I use the Baohung artist's grade because of the price and it's 100 percent cotton. I find the cold pressed has a texture a bit closer to rough but aside from that it's price compared to Arches is what sold me. I love Arches but I can't justify spending that much on paper anymore. I have learnt alot about papers on my quest for a more reasonable priced one.
What a gorgeous face in watercolor. You make it look so easy. If you to hand me soft pastels, I could create the pastel rendition of this (or almost anything), but it's as though I have a barrier in my brain when it comes to watercolor and I can't get beyond these processing impediments blocking me from excelling at watercolor. I love it so much.
I was the same with OPs and soft pastels, so I tried more mindful art and slowly added in some basic watercolour and am now practicing daily. Portraits are usually my preference so I’ve stayed away from those purposely to avoid comparisons. HTH it is a lovely medium.
Forget the paper. I love the painting. So unique, beautiful colours blend , not following typical rules. Love how you paint eyes, it’s like she is about to burst into tears.Thank you for sharing.❤
nice painting. overal i love this paper myself, it's not the absolute best but it's pretty close, and depending on the time of the year you can get some great deals on it; makes it very reliable for both practicing and full on paintings.
I use Baohong blocks, have done for a couple of years, Academy and masters choice in CP and rough and have no problems. I only use blocks and the Baohong is best value.
Amazing painting, so soft and beautiful! I really love the baohong cold pressed 100% cotton for watercolour, have been using it for a while now! I might have a go with the hot pressed, I know it’s smoother than the cold pressed so am a bit wary of trying it! Thanks for a lovely video
The prices of Baohong here in the Netherlands has increased a lot. It's still a tiny bit cheaper than Arches, but the same price as Winsor & Newton or similar 100% cotton paper. And Baohong is now being sold on our art supply shops too.
The price of Baohong (artist grade) in China is less than a half of Arches. The students grade is much lower. I think you could travel to China and get loads of art supplies for more reasonable prices.
I bought some on Temu just recently. I haven’t tried it yet, but now watching your video I am going to give it try. Thank you for sharing, I love the painting. I signed up for some of your classes and can’t wait to start.
I will use Baohung for swatching, color charting, practice, sketching the first draft or trying a new technique, and following along with online instructors.
Great vid , Gorgeous painting. 😍 I'm not a beginner and I'm no expert lol, I'm still figuring a lot out and your video helped so much . Thank you. 😊 I love my watercolor journey. 🤩
I was looking for a HP review thank you! I will try some and see how it feels, I used to use Artistico or Arches but now starting in a different style and using CP instead. So much to learn!
I think it's a perfect every day paper. I've used all finishes in Academy and Artists and they are both perfectly fine for my purposes. I bought tons of sheets of Academy recently to tear up and use as practice or sketch paper (I love tucking little bits of cotton paper in my EDC sketch kit in case I want to start a painting)
I was honestly very very impressed! Video is of course not sponsored and I paid for this with my own money. So yes, I’d try it. I do tend to use a lot of water though
I was using the clairefontaine hot press extra smooth paper and bought this one and leyton's on a whim. i'll be hard pressed to go back lol. It has just the smidgen more of tooth so it doesn't get that splodgy hot press look but it's still really smooth. my inking pens glide across it. leyton's is also good but i couldn't see myself doing this kind of artwork on it whereas i probably could on the baohong's
Great tute. Loved the painting. Am waiting for my paper to arrive. Can you please tell me what you used for the white you smudged on her face? Wondering if it's acrylic? Thanks.
