The 12 Best vintage Watercolor Papers (2023 reviews)

The look and feel of this papers are consistent with the high quality we're used to from the rest of Strathmore's lineup. It is necessary to have at least a 140 pound density paper to use. This spiral bound pad is easy to flip over or tear out a new page to use. It is thick and sturdy and receives the water colors well. It is great for beginners or smaller projects.

It is a sturdy, well-textured paper, with predictable and even saturation. It is easy to remove, and you can just trim the frills off, rather than risk tearing your paper. It is suitable for experimenting and practicing techniques when heavier washes and reworking are required. This paper is fine for the beginner who has no experience.

Why We Like This:

Great paper, very thick and sturdy
Very thick and heavy so it doesn't crinkle with a lot of water
Excellent paper that responds to water well
Good quality for beginners on water color painting

Best For Watercolour Painting: Funto vintage Watercolor Paper

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We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention funto vintage watercolor paper for daily purpose. Working with young budding artists, this paper is perfect. It is great for regular watercolor painting or for acrylic painting, even for pen or pencil sketching. The cards and envelopes are great for sturdy quality and size. It is good for mixed media, it takes a stamp well and markers, and does not bleed thru.

These cards are high quality and sturdy. It is perfect for quick practice or gifting your art. It holds water and paint well and does not bleed thru.

Why We Like This:

Good value for blank watercolor cards and envelopes
, all funto watercolor paper products are bleach free, acid free, and non-toxic
Warps easily, not sized for watercolor
Great for paint, markers, crayons, colored pencils

Best For recording ideas: Lear Village vintage Watercolor Paper

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Not everyone likes to purchase paper for their daily purpose, but the lear village vintage watercolor paper would be an anomoly. Acid free sheets in these watercolor mix media sketchbook help keep your art work vibrant and long lasting. This 100% cotton watercolor paper has neutra ph to keep your artwork safe for centuries. It is perfect for wet as well as dry medium. It feels handmade and high quality.

The paper is sturdy, but absorbs and holds the color very well. White erasers also lift paper color while erasing sketch marks from 2h or hb pencil. It can be used for dry and wet medium unlike other sketchbook they are suitable for watercolor, oil pastel, pencil color, charcoal, pen and ink drawings. It is packaged in a cellophane bag inside of a smallish box.

Why We Like This:

Holds medium well, watercolor and gouache
Paper is not too thick, and is opaque when held up to the light
Lifting with a paper towel is easy and works well

Best For Artist: Ucreate vintage Watercolor Paper

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We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention ucreate vintage watercolor paper for daily purpose. This pack of paper measures 9 " x 12 ", has a smooth uniform finish on the front and the back, and includes 250 sheets, making it great for large groups or classrooms. It is good for both wet on wet and wet method and direct painting. It does tend to bend up a bit when it is drying. This paper is pretty much like painting on poster board. It is perfect for pre-k and student grade artwork. This paper is okay for a beginner and younger artist.

Why We Like This:

Very economical and great for experimenting
Using with kids, great with multimedia including water color and acrylic paint
Cost effective and great for beginners

Best With Acrylic Paint: Wanderings Nice Paper

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This is nice paper if you like the look and feel of loose sheets that look like torn edges. It is made using traditional practices passed through generations dating back to 14th century india. Like most cotton brands the paint drys evenly on this paper,no blotchiness, just smooth colour. It goes nice and straight when it is dried.

This paper is thick and has beautiful texture. The quality of the paper is amazing. It is pretty good handmade paper, however, it is quite thin. The paper is absorbent and works well with the ink that is in the jane davenport ink brushes.

Why We Like This:

Supports most media including watercolor, acrylic, gouache, ink, gel pen, marker, pencil and charcoal
Beautiful deckle edge and clean white
Lovely, luxurious texture and deckled edges

Best For urban sketching: Paul Rubens vintage Watercolor Paper

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The paul rubens vintage watercolor paper has killer features for the price point. This little sketchbook has surprisingly high-quality paper but is priced very well. It's 140 lb (300 gsm), so it's thick enough that it doesn't significantly buckle when used for watercolor. The paper allows watercolor without buckling or bleeding through to the other side. It has a cover and is a pretty small size that makes it nicely portable.

Each sheet of this watercolor paper features a double sided texture, so it offers you up to 40 pages to use. It is a great way to watch your progress. It is great for painting on both sides, without much buckling if any.

Why We Like This:

Works for both watercolor and small airbrush work
Colors are vibrant and handles anything you toss at it
Nice and thick, double sided, quality 100% cotton paper in a travel sketchbook
Nice paper for light watercolor washes

Best With gouache: Nomadcraftsco Nice Thick Paper

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The nomadcraftsco nice thick paper's high-end materials makes sure that it ages well with use. These papers are made from 100% recycled and acid-free materials, with 150 gsm thick, strong, slick-smooth & durable features. It's very loosely made. The clean and straight cut copies are wonderful post-printing and rolled into scrolls nicely, there is no bleeding on the printed pages, and students love the aesthetic.

