The main difference between a watercolor block and a pad is the way the paper is bound.

A watercolor block is a pad of paper where the sheets are bound on all four sides which creates a solid block of paper. The sheets of paper are glued together at the edges. This is so you can paint on the top sheet where it sits on the block and then, when you are finished and your painting has dried, you can remove it from the block.

A watercolour pad, on the other hand, is only bound on one side. The sheets are designed to be removed before you paint on them. I always stretch watercolour paper from pads before I use it because I like to paint on flat paper.

What’s the value in painting with paper from a block ?

The paper, because it is bound on all four sides is supposed to remain flat (or flatish) when you paint on it. Blocks are meant to be practical and save you time because you don’t need to stretch the paper before you use it. Sounds great huh?

Wah-wah…….. fail (for me anyway).

I find painting on watercolour blocks to be a frustrating process. Despite my best efforts, I often end up with puckered paper and the resulting hills and valleys make for an unpleasant painting experience. I paint with a lot of water though, so maybe if you paint with a drier painting process you might find them suitable to paint on.

I use a watercolour block from time to time to paint simple demonstrations on for the tutorials that I make. If you are a beginner, a watercolour block might be a good choice for you to do some practice paintings on.

How do you remove the paper from the block?

To remove the paper from the block, insert a butter knife or something similar into the small opening in the gum - it’s usually in the middle of the top edge of the pad. Gently run the knife along the edge of the paper all the way around until it is released.

What are watercolour blocks used for?

They are great if you paint plein air. They are portable and because they have a rigid backing board they are ready to use when you are. If I was a landscape painter or an urban sketcher I would throw a block of paper in my kit along with some pan paints and off I’d go - Bob’s your uncle (that means….’there you have it’…….in case you don’t understand British colloquialisms……not that I’m British.) 🇦🇺🦘

Whether you're a pad-dler or a blockhead, there's no wrong way to create with watercolours.

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