The type of paper a watercolor is done on is extremely important and is a factor in purchasing a quality watercolor painting.

Good watercolor papers are expensive for the artist. And some amateur artists may want to save money by buying cheap inferior paper. The final product is cheapened and certainly not worth near as much as one done with quality paper.

This is a question for you to ask of the artist. They won't mind educating you on what they have used. My watercolor painting of the amaryliss was done on 140 lb D'Arches cold press paper. I could just as easily used 300 lb paper. 

Watercolor paper comes in several weights and the next paragraph will clear up any confusion about paper weights.

Q:  A sheet of paper does not weigh 140 lbs or 300 lbs, so why is it named that?

A: A ream of paper is 500 sheets no matter what size the paper. Watercolor paper usually comes in 22"x 30". At a certain thickness those 500 sheets will weigh 140 pounds or 300 pounds and there are some in-between weights. The lower the lb number, the thinner the sheet of paper. 300 lb paper is very thick and heavy, like cardboard. 140 lb paper is thinner but much heavier than our computer paper.

Q: How long will a watercolor last? Doesn’t an oil painting last much longer than a watercolor?

A: This is a misconception many have about watercolors, that they will not last as long as an oil painting. Quality watercolor papers are made with 100% cotton rag. They are not made with wood pulp. Wood pulp papers will yellow and turn brittle over time. They are not for quality work.

In major art collections there are watercolors that are several centuries old. You can feel confident that watercolors done on fine papers will outlast you and your descendents.

Here is a list of commonly used watercolor paper weights.

• 140 lb hot pressed
• 140 lb cold pressed
• 140 lb rough pressed
• 300 lb cold pressed
• 300 lb hot pressed
• 300 lb rough pressed

The grain in cheap papers is large and very mechanical looking. Better papers are more fine grained and you see the color and design, not the pores of the paper.

Armed with this information you may now purchase with more confidence on eBay.