I like 300 g/m2 paper (always look at the g/m2 NOT the lb. value). I haven’t done enough to prefer cold or hot press or rough - it just depends how much texture you want. If you can, go Arches. If you’re just practicing brushwork and brush control and you don’t care that much about the output, you could do Canon or Strathmore at as high a g/m2 as you want to spend. My 32 sats worth. 👍