The paper is a little thicker than printer paper. It's a beautiful color and texture also thick. It comes in 8x5 inches to add to that it is great for making small leather journals. It is easy to use like gouache or watercolor.

Why We Like This:

Works great for making small leather journals
Lovely antiqued paper with deckeled edge
Good investment for long term

Best For Cyanotype: Lear Village vintage Paper

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This paper is thick and easy to make a gradient effect on the paper. It is white and cream in colour with a good texture. The Handmade paper adds character and individuality to each sheet. It is perfect for wet as well as dry medium.

If you are willing and able to do the sizing yourself, this paper is an excellent value and the deckled edges are beautiful. It’s thick enough to hold the color on the surface, but light enough to dry quickly very pleased with this paper. Love the quality it absorbs gel pen, ink very well and the colors look super vibrant.

You can use watercolor, paint markers, or alcohol ink markers on this paper. The quality is great, it holds water very well and the colors look super vibrant.

Why We Like This:

Watercolors glide over paper just fine
Ph neutral so your work will last for centuries
Gorgeous, but buckles easily, so plan on pressing finished artwork
Beautiful paper, requires sizing for watercolor painting

Best hanmade Paper: Wanderings vintage Watercolor Paper

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These one-of-a-kind handmade paper sheets are a great alternative to traditional watercolor paper or writing paper. The little flowers are adorable and add interesting depths to your subject matter. It prints well on home ink jet printers.

This gorgeous, HAND-MADE deckled edge paper contains REAL flower petals imbedded right into the paper. The weight is light to medium. It has a different flower placement and amount. The flowers are a nice touch and very well done. It's not suitable for dying but it is a TOTALLY AWESOME for journal pages on its own.

Why We Like This:

Gorgeous heavy paper with nice deckle edges
Perfect for crafts, doodling, letters, or invitations
Blank recycled cotton paper that is acid-free, chemical-free and tree-free
To protect workers from unsafe conditions, overwork, discrimination, low pay and forced labour

Best For colored pencil: Nomadcraftsco vintage Watercolor Paper

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If you are into ancient books, pirate treasure maps, and scroll making, these sheets are perfect for you. These blank sheets of excellent quality handmade vintage papers work best with watercolor, ink, colored pencil, marker, or other mediums. These papers are made from 100% recycled and acid-free materials, with 200 gsm thick, strong, slick-smooth & durable features.

These handmade ancient-looking rustic papers are made from environment-friendly raw materials, pressed to make the desired thickness, and sundried.

Why We Like This:

Perfect for water coloring, mixed media art
Makes a creative alternative to the usual plain papers
Guaranteed no bleed-through, even with ball point or gel pens

Best For charcoal: Deckle Papers vintage Watercolor Paper

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This gorgeous, HAND-MADE deckled edge paper (rough-edge) prevents bleed-through and feels amazing. The pages contain natural flecks and a naturally rougher texture. The paper is eco-friendly paper. It is perfect for sketching and drawing and can provide you with the proper tones and tints.

These papers are perfect for calligraphy paper, sketch paper, art, and craft paper, use any pen pencil. The paper accepts every kind of dry colors like pencil colors, crayons, and wax bars. These are soft-textured study sheets that are lightweight and simple to hold.

These papers are best for blending sketches, use a cotton pad to rub over and blend the colours.

Why We Like This:

Blank recycled cotton paper that's acid-free, chemical-free and tree-free
Made deckled edge paper ( rough - edge ) prevents bleed
Environmentally sensitive and watercolor and pen friendly
Fill up these hand-made paper-sheets with your emotions

Best For invitation: AGWANI HANDICRAFT vintage Watercolor Paper

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If you want nothing but the best suitable paper, then agwani handicraft vintage watercolor paper is the one you should definitely consider. These handmade ancient-looking rustic papers are made from recyclable raw materials, pressed to make the desired thickness, and sundried. It is perfect for recording ideas, anecdotes, lessons learned, and daily events of fond memories.

These blank sheets of excellent quality handmade vintage papers work best with watercolor, ink, colored pencil, marker, or other mediums. It is unique, it’s possible to find slight variations in color among papers which make them one of a kind.

These papers are made from 100% recycled and acid-free materials, with 150 gsm thick, strong, slick-smooth & durable features. It is perfect for wet as well as dry medium. Acid free sheets in these watercolor mix media sketchbook help keep your art work vibrant and long lasting.

Why We Like This: