The 10 Best 9x12 Watercolor Pads (2023 reviews)

We consider a 9x12 watercolor pad to be a worthy investment in the long run. We are here to help you choose the right one for your needs from all the best available products in market today.

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Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Buy: Arches 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For Watercolour Painting: Buy: Arteza 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For Professional: Buy: us Art supply 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For Media: Buy: Amazon basics 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For applying The finest Watercolor paints: Buy: Speedball 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For Water coloring: Buy: Canson 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For Both Watercolor: Buy: Canson North America 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For Cyanotype: Buy: Hahnemuhle 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For Acrylic: Buy: Better office products 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best For beginner: Buy: Strathmore 9x12 Watercolor Pad READ REVIEW

Best Overall: Arches 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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The latest arches 9x12 watercolor pad is an absolute beast in terms of its features, and rightfully takes the top spot with ease. It is made from 100% natural cotton fiber with no optical brightening agents, the arches paper has an archival, natural white color and an exquisite texture unlike other papers on the market. It is thick and rigid, 140 lb (300 gsm), and is acid-free. It lends itself better for media that don't require a rougher texture. The texture is rough, and it is excellent for amature to professional artists alike.

It is cotton fiber so it makes painting on it much more successful. The Tape comes off easily without ripping and masking fluid also comes off easily without pulling at the paper. The watercolor moves better on the paper and the colors are brighter. It is available in several formats and sizes including blocks, pads, sheets and rolls, and 3 luxurious textures. It is perfect for rugged landscapes and any project where added texture is desired.

• Very thick and absorbent paper for a beginner artist, good quality
• Perfect amount of texture for amazing detail with nice thick quality
• Rough surface is great for landscapes

Best For Watercolour Painting: Arteza 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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Not everyone likes to purchase pad for their daily purpose, but the arteza 9x12 watercolor pad would be an anomoly. A two-pack will satisfy many hours of sketching or fine finishing your artistic visions. It has performed as well as higher priced watercolor papers. It allows more control over paint placement. The paint (Shinhan tubes) goes down nicely and dries nicely. It's smooth tooth and the color just glides across the paper.

This is a very good quality paper. It is easy to make lots of smaller sheets from one sheet. These are great drawing books.

• Good quality & handy for small watercolor projects
• Inexpensive, but really nice thick paper
• Lot of satisfied buyers

Best For Professional: us Art supply 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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Next on the list, we've got yet another pad that manages to win our hearts. It's the us art supply 9x12 watercolor pad and it's widely considered as pad that has the most suitable features. Sturdy and durable watercolor art books are ideal for taking and using while traveling, as your artwork will stay clean and protected. These watercolor books are used by professional artists and the young aspiring artist. The books contain thick heavyweight 110 pound (230 gsm) art sketchbook natural white paper sheets that are acid-free with a cold-press textured surface. It works well, absorbs water well and colors are vibrant. The linen-bound hardcovers can withstand daily use, and the elastic bands keep them closed, so your artwork sheets are protected from the elements like dirt, water, bending, and tearing.

The elastic comes handy to hold the page in place while painting and also when the sketch book closed. They absorb water well, are excellent for blending, and leave clean lines with no bleed-through. These are easy to travel with.

• Binding and built can be improved
• Perfect travel size as well and just amazing quality in general
• Good brand reputation

Best For Media: Amazon basics 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention amazon basics 9x12 watercolor pad for daily usage. This quality watercolor paper is ideal for amateurs, professionals, and students, with a surface that works beautifully with a variety of mediums. Though they share these qualities, the papers are quite different in texture. It is good as the paper you get at an art store chain.

This is a great drawing pad with really nice-quality paper that does not bleed almost at all. The sheets in the pad aren't stuck together so you don't have to cut them out.

