Art Papers
Watercolour Papers
There are three types of watercolour paper: - 1. Not or Matte Surface – Cold PressedThis paper has medium absorbency. It works well for layering techniques and glazes. It facilitates easy lifting i.e. removing media from the paper as a means of texturing or to correct a mistake. Cold Pressed (or Not) is a very user-friendly paper and more easily controlled. 2. Rough SurfaceThis paper is often preferred when using broad brush strokes and minimal detail because deep hollows make it difficult to paint a smooth line or make adjustments. It is the most popular paper amongst our artist customers. The heavier pigments drop into the indentations of the paper causing “precipitation” (meaning to drop down like rain) leading to the beautiful stippled effect sought after by many artists. 3. Smooth surface – Hot PressedThe even surface means that paint edges stay crisp, the colour is vivid and pigment is easily lifted. But unless it is used by a deft and definite hand, the pigment tends to puddle, slide around and dry in unpredictable ways. Hot Pressed Paper is perfect for when you wish to portray fine detail and achieve high colour resolution. It is a very good paper if you want to start a painting wet-into-wet and bring up as much or as little detail as you like. The quality of the paper chosen by an artist will help them achieve a good effect – even more so than their brushes or pigment. Watercolour paper is an excellent surface for other media as well as watercolour. The character of the paper, and its surface texture are important to the finished effect of the painting. Very often the choice of paper is to blame for a painting going wrong, rather than any shortcomings of the artist. Some papers are superior in quality to others, but an expensive paper will not necessarily lead to better results. It is important to choose the paper with the qualities you need for your painting technique. To call it paper is actually a misnomer. The best watercolour paper is made from linen, cotton or a mixture of both. The result is called 100% rag paper.Artists look for acid-free paper i.e. the paper rates 7 on the pH scale and is neutral. (Anything above 7 is considered alkaline and a reading below is considered acid.) Papers with a high acid or alkaline content tend to crumble and yellow.
Weight
Most of our artist customers choose 300 gsm paper. Some choose lighter or heavier. (GSM stands for grams per square metre). The lighter the weight of the paper and the larger the sheet, the more important it becomes to stretch it before painting. Stretching the paper prevents it from buckling (cockling). Gummed (gum arabic) tape is wettable and suitable for taping the paper, which has been immersed in a bath of clean water, to a painting board.Sizing
Watercolour paper is sized during manufacture to stop watercolour and ink from bleeding into the fibres of the paper, and to facilitate washes over the surface. Paper, which is referred to as having been “internally sized” has had size, added to the slurry as the paper is being made. When paper is labelled “tub” sized, this means the paper is first dried and then dipped again into a bath containing size. Most artists prefer a paper that will allow them to rub out, wash back, scrub, scratch, and so on. For that they need a paper that has had a fair amount of sizing, usually vat or “tub” sized. If you like to use masking fluid, you need to use a paper that is well sized or you will damage the surface of the paper when you remove the dry mask.Deckled Edges
Initially the term deckle referred to the wooden frame used in making hand-made paper. Often pulp would seep under the mould, resulting in untrimmed, irregular edges of varying thickness. These edges became the trademark of hand-made or mould-made sheets of paper, and are now called deckle edges.Paper Manufacture
Machine-made paper is manufactured in large quantities and is fairly inexpensive. Its qualities are generally more consistent than with mould-made or hand-made papers.
Mould-made paper is produced in large quantities by a machine, while still using pulp of similar quality to that found in hand-made paper. Hence it is notably cheaper than its hand-made counterpart.Handmade paper is created in individual sheets without machinery. They’re usually air-dried and have a cold-pressed or rough texture. They also have a natural deckle edge on all four sides.