Review: Fabriano Artistico 100% Cotton Traditional White Hot Pressed Paper

Fabriano Artistico 100% Cotton Traditional White Hot Pressed Paper is one of my ALL-TIME favorite products. I bought this pad of 25 sheets two years ago and I just finished it the other day. You might wonder- if it's one of my favorites, why I haven't gone through more of it in that two year period? The answer is, I have many different kinds of paper in different shapes, sizes and surfaces and I tend to jump around a lot.

This is just the smoothest paper to work with any media - and I probably love it best for drawing with a fountain pen. Watercolors are wonderful on hot press, but it works differently than cold press. Cold press is textured and shows more depth. Cold press also absorbs the paint a little faster than hot press- paints can be worked on the surface longer than on cold press. (Which can be challenging to people new to watercolor painting.)

I love the 5x7" size, and that the cover folds back. It makes it the perfect size to work in one hand, and I love that you can remove a sheet from the block by lifting up one corner and peeling it off. I prefer this method of removal over the watercolor blocks where I have to cut the page free with a knife because I often end up tearing or cutting the edges. (Because I'm impatient.)

So now that it's finished, I looked back through my archives to see what I created with those 25 sheets of paper. I was able to find 20 of the 25 and I wonder what happened to the other 5 pages. Did I somehow screw them up and throw them away? That's not like me so I wonder where they are.

What follows is each of the 20 pieces I found, and they are in somewhat chronological order from oldest to newest.

Enjoy.




One of my early watercolors - opaque Grumbacher paints. (I never use them anymore.)



Grumbacher opaque watercolors



Possibly Van Gogh watercolors



Using a Niji Waterbrush for the 1st time



Grumbacher again, painted while I was recovering from hernia surgery.



Not one of my finest pieces.



My 1st tube of artist quality water color. I drove to Blick and bought a tube of Holbein's Rose Madder.



Watercolors - maybe W&N Cottman?



Ink doodle. Mandalas have started to kick in.



Artist grade paints. Holbein, Schmincke, Daniel Smith



Started a long time ago - probably the Grumbacker, finished with black marker and Pitt Brush Pens.



Artist grade paints. Holbein, Schmincke, Daniel Smith



This is actually purple... very purple. Scanner couldn't capture it. I was painting with fountain pen ink, then added the doodles and additional colors. (Prismacolor pencils...I think)



Fountain pen mandala



Mandala was drawn with fountain pen ink, and then I took a waterbrush and carefully touched the lines to pull in some of the color in the white spaces. Additional watercolor added to the corners.



Painted with Private Reserve Burgundy Mist fountain pen ink.



Fountain pen doodle



I believe this was drawn with a calligraphy dip pen and Sennelier China/India Ink. Painted in with artist grade watercolors.



Fountain pen and Prismacolor pencils.



Fountain pen mandala. Diamine Steel Blue and Violet inks.



Fountain pen mandala. Diamine Violet (yes... it looks blue here) and Diamine Gray.