• Great quality for both water color and acrylic
• Press textural surface that tolerates repeated washes and reworking
• 140 lb thickness has a nice weight to handle the absorption of ink
• Awesome for saving toddler art work

Best For applying The finest Watercolor paints: Speedball 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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The speedball 9x12 watercolor pad should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. Watercolor artists love these watercolor paper block pads that are bound on 2 sides for easy removal of one sheet at a time. It is the finest quality watercolor paper that conforms to ISO 9607 standards of permanence, 100% cotton rag and gelatin-sized. It is quite thick (think triple posterboard) and can take multiple washes.

There are 10 pieces of watercolor paper in this package. It is perfect for applying the finest watercolor paints. It comes in all sizes and it is fun to use.

• Does not warp with repeated layers of paint, gesso, matte medium
• Cotton archival quality paper that is perfect for applying the finest watercolor paints
• Good investment for long term

Best For Water coloring: Canson 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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Compared with other pad in this category, the canson 9x12 watercolor pad has a convenient design. This watercolor paper pad does not contain acid, lignin or chlorine. It features heavyweight sheets that are ideal for beginning and intermediate watercolor artists. It is tested by professors and educators and designed for students. It features an innovative and durable fold-over cover that keeps the paper intact after repeated openings.

These pads contain 30 sheets of 140 lb /300 gram acid free paper. The texture is also smooth enough to use ink pens to add additional detail, but other brands are too rough and tend to disrupt the fluidity of your line work. It is a nice paper, not as bright as 100% cotton. It is reasonably priced and holds up well to water and wet techniques.

• Good value for a mid range artist
• Blooms easily but also blends easily
• Great paper for beginners and intermediary water colorists

Best For Both Watercolor: Canson North America 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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The canson north america 9x12 watercolor pad is suitable and reliable and fits well with your daily usage. This heavy weight paper is great for both watercolor and mixed media. It is constructed of a cold press textured paper for a variety of techniques. It is convenient to take with you wherever you go. It is ideal for watercolor and suitable for use with pencil, colored pencil, pen, ink, charcoal, pastel, and acrylic.

It is for 2 full pads of 30 sheets each for 60 total sheets. It is nice and thick and white. The paper is nice and thick and white. It is great for both watercolor and mixed media. This is definitely a wonderful wired bound watercolor pad of 140 lb paper, perfect for traveling, Plein Air painting and easy for beginners to use.

• Heavy weight paper with side spiral binding
• Cold pressed paper with a fine texture side & a smooth side
• One of the new comers and featured product

Best For Cyanotype: Hahnemuhle 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate pad. The hahnemuhle 9x12 watercolor pad is exactly that - it's a simple pad that hits all the right notes. This paper takes watercolor really well. It handles wet on wet, dry brush, and other techniques without a hitch. It offers extremely strong fibers and incomparable purity. It allows pick-up with out damaging the paper, holds water well in wet washes. It has a nice tooth that is not too much and not too little.

The Collection cold press is a bit finer “grain” and a bit more random than Arches. It is vegan, resistant to aging, and acid-free.

• Great paper quality, absorb water well, no problem with masking tape and liquid
• Nice 100% cotton watercolor paper, well-priced
• Lot of satisfied buyers

Best For Acrylic: Better office products 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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Compared with other pad in this category, the better office products 9x12 watercolor pad has a convenient design. It is perfect for watercolor, watercolor pencils, gaouche, tempera, acrylic markers and other media which require a thicker paper that won't fade or bleed.

• Optimal paper weight of 140 lb/300gsm to hold up to wet media
• Cold press texture and acid-free to maintain your artwork's vibrancy over time
• New and hot release

Best For beginner: Strathmore 9x12 Watercolor Pad

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Strathmore makes beautiful and great pad with classic and smartly choosen materials. It is perfect for beginners and artists who need to practice brushstrokes. It holds up to multiple washes before shedding. It offers great customer service additionally has great texture and really holds the watercolors well. It makes it very easy to look through for your work. There is a bit of warping still but not nearly as much as the lower series.

• Delivers what they promise
• Good investment for long term