Hello, friends! I am reviewing Fluid 100 watercolour paper in hot press and cold press in this post. The inclusion of hot press is purely coincidental because I purchased it by mistake! For some reason, I thought the hot press one looked like it was cold press just because of the colour.
The Specs
Fluid 100 is a brand by Speedball Art, which also makes cellulose watercolour paper (Fluid), just like in the sketchbook I reviewed before. I didn’t like the sketchbook because the paper isn’t cotton, so I bought the 100 line, which stands for 100% cotton. It comes in several sizes and two finishes. I have both the cold press and hot press and in two sizes. Each block is bound on two sides and is acid free, 140lb/300gsm and made in the USA.
Fluid 100 Hot Press Watercolour Paper Review
I am going to review the hot press version first. As you probably know, hot press has very little texture, and is better for details and light washes. The paper is so smooth it barely had any grain in it.
I first used it when I started out and painted the house cat from Let’s Make Art. It was not very forgiving for a beginner, because it can’t take it too much water. Moreover, despite being gelatin sized, the surface does not withstand low-tack washi tape, which will damage the paper.
Now, a year later, I painted on this paper again.
I used a lot of water in pretty heavy washes, and added salt to test the paper. Surprisingly, it handled the heavy washes well enough.
I painted in many layers, and in some parts, even went over the same areas to darken the values. The paper handled it without buckling. However, it still did not handle washi tape, as I tested it in an area that would not affect the painting.
Apart from the washi tape issue, the paper actually worked out well, even though I much prefer cold press for the texture.
I painted Sinead O’Connor while listening to “Nothing Compares To You” and got emotional, but I digress.
Fluid 100 Cold Press Watercolor Paper Review
I bought the cold press in the smallest size available, primarily for cardmaking. The cold press finish has more texture than the hot press, but is still smoother than Arches, Winsor & Newton or Strathmore’s 100% cold press cotton paper.
As you can see, another problem with this block is that you have to cut the glue after each use. I did not have to do that with the Arteza round cotton paper block.
The cold press paper can hold more water while still being smooth enough for finer details.
It can handle heavier washes and lift without issues.
As blocks, both finishes work quite well. The paper never broke loose from the glue even with heavy washes, nor did it warp so much that you cannot paint without the paint pooling and puddling. However, I do find that the paints dry quicker on Fluid 100 paper than on some of my other cotton paper.
Overall Fluid 100 Paper Review
Fluid 100 watercolour paper provides good gelatin-sized cotton paper at a mid-range price point. Both hot and cold press finishes of this paper can handle a good amount of water. The only con of the hot press paper is that washi tapes will damage it, a problem that doesn’t happen with the cold press version. These are good paper, though my favourite is still Arches.
