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The type of watercolor paper you use depends on your purpose and intention for the painting. Sketching or trying out some techniques is different than painting something that will be sold or gifted or just enjoyed for a long time on someone's wall. See some of my recommendations at the end of this post.
You may have heard many times that it's important to have good watercolor paper for best results. And that is very true. Even trying some techniques may not work as well on bad paper. A watercolor paper that's not high quality will not allow you to do multiple washes, for example, without rolling and buckling. Having said that, I'm still a believer that it's OK to paint on lower quality paper, or student grade paper, to practice and experiment.
So what should you look for in watercolor paper?
The material it's made out of. It should be 100% cotton. Cotton makes the paper strong and resilient, which allows for multiple washes, scrubbing and wiping.
The weight of paper. If you're working with multiple washes, the paper that weighs more is better. You also don't need to stretch heavier paper as much, if at all. So look for paper over 300lb, but it's OK to practice on paper that's below 140lb.
The texture of the paper. This is very important to your technique and purpose. I believe it's also often a matter of preference. There are two primary types - cold press and hot press. Cold press watercolor paper is rougher and toothier. This allows the paint to snag on that texture and create wonderful effects. It also deals better with washes. The other texture type is called hot pressed, and is smooth. Some artists preferred this texture for more detailed work and tighter painting.
The packaging the paper comes in. Depending on when, how and why you're painting can determine what kind of packaging you want it to be. For example, if you're sketching or painting outside, you may want to have it as a pad, which is a few pages of the paper bound together. If you want to paint a complete and finished painting, though, you likely want it to come as loose paper in a package or as a watercolor paper block. The advantage of a block is that you don't have to stretch the paper, you can paint right on it and then remove the paper piece you're working on. There are also watercolor canvas boards or panels. They look a bit more like a canvas and you don't have to prep the paper with them. Watercolor paper can also come in in rolls and large sheets that you can cut to your specifications. These are more expensive and require more work, but some artists find them preferable.
My recommendations. For great professional quality paper, I recommend Arches (a big favorite among all professional watercolor artists) and Canson. I also love Bee but it's not always available everywhere. Strathmore produces both student grade and professional grade watercolor paper and it also a favorite.
Example of a nice watercolor journal:
Paper I recommend for use by students and/or to practice:
Professional grade paper I recommend:
What is your favorite watercolor paper and in what packaging?
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