I am doing a study of portraits on various cotton papers: Arches, Saunders, Baohong, New York Central, Fabriano, Meeden, Legion, Marilo, Winsor Newton, Artbeek, etc. Doing multi-layered portraits is one great way to test paper quality because you do everything, and really push the peeling envelope. So far, here is my order of paper quality (and of course it matters how you are using it): 1) Saunders. 2) Arches 3) Beohong. Those three are all alone up there, and we could argue that order into perpetuity. Beohong Academic seems to be the same quality as their artist, only not as rough, so they are maybe just saying that to promote the more expensive rough texture stuff, which is weird, but fine with me, now that I know to not pay more. Academic, in this case, is NOT student grade, PERIOD. After that, we have Fabriano, Meeden, New York Central occupying the middle tier. Legion is special as a very high-quality paper without hard sizing. It's like painting on a cotton matt, absorbing water and staying damp internally longer, which can lead to unwanted bleeds and peeling, but which also leaves a really soft feel in some cases. Special application paper. Artbeek is great for the super-low price, but a touch under the others in quality. Absolutely perfect for beginners. Winsor Newton and Marilo, one big fat no. As of this writing, a block of 20, 12x16 Beohong is now going for $23.50 at Amazon. That is insane, close to the price of terrible celluloid paper at a touch over $1 per sheet (non-cotton Canson is actually more expensive). Arches is $59 for the same size and quantity in a block. You are getting 2 1/2 sheets of Baohong for the price of one sheet of Arches, sacrificing zero quality.
Goodness! You are a watercolour paper expert! I love it! I think that I have never tried Saunders. And it’s your favourite! Hot pressed or cold pressed? I don’t like papers with too much texture, nor do I like ones with absolutely none at all ( to me Arches and, not as much but still somewhat Fabriano ( hot pressed) are too smooth. Though I still use them because I have them and I also think they are in the Etchr sketchbooks ( Fabriano)). Arches cold pressed is as textured as I will go, after that, it gets too textured for me ( strange though, that there would be such a massive difference in texture within the same brand between their super flat and extra smooth hot pressed and their cold pressed. What must their rough paper be like, I wonder). I had heard what you said about Baohong. Some seem to notice a difference, some don’t. Of course I had to go ahead and buy the professional kind too, but it’s still in its wrapping as I have been too busy to test it, but now I know what to expect and I think I’ll stick to regular Baohong. By the way, the very slight texture in Baohong hot pressed is what I like. For portraits especially, if things get too bumpy, to me it just doesn’t look right. Though things might change as they always do. So that’s not set in stone. Could you please tell me which block of Saunders you are using? I definitely need to get my hands on some now! Thank you so much for such an informative comment! Fiona x
@@drawingsinadrawer All the papers I am studying are common cold press (not rough). Baohong has a texture that is almost spot on with common Arches cold press. Others have different grain appearance (different mats) but are similarly mildly textured surface. Portraits are usually easiest to do on the kind of cold press texture we see on basic cold-press arches. Rough texture allows for lots of neat drybrush effected, but not usually a portrait choice. I have tried a lot of hot press (particularly Fabriano, which also have a really nice soft press that is between cold and hot). My problem with hot press isn't the smoothness, but how the hot roll prohibits much color penetration. That means the color sits on top of the paper. When you go over in the next layer, the painter needs to work quickly and consistently in terms of the number of brush strokes over the same wash. That's because as soon as water hits the paint already dried on the page, that paint emulsifies and mixes with the new layer, which can easily mean pulling paint off in some places and not in others, which is never the point in a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th layer of washes. If you like hot press, but still want to not see the paint that is dry mix in unpredictable ways, I strongly suggest Fabriano soft press paper. Best of both worlds, and not a lot of unwanted lifting.
Fuumuui travel brush set ( they come in a littler leather case). They were sent to me by the company. I think I’m more specific about them on a video on here or Instagram, but they are rather easy to find.
Баохонг - лучшее решение по соотношению цена/качество. Бумага европейского производства, увы, стоит в три-четыре раза дороже, а то и больше на нашем рынке.
I actually cannot paint of this and no longer even try it is so frustrating to try to use. In fairness, I love painting on Arches rough, so obviously it’s me not the paper.
Arches cold pressed is my favourite cold pressed paper. I’ve never tried rough as I find it more suitable for landscapes. Another great brand for hot pressed , instead, is Winsor & Newton 100% cotton. Thanks for watching! I appreciate it x
Cotton doesn’t grow in Europe and WC is a thousands year old Chinese Art. 😉 Also too, China is a Country (in Asia) , Europe is a Continent. So, best to look at the quality of the materials to do a compare & contrast.
