Alan Owen's watercolour paper

I always like to watch Alan Owen's demonstrations on YouTube - his last one enlivened by a truly Herculean sneeze .... always something new! And I've asked him the probably unanswerable question: if he had to choose just one watercolour paper, what would it be? For today's demo, he used Bockingford 200 gsm; and told us that Ted Wesson used it. Well I'm no Ted Wesson, but I've used it too and find it an excellent paper for the price, on which my most successful watercolours have been painted. I'm inclined to treat myself now and then to Arches or Saunders, but that IS a treat - both lovely papers to work on. I don't know what Alan will say, but I also wondered if there's likely to be a consensus among the watercolourists, of whom there are many, on POL? If I had to use just one paper, I think it would be Arches; but I know some people don't like the sizing - so: what's yours?

All very interesting - I've been using a lightweight Fabriano over the last year (NOT Fabriano Artistico) and can't wait to finish up the pack and get rid of it: it doesn't suit me at all, won't take much by way of scratching-out or lifting-out (but then, I am a bit heavy-handed). On the other hand, it does stretch very well: I know people can't be doing with the faff, but I quite like to do it sometimes and the paper dried absolutely flat. I think Alan B has this right - we all have our favourite paper because it just suits the way we work. Alan Owen paints just about every day, for his video demos - and I think he would anyway, demos or no. He tells me he likes Saunders, and the new watercolour paper beginning with M... can't remember what the full name is, will look it up. But I think he came over all peculiar when looking at the price - and I certainly did: it would inhibit me, using a paper of this price; but I'd probably get used to it. Bockingford - yes, as Michael says, the extra rough isn't all that rough at all; I've got on with it well in the past, certainly more so than the Fabriano I've been using. And I liked a German paper - a torchon; whereas the Bockingford did drink up the paint and ask for more, the torchon (either Hahnemuehle or Schoellershammer) produced a lovely effect with the paint, which flowed onto the paper in glazes. But ......... it's the devil's own job to find the German papers; I wouldn't mind paying a premium price for them, though - they made even my watercolours look good.

PS - the paper beginning with M is Milford paper; designed to be similar to the old Whatman paper that can't be obtained any more. There's a new video by Alan on YouTube showing him painting on a sheet of this paper, and you can see how good it is - very forgiving, and the light shines through subsequent washes. But - expensive. Alan is on Patreon, by the way as is another painter friend, Dave Usher: go there and support them if you can.