Comments about Acquerello Portofino Watercolor Pads:

I love this paper. I use it for very loose watercolors because it shows everything, underdrawing, drips of water and things run nicely on it. For me it's all about the nature of the materials. Nature happens on this paper. The only reason I gave it a 4 and not a 5 is that I have had one or two pads arrive unevenly sized on one side. I liked it but if I were doing a different type of work it wouldn't have worked for me. The blocks don't hold together as well as other brands but this is still my favorite paper. I use this outside a lot so everything I use gets a lot of rough handling.

Comments about Acquerello Portofino Watercolor Pads:

Good quality for the price

Comments about Acquerello Portofino Watercolor Pads:

I use this with my colored pencils and orderless mineral spirits. It holds up nicely; even with many layers. I love the hot press. I also like the size selections they make. I wish it came in a spiral bound pad also. I would definitely buy this product again.

Comments about Cartiera Magnani Acquerello Portofino Watercolor Blocks:

I love working on a smooth watercolor paper for much of what I paint. I use both this paper and Arches hot press, and when I want the finest surface that allows me to make crisp details emerge I choose the Portofino. In some ways it's like working on bristol, which I also like to do with watercolor. My paintings don't usually rely on traditional washes or settling of pigment; when that's important I switch to a cold press paper. Even though the Blick information says this and other hot press papers are better suited to opaque watercolors, I find that this is a paper that lets me really experiment with glazing of transparent colors. It also lets me lift out color when needed, though I discourage anyone from thinking they can get away with scrubbing the way they can with cold press. When I lift paint I do it gently, because I've yet to find a hot press paper that won't show abrasions when you grind on its surface.

Bottom line: this is one wonderful paper, with a creamy whiteness that I absolutely love without reservation. Highly recommended. I just realized I've never noticed how the price for this paper compares to other hot press papers. All I know is that from the time I first bought it it's been nothing short of fantastic to work with.