CHOICE OF PAPERS
The choice of papers is quite large and includes various textures and weights. In the early stages your choice will depend on what you feel you can afford and what your level of ability is. It is not necessary to use top quality rag paper for your early experiments. But choose a paper of reasonable quality, one which will be sympathetic to your early efforts and encourage you into further experiments. Some suppliers offer sample packs of different brands for you to try.
Cartridge paper is not a good choice for the serious student. If economic considerations are a priority then initially you can use a good quality, acid-free, wood pulp paper such as Bockingford (very popular in Britain), Canson Montval, Canaletto, Hahnemuhle Aquarelle, Winsor & Newton's Cotman Paper.
Later you may opt for top quality archival, rag paper made from cotton fibres and guaranteed to be acid free to prevent it discolouring with age. This paper is usually very forgiving and will allow you to scrub out, mask, and scrape to your heart's content - well, almost.
Top quality rag papers are available in the following brands: Arches, Fabriano, Winsor & Newton, Saunders, Strathmore. Lana Aquarelle. This is not a definitive list. Crescent brand watercolour boards are also available in some countries. Each country has its own selection and you'll need to contact your own local art supply stores for information on availability and cost.
Once you've settled on a brand of paper that feels good to you, it can be very liberating, psychologically, to invest in a quire of paper (25 sheets, of at least 140lb weight). Bulk buying is often at a discounted price and having a generous quantity of paper on hand will release you from the fear of wasting paper. These full sheets can be cut into 1/4's and 1/2's as you need them.
If you are going to sample different brands of paper, choose one transparent colour and use it to make some colour tests on each paper in turn. By doing this consistently you'll learn what a difference the degree of sizing, the whiteness (or creaminess) of the paper, and the surface texture have on the colour. Keep this inventory for future reference. It will prove invaluable.
Watercolour paper is manufactured in three basic textures or surfaces:
Hot Pressed or HP is a smooth surface suitable for detailed work. It can seem quite odd at first as the washes tend to slide around, so it is better suited to smaller areas of wash. Some flower painters use this surface exclusively and develop the skills to handle it. The colours tend to stay fresh and bright on the surface of the paper and edges can look very clean and crisp when this is required.
Cold Pressed or CP or NOT is pleasantly textured and considered suitable for a variety of uses, being a nice compromise between hot pressed and rough papers.
Rough is heavily textured and is often used when painting landscapes which require expansive areas of washes as in skies. The pronounced tooth of the paper allows granulating effects to show to best advantage in these big wet washes. Dry brush work shows up very well on it, eg to capture light shimmering on the sea. However a rough paper that is not strongly sized can make your colours appear dull and even slightly chalky. This is also partly caused by the paper's prominent 'tooth' which causes some of the pigment to settle down in the 'valleys'. Clean, sharp edges are harder to create with rough-textured paper.
Watercolour paper is manufactured in various weights. The weight is expressed in two ways - in pounds (lbs) which shows the weight of each ream (500 sheets) of paper and gsm which shows the number of grams per square metre of paper. The commonest weights are 90lb (190gsm), 140lb (300gsm) and 300lb (640gsm). There are also a number of in-between weights made by different manufacturers. The thicker, heavier papers stand up to more aggressive treatment, whereas the lighter weight papers are more delicate and will tear quite easily when wet.
Sizing refers to the preparation of the paper during manufacturing when special glue-like solutions are applied to reduce the paper's absorbency. A well-sized paper (internally and externally sized) is one where the watercolour washes you apply will not sink into the paper but will allow you to re-work them or lift them later. If a paper has little sizing, the colours will tend to sink in like blotting paper and be hard to remove should you later wish to. The sizing of paper has a great deal to do with how the pigment and the paper will interact. Manufacturers of high quality watercolour paper make every effort to get the sizing question right, but you will find considerable variation in the degree and type of sizing amongst different brands. The best way to find out what suits you is to purchase small packs of sample papers from an art supplier and experiment with each one.
Some people paint successfully on unstretched 140 lb paper. But if you paint in a fairly wet fashion and don't stretch you risk the paper buckling and cockling after applying the wet washes. A lot will depend on how much water you use while painting. People who paint 'drier' may have no trouble with unstretched 140 lb paper which they just fasten to their board with masking tape - especially when using 1/4 and 1/2 size sheets. If your unstretched 140 lb does cockle there are various procedures to stretch it after painting and these will be included in the Main FAQ.
Stretching is a technique which results in a drum-tight surface for you to work on. It will allow you to sweep plenty of water around the paper without it buckling. It's recommended that you stretch the lighter-weight papers up to and including 140lb {300gsm}.
Here are two popular methods for stretching:
METHOD 1 (Using gummed paper)
Materials:
- A roll of brown gummed paper tape. (The sort you have to wet to get it to stick. Obtainable at art stores. Bear in mind that if you let any water splash onto the roll you'll have a very hard time unwinding it once it's stuck to itself!)
- A water-resistant back board such as marine plywood (3/8"-1/2"; 1cm -1.25cm thick.) Better if the wooden surface is first coated with a water-based varnish that will sink into the wood yet still be slightly absorbent. Otherwise insert a piece of plastic wrap or tinfoil between paper and wood to prevent any leaching of acids from wood to paper.
- Paper towels and damp sponge.
- Staple gun and 1/4" (6mm) staples (optional)
1. Cut 4 strips of gummed paper to the length of the outer edges of your paper. Allow an extra 1" (2.5cm) overlap at each end.