No matter how great the materials, if you lack experience you won’t produce quality work. Likewise, even the cheapest and most off-brand materials can be transformed into fabulous works under the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. (Check out Diver S, a korean artist here on youtube for an example of what’s possible with low quality materials.) In my opinion, it’s a good idea to get the cheapest materials possible to burn through, until you get enough experience to justify the expense and make the most of high quality materials. Baohong is a lot cheaper than other brands, while only being a tiny bit weaker in terms of quality. Seems like a great choice while you are training.
No where near the quality nor the performance, of the famous European papers, like Hahnemuhle mould made sheets, or even their Cezanne or Arches brand. Even Fabriano makes better paper than Baohang...
you are absolutely correct. Baohong is the best deal. The price is only half of Arches, but the quality is still good. Love it!
I use the Baohung artist's grade because of the price and it's 100 percent cotton. I find the cold pressed has a texture a bit closer to rough but aside from that it's price compared to Arches is what sold me. I love Arches but I can't justify spending that much on paper anymore. I have learnt alot about papers on my quest for a more reasonable priced one.
True. The only problem with this one is that I can only seem to get it in a postcard size which can be a little limiting at times
What a gorgeous face in watercolor. You make it look so easy. If you to hand me soft pastels, I could create the pastel rendition of this (or almost anything), but it's as though I have a barrier in my brain when it comes to watercolor and I can't get beyond these processing impediments blocking me from excelling at watercolor. I love it so much.
Aw, thank you! The watercolour barrier is something we all run into! Keep pushing!
I was the same with OPs and soft pastels, so I tried more mindful art and slowly added in some basic watercolour and am now practicing daily. Portraits are usually my preference so I’ve stayed away from those purposely to avoid comparisons. HTH it is a lovely medium.
Forget the paper. I love the painting. So unique, beautiful colours blend , not following typical rules. Love how you paint eyes, it’s like she is about to burst into tears.Thank you for sharing.❤
Oh I love that! Forget the paper 🤣
nice painting. overal i love this paper myself, it's not the absolute best but it's pretty close, and depending on the time of the year you can get some great deals on it; makes it very reliable for both practicing and full on paintings.
I use Baohong blocks, have done for a couple of years, Academy and masters choice in CP and rough and have no problems. I only use blocks and the Baohong is best value.
Thanks for this lovely demonstration. I will try it! I know that Thomas Schaller uses it.
Amazing painting, so soft and beautiful! I really love the baohong cold pressed 100% cotton for watercolour, have been using it for a while now! I might have a go with the hot pressed, I know it’s smoother than the cold pressed so am a bit wary of trying it! Thanks for a lovely video
Thank you 😊
The prices of Baohong here in the Netherlands has increased a lot. It's still a tiny bit cheaper than Arches, but the same price as Winsor & Newton or similar 100% cotton paper. And Baohong is now being sold on our art supply shops too.
I think that probably means it’s going to become more expensive in general 😓
The price of Baohong (artist grade) in China is less than a half of Arches. The students grade is much lower. I think you could travel to China and get loads of art supplies for more reasonable prices.
I bought some on Temu just recently. I haven’t tried it yet, but now watching your video I am going to give it try. Thank you for sharing, I love the painting. I signed up for some of your classes and can’t wait to start.
How wonderful! I think you’ll love the paper ❤
I will use Baohung for swatching, color charting, practice, sketching the first draft or trying a new technique, and following along with online instructors.
That’s a pretty good idea 😊
Great vid , Gorgeous painting. 😍 I'm not a beginner and I'm no expert lol, I'm still figuring a lot out and your video helped so much . Thank you. 😊 I love my watercolor journey. 🤩
Oh thank you so much 🌈
I just ordered some. Anxious to try it out
I was looking for a HP review thank you! I will try some and see how it feels, I used to use Artistico or Arches but now starting in a different style and using CP instead. So much to learn!
