Painting with Watercolours - Why Watercolour Paper Matters More Than You Think

If you've ever tried watercolour on standard paper you’ll know the frustration; paint pooling in strange places, colours drying flat, and pages buckling before you’ve even finished your first wash. It’s easy to blame your technique, but more often than not, it’s the paper. Watercolour isn’t just about paint and brushes - the surface you work on plays a huge role in how everything behaves. And once you experience the difference, it’s hard to go back.

What makes watercolour paper so different?

Watercolour paper is designed to handle water, and lots of it! Unlike standard sketch paper, it’s thicker, more absorbent, and built with a surface that interacts with pigment. In fact, you’ll often see weights like 300gsm. This means the paper is sturdy enough to take on washes without immediately warping.

Paper texture also plays a part:

• Hot pressed watercolour paper has a smooth and controlled surface.
• Cold press paper has a gentle texture and is the most versatile.
• Rough paper is more painterly, expressive and unpredictable.

The paper that you paint on is a surface that actively shapes your painting.

How watercolour paper is made

High quality watercolour paper is all about structure. Fibres, often cotton or high grade pulp, are suspended in water and formed into sheets. This creates a strong and flexible surface. Next comes sizing, which controls how water and pigment sit on the page. Too little sizing, and everything soaks in and looks dull. Too much, and paint won’t move properly. The correct pulp sizing allows you get those soft blends, vibrant colours, and controlled washes that watercolour is known for.

Why is this so important?

High quality watercolour papers matter. Why? Well the surface that you create on, is the base to your next masterpiece. Therefore, a low quality base layer will show through your work. It also means that your watercolour paints stay bright, wash and flow easier. High quality paper also allows for more effective wet on dry layering without breaking down. In a way, good paper does half the work for you. It gives you room to experiment without fighting the materials.

The Splashy Gecko Watercolour Sketchbook

This is exactly why we created the Artgecko Splashy Gecko Watercolour Sketchbook. It's for artists who want to explore wet media without compromise. With 300gsm premium white cartridge paper, it’s built to handle watercolour, gouache, and even single layer acrylic with confidence. The natural tooth of the paper gives pigments something to grip onto, helping colours stay bold and expressive rather than flat or patchy.

We also wanted to make sure that the sketchbook can be used effectively too. This paper is perfect for wet media - from loose watercolour washes to alcohol marker blends (with minimal fuss, though some seep through can happen). The books have a twin wire binding so it lies completely flat, meaning there are no awkward angles while painting. The covers have a durable, soft touch hardback that protect your work (and clean up easily). The sketchbooks are also FSC® certified, acid free paper, sustainably made in the UK as well!

There is one last detail that is worth knowing about regarding these books. The iconic green textured sheet cover sheet! It’s not just there to look good, you can slip it between pages while working, protecting your artwork when layering or using wetter techniques.

We’ve also expanded the range with new A5 and A2 landscape formats, giving you even more freedom in how you work, whether you’re painting on the go or creating wider, more expressive compositions!

Prefer a different format?

If you love the idea but want something more flexible, the Artgecko PRO Watercolour Pads offer the same reliability in a padded format. These are available in A4, A3, Sketch Tile, and A6 Postcard sizes, with glue binding making the pages easy to remove.

And like all Artgecko sketchbooks, Splashy is part of a wider family, each with their own unique, chirpy features. These are all designed to suit different creative styles.