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Watercolour paper can also be purchased in the form of spiral-bound pads, which are convenient for outdoor sketching. They generally contain 300gsm (140lb) Not paper.
SEE ALSO
| STRETCHING PAPER | Wet paint causes the fibres in watercolour paper to swell, and this can lead to buckling, or ‘cockling’, of the surface. To prevent this happening, you should stretch paper before starting to work on it. |
Achieving a smooth painting surface
The paper is wetted and then securely taped to a board. On drying, it will contract slightly and become taut, giving a smooth surface that is less prone to cockling. With heavier papers (300gsm and over) there is less need for stretching, unless heavy, saturated washes are to be applied. Lighter papers always need stretching.
Method
Cut four lengths of gummed brown-paper tape 50mm (2in) longer than the paper. Do this first, to avoid panic at the crucial moment, when wet hands, crumpled tape and a rapidly curling sheet of paper could cause chaos.
Immerse the paper in cold water for a few minutes (1), making sure it has absorbed water on both sides; heavier papers may take up to 20 minutes. Use a container large enough to take the sheet without being cramped. For large sheets, use a clean sink or bath.
Immerse only one sheet at a time in fresh water, as each sheet will leave a residue of size in the water.
Hold the paper up by one corner and shake it gently to drain the surplus water. Place the paper onto the board (2) and smooth it outwards from the centre, using your hands, to make sure that it is perfectly flat.
Take a dry sponge around the edges of the paper where the gummed tape is to be placed, to remove any excess water (3). You should moisten each length of gum strip with a damp sponge immediately before use. Beginning with the long sides, stick the strips around the outer edges of the paper, half their width on the board, half on the paper (4).
Leave the paper to dry flat, allowing it to dry naturally, away from direct heat. Do not attempt to use stretched paper until it is dry. Leave the gummed strips in place until the painting is completed and dry.
Commercial paper stretchers
For those artists who find stretching paper a time-consuming chore, the only previous alternative to this has been to use expensive heavyweight papers or boards. However, there are now various effective devices available, which are designed by watercolour painters and which will stretch lightweight papers drum-tight in minutes. Among the ingenious designs, one uses a two-piece wooden frame to hold the paper firmly in place as it dries; another employs a system of plastic gripper rods which are pushed into grooves in the edges of the board, to hold the paper.
Choosing the best equipment
Use only gummed brown-paper tape for stretching paper – masking tape and self-adhesive tape will not adhere to damp paper. A clean wooden drawing board is the ideal surface for stretching paper; traces of paint or ink might stain the paper. Plastic-coated boards are not suitable, because gummed tape will not stick to them.
Immersion times
(1) Immersing the paper
(2) Smoothing the paper
(3) Removing excess water
(4) Sticking the gummed strip
These depend on the weight and degree of surface sizing of the paper. Thin paper soaked for too long will expand greatly, and may tear as it contracts; too brief an immersion means the paper will not expand enough, and will buckle when wet paint is applied. The correct soaking time for each paper will come through trial and error, but in general lightweight papers and those not strongly sized should be soaked for 3–5 minutes; heavily sized papers may need 15–20 minutes. (If a fine layer of bubbles appears when the paper is immersed, this indicates a strongly sized paper.)
| SUPPORTS FOR PASTELS | Some pastel artists like to work on primed hardboard, muslin-covered board or canvas, but most prefer to paint on one of the many tinted papers made specially for pastel work. |
Effects
The subtle texture of pastel paper catches at the pastel particles to just the right degree. When the pastel stick is passed lightly over the surface, the colour of the paper shows through and gives an interesting broken-colour effect; when the pastel is pressed firmly into the tooth of the paper, solid patches of colour are obtained.
Types of paper
Canson Mi-Teintes
A machine-made paper produced in France. A lightly sized rag paper with a neutral pH, it has a fairly soft surface, suitable for pastel, charcoal and chalk. It is available in a wide range of colours.
Ingres
A mould-made paper produced in Italy, Ingres is one of the most widely used papers for pastel work. It has a hard surface and a laid finish, with a neutral pH. Suitable for charcoal and chalk, it also has a wide selection of colours.
Velour paper
Also known as flock paper, this has a soft surface like velvet which produces a rich, matt finish more like a painting than a drawing. It is best not to blend pastel colours too vigorously on velour paper, as this may spoil the nap of the surface.
Sand-grain paper
This has a pronounced tooth which grips the pastel particles and there is enough resistance to the drawn line to make it very pleasant to work on. The rough surface is suited to a bold and vigorous approach. It is, however, an expensive surface for large-scale work, as it shaves off the pastel fairly rapidly.
Sansfix
The unique tooth of this paper, similar to that of a very fine sandpaper, is made from a thin layer of fine cork particles,
