What watercolour paper should I use?
If you’ve ever grabbed a sheet of paper out of your printer tray and sat down to do a watercolour painting tutorial, I can guarantee that painting ended up in the bin. Why? Well, when it comes to watercolour paper, the paper you use makes a HUGE difference.
Watercolour paper
It’s not your ordinary paper
I’ve taught watercolour classes for many years now so I’ve seen plenty of beginner artists enrol in a watercolour painting for beginners course but become discouraged because they think that they are no good at watercolour painting. In reality, I’d say 9 times out of 10 their watercolours aren’t working because they’re using the wrong paper and the wrong brush. So let me explain which watercolour paper you should use and why:
Why is watercolour paper special?
Watercolour paper is not the average paper you’ll have lying around at home. It’s special stuff. Watercolour paper is paper that has been treated with a “sizing”, a starchy substance which helps the paper absorb moisture evenly and allows the pigment to settle into the fibres of the paper. Sizing can be made from an animal gelatine base or a cellulose plant base and it can be applied 2 different ways:
Internal sizing is added to the paper pulp before the sheet is formed (which chemically bonds to the paper fibres)
External sizing can be applied by dipping the paper into a sizing solution (tub sizing) or sprayed on (surface sizing)
Because of this, it really does matter what watercolour paper you buy. The quality of the sizing and the way it is applied will affect the way your paper works. For example, if your sizing is sprayed on, only one side of your paper will be suitable for painting. If your sizing isn’t great quality or if it’s diluted (which cheaper brands do to cut costs) your paper won’t be as absorbent or as forgiving. That means more watermarks, more streaks, more paper pilling - all the bad stuff!
Does brand matter?
Absolutely! Good quality paper has a higher cost but it is essential that you don’t scrimp on watercolour paper or you just won’t be able to achieve good results. If cost is a concern, keep in mind that with good quality paper you can paint on both sides of the paper (whereas on cheap paper you often can only paint on one side) so you’re actually getting two for the price of one.
I exclusively use Arches paper for my personal work. But for my classes, I have found that Rains watercolour paper is the best “budget friendly but still acceptable quality” option.
When selecting watercolour paper, look for “100% cotton”, “acid-free" and “archival quality". Cotton cellulose is ten times stronger than wood cellulose and it’s naturally lignin free and acid free (the stuff in wood pulp that makes paper brittle and yellow over time).
Beware of drawing pads that say they are “suitable for drawing, watercolour and ink.” From what I’ve observed, this only means the paper is thick enough to handle a little liquid used on it (emphasis on a “little”) but it is NOT watercolour paper treated with a sizing.
What about the paper “tooth”?
Paper doesn’t have teeth but it does have tooth! Confusing? Yes! But let me explain: a paper’s “tooth” refers to its texture. Watercolour paper comes in three “tooths”: smooth, medium and rough. Although, to make things extra confusing, art shops generally describe watercolour paper by its manufacturing process:
Hot pressed paper has the smoothest finish. It’s made by pressing paper through hot metal rollers. The way I remember that “hot pressed” is smooth is that the hot metal “steams out the wrinkles” like an iron.
Cold pressed or “not” paper has a medium finish. It’s made by pressing paper through cold metal rollers.
Rough paper is, as the name suggests, rough. It’s pressed between sheets of textured felt during the drying process.
Which paper texture you choose is a personal choice and it will depend on the type of work you create.
When I want to work really wet or large (like on landscapes and big washes) I like to use cold press or rough paper. All of that dimpled texture acts like little reservoirs that hold water evenly across the paper and slow down the drying time. In comparison, it’s a lot harder (but not impossible) to get smooth, streak-free washes on smooth paper. Also, working with a lot of water on smooth paper may cause the liquid to pool and the paper may buckle in places. It’s not the end of the world (you can flatten the paper later) but it does affect your painting style.
However, when I work on illustration projects with small, intricate details, that’s when I like to work on smooth paper. The lack of surface texture makes the artwork perfect to photograph and digitalise (without capturing the texture). I also love smooth paper for experimental paintings, where I want the watercolour to pool and move in wild, unexpected directions.
What about the paper weight?
Paper comes in different weights, called GSM (grams per square meter). When painting in watercolour we want to use paper that is thicker (has a higher GSM) so it can handle a lot of water. I personally don’t use anything less than 300GSM, regardless of whether I am working on a big artwork or small.
What if I’ve already bought some cheap paper?
Cheap paper is great for kids learning watercolour or for drawing or experimental painting. And it is fine for more illustrative works that don’t require a lot of water. But for serious realism, landscapes or wet-on-wet painting that needs a lot of water, you’ll find cheap paper (ie poor quality sizing) will just hold you back from creating great work.
Another thing I should note is that watercolour can be painted onto unprimed fabric surfaces like silk. But that’s a whole other blog post that I haven’t got around to writing yet….
Anne x
PS: These are my own words, my own thoughts and my own research. Give credit where it is due and link back to this as the original source if you share or repost the information - www.artory.com.au Thanks!
