{"product_id":"st-cuthberts-mill-botanical-ultra-smooth-300gsm","title":"St Cuthbert's Mill Botanical Paper 300gsm","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBritish botanical paper — only at Inkwell, and why it matters\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSt Cuthbert's Mill is a Somerset papermaker with centuries of history, and their Botanical Ultra Smooth paper is made specifically for the requirements of botanical illustration — not for general watercolour painting, not for mixed media work, but for the specific technique of botanical illustration where a fine dip pen nib must move across the surface with complete freedom and no resistance, and where one to two light wash passes are applied over the completed linework. The surface is smoother than Arches Hot Press — measurably so when tested with a fine dip pen nib. This matters because botanical illustration often involves very fine linework, detailed hatching, and stippling that require the nib to glide over the surface without any roughness or tooth that would produce scratchy or uneven marks. At 50% cotton the paper is archival without the cost of 100% cotton, and at 300gsm it accepts pen and light wash without buckling. And it is not available from any other UK specialist retailer at the time of writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSt Cuthbert's Mill versus Arches — when to use each\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoth are excellent papers for botanical illustration. St Cuthbert's Mill Botanical Ultra Smooth has a smoother surface that is specifically optimised for fine dip pen linework and single-layer wash — the paper where the pen-work part of botanical illustration is most precise. Arches Hot Press handles heavier multi-layer wash and is 100% cotton — the archival standard for finished work. Many botanical illustrators use St Cuthbert's Mill for detailed linework studies and preparatory pieces, and Arches for finished exhibition pieces where multiple layers of wash will be applied over the completed linework.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"St Cuthbert's Mill","offers":[{"title":"A4","offer_id":53243206533448,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"A3","offer_id":53243206566216,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/inkwellartsupplies.com\/products\/st-cuthberts-mill-botanical-ultra-smooth-300gsm","provider":"Inkwell Art Supplies","version":"1.0","type":"link"}