I think it costs more too and it's definitely more limited in availability Wet into wet diffuses nicely enough, texture on the paper is good for granulation Stopping for the night Colors seem dark and dull, not enough contrast, not enough clean delineations Purple icing is muddy- bad choice to mix opaque (Holbein lavender) and granulating (M Grahams Ultramarine Deep Violet) and Diox Purple (Qor) Hopefully drying overnight and refinement will help with muddiness So far this paper is ok- unremarkable but not necessarily worth the price Rainy weather may be contributing to muddiness I'll remove clips tomorrow- that will make it easier to work with Next morning: Dried mostly flat, still a bit buckled Masked out sprinkles Rainy again today Masking fluid removed cleanly without damaging surface Originally I bought the double sided, 14 page pack for $25.99 through the Arteza site Now that's available 'on sale' for $17.98 Arteza and Amazon have another 'Expert" listing- 32 pages per pad- this is NOT cotton rag and the listing does not make that clear Arteza's ratings are screwy and not consistent There's: Premium- cellulose paper, tested this Expert, cellulose paper, have not tested this Expert- cotton rag, not tested Expert, cotton rag, double sided- tested this today This is confusing and a bit underhanded- listings and packaging should clearly mention paper contents, this feels underhanded and deceptive, which makes Arteza less trustworthy. Their website prices have improved since last purchase More comparable to their Amazon prices. Verdict: I can't really recommend this product as there are similar, more accessible products on the market (Arches 140lb cold press, pad bound) that are cheaper and perform better. I request that Arteza clarify their listings- artists do care about paper content, paint pigments, binders, whether a brush is foam, fiber, or bristles, ect. I also ask that they reconsider their place in the market as well as their prices. Music: Kevin MacLeod: Bushwick Tarentella Living Voyage Ritual Angevin 70 Clean Soul Dream Culture On the Passing of Time Silver Blue Light #arteza #artezawatercolor #watercolor