There are some wonderful guides available on choosing paper. It can be a bit confusing for the artist in my life though, as one day she will read an article, for example about needing paper with tooth for use with charcoal, and then the next week will see someone using charcoal on hot-pressed smooth paper. One of the main jobs I have as a gallery cat (and one of my favourites) is helping her choose which paper to use for which artwork. Between us, we have come up with a system that seems to work. She reads articles about paper choice and I sit on the one I most agree with. If the paper recommended comes on sale, she might buy some, but if she spends too much money on cat treats, she might just buy whatever else happens to be on sale that month. When she can't decide between her new papers, she will leave them on the table while she makes a cup of tea. I try licking and sniffing the papers, to decide which will be the best. Many watercolour artists recommend Arches papers but I find them a bit rough on the tongue. Seawhite recycled watercolour paper doesn't take many washes but I like the smell of it and it seems to take charcoal well. Alternative choices of paper are sometimes my favourite, with an Aldi mixed-media pad being great for illustrative work. Once I have tested them, my owner writes my comments on the front sheet of the paper pad, and clips all the front sheets together so she can remember which papers she liked for which things, and which she didn't, and which papers I said were the tastiest. The best papers she gets are from SCRAP stores. There is one in Leeds and one in Selby, but also all over the country. These stores can be found online and they are sources of materials that would otherwise go to waste. For canvases, she often goes to second-hand shops - many have a craft section now where people will take unused canvases and she's got some great ones from there. Reduces waste, provides money for charity, and means she feels less guilty about filling the spare room with art and craft supplies for me to play around in.