I think it's a perfect every day paper. I've used all finishes in Academy and Artists and they are both perfectly fine for my purposes. I bought tons of sheets of Academy recently to tear up and use as practice or sketch paper (I love tucking little bits of cotton paper in my EDC sketch kit in case I want to start a painting)
I agree!
lovely review. thank you
@@mollypolly555 thank you 🙏
Thanks for testing the academy version. I was wondering about it
Thank you 🙏
I'm surprised the hot press worked so well because I've tried it in cold press and it dried very quickly. I might try their pro grade.
I was honestly very very impressed! Video is of course not sponsored and I paid for this with my own money. So yes, I’d try it. I do tend to use a lot of water though
I was using the clairefontaine hot press extra smooth paper and bought this one and leyton's on a whim. i'll be hard pressed to go back lol. It has just the smidgen more of tooth so it doesn't get that splodgy hot press look but it's still really smooth. my inking pens glide across it. leyton's is also good but i couldn't see myself doing this kind of artwork on it whereas i probably could on the baohong's
That’s exactly my experience too with Baohong. I’d really love to try a bigger format though!
This paper is very nice. I have loads of Fabriano papers, so I don't get to use it often, but I really love Baohong Academy.
Fabriano is another one I have but I think I’ve only tried it once. I found this Baohong hot pressed really impressive
Another beautiful painting
Thank you 🌈
Great tute. Loved the painting. Am waiting for my paper to arrive. Can you please tell me what you used for the white you smudged on her face? Wondering if it's acrylic? Thanks.
I think it was white acrylic
I am doing a study of portraits on various cotton papers: Arches, Saunders, Baohong, New York Central, Fabriano, Meeden, Legion, Marilo, Winsor Newton, Artbeek, etc. Doing multi-layered portraits is one great way to test paper quality because you do everything, and really push the peeling envelope. So far, here is my order of paper quality (and of course it matters how you are using it): 1) Saunders. 2) Arches 3) Beohong. Those three are all alone up there, and we could argue that order into perpetuity. Beohong Academic seems to be the same quality as their artist, only not as rough, so they are maybe just saying that to promote the more expensive rough texture stuff, which is weird, but fine with me, now that I know to not pay more. Academic, in this case, is NOT student grade, PERIOD. After that, we have Fabriano, Meeden, New York Central occupying the middle tier. Legion is special as a very high-quality paper without hard sizing. It's like painting on a cotton matt, absorbing water and staying damp internally longer, which can lead to unwanted bleeds and peeling, but which also leaves a really soft feel in some cases. Special application paper. Artbeek is great for the super-low price, but a touch under the others in quality. Absolutely perfect for beginners. Winsor Newton and Marilo, one big fat no.
As of this writing, a block of 20, 12x16 Beohong is now going for $23.50 at Amazon. That is insane, close to the price of terrible celluloid paper at a touch over $1 per sheet (non-cotton Canson is actually more expensive). Arches is $59 for the same size and quantity in a block. You are getting 2 1/2 sheets of Baohong for the price of one sheet of Arches, sacrificing zero quality.
Goodness! You are a watercolour paper expert! I love it! I think that I have never tried Saunders. And it’s your favourite! Hot pressed or cold pressed? I don’t like papers with too much texture, nor do I like ones with absolutely none at all ( to me Arches and, not as much but still somewhat Fabriano ( hot pressed) are too smooth. Though I still use them because I have them and I also think they are in the Etchr sketchbooks ( Fabriano)). Arches cold pressed is as textured as I will go, after that, it gets too textured for me ( strange though, that there would be such a massive difference in texture within the same brand between their super flat and extra smooth hot pressed and their cold pressed. What must their rough paper be like, I wonder). I had heard what you said about Baohong. Some seem to notice a difference, some don’t. Of course I had to go ahead and buy the professional kind too, but it’s still in its wrapping as I have been too busy to test it, but now I know what to expect and I think I’ll stick to regular Baohong. By the way, the very slight texture in Baohong hot pressed is what I like. For portraits especially, if things get too bumpy, to me it just doesn’t look right. Though things might change as they always do. So that’s not set in stone.
