For really detailed stuff: arches hot press. However, If you like to "pick up" your watercolors, then I suggest a cold press 100% rag illustration board (to check this, look at the cross section of the board. If it is all white, then it's 100% paper all the way through. If not, it wll be grey in the center, and that means it's 100% rag paper mounted on cardboard, wich will not tale watercolor so well). If your using many mediums, the cold press illustration board is the way to go, but I loves me my arches. It takes layers really really well.
Cool, thanks so much! I'll try both of those. Any particular weight for the paper, or does it only come in one weight? I can see how Arches would be good for layering - when I was in school we used it for printmaking and it really sucked the pigments into itself. Dunno how much of a difference it'll be with watercolour paper, but it'll be fun to find out! Thanks again! ^^
I lean towards buying the blocks, but the heavier the weight the more you can soak it up before it crinkles. Illustration board is normally quite heavy, so no worries there.
I usually apply gesso to the underside of illustration board so it won't warp so much.. and I got some plywood so I can pre-stretch watercolour paper if I need to. I'd hate to ruin the pretty edges of Arches by doing that, though.. so I'll try to get a heavier paper if at all possible. Thanks again!
Looking good lady. Though I will attest that good paper is worth the cost.