We all have our favourites and our pet hates, and it is always good to try new papers with a variety of surfaces, thicknesses and variations in the way that each paper is sized. It is not until you try to put paint on a new surface that you can really see how it will react and whether it will suit your temperament and subject matter. I would tend firstly to break paper down into two main groups – handmade and machine-made.
Types of paper
My preference is for handmade paper because there are natural irregularities that make each sheet individual, thus each new sheet creates a dialogue between the artist and their paper. The rag and unspun linen content in handmade watercolour paper is high and they come with varying strengths of size. I love the artisan quality of handmade paper, whether from the UK or abroad. These papers come at a price but in my view are well worth the cost.