Paper

Before you can start to paint, you need to have watercolor paper. The question is: hot-pressed, cold-pressed, or rough paper? Hot-pressed paper is very smooth and has no texture. It is hard to work with if you make a mistake. Cold-pressed is not as smooth and has more texture. This paper is great for beginners because it is very forgiving, and will let you do almost anything with it. Rough paper is exactly what is claims to be: a paper with lots of texture. Paint sinks easily and can not be lifted off. So the best way to go is with the cold-pressed paper.