The difference
I have greatly enjoyed working with Baohong Masters’ Watercolour Paper for a number of years, usually with the cold pressed paper, which has a medium structure. This paper has a nice texture, excellent possibilities for wet-in-wet, good “lifting” and gives you fantastic granulation.
Baohong Classic Watercolour Paper has been available since early 2025. Baohong Classic is a 100% cotton watercolour paper but at a lower price level compared with Baohong Masters’ Watercolour Paper. So to find out the difference between these two papers I have set up a number of tests to find out more about their artistic possibilities. I have tried to pay attention to the different properties of these watercolour papers, while focussing on what is important.
First of all, I contacted the European distributor of Baohong Paper regarding the technical differences. Both are made from 100% cotton, but there are differences in the quality of the cotton, the speed of the production process and the type of gelatine used. Baohong Masters’ is made from the highest quality cotton shreds with very long fibres, while Baohong Classic is made from cotton with slightly shorter fibres. The Baohong Paper Mill also states that the gelatine used in each type of paper is different and that the production speed on the circular sieve for the Masters’ Paper is lower. The Baohong Masters’ Paper, therefore, has better absorption and better colour/pigment development, making it a worthy consideration for both developing and established artists.
The Test – my practical experiences and the differences between the papers.
Granulation
I am testing the granulation on both types of paper. A great colour that breaks up beautifully into a blue and yellow hue is Cascade Green by Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors. Granulation occurs on both types of paper, which is easily seen on the Masters’ Paper, but less pronounced on the Classic Paper. This is not a big problem in itself. After all, they are different papers and where one person may like strong granulation, someone else may be looking for a paper with more subdued granulation.
Wet-in-Wet, Texture, Lifting, Pigment Development
The Baohong Classic Paper is very pleasing to work with, but lifting and dry brush strokes are a little more difficult. The wet-in-wet technique is no problem at all. The colour and pigment development remain good but are better on Masters’ Paper than on the Classic.
I also encounter the same features in the following results on the Rough quality. In the example below, it is striking that when using the Masters’ Paper, the colour is brighter and more powerful and the granulation much more attractive. Lifting is also better, and dry brush strokes become stronger, thanks to the improved texture of the Masters’ Paper.
Conclusion:
The new Classic Baohong Paper is a really good watercolour paper at a very attractive price for a 100% cotton paper and is a great alternative to cellulose based paper. I prefer the Baohong Masters’ Paper based on its great properties and advantages, but it is, as a result, more expensive to purchase. The advantages are: better texture, better ability to lift and better colour/pigment development and granulation.