Could you please tell me which block of Saunders you are using? I definitely need to get my hands on some now!
Thank you so much for such an informative comment!
Fiona x
@@drawingsinadrawer All the papers I am studying are common cold press (not rough). Baohong has a texture that is almost spot on with common Arches cold press. Others have different grain appearance (different mats) but are similarly mildly textured surface. Portraits are usually easiest to do on the kind of cold press texture we see on basic cold-press arches. Rough texture allows for lots of neat drybrush effected, but not usually a portrait choice.
I have tried a lot of hot press (particularly Fabriano, which also have a really nice soft press that is between cold and hot). My problem with hot press isn't the smoothness, but how the hot roll prohibits much color penetration. That means the color sits on top of the paper. When you go over in the next layer, the painter needs to work quickly and consistently in terms of the number of brush strokes over the same wash. That's because as soon as water hits the paint already dried on the page, that paint emulsifies and mixes with the new layer, which can easily mean pulling paint off in some places and not in others, which is never the point in a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th layer of washes.
If you like hot press, but still want to not see the paint that is dry mix in unpredictable ways, I strongly suggest Fabriano soft press paper. Best of both worlds, and not a lot of unwanted lifting.
Beautiful!💕
Thank you ☺️
People are buying it because other 100% cotton paper is outrageously priced. Hopefully this brand wont jump on the greed bandwagon.
That’s also true
lovely!
Thank you 🙏
Love to know what brush did you use btw thank you. 😊0:54
Fuumuui travel brush set ( they come in a littler leather case). They were sent to me by the company. I think I’m more specific about them on a video on here or Instagram, but they are rather easy to find.
Arches is by far the best paper but this is a very good option for a much better price.
Yes, I love Arches too. My next video is on Arches cold pressed
What about other brands like Saunders Waterford or the like? I haven’t got to try them.
Wonderful video and I love your accent!
Thank you ❤️✨
Tried to leave a thumbs up emoji but it won't let me!!! So, I'm giving you one all the way over in Australia, you'll just have to take my word for it!
I will! Thank you 😊
Muy bonito 😍
Gracias!
sizes are not good for framing
Баохонг - лучшее решение по соотношению цена/качество. Бумага европейского производства, увы, стоит в три-четыре раза дороже, а то и больше на нашем рынке.
I actually cannot paint of this and no longer even try it is so frustrating to try to use. In fairness, I love painting on Arches rough, so obviously it’s me not the paper.
Arches cold pressed is my favourite cold pressed paper. I’ve never tried rough as I find it more suitable for landscapes. Another great brand for hot pressed , instead, is Winsor & Newton 100% cotton. Thanks for watching! I appreciate it x
I love bothering the academy and artist's paper
Baohong is not cheap anymore!
Too bad 🥲
Chinese vs. European for a couple dollars more? Arches without a second thought.
Arches is my favourite for cold pressed.
Cotton doesn’t grow in Europe and WC is a thousands year old Chinese Art. 😉
Also too, China is a Country (in Asia) , Europe is a Continent. So, best to look at the quality of the materials to do a compare & contrast.
@@UJB123Good point! And well said 🤗
No matter how great the materials, if you lack experience you won’t produce quality work. Likewise, even the cheapest and most off-brand materials can be transformed into fabulous works under the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. (Check out Diver S, a korean artist here on youtube for an example of what’s possible with low quality materials.)
In my opinion, it’s a good idea to get the cheapest materials possible to burn through, until you get enough experience to justify the expense and make the most of high quality materials. Baohong is a lot cheaper than other brands, while only being a tiny bit weaker in terms of quality. Seems like a great choice while you are training.
Nope but it's the next best thing to Arches.
Too small size
True
No where near the quality nor the performance, of the famous European papers, like Hahnemuhle mould made sheets, or even their Cezanne or Arches brand. Even Fabriano makes better paper than Baohang...
The best watercolor paper is the one use for Islam. Come to Islam n success
I learned a lot from this tutorial!💪💪💪🎯🎯🎯🫵
Thank you ☺️