I used Arches Aquarelle I think, which had a textured surface. The paper/coating is all about experimenting with what finish you aim for. It took a few goes to get the spread of liquid right but wasn't too hard. Keep the emulsion in a warm bath. My main advice based on my minimal experience is, once coated, to keep the sheets separate from each other as the surface damages very easily. Something like a pizza box for each piece of paper would be ideal or some old photo paper boxes (keep them, keep them!). I look forward to seeing the results.