I usually use canson cold press or watercolor blocks/boards, since I like a liiiittle bit of tooth, but just enough for texture if I really wanted to. plus, I blot with toilet paper or paper napkins, depending on how rough I want the texture left behind from the oversaturation from color or water to be. Arches hot press blocks are great if you want smooth grain and dont want to put too much effort into putting the watercolor firmly in place with tape.