October 30, 2025

Budget-Friendly 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper Comparison

Paul Rubens, Arteza Expert, Bee Paper, Legion Stonehenge Aqua, Baohong Academy

Take a closer look at the five 100% cotton watercolor papers that I own and see how they compare to each other. All of these papers are less expensive than the coveted Arches $$$$ (unless you can find it on sale!) so they might be a good choice for watercolor beginners to try without having to break the bank.

Here are the five papers we looked at, they are all 100% Cotton 300gsm/140lb

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Paper Texture:

Paul Rubens 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Paul Rubens

Arteza Expert 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Arteza Expert

Bee Paper 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Bee Paper

Legion 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Stonehenge Aqua

Baohong Academy 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Baohong Academy

Testing comparison sheets:

granulation

flow

dispersion

mixed media

layering

All tests by paper:

Paul Rubens 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Paul Rubens

Arteza Expert 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Arteza Expert

Bee Paper 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Bee Paper

Legion 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Stonehenge Aqua

Baohong Academy 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

Baohong Academy

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*My Favorite Supplies & Tools*

🎨 Favorite Watercolor Supplies
✒️ Favorite Fountain Pen Supplies
🍱 Studio Organization Favorites
🤓 Tech & Tools
🎨 Supplies for making watercolor paints

I have an affiliate relationship with most of the retailers in this post, including Jackson’s & Amazon. This means if you buy goods using any of my affiliate links I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you 🙂 You certainly do not have to use any of them but I hope they are helpful ♥