Some tips on watercolor papers
Probably one of the most important aspects when choosing watercolor paper is the texture of the surface, as this will help or hinder you with your watercolor painting. Watercolor paper is divided into three categories based on the surface of the paper: rough, hot-press (HP), and cold-press (NOT).
Rough watercolor paper, as you would expect from the name, has the most textured surface or the most prominent tooth. It is described as a pebble surface with a series of irregular rounded shapes like a pebble beach. When using rough paper, paint from a very watery wash tends to collect in the crevices of the paper, creating a grainy effect when the paint dries. Alternatively, if you dry brush the surface, you will apply paint only to the raised parts of the paper, the paint will only hit the tops of the ridges and not the crevices. Rough paper is generally not a good paper for painting fine details, but it is excellent for a looser, more expressive style of painting.
HP stands for “Hot Press” and is the smoothest paper and is suitable for fine detail work. Hot-pressed watercolor paper has a smooth surface with almost no teeth. Its smooth surface is ideal for painting fine details and for uniform washes of color. HP is not an ideal surface for beginners, as they sometimes have trouble with paint slipping on the smooth surface.
Cold-pressed watercolor paper is sometimes referred to as “NO” (as in “not hot-pressed”). It is a slightly textured paper and is the most popular as it is suitable for most types of work. Cold-pressed paper is a medium paper, somewhere between rough and hot-pressed, with a slightly textured surface. Cold-pressed paper is the most commonly used watercolor paper, as it allows for a fair amount of fine detail work while still having enough texture to allow for a looser, more expressive style of painting.
The thickness of a sheet of watercolor paper is measured by its weight. So the higher the weight, the thicker the paper. Watercolor paper is measured in (lb) pounds per ream or (gsm) grams per square meter. Most papers have both weights advertised as standard. There are 4 standard weights of watercolor paper, these are 90lb (190gsm), 140lb (300gsm), 260lb (356gsm) and 300lb (638gsm).
When you use thinner paper you need to stretch it, this is done to prevent the paper from curling or warping when you paint on it. How thick the paper needs to be before it starts to warp depends on how wet you tend to get the paper wet while painting. The best way to decide the best paper weight for your style of painting is to experiment with different weights to see, but you’ll likely find that paper weights 140 lbs (300 gsm) or less need to be pre-stretched. .
How to pre-stretch watercolor paper: If you have chosen a paper that is 140 lbs (300 g/m²) or less, you will most likely need to pre-stretch the paper. The reason for pre-stretching is that with lighter weight papers, when water is applied, it moves and folds, or “wrinkles.” This happens when the application of water while painting will cause one side of the paper to swell slightly, the other side will remain dry and due to the primer contained within the sheet it will not swell. To counteract the movement of the papers on the wet side, the paper warps and warps. This causes the unsightly effect of buckling which is not ideal for the finished painting and is also quite difficult to work with.
1. Submerge your sheet of paper in a cold water bath or under a tap for approximately 1-2 minutes, this is to allow the fibers of the paper to expand. Take care when handling your paper, ideally before you begin wash your hands thoroughly and do not touch the area you wish to paint, this is because paper is brittle when wet and your finger marks will also show up in your wash due to the fat of your fingers.
2. Carefully place the soaked sheet of paper on a board.
3. Tape down all four edges of your paper, you can also staple your paper, but don’t use heavy-duty staplers as it will be difficult to remove the staples, which may damage your paper.
4. Blot any excess water from your paper, ideally use a clean sponge and let it dry on a flat surface, a flat surface is preferred, otherwise the water will run off to one edge and the paper will dry unevenly.
5. Let your paper dry for at least a couple of hours, but ideally overnight. When your paper is completely dry it will stretch tightly across the board and when you apply your wash the paper will not shift or curl again.
All watercolor paper is made with a difference between the two sides, one side is usually a bit smoother and the other side has a slightly hairier texture. There is no right and wrong side because which one you use will depend on what you need from your watercolor paper. The smoother side of a paper is best if you’re painting with a lot of detail, while the hairier side is better if you want to build up color using a lot of glazes.
The color of watercolor paper varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and even between different types of paper made by the same manufacturer. Watercolor paper not only comes in white, but can range from a warm, rich cream to a cool, bluish white. The difference in color tones can sometimes be easy to see, but sometimes it can be so slight that it’s barely noticeable even when you have two different sheets of watercolor paper next to each other.
One thing to consider when choosing your watercolor paper is that the different color tones of the paper will affect your paintings, as you will basically start your painting with a glaze, so it will have an impact on your painting. A slightly cream-colored watercolor paper can make colors appear muddy or dull. A watercolor paper with a bluish tint can give your yellows a greenish appearance. When shopping for your watercolor paper, consider its color tint as much as you would its texture and weight.