2. Immerse the watercolour paper completely in cold water - 90lb for 3 mins, 140lb for 8 mins, 300lb for 20 mins. Preferably use a bath tub or similar so larger sheets don't get creased.
3. Drain the paper of excess water and lay it on the board. You need to work quite quickly from now on. Make sure it's lying smoothly by gently pressing out any air bubbles from centre to edges with a clean damp sponge or with the edge of your hand. Dab along its edges with paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
4. Take a strip of gummed paper and wet the glue (don't over wet) with a damp sponge. Lay it along one edge of your paper, overlapping paper by about 1/2 - 3/4" inch (1.25 cm - 2cm) depending on size of paper. Gently press gummed strip along its length so that it adheres to paper and board. Repeat process with remaining three gummed strips.
5. Dry the board flat and away from full sun. It may need overnight drying to become perfectly dry depending on climatic conditions. Staples may be fastened at each corner if wished. If possible keep an eye on it as it dries and press down any sections of tape that appear to be lifting. Don't be alarmed if the paper appears very bubbly during the early drying out stages. When it is fully dried it will be drum-tight and you will be able to apply very wet washes without fear of it buckling. Remove your painting when it is fully dry by cutting through the brown tape at the point where the watercolour paper ends. Use a craft knife and metal-edged ruler for this.
NOTE:
- Don't use masking tape to fasten wet paper to board. It will not adhere to the wet paper.
- The backing board needs to be of sufficient strength to cope with the stresses applied by the paper as it is drying. So large sheets may need a 1/2" (1.25cm) thick board.
- If you choose to work on 300 lb (640 gsm) or heavier weight papers you don't need to wet and pre-stretch the paper. Just use good masking tape to stick the paper edges to the board. The thickness of the paper will allow you to apply wet washes without risk of buckling. When the masking tape is finally removed your painting will be surrounded by a neat, clean, white border.
- Pieces up to 3 feet square can be stretched using canvas stretchers, but larger pictures will need a heavier custom-built support frame. Once dry the paper pulls very tight and puts great strain on the wooden support.
- Strathmore produce 'Aquarius II' paper which is dimensionally stable so stays much flatter when wet and needn't be stretched.
METHOD 2 (Using staples)
Materials:
Gatorboard (1/2", 1.25mm thick - available through Cheap Joe's or Daniel Smith - see suppliers list at end of Faq)
Household stapler with 1/4" (6mm) staples
Soak paper as in Method 1. Lay it on the gatorboard. Starting from the centre out, staple the paper every 2" (5 cm) along each edge, stapling corners last.
Remove staples when painting is finished and completely dry by slipping a dull kitchen knife under the staples and flicking them out.
Some people find this method very easy and effective. The gatorboard is also very light to lift which is a bonus for folk with muscle/joint disabilities.
* Homosote board can be successfully used instead of Gatorboard. It is available at some building supply stores but is considerably heavier than Gatorboard.
ALTERNATIVE STRETCHING METHOD:
It is possible to purchase a special paper stretching device - 'Ken Bromley's Perfect Paper Stretcher' - which is said to work very effectively. It is available in both England and the United States from the following suppliers:
Ken Bromley Art Supplies (England) http://www.artsupplies.co.uk
E-mail: kenbromley@artsupplies.co.uk Ph: 01204-491472
Fax: 01204-848014
Jack Richeson & Co (USA) http://www.richesonart.com
WATERCOLOUR BLOCKS VERSUS LOOSE SHEETS
Watercolour blocks seem an attractive proposition at first glance but there are pitfalls with them which can prove frustrating. The idea is that they are already stretched and should eliminate problems with buckling. In practice they do buckle quite badly when wet washes are applied. If you keep your brushwork fairly dry they can be satisfactory. Some artists use masking tape around the edges of the top sheet and overlapping the underlying sheets. This keeps water away from the edges and also provides a neat white border when the painting is finished and the tape lifted. Blocks are generally felt to be useful for specific situations such as sketching on location.
On the other hand loose sheets, while they might entail stretching, provide a much more reliable surface to paint on. When stretched they eliminate the problem of buckling thus allowing the artist to concentrate on the many other challenges of creating a painting. They also allow the artist to work in a variety of sizes. A full sheet can be cut into various sizes and shapes to suit the artist's purpose. It's also possible to buy watercolour paper in a roll which is useful for very large paintings.
Ideally, if you can use 300 lb or heavier paper to paint on, you've really got it made! Stretching and buckling problems will be a thing of the past.
If possible store the paper flat and in a place where there is a good circulation of dry air, such as along the inside of a dry, sunny exterior wall of your abode. If storing vertically along such a wall, support it between two acid-free boards. Paper is ideally preserved at temperatures 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity 50-60 percent. Mould or mildew should not develop if the temperature is kept below 75 degrees F. and the relative humidity below 60 percent.
Aim to keep the paper free of dust, damp and light wherever you store it. Storing under bed or in a cupboard, or in plastic can cause mildew growth especially in humid climates. Rolling the paper can damage its structure.
Acid is arguably the worst enemy of paper. Improper storage in acidic materials such as cardboard boxes, ordinary file folders, or surrounded by acidic matboards will rapidly damage your acid-free watercolour paper. Acid in the wood pulp can migrate aggressively into your archival paper, staining and damaging it.