Watercolor paper for portraits

I have been a professional oil/acrylic painter for 2years. Now that I am pregnant I want to switch temporarily to watercolors. What paper would you suggest for portraits done in watercolor?

Hi,
I am a portrait artist that works primarily in pastel, but I do occasionally work in watercolor and I have personally found the smooth surface of the hotpressed arches aquarelle papers (the heavier, the better) to be the most appealing if you prefer to add alot of fine details to your portraits and like bold, brilliant colors.

If alot of texture and less detail is what you desire, try the coldpressed. Your paint will soak into the paper more and give it a softer look. Good luck!

[Margaret Suddeth]

I paint ALL my portraits in watercolor using Arches 140 pound cold-pressed paper. I soak and stretch the paper prior to painting so that I have an absolutely flat surface. Since every artist has their own preferences I suggest that you get a few sample packets of different watercolor paper and experiment. Cheap Joes offers some of these packets. Good luck and happy painting!

In my experience Rag paper, the kind used for printmaking is the best. You can find it with printmaking supplies or paper companies.

Yoyita

[Karin Wells]

I always liked Arches cold pressed paper. I used 140lb and the 300lb.

Since you have a "little person" to protect, please don't assume that all watercolor is "safe." Be sure to check the small print on the tubes for toxic content. Keep your hands out of your paint and brushes out of your mouth.