Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

I absolutely love using Aquarius II for florals. Everything looks so soft and velvety. This would also be beautiful for portraits and animals. If you're looking for texture, this isn't going to do it for you (I use Arches or Waterford cold press or rough for landscapes and abstracts).

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

I make my own collage papers with tissue paper and acrylic paints. Strathmore Aquarius II paper is my go- to substrate. It accepts glue well and dries flat. I give it to my young art students to increase their confidence. It cost a lot more than regular construction paper but, the smooth surfaces are worth every penny.

As a watercolor paper it is more absorbent than Arches. It is fine for student projects or field sketches.

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

the surface does not buckle when wet and the colors are bright and pure on its surface

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

This paper has a light cold-press texture, nice brighter than ivory color and is light enough to make it a very good paper for bookmaking. Does not crack when folded on the grain. For watercolorists this paper dries FLAT, and stays fairly flat while working depending on how much water you use. It's lifts fairly well but not as well as some other heavier paper I have used. A truly excellent paper for the price.

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

I have used Strathmore Imperial 500 140 pound for 30 years. but Purchased this 80 pound paper in error. It's a nice paper it seems for printers or pen and ink but I use a very wet on wet painting style. This did not hold up well and buckled a lot and was difficult with lifting paint. I must confess I did not soak and stretch the paper so who knows? I suspect that this is a good paper that will take water color but not so good for tradition water color paint in general.

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

I run this paper through a black and white copier to make a print of my original pen & ink drawing. Then I watercolor directly onto the copy and keep my original art intact. By making multiple copies, I can experiment with different colors and techniques.

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

I use this for water media and it dries flat. It is thin and tough. Sometimes I use a medium on top because it will absorb paint quickly. I use it in the printer; the only watercolor paper I have discovered that is thin enough for a home printer.

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

The paper is good for art in the field since it is lightweight and doe not buckle

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

An Urban Sketcher's (Marc Holmes)blog showed how to fold this paper in particular, not only for being able to fold it a number of times but also for its qualities as a WC paper, to make a sketchbook that ends up having quite a few pages for smaller WC sketches. It works, nice little, fast sketchbook to stick in a pocket.

Comments about Strathmore Aquarius II Watercolor Paper:

The only watercolor paper that I LOVE! I use Aquarius for washes of watercolor that very translucent and watery, then I continue with detailed brushwork. When wet, this paper becomes quite pliable-however, it is very strong and durable. When this paper has dried again, it lays perfectly flat with no buckling at all!!!!!!! Strathmore has produced a very unique, high quality product with Aquarius, and now I'm wanting to use it for all my work that involves mixed media, such as ink, collage, and Neocolor II crayons that I wet with a brush after application. The only thing I can think of that would be "not so great": my local Blick store does not carry it, and it is only available in 22*30 sheets--no pads.